The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-11
The Career of Remarkable Man


Charles George Gordon came of race of
soldiers. His great-grandfather fought against
Prince Charles, and his grandfather fought
under Wolfe on the Plains of Abraham. "Chi-
nese' Gordon was born at Woowich, England
Jan. %, 1888 During his boyhood he shared
the migrations of his father, Lieutenant general
Henry William Gordon, r. A, and was at the
Ionian islands with him when he had COM
mand of the artillery there. He was
prepared at Taunton for the Royal
Military Academy, which he entered
before he had completed his fifteenth year. His
health was of the most delicate nature and gave
no promise Of the wonderful endurance which,
later in life, he had displayed. He won his ap-
pointment to the royal engineers, being gazetted
as second lieutenant in July, 1852. Two years
later he was dispatched to the Crimea, and on
New Years day. 1855 arrived in the harbor of
Balaklava. He was detailed to work entailing
almost constant exposure to the Russian fire.
His commanding officer, who wrote some
papers the Crimean war, said of young
Gordon: 1--WE used always to send him out to
find what new moves the Russians were making."
His promotion as first lieutenant was received
while he was in the trenches before Sebastopol,
and when the Crimeaa war was over he was
awarded the Legion of Honor In the summer
of 1856 Gordon was one of commission ap-
pointed to lay down the new frontier line of
Moldavia. So soon as the duties of that COM
Minor on a similar work, and after an absence of
three years returned to Great Britain, where he
became instructor of feldworks and adjutant at
Chatham. August ], 1859, he attained the
rank of captain, and in the following year
was dispatched to China where he Joined the
British forces under the late Sir Hope Grant.
After the destruction of the Emperors summer
palace at Peking. Gordon and companion
started out to explore section of the great
wall of China" and they penetrated further into
the country than had any other foreigners. In
1862 Gordon began his campaign against the
Chinese rebels called Tai-Pings, under school
master named Hakka. An American named
Ward was at the head of an army of Imperial.
lists. and on account of his personal bravery aud
the fine discipline The maintained and the
number OF conauests made, his army
was named The Ever Victorious
Army" About the time Gordon began
operating against the rebels, Ward had suffered
a series of reverses, and killed in the vicin-
lty OF Nlngpo, and Major Gordon was summoned
to take command. He was at this time thirty
years of age, and was one of the best soldiers in
the British army With his forces Gordon de-
feated the rebels in many engag ements, and the
Emperor was not slow in rewarding him.
medal of the highest class was conferred upon
him and he was made tho recipient of f3 500 in
token of imperial appreciation; but these Gordon
refused to accept, and be left China as poor as
he entered it. He had been promoted to
lieutenant-colonelcy and he was awarded by
the Chinese government with the highest orders
in the Chinese army When he arrived in Great
Britain Gordon was further rewarded by the dis
tinctions of g. NJ e. and G. b. 1t was in the
campaign in China that he received the sobriauet
of Chinese" Gordon. From 1865 to 1871 Gordon
was employed in improving the defenses of the
Thames. While engaged in this work he estab
lished reading classes for boys over which he
himself presided The boys of his class were
much attached to him, and favorite
legend on their books was 'God Bless
the Kernel which says less for their