The Portland daily press., 1885-02-12
General Gordon.
A History of the Brilliant Military Career
That Received such IA Tragic End.
tsprinpaeld Republican,


Gordon's extraordinary career and character
have for many years interested great part Of
the world. He inherited the qualities Of q
fighting Scotch ancestry. His grsat-gran5-
father, David Gordon. was Highland soldier
under Sir John Cope at Preston Pans in 1745,
and soldering has been the profession Of every
generation since. Charles Gordon was born
10 1880, and was educated at Woolwich, where
he did not distinguish himself, though it is
remembered that once during his eadstship,
being rebUked for ineompetsncy, he took off
his "epaulets" (so the b;ographer calls themJ
and flung them at the feet Of the officer who
rebuked him. He first saw service in the
Crimea, as also Wolseley did, fought well,
worked we'll, was given the Legion of Honor
by the French, and after the war was over he
was assistant commissioner in adjusting the
new boundaries of Russia, Turkey and Rou-
mania; he spent half Of 1857 in Armenia de-
Initiating tho Asian boundaries, aBd was sent
there agaia in 1858 to verify those boundaries.
His next notable employment was in 1860, in
the British expedition against Pekin, and he
took part ia the destruction Of the Summer
palace, which in private letter he charac-
terizsd as 'ia scene Of utter destruction which
posses my description" "After pillaging it,"
he wrote, 1--WE burned the whole place, de-
stroying in a vandal-like manner much valu-
able property, which could not be replaced
for four millions. You can scarcely
imagine the beauty and magni6cence Of the
palaces we burned. 1t made cnes heart sore
TO burn them; we could not plunder
them carefully It was wretchedly
dsmoralizing work for an army. Everybody
was wild for plunder." His stay in China was
prolonged, until, after considerable work as
commander Of British troops against the Tai
ping rebels, he entered the service OF the
Emperor of China In March, 1868, as COM
mander OF the ever Victorious army" and
suppressed that tremendous rebellion. In this
be gained the sobriquet of "Chiness Gordon"
by which he has ever since been known.
The Tapping rebellion was one OF the most
remarkable popular outbreaks ever known. 1t
started nearly 20 years before the British and
French Invasion ia which Gordon was engaged,
in the professed inspiration of village school
master who proclaimed himself seer and
prophet, champion Of the poor and oppressed
and finally the brother OF God. The basis of
his gospel was derived from Christian
missionaries. Proclaiming himself the heaV-
emily king, he devasted large tracts OF China,
all disorderly and lawless bands joined his
standard, and Nankin fell before his army and
became his capital. Up to 1850 there was ev-
en- probability that China would be wholly
conquered by the rebels OF the Great Peace
for that was another of the titles arrogatod by
the sehOolmastsr. The richest and most fertile
districts OF China we're in their hands, and
desolation followed wherever they triumphed.
AT this time the French and British began to
| assist the imperialists, the American Ward-a
dessrter from the United States navy-wss
| commissioned to raise force, which under his
| command became the nucleus Of the Ever
| Victorious army" and had gained several i'm
portant victories when in September, 1862, he
was killed; and in March, 1868, Ii Hung
| Chang, the most eminSnt statesman and SOL
| der OF modern China, asked the British to
give them q general. Mai. Gordon was the
| officer chosen for this work, and in that year
and the next he practically destroyed the great
| rsbellioD having shown the most extroardina-
| ry military genius, conquered the distrust OF
| Ii Hung Chang and overcome the treechery
| OF the American Burgevine. The emperor.
through Prince Kuug, gave Gordon the highest
rank in the Chinese army, but in spite OF the
recommendations OF the prince and Sir Freder-
| ick Bruce, the English ambassador, he received
| nothing from his own government but one step
more in the army.
On his retarn to England Lieut. Col. Cor
don received the appointment Of commanding
| engineer at Grayesand, aud remained there in
| charge of the construction OF the Thames de-
! fences until 1871. 1t is said that this period
| was the happisst Of his life. He hated noto-
risty, and could not abide praise. One of his
| biographers relates the fate Of bis journal Of
| the Tapping var, illustrated By his own hand,
| which be sent home for the sole reading Of
his family. A minister Of state heard Of the
| manuscript, borrowed 1t, and sent 1t TO the
| press, in order that his colleagues might have
| the benefit OF reading it. After his arrival,
| late one evening, Gordon inquired about his
| Journal learned what had happened, went to
| the printers demanded his manuscript, and
| ordered that the copies printed should be de-
stroyed aud the forms broken up. As the
/ journal has not since been seen, it is supposed
| he destroyed it, but no one ever dared ask
him. The family, however, possess his numer-
GUS letters. In 1871 he has appointed British
| commissioner on the European commission OF
! the Danube, and in 1873 he took service with
| the Khedive, succeeding Sir Samuel Baken
| as governor Of the tribes in upper Egypt.
Ismail offered him $4,000 a year, but he re-
| fused to accept more than $4,000. The Khe-
| dive announced that the object OF Gordon's
| engagement was the suppression of the slave
| trade then rampant under Zebehr Pasha, who
| had been the Khedive's ally in acquiring do
minion over that region. Gordon saw through
| the Khedive's professions, which, he said were
"a sham to catch the attention of the English
people, but he went nevertheless, for, said he,
81 value nay life as naught, and should only
leave much WEAKNESS for perfect peace" This
sentence indicates an essential trait of Gordon's
character. His administration lasted until
the end of 1876, when it seemed as If he had
accomplished great deal in the way OF estab-
fishing authority in that country OF warring
wild tribes. He had been greatly embarrassed
by theiDcompetence sand interference Of the
4
returned to England, ard while there, in Feb
rusry, 1877, the Turk was removed, and he
was appointed governor-general, In which Of
fee his principal purpose was the suppression
of slavery His principalslieutenant In this
work was RomUlus Gesei, an Italian, and they
carried on q remarkable Campaign against
Zsbehr and his son Suleiman which ended in
the defeat and execution OF Sulei-
man, while Zebehr was tried II
| Cairo for rebellion, condemned to death, bul
| oil IN liNa in CairO nauciOnad hxyf fhf
khedive This greatly injured the effect Of
| Gordons work. Gordon resigned his office II
the Summer OF 1879 because Khedive Tewfl
did not sustain him in his negotiations with
the king Of Abyssinia Ho had tried to de-
well by the people he governed, but the cor
rupton Of Egypt was beyond his remedy
When he returned to England he was the herr
Of the day, and was commonly called "thI
uncrowned king"
He went to India as secretary to Lord Ripon
when that eminent man was appointed cover
nor general, but scarcely reached his destina
tion when he resigned. In 1882 he was in
vited TO place his services at the disposal o
the government of Cape colony, South Africa
to assist in terminating the war and in ad
ministering BasUtoland. His service thert
| was failure, from the lack of proper treat
ment by the authorities and OF support By thu
| home government; no returned thence fiVl
months after his arrival, journeyed through
''the Holy Land" for his own pleasure, ant
wrote strange book about this chapter of hi
life which has since been published, and hi
| final fruitless work in the Soadan is part O
recent history.
Charles George Gordon is one of the enigma
OF human nature. He lacked but little of be
| ing great man He possessed the most al
, | dent enthusiasm for humanity; he devoted a
his powers TO whatever duty lay before him
he accomplished marvellous feats of soldier
and of administration; be was q model of hon
or and miracle Of self-denial; yet it strangel
happens that the impression Of his life is tha
. | of an adventnrer. He never married. an
, | frequently throughout his brilliant career on
finds him expressing a strange weariness an
safety, as II his lie were nothing 10 him
One such 1tteranc9 has been quoted, anothe
, | was when he told King John Of Abyssini
that If he killed him, "You would confer a fs
yor upon me, for you would be doing for m
what am preeluded by religious scruples fror
doing forlmyseli you would relieve mesfromsa
the troubles and misfortunes the future has i
store for me-" Gordon hated his own fame
and said no man bad right to be proud {
anytbing, and he had no right to possess any
{ thing, having given himself to God. He CAV
awsy everything he had, and said that ever
gold chain or adornment should be given
s the poor In this way he disposed of his met
n ais and other presents that came to him. II
rplieion uaa a singular mixtura nf Christ;o MI