The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-03-08
Chinese" Gordon.
The Manner in which He rode to
Peking.
UNITED Service Monthly Reviev.1

kcAAsVA SCAsAN AVAtAly OSE4SW.J
Yes, "Chinese" Gordon (then a
Captain of Royal engineers) very
nearly had to put up with q decker
for the China campaign of 1850. But,
perhaps be. ore relating the following
anecdOte, l ought to explain the
meaning of the word decker. It is
the British soldiers slang term for
. war medal without clasps and
originated in the Crimea-a medal
only being awarded to soldiers who
arrived after the docks were blown
up on the evacuation of SebastopOl
by the Russians. In like manner in
China q medal only was ava rded to
soldiers who were in the country, but
not present with the army before
Picking on October 8, 1860.
1t is not necessary to relate how
Captain Gordon was ordered to the
seat of war. suffice it that he arrived
by steamer from Hong Kong at the
Taku forts some time during the day
of the 4th of October, 1860, where he
Immediately heard of the taking of
the forts, followed by the advance Of
the allied armies on Picking. Tojoin
his comrades at the front and take
part in the siege and occupation of
the capital was his first thought, but
how to get there was another thing.
lie was told that no conveyance
faster than the usual convoy of all
stores and ammunition, strongly
guarded on account of the many des-
perate bands of la-la-longs (thieves
and marauders) that ar always to be
found hanging on the outskirts of an
advancing army in an enemy's
country. But Charley Gordon was
not the man to be denied. He Skin.
mished around and eventually picked
up q stray Tartar pony, brought it to
the TRANSPORT stables, got a bride and
numna there, put some snip's bis
cults In HE pockets, slung a water
bottle, buckled on his sword and re-
vOiver, jumped on the pony, and the
next moment Was going at a hard
gallOp, amid the cheering of the men
along a road he had never seer nor
read of before. and infested with
thieves leading to Peking-distant
$50 miles.
Well do l recollect the nights of the
5th and 9Th Of October, 1860, although
now nearly "a years ago. For two
weeks we had been working hard
getting the preaching guns into po-
and on the morrow before !
dawn they were to open. when q
breach being practicable, we were to
storm. A few of us were discussing
our various positions in the mornings
work, sitting and standing around
the camp fire, when an English
officer covered with dust rode up on
q woebegone pony and inquired if
this was the engineer camp. Before
anyone could answer he threw him
self off, saying; "How are YOU,
Graham, old fellow" seeing Major !
Graham, Royal engineers, who was
one of our party, and an cid comrade
OF GordOn's in the Crimea.
You may Imagine our establishment
when we recognized in the newcomer
Charley Gordon. He had actually
the $50 miles in II hours,
most Of the time with revolver in one
hand and sword in the other, and
what between shooting and shouting
he had managed to escape scot free
the many attempts that were made to
capture him, arriving just in time to
lake part in the operations Of the
morning.
After a few minutes conversation
he went of arm in arm with his old
friend to get some refreshment and
an hour or two's sleep, for Graham
vas to lead the StOrmers in the morn
ing. and it was largely surmised that
Gordon would ask permission TO ac-
company him.
1t was a daring ride and the whole
army talked of it and how Gordon
'aved a decker.