The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1885-02-14
GEN'L. GORDON DEAD.
STABBED TO DEATH BY ARABS IN THE
STREETS OF KHARTOUM.

The City Fails by Treachery-Coi. Wilson
and Party Rescued-The Story of Gen
Gor,Ion's Eventful Career.
1t is officially announced in London
that the following particulars have beer
learned concerning the fall of khartoum
The rebels gained access to the city by
treachery, and their entry caused tn
multi in the streets. Gen. Gordon, while
leaving the palace to learn the cause o.
the disturbance, was stabbed dead. A
fearful massacre of the Christian popula
tion ensued, the barbarities perpetratee
py the Arabs exceeding even the Bulga
riau afro cities of the Russo-Turkish wa:
Ell Mahdi has caused the Notifications tt
be so strengthened that the English mil
itary authorities consider it almost in
pregnable. The Arabs brought witt
them into the city tons upon tons of arm:
and ammunition, beside their full fight
ing equipment.
All the London papers appear in mourn
ing for Gordon. The Daily Netrs, in its
editorial, says that "the aye of chivalry
revives in Gordon's history. The whole
world feels thrill Of passionate grief a
the Christian warriors DEATH The
Standard refuses to believe that Gordon
is dead.
A dispatch from Korti, dated Feb. 8
says that Lord Charles Beresford has re
turned in safety to Gubat, bringing will
him Colonel Sir Charles Wilson and par
ty, who were stranded on an island some
distance up the Nile as they were return
ing from Khartoum. Some difficulty was
experienced in fetching away the strand
ed party. The rebels on the river banks
kept up Il constant firing, and shGrtly
after the party had embalk ed Il ballet
from rebels rifle pierced the boiler OF
the steamer. 1t was necessary, there
fore, to anchor under fire and make re-
pairs. The British fire, however, now
took effect, and the rebels were repulsed
Immediately after reaching Gubat, Colo
mel Wilson started for korti, where he
has now arrived to report in person tt
Lord Wolseley the details of his recon,
noisance Of khartoum.
GENERAL GoRDON's CAREER.
Charles George Gordon was born at
Woslwich, Eng, on January 2S, 1899
He came of race of 50 diers, his father
ha;pr g., l;ontanant in +l,a pov,l r,;lIar,-
He got his first experience of actual war
fare in the Crimean war, taking part as
an engineer in the seige of Sebastopol
The experience gained there served him
profitably some years later in China as
commander Of the force raised by the
wealthy msIch ants of Shanghai to sup
press the Tai Ping rebellion. He took
command in March, 1868. In May, 1865,
Chanchufu, the last of the rebel strong
holds, was captured and the rebellion was
at an end. The force which, under Cor
don's leadership, accomplished this mum
bered from 1000 to ), 600 native soldiers,
differed by Europeans. The gratitude
of the Chinese government for Gordon S
services knew no bounds. The large
sums of money which were offered him
were refused, but he accepted the deco
rations, which represented the highest
honors within the imperial gift. The
English government was hardly less slow
in recognizing his splendid achievements,
and upon his return made him G. B.,
and intrusted to him the important work
Of experimenting the defence Of the
Thames. In 1874 he entered the services
Of the Khedive of Egypt as governor
general of the Equatorial Lakes. Dur
ing the following two years he traced the
White Nile from khartoum to within a
short distance of the Victoria Nyanza,
and had given the slave trade a deadly
blow. lie restored contil and peace
among the tribes Of the Nile valley. and,
without oppression, had contributed a
revenue to the exchequer of the khedive.
His labor of five years i'll the Soudan was,
undone too quickly. No
sooner had Egyptian intrigue succeeded
in getting rid of him than the old order
Of things Was restored, slavery and slave
hunting became the chief institutions of
the country, insecurity took the place of
the safety which had obtained under
Gordon's rule, the order he bad estab-
lished gave way to anarchy, the Mahdi
arose and the oppressed natives hocked
to his standards, feeling that nothing
could well be worse than their present
The first proposal that an English
officer should be despatched to superin-
tend the evacuation of the SOudan was
made by Sir Evelyn Barring in December
1888 At that time General Gordon was
about to leave London for the Congo.
Public opinion, however, demanded that
whose splendid services in tie
Sondan, though unrewarded by bis gov
had hot been forgotten by his
should be despatched to the
scene of his former triumph. On Janu.
airy l6 the Egyptian Government asked
that a well qualified British officer be
sent to khartoum armed with full powers
and two days afterward Gen Gordon de-
parted LOT CalTO.
The khediye's firman appointed Gen.
Gordon encouragement Of the Soudan.
The khedlve direc ed him to evacuate
the Soudan, to withdraw the civil and
authorities, as well as all the
troops, and such of the Inhabitants as
might wish to return to Egypt. Gen.
Gordon's pan as to restore the country
to the heirs of the petty sultans who
tlouriShed at the time of Mcdonnell Ais
to leave it optional to these
princes whether they would recognize
the supremacy of the Mahdi or not, and
to carry out this program with avoid
ance. if possible, of all fighting. Ac
cording to an estimate of the Soudan
there were in the Soudan
$1,000 Egyptians, aud 5000 Egyptian
houses doing business with Egypt
to $40. 0G0, coo year.
General Gordon arrived at khartonm
on Feb. Is, 1854 He Immediately pro
posed that Zebehr PasEa should be made
governor general of the Soudan. This
proposal was viewed untavorably by the
British Government. Gordon insisted
that Zebehr was the only man to carry
out his program, and Informed his gov
eminent that if be were not appointed a
pacific solution of the question would be
But the Anti Slavery So
ciety objected to Zsbehr on account Of
his record as a great slave-dealer, and
the British Government was afraid Of the
Society and would not
his appointment. This proved
fatal to Gordon's plans. The Mahdi,
saeiug that Gordon was taking no active