{⋆★⋆} BG Gordon, George Washington

George Washington Gordon​

Born: October 5, 1836

Birth Place: Pulaski, Tennessee

Father: Andrew Gordon 1802 – 1889

(Buried: Garden Cemetery, Hare, Texas)​

Mother: Eliza Kerr Goff 1801 – 1872

(Buried: Garden Cemetery, Hare, Texas)​

1st​ Wife: Ora Paine 1858 – 1876 (Married: 1876)

(Buried: Elmwood Cemetery, Memphis, Tennessee)​

2nd​ Wife: Mary Harbor Hannah 1861 – 1928 (Married: 1899)

(Buried: Elmwood Cemetery, Memphis, Tennessee)​

Education:

1859: Graduated from Western Military Institute​

Occupation before War:

1859 – 1861: Civil Engineer in Nashville, Tennessee​

Civil War Career:

1862 – 1864: Colonel of 11th​ Tennessee Infantry Regiment​

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1862: Wounded & Captured in thigh during Battle of Murfreesboro, Tennessee​

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1862 – 1863: Held as Prisoner of War by the Union Army​

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1863: Exchanged in the Prisoner of War Exchange on April 29, 1863​

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1864 – 1865: Brigadier General of Confederate Army Infantry​

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1864: Wounded and Captured during the Battle of Franklin, Tennessee​

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1864: Prisoner of War held at Johnson's Island Union Army Prison​

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1864 – 1865: Prisoner of War held at Fort Warren, Massachusetts​

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1865: Released from Prison by the Union Army on July 24, 1865

Occupation after War:

1865 – 1883: Attorney in Memphis, Tennessee​

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1883 – 1885: Tennessee State Railroad Commissioner​

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1885 – 1889: Special U.S. Indian Agent in Arizona and Nevada​

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1889 – 1907: Superintendent of Memphis, Tennessee Schools​

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Early Member of the Ku Klux Klan​

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1907 – 1911: United States Representative from Tennessee​

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1910 – 1911: Commander in Chief of the United Confederate Veterans

Died: August 9, 1911

Place of Death: Memphis, Tennessee

Cause of Death: Uremia & Nephritis

Age at time of Death: 74 years old

Buried on: August 12, 1911

Burial Place: Elmwood Cemetery, Memphis, Tennessee

 

[Pollaco]

He was actually one of the "lucky" ones at Franklin he was only wounded and captured. 6 other generals were killed.

 

[Pollaco]

He rose to command General James E. Rains' brigade who was killed at Murfreesboro.

 

[gentlemanrob]

Happy Birthday (October 5th) Brig. General George W. Gordon! Salutes remembering General Gordon on his birthday.

 

[Pollaco]

Interesting, it was claimed by his widow that Gordon was the original Gran Wizard and not Nathan Forrest.

 

[Pollaco]

He served in every battle that the Army of Tennessee participated in, from Shiloh to Franklin

 

[Luke Freet]

George Washington Gordon​

View attachment 377010

Born: October 5, 1836

Birth Place: Pulaski, Tennessee

Father: Andrew Gordon 1802 – 1889

(Buried: Garden Cemetery, Hare, Texas)​

Mother: Eliza Kerr Goff 1801 – 1872

(Buried: Garden Cemetery, Hare, Texas)​

1st​ Wife: Ora Paine 1858 – 1876 (Married: 1876)

(Buried: Elmwood Cemetery, Memphis, Tennessee)​

2nd​ Wife: Mary Harbor Hannah 1861 – 1928 (Married: 1899)

(Buried: Elmwood Cemetery, Memphis, Tennessee)​

Education:

1859: Graduated from Western Military Institute​

Occupation before War:

1859 – 1861: Civil Engineer in Nashville, Tennessee​

Civil War Career:View attachment 377011

1862 – 1864: Colonel of 11th​ Tennessee Infantry Regiment

1862: Wounded & Captured in thigh during Battle of Murfreesboro, Tennessee

1862 – 1863: Held as Prisoner of War by the Union Army

1863: Exchanged in the Prisoner of War Exchange on April 29, 1863

1864 – 1865: Brigadier General of Confederate Army Infantry

1864: Wounded and Captured during the Battle of Franklin, Tennessee

1864: Prisoner of War held at Johnson's Island Union Army Prison

1864 – 1865: Prisoner of War held at Fort Warren, Massachusetts

1865: Released from Prison by the Union Army on July 24, 1865View attachment 377012​

Occupation after War:

1865 – 1883: Attorney in Memphis, Tennessee

1883 – 1885: Tennessee State Railroad Commissioner

1885 – 1889: Special U.S. Indian Agent in Arizona and Nevada

1889 – 1907: Superintendent of Memphis, Tennessee Schools

Early Member of the Ku Klux Klan

1907 – 1911: United States Representative from Tennessee

1910 – 1911: Commander in Chief of the United Confederate VeteransView attachment 377013​

Died: August 9, 1911

Place of Death: Memphis, Tennessee

Cause of Death: Uremia & Nephritis

Age at time of Death: 74 years old

Buried on: August 12, 1911

Burial Place: Elmwood Cemetery, Memphis, Tennessee

Been doing some reading on Gordon here, as he played a role in the Atlanta Campaign. When snow fell on the Army of Tennessee' encampments in Dalton in March 1864, an army-wide snowball battle ensued. Cheatham's Tennessee division faced off against Walker's Georgians. In the "fighting", Gordon took a conspicuous role, carrying a makeshift battle flag (really just a rag tied to a stick) and helped lead Cheatham's Volunteer State troops to victory over the Georgians; for this he would earn the nickname of "The Snowball Colonel".
Gordon would rise to command A. J. Vaughan's Brigade in August 1864. Vaughan had been wounded at Vining Station on the 4th of July; Colonel Magevney of the 154th Tennessee initially took command, but in mid-August, Gordon was given the promotion of Brigadier (Temporary) and command of the brigade. He would lead them into action at Jonesborough, where his men proved crucial in stemming the tide on the second day.

Gordon would lead his brigade once more into the fighting at Franklin, where they were on the right front of Brown's Division's assault. They would do hard fighting around the Carter House, before a Union counterattack pushed them back to the outer side of the Union works. Gordon was wounded, and he and his staff decided to surrender themselves to the Yankees rather than die there. It didn't go smoothly; once over the works, he was nearly beaten to death by a Union soldier before an officer intervened and took him in.

 

[Pollaco]

Sounds like he almost made the list of CS Generals killed at Franklin.

 

[Stryker65]

Gordon would lead his brigade once more into the fighting at Franklin, where they were on the right front of Brown's Division's assault. They would do hard fighting around the Carter House, before a Union counterattack pushed them back to the outer side of the Union works. Gordon was wounded, and he and his staff decided to surrender themselves to the Yankees rather than die there. It didn't go smoothly; once over the works, he was nearly beaten to death by a Union soldier before an officer intervened and took him in.

Oh dear! Not another T. B. Smith!

 

[Pollaco]

Oh dear! Not another T. B. Smith!

Are you referring to Gen. Thomas Benton Smith?

 

[Stryker65]

Yes. As you probably know, he suffered a similar physical attack by Col. McMillen at Nashville. And he did end up dying of it.

Are you referring to Gen. Thomas Benton Smith?