Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 1.djvu/754

702 rest displayed his most heroic qualities, with hardly a parallel but the famous deeds of Marshal Ney while covering Napoleon s retreat from Moscow. In February, 1865, he was promoted lieutenant-general, and given the duty of guarding the frontier from Decatur, Ala., to the Mississippi. With a few hundred hastily gathered men he made his last fight at Selma, and on May 9 he laid down his arms. It is stated that he was 179 times under fire in the four years, and he said, "My provost marshal s books will show that I have taken 31,000 prisoners.&quot; After the war he was president of the Selma, Marion and Memphis railroad until 1874. He died at Memphis, October 29, 1877. By European authority he is pronounced the most magnificent cavalry officer that America has produced.

Lieutenant-General John Brown Gordon was born in Upson county, Georgia, July 6, 1832, of Scotch ancestry, his grandfather being one of seven brothers who immigrated from Scotland previous to the Revolutionary war, in which they all took part in behalf of the colonies. The grandfather made his home in Wilkes county, North Carolina, whence Rev. Zachariah H. Gordon, father of General Gordon, removed to Georgia. Young Gordon was graduated in 1852 at the Georgia State university, and a few months later was admitted to the practice of law. Early in 1861 he enlisted with the volunteer Confederate soldiery and was elected captain of his company, rising by promotion to major and then to lieutenant-colonel of the Sixth Alabama infantry, in December, 1861. His regiment was called to Virginia to participate in the struggle on the Peninsula and assigned to Rodes brigade of D. H. Hill s division, and on April 28, 1862, he was promoted colonel. At the battle of Seven Pines, during the gallant advance of his brigade, Rodes was severely wounded and the command devolved upon Gordon as senior colonel. At Malvern Hill he again commanded the