Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/965

Rh at Washington, receiving the degree of master of arts in 1861. For a time he remained in the university as assistant professor of mathematics and then began the study of law under the preceptorship of Judge Robert Ould, then United States attorney for the District of Columbia. In the meantime the war of the Confederacy was under way and his sympathy with the South, which he neither sought to conceal nor make obtrusive, became known to the Federal authorities. In August, 1862, while on a visit to Baltimore, he was arrested upon a steamer, and, upon his refusal to take the oath, was conveyed to Fort McHenry and held as a prisoner for several days. Then released through the influence of his family he was ordered to return to Washington and report to the officer in command. These reports were required to be made weekly, and were kept up until in October following he was allowed to accompany a party of prisoners for exchange to Richmond. There he at once tendered his services to the Confederate authorities and was appointed assistant engineer with the rank of first lieutenant. His first assignment of duty was to make reconnoissances in Fauquier, Culpeper and adjoining counties, with a party under the protection of Gen. Fitzhugh Lee. In the spring of 1863 he was called to Richmond to accept a commission as lieutenant of engineers, and reported to General Pickett, with whose division he joined in the march to Gettysburg and was under fire in that battle. On the return to Virginia he was ordered to Richmond to take charge under Colonel Talcott of the regimental headquarters of the First regiment of engineer troops, then being organized under a special act of congress. Of this command he was appointed acting adjutant and served in that capacity until the organization was completed, when he declined the appointment of adjutant and returned to his company of engineers. In this capacity he took part in the subsequent campaigns of the Wilderness, Cold Harbor, the operations on James river and in the defense of Petersburg, where, after the explosion of the Crater, he was put in charge of Cook's salient, immediately to the right of the Crater, where he protected that portion of the line by countermining, the only work of the kind, so far as known, in the Confederate lines. About five weeks before Petersburg was evacuated he was ordered to Chesterfield county to construct bridges over the Appomattox. By the time this work was concluded the evacuation occurred and Lieutenant Gordon was assigned to the rear guard of the retreating army, with orders to assist in directing the destruction of the bridges. He was probably the last man of the Confederate army to cross High Bridge, having applied the torch to that and another bridge near it, under the fire of the enemy. Two days later he surrendered at Appomattox. Returning to Washington he resumed the study of law, and, though he could not be admitted to the bar for several years on account of the test oath, has been engaged in the practice since 1866. In this he has been quite successful, and at the same time he has formed many important business connections. He is president of the Washington safe deposit company and of the Linthicum institute, vice-president of the Traders' national bank and of the Columbia Title insurance company. He maintains a membership in the Washington camp of Confederate Veterans. In 1875 Mr. Gordon was married to Harriette, daughter of Hon. Allen T. C. Caperton, senator from