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Brig. Gen. James B. Gordon (b. 1822, d. 1864) While his more famous distant relative John Brown Gordon made his career commanding infantry, James Byron Gordon was a cavalry man. James B. Gordon was born in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, No. 2, 1822. Educated in Virginia at Emory and Henry College, Gordon operated a mercantile business and was a farmer. In 1850, he was elected to the North Carolina legislature. When war came, Gordon enlisted as a private in the Wilkes Valley Guards. In officer elections, Gordon was elevated to first lieutenant. He later became captain, but left that unit when he was appointed major of the First North Carolina Cavalry, the first full regiment of cavalry organized in defense of the Confederacy. Four of its original officers (Robert Ransom, Lawrence Baker, Victor Barringer and Gordon) later were promoted to brigadier general or higher. This unit was sent to Virginia as part of the Potomac District, Department of Northern Virginia from Oct. 1861 through March 1862. In April and May of the year, it was back in North Carolina as part of Ransom’s Brigade. In June, most of the unit was part of the cavalry brigade of the Army of Northern Virginia. In July of 1862, the Fighting First became part of Gen. Wade Hampton’s brigade of Gen. J.E.B. Stuart’s cavalry corps in July of 1862. Meanwhile, Gordon had been promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1862. The regiment saw limited action in the Seven Days Campaign. Its first major action was during the Second Manassas Campaign, in which the Confederates drove Gen. John Pope’s forces back into the Washington defenses, and the campaign into Maryland, which culminated in the Battle of Sharpsburg (Antietam). Along the way, the regiment was involved in the successful siege of Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. In the spring of 1863, Gordon was promoted to colonel. The Fighting First played a major role at Brandy Station (June 9, 1863), fighting both dismounted against infantry and mounted against cavalry. One charge drove the 10th New York Cavalry out of line and resulted in the capture of that unit’s flag. The regiment fought again June 21 at Upperville, Virginia, an action against Gen. Judson Kilpatrick’s Federal cavalry, which ended with hand-to-hand combat. During the big cavalry action east of the main battlefield at Gettysburg, July 3, 1863, the First North Carolina was one of the units which broke through the Federals and hit the reserve force. Once the Confederate forces retired back to Virginia, Gordon was promoted to brigadier general to rank from Sept. 28, 1863. Commanding the North Carolina cavalry brigade, Gordon’s men played a major role in the “Buckland Races” near Buckland’s Mills, Virginia, Oct. 18, 1863, part of the Bristoe Campaign. There, forces of Stuart whipped Kilpatrick’s Federals, chasing them for five miles and capturing 150. In May of 1864, Gordon’s men were the first to meet the advance of Gen. U.S. Grant after the Federal leader crossed the Rapidan River. The brigade opposed Gen. Philip Sheridan’s cavalry raid against the Confederate capital, Richmond, Virginia, in May of 1864. The unit suffered at Yellow Tavern, where their charismatic leader, Gen. Stuart, was mortally wounded May 11, 1864. The next day, Gordon was wounded near Meadow Bridge, Virginia. He was struck in the arm with a bullet, which exited at the elbow. At first, the wound did not seem to be major. But erysipelas (an acute, infectious skin disease with local inflammation and fever) set into the wound and on May 18, Gordon died in Richmond. He was buried in Wilkesboro, North Carolina.
Found this site, http://firstnccav.home.mindspring.com/home.html very helpful in tracking the movements of the First North Carolina Cavalry as both “Generals in Gray” and the “Historical Times Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Civil War” were a little short in information on Gordon.
George Washington Gordon is next
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CSA Bios Two Other Gordons - 
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