General Gordon's Story

"At Gettysburg, while the fight was tho hottest, " said General Gordon, "I noticed a handsorae young Federal officer, v?hoso bravery was conspicnous. Af ter the battlo had subsidod I found this gallant soldier lying on the field. He was dying and begged me to eend a message to the Union lines. His wife had decided to sbaro with him the fortunes of war and was at the offlcers' quarters in the Federal army. "I ordered rny men to tako the wounded officer to our camp And to make him as comfortablo as possifele. Then I sent somo inon with a flag of truce to the Union lines with the message from the dying officer to his wife. "Late that riight the party returned, aud the meeting of the dying husband and his yonngwife was tbemost affecting scène which I bave ever witnessed. "I was compelled to go elsewhere, but before I left the sorrowing couple I ascertaiued that the name of thewounded officer was Major Barlow of New York. I of ten thonght of the sad incident, -which made upon me one of the most vivid impressiona that I received in the war. 'Shortly afterward a consin of mine whose name and initials were the same as mine was killed ia battle. ' 'The war closed. Ten years af terward I was with a distinguished gentleman in New York who invited me to be present at a dinner he was to give that evening. Ainong the gnests to whom I ■was introduced -was a certain Major Barlow. I supposed that he was a cousin of the man whom I had left dying on the field at Gettysburgwith his devoted wife besido him. " 'I ouoe knew a Major Barlow, ' 1 said to my uow acquaintance. " 'I ouce knew a General Gordon, ' he ans'wered. " 'Bnt the Major Barlow I knew is dead,' I added. " 'And the General Gordon whom I knew is also dead, ' he answered. "I started to teil him the story of the Major Barlow whom I had left dying on the field at Gettysbnrg when ho interrupted me, exclaiming: " 'My God, General Gordon, I am that inan! But you were killed ut Antietani. ' " 'And I know you died at Gettysburg, ' said 1, 'for I saw yon. ' "Mutual explanations followed. It seems strange to me that the warmest friendshipof my lifeshould have begun in those awfnl scènes of blood and oarnage at Gettysburg. The simple service that I perïormed that day when I sent for that dyiug soldier's wife has made Major Barlow and his wife the dearest friends I have on earth, notwithstanding I wore the gray and he the blue. "