| A more gallant, generous, and fearless gentleman and soldier has not been seen by our country." -- President Theodore Roosevelt John Brown Gordon was born in Upson county, Georgia, on February 6th, 1832. He was educated at the University of Georgia, and, though an excellent student, quit in his senior year. In 1854 he moved to Atlanta where he briefly pursued a career in law, and later journalism in 1855. Soon he returned to northwestern Georgia, joining his father’s coal- mining enterprise, the Castle Rock Coal Company. He was married September 18, 1854 to Fannie Haralson and between the years 1855 to 1877 had six children. At the beginning of the Civil War, John Gordon organized a company of mountaineers -- "The Raccoon Roughs”. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel when his company was merged with the 6th Alabama Infantry regiment of the Confederate army. With good organizational skills and valiant fighting, Gordon quickly rose through the ranks. In 1862 he was promoted colonel, and later the same year won the rank of brigadier general. He achieved major general in 1864 and was recommended for the rank of lieutenant general at war‘s end, at which time he was in command of half of the Army of Northern Virginia. Gordon demonstrated unparalleled bravery and leadership when he was wounded five times during the battle of Sharpsburg, yet refused to leave his command. "On the right and the left my men were falling under the death-dealing crossfire like trees in a hurricane . . . Higher up in the same leg I was again shot . . . I was able to walk along the line and give encouragement to my resolute riflemen . . . Later in the day the third ball pierced my left arm." His men begged him to take cover but he would not, contending that, "I could not consent to leave them in such a crisis” A fourth struck his shoulder and, “the shocks and loss of blood had left but little of my normal strength." Undaunted by his wounds, he continued to rally and encourage his men when, "I was shot down by a fifth ball, which struck me squarely in the face, and passed out." He was later carried to the rear and was miraculously revived that night. Douglas Southall Freeman wrote in Lee's Lieutenants, "If the final order of march had been arranged to honor those who had fought hardest and with highest distinction during the last days of the war, Gordon rightly would have been put first." John Brown Gordon held many distinguished positions after the war, including both senator and governor of Georgia. He was made commander of the United Confederate Veterans and held the position until his death in Miami, Florida on January 9, 1904. |
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| John Brown Gordon |