The Mena weekly star., 1911-08-17
GENERAL GORDON
 IN FINAL FIGHT
Soldier, Lawyer and Statesman Dies at Home in Memphis, Following Long illneSs--Was Twice
 Head of Veterans.

Memphis, Tenn, Aug. 9.-George w. Gordon, soldier, lawyer and statesman, died at D. m. today. 1 Worn out by an illness dating from his last political campaign, when he was reelected to the national house of representatives, the last general of the Confederacy to serve in that body, answered the summons to join the invisible majority. Funeral ar engagements have not been announc- ed, but the obsequies, it is said, will be of military character and the body will be laid 10 rest in this city probably Sunday.
 Weakened by the heat of the past 24 hours, and first taken ill at the reunion in Little Rock, he succum- bed to the ravages of a slow illness and the light grew dinner hourly to the general today. When. following a restless night, he awoke from a iltful sleep in the early morning hours the loving watchers at his side saw that the end was but a question of hours, perhaps minutes, and that his fondest desire, to att tend the Macon reunion, would not be gratifled. As the end neared peace spread over his face. He smiled as with comforting words he bade relatives goodbye. At the bed side of General Gordon when he ex- pired were his wife and other rela- tives.
 George Washington Gordon was born in Giles county, Tennessee, October 5, 1886. In his early boy hood his parents removed to re>as, and later to Mississippi, but as youth he returned to Tennessee and entered the Western Military Acad- emy, from which he was graduated in 1850. His first activity was as a civil engineer.
 Enlisted as Drill Master. At the outbreak of the Civil war | General Gordon enlisted on the ninth sheet manifesto as drill mas ter of the Tenth infantry of the Confederate states. Within a few weeks he was made a captain and later was promoted to a lieutenant colonel About a year later he was commissioned colonel. In 1864 he was named brigadier general.
 General Gordon participated with distinction in number of engage ments and was at one time taken prisoner, but was exchanged in ten days.
 At the close of the war General Gordon studied law and was admit | ted to the bar. He became attorney general Of Shelby county. Tn 1883 he was appointed member of the Tennessee Railroad Commission and 1 in 1885 he was made an attache of the Federal Department of the In- terior. In this capacity he served four years. At the end of Grover Cleveland's first presidential term | he returned to Memphis and re- sumed the practice of law. In 1892 General Gordon was elected super intendent of the city public schools. | He was likewise elected member of the sixtieth congress from the Tenth Tennessee district and reelected to the sxity-first and sixty-second con- gresseS.
 Campaign Sapped Vitality.
 General Gordon was the only Con- federase general numbered in the present congress. He was chosen commander-in- of the United Confederate Veterans in Mobile and subsequently reelected last May at the reunion held in Little Rock. He was credited with having been one of the organizers of the Ku Klux Clan in Tennessee.
 Immediately following the close of his last political campaign Gen. eral Gordon's health began to fail. Asthma in aggravated form develop ed. Notwithstanding the poor state of his health, he attended the ses- sions of congress and his vigor was partially restored. Just before the | lhsl IGQniOll iiC cQh tl tQ QA dtbNth oA ptomaine poisoning, and against the advice of physicians and wishes of relatives, insisted on attending the reunion. At Little Rock he became very weak and took only small part in the affairs of the reunion, being confined to his room in the hotel most of the time.
 Several weeks ago General Cor don went to northern health re- sort, but failed to benefit and re- turned to his home. He spent sev- eral days in the country, but his health did not improve and he was brought to Memphis Monday. Ur- aemia developed and his weakened condition could not withstand the seige.
 When the baby is suffering the double afIliction of hot weather and lhaxual dioopdapc ina ramady needed