The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-02-10
Knew Gordon as Private.

| hHeH NOTuOH AS iTlfutee
The death Of General John B. Cor
don was mourned throughout Ken
lucky and at many points the Con-
federate camps met and drafted reso-
lutons filled with praise Of his life
both as soldier and a citizen. In
Lexington there were many speakers
heard, some of them making lengthy
addresses.
One Of the tributes which has at
tracted most attention is that Of Hon.
j. Soul, Smith, Lexington historian
and writer. Judge Smith was griev-
ed by the deaths at nearly the same
time of General Gordon and Of ex-
Governor Foster, of Ohio. who was
his personal friend. He was a SOL
dier under General Gordon and had
seen much Of him in battle. He
wrote a card in Lexington news
paper expressing his feelings at the
loss which came 81 close to him. He
said
eve old fellows die in groups. The
| angel of death comes and calls the roll
and we step back into the silent major
i,y where have often wished to te.
On Saturday last died two men whom
knew-one of them personal friend,
Charles Foster, Of Ohio, though op-
posed to him in politics; the other,
under whom I served in the Confed-
crate army, John 3. Gordon, aud
whose cheek [ washed with my can
teen OF water when he got the scar cn
it which he carried until his death.
THAT scar was from fragment Of
shell near the Potomac river one
afternoon. lie was major general
then under Jubal Early and I was a
private in company a, Twelfth Geor-
gia battalion.
"I only knew General Gordon as
private soldier could know general.
Yet, boylike, / was observant of him.
Never but once did I speak with old
"Marse" Robert E. Lee. God bless
ed me that much in my fruitless life,
but several times 1 have spoken to
Gordon. Once when tried to turn
III horse back in battle, and he made
me loose the rein though I stoodE.in
front of him In hopes to stop some
bullet that might elsewise hurt him;
ouce when I washed his face from my
oanteen Of water, and once when I
was brought before him for stealing
apples and had my whole shirthosom
full He could see we'll enough in 3
fight, but couldn't see the bulge of the
apples in my shirt front.
"These three incidents I remember
well-there are others not so promi-
ncnt. He was the most splendid off,
Ger | ever saw on the battlefield
say splendid and l mean it, just as
would say John c. Breckenridge
was tho most superb Of course
'Marse' Robert Lee classed by him
self, for God only made one of him,
and ones enough since Christ came.
General Breckinridge was the
handsomest man l ever saw, either on
or off battle field. 'Marse' Robert
Lee was like mountain peak on
which the sweet sun rested, but the
stars were very near to it, and the
blue sky bent around it beautifully.
Gordon was the shining scimitar
which the war-god welded when he
cleft his enemies. He dressed for
battle as others would dress for ball,
and when the boys saw his clean gaunt-
! let's and his shining epaulets en- him,
they ato all their rations, lest they
should die before they had chance
to finish them.
"He was sober, discreet and gentle.
have seen him walk while footsore
private rode his horse. Pure as Sir
Galaha, knightly as King Arthur, he
was as brave as Launcelot and gentle
as the dawn. His face grew white in
battle, and the scar on his cheek grew
red or purple. his eyes blazed and
Gordon's brigade stood ready to die in
their tracks:
"Let one Of them pay this little
tribute to his memory"