~~ 6th Alabama Infantry Regiment ~~ Biographies

General Alexander Curry Gordon

Pioneer, legislator, Indian fighter and soldier who was born September 28, 1811 in Washington County, Georgia the son George Gordon (born approx. 1791, died approx. 1813 at Fort Hawkins, Georgia in Militia Cavalry Service) and Polly Hughes (born approx. 1795). Polly married 2^nd to a Rodgers/Rogers and had at least one son Irwin Rodgers/Rogers born about 1816 in Georgia.

At the age of two he was left an orphan.  In the spring of 1817, his uncle, James Hughes, brought him to Henry County settling just south of Franklin near the Chattahoochee River. 

In 1821, a band of roving Indian warriors seized young Alexander C. Gordon and his brother, Irwin Rodgers, while fishing in Phillip’s Creek, a small tributary of the Chattahoochee. The two boys, Alexander ten years of age and Irvin five, were carried into the wilderness of Wolf Bay, now in Dale County.  The band of Creek Indians who seized the boys, 50 in number, were making their way south to join the Seminole in Florida.  The Indians crossed the Chootawatchee and carried their tearful prisoners two hundred miles into the interior of north Florida.  On this trip the boys existed on gophers and briarroots.  Later, their captors bartered them to a tribe of friendly Indians in exchange for food.

Here, with these friendly Indians for two years the two little captives helped the Indian women raise corn, goobers (peanuts), and potatoes, and spent much of their time killing birds and small game with blow guns and bows and arrows. Alexander was known among the Indians as Nocasehargo--Crazy Bear.  Finally, word from white traders of their place of captivity reached their uncle James Hughes. Hughes went down the Chattahoochee on a pole boat and ransomed the two boys for fifty dollars in silver. After the return of these boys, the Hughs family moved to Abbeville. Polly Rogers, the mother of Alexander Gordon and Irvin Rogers, and sister of James Hughs lived with them for many years.

Anthony McCallouch/McCullogh, a celebrated Indian trader, employed Alexander C. Gordon as a clerk on his return to Henry County due to his knowledge of the Indian tongue.  In later years, young Gordon embarked in business for himself at Old Franklin and later at Old Aberdeen near Abbeville.

In 1836, he raised a volunteer militia company and marched at its head to Eufaula. Alexander C. Gordon was mustered into service May 17, 1836 at Abbeville as Captain of a Company designated as Captain Gordon’s Company, Blair’s Battalion Alabama Militia, and was mustered out and honorably discharged as a Captain on July 25, 1836.  He saved Eufaula from the torch of Jim Henry, Creek Indian chief, who was leading a band of war-like Creeks against Eufaula. Served under Wellborn. November 09, 1841 - commissioned Brigadier General of the Alabama Militia by Governor Arthur P. Bagby.

When these hostilities were over he became a legislator and he represented Henry County at Tuscaloosa as he served his first term at the age of 24.  

He was actively interested in and intimately connected with the political and social history of the county, having come to the county two years before it became a county and state.

General Gordon, on reaching manhood, engaged in planting and merchandising and soon acquired quite a fortune, the most of which he staked in the fortunes of the Confederacy and lost.  His wonderful devotion to friends and his honest convictions have more than often left-him almost penniless.  During the session of 1836, though opposed to the bill to allow the state to borrow five million dollars and loan to citizens at a low rate of interest, he was induced to vote for its passage, and on his return home he became security for a number of his neighbors.  To pay these demands, he was forced to sell his entire property including his magnificent county residence--Aberdeen.

General Gordon served his country and county in war and politics, He was a member of the legislature of 1836-37 and the extra session of 1837.  He was a delegate to the Baltimore Convention, which nominated Greeley and Brown in 1872; a member of the Constitutional Convention in 1875; and represented the 23rd District in the Senate during the session of 1878-79.  He was for several years chairman of the Democratic Executive Committee of the 3rd Congressional District.  He was a staunch and true democrat and was very active in organizing the county conventions and served on many committees for this party.

He was Captain of a company in the war of 1836 and General of the Militia for Henry County after secession of the Indian trouble.  He took an active interest in equipping and uniforming of soldiers for the Confederacy and led to the front at the beginning of the war, the "Henry Grays".  He was elected Captain on May 15, 1861 of Company A later B, 6^th Alabama Regiment, said to be the first company in the county. He resigned November 21, 1861 and returned to Henry County. For the remainder of the war he served as Private/Captain in the Confederate Home Guard unit called the “Henry Mounted Rebels”.

He later engaged in farming and merchandising in Franklin, Aberdeen and Abbeville.  He was to be found on almost every committee appointed for civic and county improvements during his lifetime.  August 29, 1859 signed Petition to build a courthouse at Abbeville. Henry County Register 1875 (Newspaper) “A. C. Gordon returned from Montgomery Last Monday evening apparently in excellent health. He thinks that the convention as a whole has made a good constitution and that it be ratified with­out hesitation by the people when they come to vote on it. It will probably be submitted to them about the middle of next month.” “Adv. -- For delegate to constitutional convention from the 33rd Senatorial District W. C. Oates. For delegate from Henry County  - A. C. Gordon.”

The town of Gordon, along Gordon's Landing and previously Woodville and Open Pond located in the lower part of the county bears, his name. Gordon Henry County Alabama was named in 1880. Gordon (formerly Woodville and Open Pond) had its first post office February 11, 1846 and first postmaster, James Pynes. First Newspaper at Gordon in 1881.

General Gordon married Evaline Thomas Hudspeth who was born November 25, 1813 in Henry County Alabama; died in August 1, 1881 in Abbeville Henry County Alabama; buried City Cemetery, Abbeville Henry County Alabama. Evaline was the daughter of Richard Hudspeth b 1776 in Virginia , and wife, Mary Abernathy Sims b 1781 in North Carolina. Children are: 1st Child) Mary Elizabeth Gordon b. October 28, 1832, Henry County, Alabama (Aberdeen Plantation); d. November 19, 1922, Henry County, Alabama (Abbeville); Mary Gordon married 1^st on April 23, 1854 in Henry County Alabama to John McAllister (1824-1850). She married 2^nd November 4, 1862 in Henry County Alabama to James N. Lightfoot (1839-1885) 2nd Child) Angus McAllister (A. M. C. A.) Gordon b. December 20, 1834; d. August 24, 1862. He never married and military history unknown; 3rd Child) Warren Putman Gordon b. November 21, 1836; d. September 07, 1854; 4th Child) Caroline Bagby Gordon b. November 18, 1839; d. February 16, 1844, Henry County, Alabama, buried City Cemetery, Abbeville, Henry County, Alabama; 5th Child) Daniel A. J. Gordon b. November 04, 1843, near Abbeville, Alabama; d. April 20, 1907, Henry County, Alabama; buried City Cemetery Abbeville Henry County Alabama. Dan Gordon was Probate Judge of Henry County from 1880 to 1907.  Never married. Volunteered in Henry Guards, Company E of Hilliard's Legion, which later became part of 60^th Alabama Regiment. He transferred (after Chickamauga) to 6^th Alabama Cavalry, Company E.  Abbeville Times - March 1889 - Forty acres (40) of land purchased from Dan Gordon for experiment and agriculture farm for $700.00.

General Gordon died June 16, 1887 in Henry County, Alabama and buried at City Cemetery Abbeville Henry County Alabama.

SOURCES: Henry County Marriage Book A (1821-1868), National Archives, Alabama State Archives and History - Henry: The Mother County" by Hoyt M. Warren Sr., Pages 53 - 55 and Sally Sanders Sinclair; Evaline T. Hudspeth Gordon Bible in the possession of Sally Sanders Sinclair  

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