Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-03-20
GENERAL GORDON.
rhtsrs Just Published Show That he
Made Many Appeals for Rein
forcements in Vain.
suthile You Are Eating and Sleeping We
Are Watching Night and Day Try
ing to Qucll the Movement
of the Mahdi."
A PAGE FROM TIE BLUE BOOK.

N IN
LoNDoN, February pa number OF dis
nitches from General Gordon to the Home
| Gyernment in regard to the situation of af-
fiirs at Khartoum previous to the surrender
Of that city, were published yesterday,
tritten on November 4. General Gordon
4 Aeclincs to agree with the Home authorities
That the expedition under Lord Wolseley
was for the purpose of rescuing him, but
! was. he saws, designed to rescue the garrison
| at Khartoum. On September IS he wrote as
follows:
"We have sufficient money and provisions
here at Khartoum to last four months. At
the expiration of that period we shall be
much embarrassed. At SEMINAR there is
| quite enough. The garrison at Galahat and
| the people in that neighborhood are contin-
ually fighting and the people are opposed to
| the false Mahdi. Although we wrote you
| that it was impossible to send Colonel Stew
art to Berber on account of the many things
which occurred here, we afterwards saw fit
| to send him, together with the French and
| English Consuls, in a small steamer to Don
| COLA to communicate with the British COM
mander there concerning the Soudan. We
detailed two large steamers to accompany
them to Berber to keep the way clear for
| them to pass by Berber towards Dongola.
| How many times have we written asking for
endorsements and calling your serious at
| tention to Soudan, and no answer came
! The mems hearts have become weary with
1o1av VV1i1o oro oofinr and 1rSOEinn
and resting in good beds, we, and those
| with us, soldiers and servants, are watching
night and day trying to quell the movement
of Mahdi. Of course you take no interest
to suppress this rebellion, the serious conse-
quences of which are to reverse victories for
you. Neglect thereof won't do.
"Stewart starts in two days; the reason
for sending him is because you have been
silent all this while you have neglected us.
We have lost time without doing any good.
If troops be sent us the rebellion will cease.
When they reach Berber the inhabitants will
return to their former occupations. There
fore it is hoped you will listen to all Stewart
tells you and regard it seriously. Sendtroops
| we have asked for without delay.
'Lupton Bey has surrendered. l have
I'll oAu III JINoouSSo IL tl NlISNlIoIlS
during the last eight months. Do not send
private letters to me. The risk is too great.
DO not write to me in cipher. I have none
and it is no use. Mahdi knows everything {;
| take the road from Abukol to Metemneh.
You need not fear Mahdi: both the Greek
Consul and the Austrian Consul are safe.
| Mahdi has captured a letter from the King
OF Abyssinia to me. Your expedition, as l
understand it, is for the relief of the garri-
son at Khartoum, which I failed to accom-
| plish. I decline to admit it is for the rescue
Of me personally"
1t appears from this letter, dated Deem
Der IA, that Gordon never said 81 can hold
! out for years." as has been published, but
on the contrary declared food scarce and re,
lief should be sent him at once.
General Gordon also instructed the mes.
senger sent from Khartoum December IA, to
deliver the following message to Lord VOL
seley: "Don't scatter your troops. Bring
plenty of troops for the enemy is numerous.
We still hold Omdurman. Mahdi lies be-
You'd Munsho. Malldi, six months ago at
tackled Omdurman md disabled one of. our
steamers. We disabled one of their guns.
The fighting was renewed on the south side
three days later. The rebels were again re-
pulsed. Come quickly. Don't leave Ber-
Der in the rear. Keep the enemy in your
front. Don't let rumors of your approach
be spread.
II have five steamers and nine gum at
Metemneh awaiting your orders. I can hold
out forty days longer with ease. After that
it will be difficult. The loss of Colonel
Stewart is terrible. I told him to give you
all information possible. He had my journal
from January3 to September 10. Mahdi
is eight miles from Khartoum; SEMINAR is all
right. The garrison there is aware that YOU
are coming. My journal from September 10
to date is on board of one Of the steamers
which you will find at Metemneh. 1 con-
time to have occasional fights with the
Arabs. 1t is rumored that all Europeans
with Mahdi, including Stakin Bcy and Huns,
have become Musselmans."