Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-02-06

uOkQ INC CITY ANN
regarded as daring man. but one VINO
rarely yentured on rash undertaking hls
daring was based on intelligent canton ana
a careful calculation OF the risks to be run.
He has frequently been reported prisoner,
and as often been reported killed IN battle
or murdered by Nubians in ambush.
The Descendant of q Race OF Warriors.
Gordon comes of race of warriors HIs
preat-grandfather served as an ot1cer IN
Iascelle's regiment in Sir John Cope COM
mand and was taken prisoner at Preston,
pans by Prince Charles Highland host,
but was paroled through the influence OF the
Duke Of Cumberland. His grandfather
fought at Minorca, at the siege OF Louls0urg
and on the Plains of Abraham. In l!fS
he married the sister Of Northum6rian
clergyman named Clarke, and the result OF
the union was four sons, the third OF them,
Henry William, who was born in l786, be-
ing the father Of Chinese" Gordon. Henry
William Gordon rose to the rank of Lieu
tenant General. His wife was Miss En-
derby, daughter OF London shipoWner. 1t
was one of Enderby's ships that was board
ed in Boston harbor on that memorable
night in 1913 when the chests of tea were
hauled on deck and broken and their con-
tents thrown into the bay. Henry William
Gordon had eleven children, five sons and
six daughters. Three of the sons entered
the military service, and but one now lives.
Charles George Gordon was born at Wool,
wich on January 28, 1888. Of his boyhood
his biographers have little to state. de
psssed some of his Younger days on the
ionian Islands, where his fathe. was in com
mand of the artillery. He was educated at
Tauton and then passed to the Royal Mill
tary Academy at Woolwich. he had not
then completed his fifteenth year: His
constitution was frail, and he was not spe-
cially devoted to his studies. During his
school days be did nothing that was really
noteworthy.
Rebuked for Incompetence.
Hake relates of him that once during
his cadetship at the academy ne was re-
buked for incompetence and told that he
would never make an officer. Thereupon
he tore the epaulets from his shoulders and
flung them at his superior feet. 1t Is
evident, however, that he worked harder
afterwards, and maybe was spurred on by
the rebuke that was administered him. de
graduated with honors and in 1852 was
pazetted as second lieutenant in the famous
Scientific corps, the Royal Engineers.
He still lacked six months of being twenty
years of age when he began his military
career.
For two years he was engaged preparing
the plans Of the forti6catiOns which were
subsequently, constructed about the entrance
of Milford Haven. In August, 1854, ne was
ordered to Corfu, but in December his route
was changed for the Crimea and on New
Years day, 1865, he sailed into the harDol
of Balaklava. 1t was the middle of the ter
rible "black winter" and misery, disease
and discomfort prevailed everywhere. The
encampments had almost been ruined by
the great storm of November IA, which had
also wrecked "a large fleet OF vessels laden
with stores that would have mitigated the
ripor of the bitter winter" After month
OF idleness, during which Gordon, like his
countrymen, had to concentrate his atten-
ton on the effort to keep alive, he was de-
tailed for duty in the trenches, his duties
consisting mainly in the supervision OF the
execution of the plans for the details of the
slSAC OPCLotAOAo'
Under Fire in the trenches.
1t was an arduous labor and he was almost
constantly exposed to hostile fire and fire.
quently was fired at by the English sentries.
Gordon attracted the attention OF his su-
periors by his extraordinary aptitude for
war. Amid the trench work before Sebas'
topol he obtained a knowledge Of the
enemy's movements such as no other officer
attained, and Col Chesney mentions that
he was always sent out to find what new
move the Russians were making. He &C.
complained the expedition to kinburn and
took part in the reduction OF that place,
after which he returned to the Crimea and
remained there until February, 1856. At
the close Of the war lie was reported as an
officer who had done gallant service and
was deserving of promotion. He was
awarded the Legion of Honor" but he did
not get his captaincy until three years after
the Crimean War had ended.
In 1856 Gordon was ordered to join Major
Edward Stanton in laying out the frontiers
| of Russia Turkey and Roumania. The work
having been finished, he was ordered into
Armenia to serve on delimit4tion COM
mission, at the head of which was Colonel
Simmons. Having spent six months in
these regions he went back to Constantine.
pie and soon afterward returned to England
after an absence of three years. For a
short time he served as instructor Of field
works and Adjutant at Chatham. He at
tanned the rank of Captain on April |, 1859.
on to China.
He went to China in 1860 and witnessed
the burning of the Summer Palace at Pc
kin in October. In 1862 he was still in
China in command ofa company Of Royal
Engineers. The Taipings became trouble
some in the neighborhood Of Shanghai in
the early part Of that year, and it was de-
cided to begin active military operations
against them. Gordon dispatched 900 men
to Taku forts, and having been assigned to
the command ofthe district, soon joined
them. He stormed Sing Foo and drove the
Taipings from their strongholds Compare
tive quiet following, Gordon went back to
Shanghai, but in the following October he
was on active duty again, and with the Eng
lish troops escalded Kahding, drove out the
Taipings, and within a radius Of thirty
miles from Shanghai the country was clear
Of them. The originator otthe TAPPING
rebellion was village schoolmaster named
Hungtsueschuen, who was a religious
fanatic, who claimed that the Almighty
himself had appeared to him as the second
Celestial brother The fight was for some
time between the Imperialists and the rebels,
but when the Heavenly King threatened
Shanghai, the French and the English took
hand in the conflict and drove the Taip-
ings back. A truce was arranged. 1t
ended in 1862, and the Heavenly King
again threatened Shanghai. The Imperial
forces were commanded BY the Americans
Ward and Burgerine-during the earlier
engagements with the TaipingS
| Ward Killed.
Ward was killed; Burgerine succeeded
him, but he was cAshiered in 1868 and the
services Of Gordon were engaged by Lii