Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1894-11-21
CHINESE" GORDON.
Interesting Adventures Reported
by a Southern Officer.
GORDON JOINED THE UNION ARMY.
How He Entered the Confederate Ser
vice Afterward and Two OF the
Things That He Did.

6Or0OQ, CDlHes6 oOIuOut oiO vi
the picturesque figures in British war
fare and conquest. and the victim OF
the Mahdi at Kbartoum, during oui
civil war received leave Of absence
and came over here to see some service.
He was then captain OF artillery.
According to writer in the Washing
ton POST" at the time Confederate
war official, Gordon seems first to
have associated himself with the Union
forces, and afterward, in the autumn
of 1869. swan the James River and
entered Richmond for survey OF the
war from the Southern side. 1t was on
his arrival in Richmond, clad in an
old straw hat. blue jeans, and brogans,
that he was found and introduced by
the post" writer, Mr.. g. @. B. West.
as follows:
1--WE questioned the intruder closely,
asking him how he proposed to satisfy
us that he was what the represented
himself to be. He replied that he only
required a small screwdriver to dis
pose of any doubt we might entertain
as to his identity or bona fides.
1.-THE screwdriyer being forthcoming,
he scraped away patch of black
cement from the heel of one of his shoes,
disclosing tho head Of screw, which
he removed with few turns of the
screw driver. The screw out, the heel
dropped, being hinged on the shank of
the shoe. and disclosed a cavity from
which our Britishar drew small packet
covered with thin India rubber and
oiled silk. We examined the con-
tents, which we found to consist of very
full credentials certifying the bearer to
be Captain Gordon, Of the Royal Artil-
lery, on leave with privilege to go be-
yond the seas. The evidence was COM
plete. and, that matter being satisfac-
torily arranged, took Captain Gordon
to the Spotiswood House for breakfast,
Of which he stood badly in need. Such
a modest repast as the famous hostelry
could produce in war times was easily
disposed of and we were soon back
with the secretary, who heard the ac-
count of Gordon's successful raid into
our stronghold with great interest, but
fastened to put him at ease by saying:
"Of course rs a soldier and gentle
man your lips are sealed, and we shall
ask nothing about matters on the other
side" Gordon told us that he had
spent several months with the Federal
army, and had been present at num-
Der of battles, but he had reached the
conclusion that we had the more serious
work of the two armies cut out for us,
and 80 he determined to get over and
Join us. He had about two years of
his leave unexpired, and he meant to
see all he could in that time.
1.-THE secretary told him that we had
a better supply of good officers than of
anything else, but what we could
always use was men who could fight
and undertake special duty, requiring
training and high intelligence.
The young Englishman replied that he
was not ambitious of rank in the Con-
federate service, but wanted chance
to see the fighting and study the opera
tions of our forces professionally. To
this end he was willing to take any
duty that he might be allowed to.
The secretary then explained his anxiety
to get dispatches to General Longstreet,
and spoke of the fate of the oouriers
who had essayed the same duty and per-
ished. He asked Gordon if he thought
he could find Longstreet. to which the
young man responded that he felt sure
he could if he could see Typographical
map Of the country to be traversed,
and, further, could have the company
Of 'one of those splendid black fellows
Of yours. familiar with the territory.
"In another hour the future hero of
the Chinese rebellion and of Khartoum
had his dispatches securely fastened in
his blue leans and was on his way to
the front. His route was besieged with
difficulties. The best debatabl Q
ground, with the enemy across it in
many places to a certainty. This
made it necessary for Gordon to do
bouoh tss the left. and make consider
able circuit. Without food or rest he
pushed on. and. next morning, came
within sound Of Longstreet's command
In action. With soldierly instinct he
rode in the direction of the firing, until
he ran right into fight that our right
was hotly engaged in. As he rode up
he found himself in the midst of
corps of gallant youngsters who were
under cover of a bit of woods,
after several Intellectual attempts to
possess themselves of a battery on hill
in their front, which even then was
playing havoc in their ranks. Captain
still in his old straw hat.
saluted and stated that he was courier
with important dispatches for General
and desiring to know where
he should find that officer. He was in
formed that the General was in another
part of the field and difficult to reach
Just then. His nformant-young Din
widdie, scion Of noble house and
high private in the army-said that all
the officers of his immediate command
had been killed or disabled, and asked
inasmuch as he appeared to be
, professional soldier, if he would not