The Grenada sentinel., 1904-01-30
GORDON-ThE BAYARD OF THE
SOUTH.


A Great but Just Tribute. by Rev. S.
A. Steel.
For the SENTINEL
Gen. Gordon is dead. That simple
announcement sent thrill OF sorrow
throughout the land. The North as
we'll as the South loved and hOnOrcd
this great man, for as much as any
man of his generation he represented
that highes type Of national patriot
ism which embraces our whole country
in it's ardent devotion. He was one
of the noblest Southerners.
1t is no ordinary event when such
man passes into "thc great silence" :"
The duty we owe to his memory is
not done when the volley is fired over
his grave. The lofty lessons OF his
life deserves more than the passing
culnrv ut his bier iiearSe and cataf-
a}urc. noddinr plumcs and draped
standards. the solemn notes of the
drum and steady steps OF the soldiers
with their arms reversed, and all the
pomps Of martial funeral rites, may
cn1NN0sizc the reverence in which we
hold his name. But there is more to
be said. for such men as John B. Cor
don are the strength of our country
and the glory OF our age.
Most mCN are content to be great
in one direction. Sulnc men who are
great soldiers have made 4 sorry fail
ure, when tested as statesmen. Some
men have proven themselves able
statesmen who had small capacity to
direct armies. Some men have a
genius for making money, but exhib-
it no ability in political government.
Some men who were great in action
were poor takers. 1t was the singu-
lar fortune Of Gen. Gorden to be test
ed in many eminent stations, and to
distinguish himself in them all. He
was great soldier. Most Of the ia
NOUS military leaders on both sides
developed by the war for the Union
were West Pointers. Lee and Jack
son and Johnston on the Confederate
side; Grant and Sherman and McC]el-
Ian on the Federal side, were grad
yates of the military school at West
Point. Gen. Gordon, like Gen. For.
rest, was civilian, without technical
military training, Yet he rose tC
equal rank with the finest soldiers
America has produced, and won his
spurs in the greatest campaigns OF
history. He was a great statesman
Called by his countrymen to assume
the responsibilities of public Office ir
the darkest hour Of his country'S need
he displayed a wisdom, a conservatism
and courage that went far to redeem
our fair South from the ruin OF Re
construction. He was a conspicuou
figure among such men as Hill ant
Lamar and Hampton and Daniel il
the titantic struggle to preserve th'
civilization of the Anglo-Saxon from
destruction that threatened it at tn
hands Of the Republican party. A
an orator, Gen. Gordon has had few
equals in our day. He was a maste
Of persuasive speech. Before a popu
lar audience he was irresistible. Hi
tongue was as eloquent as his seine
tar was keen. AS a writer, the grea
book he has left shows literary talen
of the highest order. The recollec
tions of John B. Gordon is one Of tn
most fascinating military autO-biogra
phies ever written. There is a bril-
liancy Of style, a simplicity of nara
tive, an under-current of genia
humor, an unconscious personality,
sincerity and sobriety, that stamps tn
book as masterpiece. So take Co
don any way you will, he was grea
man.
One of the most remarkable thin1
about Gen. Gordon's military reco1
is the fact that it seemed to fall I
his lot to be at the danger point
nearly all the great crises of the arm
of:Northern Virginia. In the advan,
into Pennsylvania, he led the va
guard Of Lee S army, penetrated ia
therest into the enemies country, al
bivouaced his troops on the banks
the Susquehanna. In the retreat
Antitam he held Lees center, with
single line of men repulsing colun
after column of the bravest troo
that ever charged a foe. He "
wOnnf1e6 four times in this haiti,