Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-01-13

The war experiences of the late Gen eral John B. Gordon, the Confederate leader, are graphically set foath in his "Reminiscences of the Civil War" pub lished by Charles Scribners Sons.
 Tn his account of the beginning of the Bull Run engagement General Cor. don says of General Ewell, the Indian fighter, who at the las@ moment went over to the Confectionery. sHe became very pious man in his later years, but at this time he was not choice in his manner of expressing himself. He asked me to take a hasty breakfast with him just before he expected the order from Beauregard to ford Bull Rum and rush upon McDowelPs left.
 s.His verbal invitation was in these words: Come and eat cracker with mo. We will breakfast together here and dine together in he'll To a young officer like myself, who had never been under fire except at long range, on scouting excursions or on the -skirmish line, such an invitation was not in- spiring or appetiztng, but Ewell's spir- {1ts seemed to be in a futter of exulta- Hon.
 ssAn hour later, after I had been re called from my perilous movement to sfeel of the enemy I found General E<sII, as have said, almost frenzied with anxiety. over the nonarrival of the anticipated order to move to the at trek. He directed me to send to him at pssce a mounted man with sense enough ko 20 and find out what was the mat ter.s I ordered member of the gov ernors horse guard to report immedia- xely to General Ewell.
 sAs for myself" says General Cor don, ssI was never in battle without realizing that every moment might be my last, but I never had present. ment of certain death at given time or in particular battle. There did come to me on one occasion feeling that was akin to a presentiment. It was, however, the result of no supposed perception of certain coming fate, but an unbidden, unwelcome calculation of chances suggested by the peculiar cir cumstances In which I found myself at the time.
 Tt was at Winchester, in the valley of Virginia. My command was lying almost in the shadow of a frowning fortress in front, in which General MiIroy of the Union army was strong Iy intrenched with forces which we had been fighting during the afternoon. Tn the dim twilight, with the glimmer of his bayonets and brass howitzers still discernible. received an order to storm the fortress at daylight the next morning.
 ssTo say that I was astounded at the order would feebIy express the sensa- ton which it's reading produced, for on either side of the fort was an open country, miles in width, through which Confederate troops could easily pass shound and to the rear of the fort, cut ting off General NIilroy from the base of his supplies and thus forcing him 10 retire and meet us in the open field. There was nothing for me to do, how eyer, but to obey the order.
 "As in the night planned the as- sault and thought of the dreadful Slaughter that awaited my men, there came to me, as I have stated, calcula- lion as to chances which resulted in the conclusion that I had not one chance In a thousand to live through it. The weary hours of the night had nearly passed, and by the dim light of my bivouac fire wrote with pencil what E supposed was my last letter to Mrs. Gordon, who, as usual, was near me. summoned my quartermaster, whose duties did not call him into the fight, and gave him the letter, with dlrec-