New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-20

was the rinplcader. This man was corporal WI WI
don onnroached him. dragged HIM out OF illS Ianh
With rs own hand and ordered two OF the lhllhIy
standing by to shoot him on the Spot ~ - 70
Was instantly obeyed. Gordon then seus ,d ~
naming non commissioned officers INTO connnciiI
Tor one hour with the assurance that wlthm Ilds
time if the did not fall IN. ana II the l'ii0
the writer of the proclamation was hot CIV" TIS,
every fifth man among them would DC SUI: IL
Lronbt them to their Senses The files fell in; the
writer's name was disclosed. Gordon had aonq J, III
tice to him some hours before: IL WAS 'no 'o'''
voiced corporal. "a
The officers frequently resigned their posts at
critical iunctures in the hope of ntimidatIng h''
but never succeeded in making him yield 10 'ien
viii or canriccs The native soldiery served nun
with entire evoton looking upon hm as d ni''s
who had charmed existence. HIS escapes iion IRON
death were SO miraculous that it is not strange WA.
he beclme q Christian Fatalist. 1t was MS H"','
whenever the troops were under fire to appear SUI
denly. unarmed and unattended. and 10 ui''''
operations at the most dangerous point ,,;.
In ol,,ost all these engagements, Gordon 1onhu ~
necessary to be constantly III w Fre we're bravo
lead i'm person. The officers OF ms loIce 80 t facc
men enough but were not always ready W i
their desperate antagonists d"Iloh' III th i ARM
yrav would take one other OF THESE oS tn' or
and lead him into the thick of the hre' ne a!w ~
went unarmcd himself even when lorrIno -. h;,n
breach He never recognized 1anseI ~ I'm,
shower of bullets was no more than nan 1slTlnIi
lie carried one weapon to direct his troopS-lc ndt
but a little cane, and this soon won ioI u.s. III
name of d" GOrdOn's magic wand Oh NlctolA ~
Chinese followers. seeing Inn always i..ol 10 -;
always foremost in the fight. concludGd IL W"s us
wand that insured him protection Inc Tue" avn Um
cOuraged the Ever Victorious Ariny g,ea dS than
was of more service to the young coihiu'nu0 '
all the arms he could have borne
For the horrors of Chinese warfare, which mower
ill-iniormed scntmentalsts in England 10 TEARS an"
execrations Gordon could not be held reSpohsIoi''
The massacre of the rebel kings and the sack OF 500
chow were ordered by Ii without his knowledge
and IN faqrant violation of pledges which he had
gwen during the negotiations. Terrible was DIS
wrath when. after being made prisoner AZ the
peril of his life. he learned that iaith had p'eh
wantonly broken with the enemy:
II is not to be wondered at if Gordon was cnragea
hevond bounds il is not surprising That LOT Ihe III
time during the war he armed himself and went OUT
to seek the life of an enemy. lie TOOK a recover
and sought the Governors quarters luE
TO do Justice on his body, and accept the cohSe-
on,nces But Ching was on the alert. lie was
scared at the terrible form OF Gord2nS anger ana
contrved to give the Governor the alarm. T4 aIo
boarded LIS boat only to find that IL had tdhoI
refuge i'm the plundcrcd city. 1hithcr ne Iitstclc
IN nursuit H. however, went into hiding, ana
though Gordon was " hot and mstan, IN MS ni"Eo
for many DAYS, he never came up WIN MN ilo Hi
ordered M his troops to assist nm Ill Iuuhlhs ,o
fugitive to earth; but when he found MS cholt Is
were IN vain he marched them back into Quarters
Of 0uinsan There with the deepest emotion, ne
read them an account of what had happened ne
ntimated his officers that It was mPosslDle ioi d
I IA NOT nroposG to di.band his force, but
that he should hand It over to General brown, tIc
commander of the troops at Shanghai, untli Such
time as the Government at Pekn should lniilct Oh
Ii the punishment that was his due.
Gordon returned to England to court oDHcnrity.
He declined invitations TO public banquets and the
great houses He could relate the incidents Oh ms
wonderful campaigns with unaffected simplicity by
his mothers fIeside, but he would not tolerate
0atterv and hero-worship. It was in his power TO
promote his professional interests by accepting the
courtesics of society and mngllng win the oR"i-
taries of the English world. He dccSted puDlicity
ne refused TO have his biography written ho ceased
to read newspapers which praised hlm ne chlei'"
upon a life of rigorous self-represoion. Receiving
the appointment Of Royal Engineer at Grayesend Ill
1863. he remained for six years in secusion, super
intending the construction of the Thames defenccs
and combining with his official duties labors of love
and mercy among the poor In work-house hospital
and slun he interested himself the OF ms
llow-creatures like a hon-hearted missionary
His house was refuge for the unfortunate and
home and training -schoOl for boys rescued from
the gutter Many of these urchins he clothed, fed
and lodged teaching them to read and write in the
evenings and finding good berths for them on yes
sells lie cOrresponded with them when they were
at sea and followed their adventures by sticking
pins into a large map of the world which hung over
his mante- piece; and on whatever sea they were
sailing he prayed for them every night. lie Taught
classes in the ragged schools, and his scholars at
tested their love and admiration by chalking on the
fences. God Bless the Kernel" He allowed poor
families to add to their scanty means by raising
vegetables in his garden lie dincd on salt beef and
made his supper of pot of tea and a stale loaf :;
and what he could save from his income he gave to
the DOOR When flowers and fruit were left at his
door he sent them to the nearest hospital.
Gordon could not be induced to preside at re-
lipious meeting but he was always ready to read
PRAYERS for the sick and dying. He loathed public
occasions and complimentary speeches, but he loved
TO address a sweeps tea meeting Decorations ana
medals he sternly condemned as forms OF sell
plorifcation: and he thought so little OF a gold
medal given to him by the Empress OF CHINA that
he erased the inscription upon IT, sold 1t tor f'o'
ond sent the money ANONYMOUSLY to Canon Miller
for the relief Of the sufferers from the cotton famine
at Manchester He presented a number OF Chinese
FLAGS Of all colors the trophies Of his victories to
the ragged schools at Grdvesend He lived Tor
others; his purse was always empty from his con-
slant Hberality. He used to say grlmy that the
silver tca-servicc presented to him by Sir William
Gordon would be sufficient TO pay for his burial
without troubling his family. He held that he had
no right TO possess anything having once given
himself TO the service of God. He even rcproved
those who invited him to dine with them. :" Ask
fine poor and the sick" he would say; don't ask
me. who have enough lie was at once medieval
ascetic and a rigid Puritan of Cromwels time IN
his sight the pomp and glory of the world implied
sclf-lovc. when there was always deep cause Tor
self humiliation lie was content to live quietly
and peaceably, after the scenes of triumph and eX-
citement through which he had passed The world
seemed to be forgetting his magnificent achieve
ments lie was glad to have it for in his judg-
ment no man has a right to be proud of anything
inasmuch as he has no native good III him, having
received the little there is of it from his God.
From GravcSend Gordon was transferred to
Galatz as British Commissioner on the Danube.
The work was not so important as that which had
been assigned to him in the same district after the