page_title: James Gordon (British Army officer, died 1783)
section_title: Death and legacy
hierarchical_section_title: James Gordon (British Army officer, died 1783) / Death and legacy
caption_attribution_description: English: Drawing of Timothy Day's Tavern
context_page_description: Lieutenant-Colonel James Gordon, the third and last Laird of the barony of Ellon, was a British Army officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He was highly regarded by friend and foe alike, and became the hero of "The Asgill Affair" of 1782, in which a British prisoner of war was selected by lottery for retaliatory execution, but was eventually released on parole.
context_section_description: Gordon was the hero of the Asgill Affair: he remained at Asgill's side throughout his ordeal, never once leaving, unless on a mission to save his life. Not only did he offer to go to the gallows in Asgill's stead, saying: “I wish to God they would take me in your place; for I am an old worn out trunk of a tree, and have neither wife nor mother to weep for me. But even to that they will not consent; so all that I can undertake to do is, to accompany the unfortunate individual, whoever he may be, to the place of his martyrdom, and to give him every consolation and support while life remains, and to obey his wishes after it is taken away.” Having nobody to mourn his loss, was, of course, a lie - the most honourable of lies, overlooking that he had a mother, a brother and four sisters. But he also laid a detailed plan (with the help of several ladies in Chatham, New Jersey and no doubt beyond) to 'spirit Asgill away' to escape execution (to which proposal, as Katherine Mayo also reports, Asgill made the noblest of statements, not wishing to break his parole, "The lot fell to me, I will abide by it"). But the whole six month affair was the beginning of the end for him and he became increasingly ill during the course of the following year.  It had pained him so greatly so see such a popular young man destined to have his life sacrificed:
  During his final moments he was greatly cheered and comforted by the knowledge that his conduct in the Asgill case had won for him the approval and commendation of the Prince of Wales.
    
  On his deathbed he was visited by Captain Samuel Graham who had served with him throughout the Revolutionary war. Gordon handed Graham a letter he had received from Lady Asgill (Charles Asgill's mother) in which she expresses her deepest gratitude for all that Gordon had done for her son. In Gordons under arms; a biographical muster roll of officers named Gordon in the navies and armies of Britain, Europe, America and the Jacobite risings it is said that this letter did not reach New York before he died. But in Samuel Graham's Memoirs he recalls that Gordon asked him to thank Lady Asgill for her letter and to apologise to her for being unable to respond. This he did once he himself had returned to Britain.
  Gordon died of dropsy on 17 October 1783 at the Morris House in Kingsbridge, Upper Manhattan.
  He was given a military funeral and was buried in an unmarked grave at Trinity Church Cemetery.
   
  On 20 December 1786, Captain Charles Asgill wrote to the Editor of the New-Haven Gazette and Connecticut Magazine. It was a lengthy eighteen page letter in response to Washington’s Papers being published in that newspaper on 16 November 1786.  However, the Editor chose not to publish Asgill’s letter and it has lain hidden from public view ever since. This letter has now been published and the following passage extracted since it refers to James Gordon.   
  … These were the attentions I received from General Washington ― 
  I had however a comfort beyond his reach ―  totally above his power to invade       it was the Pride, the Consolation & Support which I derived from the exalted Friendship & Kind Compassion of Major Gordon of the 80th Regt who feeling for the distresses of a Brother Officer, [entrusted] by the best of Hearts in the cause of humanity & unwilling to leave a Youth of eighteen unadvised & unsupported to act in so peculiar & difficult a situation, sacrificed every Comfort to partake my hardships & Confinement & by the impulse of his excellent & noble Heart, felt on the [first] acquaintance all the steady & persevering Zeal that the longest & most tried Friendship could hope for or Claim     he was there the whole of this transaction the partaker of my hardships the support of my Spirits, & the monitor of my conduct     I am delighted at having the opportunity of proclaiming to the World his generous & benevolent attentions     Tho whilst I do justice to his Memory I aggravate the sensations of regret,  which I must ever retain, for the loss of him
caption: Timothy Day's Tavern, Chatham, NJ, the location of Asgill and Gordon's confinement in 1782. From "At the crossing of the Fishawack" by John T. Cunningham (p.11) with permission from the Chatham Historical Society. "The Asgill Affair" is re-written in The Journal of Lancaster county's Historical society VOL. 120, NO. 3 Winter 2019 which has devoted the entire issue to this subject.[23]
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