George W. Gordon
| George Gordon | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Member of U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 10th district |
|
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In office March 4, 1907 – August 9, 1911 |
|
| President |
Theodore Roosevelt William Howard Taft |
| Preceded by | Malcolm R. Patterson |
| Succeeded by | Kenneth D. McKellar |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
George Washington Gordon October 5, 1836 Pulaski, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | August 9, 1911 (aged 74) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Resting place | Elmwood Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Occupation | engineer, lawyer, Indian agent, railroad commissioner, school superintendent |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 Confederate States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 Confederate States Army
|
| Years of service | 1861–1865 |
| Rank |
 Brigadier General
|
| Commands |
11th Tennessee Infantry Regiment Vaughan's Brigade |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
George Washington Gordon (October 5, 1836 – August 9, 1911) was a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. After the war, he practiced law in Pulaski, Tennessee, where the Ku Klux Klan was formed. He became one of the Klan's first members. In 1867, Gordon became the Klan's first Grand Dragon for the Realm of Tennessee, and wrote its "Precept," a book describing its organization, purpose, and principles. He was also a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 10th congressional district of Tennessee.
Gordon was born on October 5, 1836 in Pulaski, Tennessee. His father was Andrew Gordon and his mother, Eliza K. Gordon. He grew up in Mississippi and Texas. Gordon graduated from the Western Military Institute in Nashville, Tennessee in 1859. He worked on the Nashville & Northwestern Railway.
At the start of the Civil War, Gordon enlisted in the military service of the Confederacy and became drillmaster of the 11th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry. In November 1862 he became the regiments colonel. Gordon was promoted to brigadier general in August 1864; and was one of the youngest Confederate generals. Gordon led Vaughn's Brigade, in Maj. Gen. John C. Brown's division, at the Battle of Franklin (November 30, 1864), where he was wounded and captured. Many of the men he led are buried at McGavock Confederate Cemetery in Franklin, Tennessee.
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