Major-General Charles George Gordon CB (28 January 1833 26 January 1885), also known as Chinese Gordon, Gordon Pasha, and Gordon of Khartoum, was a British Army officer and administrator. [177] Gordon's attempt to have his former archenemy Zobeirthe "King of the Slavers" whom he had hunted for years and whose son he had executedinstalled as the new Sultan of the Sudan appalled Gladstone and offended his former admirers in the Anti-Slavery Society. The troops reached Korti towards the end of December, the small "Desert Column" reaching Metemma on 20 January 1885, fighting the Battle of Abu Klea[198] on 18 January and Abu Kru (or Gubat) en route. [84], Gordon was promoted to colonel on 16 February 1872. His students and attendees have included people from Australia, New Zealand, Ukraine, Canada, Ireland and all 50 states all of whom traveled to and stayed in Isabella. [79] The frequent references in Gordon's letters about his need to resist "temptation" and "subdue the flesh", Faught argued, related to women rather than men who were "tempting" him. (for "Grand Old Man"), to "M.O.G." He was 96. A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, March 8th 2023 at 11:00 AM at the St. Louis Church (13 E St Louis Pl, Batesville, IN 47006 . [45] The next day, Quinsan fell to the 4th Regiment, which led a proud Gordon to write: "The rebels did not know its importance until they lost it". [174] Shortly afterwards, Gordon wrote what Urban called a "bizarre" letter to the Mahdi telling him to accept the authority of the Khedive of Egypt and offered him the chance to work as one of Gordon's provincial governors. [257] Nutting noted that Gordon had often recklessly exposed himself to Russian fire while fighting in the Crimea and stated he hoped to die in battle against the Russians before leaving for the Crimea. [60] When the Duke of Cambridge, the Army's commander, visited one of the forts under construction and praised Gordon for his work, he received the reply: "I had nothing to do with it, sir; it was built regardless of my opinion, and, in fact, I entirely disapprove of its arrangement and position". [166] The man behind the campaign was the Adjutant General, Sir Garnet Wolseleya skilled media manipulator who often leaked information to the press to effect changes in policyand who was strongly opposed to Gladstone's policy of pulling out of the Sudan. With heavy hearts, we announce the death of George Gordon Ross (Columbia, South Carolina), born in Berkeley, California, who passed away on February 2, 2023 at the age of 89. [35] The British arrived at a crucial time. He doesn't want money!". It wasn't exactly fair to the Egyptian garrisons he had been sent to evacuate; they had no death wish". [187] To counter Gordon's armoured streamers, the Mahdi built a series of forts along the Nile equipped with Krupp guns that over time proceeded to make it almost impossible for Gordon's navy to operate. To plant a tree in memory of George GORDON / GEORGE / HANSLOW, please visit Tribute Store . [33] The Anglo-French force remained in northern China until April 1862, then, under General Charles William Dunbar Staveley, withdrew to Shanghai to protect the European settlement from the rebel Taiping army. Gordon, seeing that the Abyssinian difficulty could wait, proceeded to Khartoum. [257], Nutting contended that the conflict between Gordon's devoutly-held Christian ideals and his sexuality made Gordon deeply ashamed of himself and he attempted to expiate his wretched, sinful nature by seeking a glorious death in battle. When Isma'il's reign ended in 1879, Egypt's debt had risen to 93 million pounds. Finally, the boats sent were not there to relieve Gordon, who was not expected to agree to abandon the city, and the small force and limited supplies on board could have offered scant military support for the besieged in any case. C. G. Gordon", but the messenger (who knew very little English) had memorised another, darker message from Gordon, namely: "We want you to come quickly". [43], On the morning of 30 May 1863, the Taiping forces guarding the town of Quinsan were astonished to see an armoured paddle streamer, the Hyson, armed with a 32-pounder cannon on the bow, sailing up a canal, at whose prow stood Gordon. He loved their wives, Chelsea, Janine, and Samantha as if they were his own, a trait learned from the great and limitless love he received from his parents-in-law, Tom and Edna Lewis. It is with heavy hearts the family of Don Bowen announce his passing at the Northumberland Hills Hospital Thursday, March 2, 2023, at the age of 79. [187][197] Gordon received a letter from the Mahdi taunting him over the murders of his friends Powers and Stewart, warning that he would be next if he did not surrender. Earth's joys grow very dim, its glories have faded". [192], Gordon had a low opinion of his enemy, writing that the Ansar besieging him were "some 500 determined men and some 2,000 rag-tag Arabs". A graveside service was held for Dirk at the family farm March 7, 2014 in Isabella, MO. [261], Equatoria: Building Egypt's empire in the Great Lakes region, Nicoll, Fergus and Nusairi, Osman (last updated 2020), Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, "General Charles Gordon and the Mahdi Faith Under Fire in the Sudan", "Charles George Gordon (18331885): A Brief Biography", "Charles Gordon's Charitable Works: An Appreciation", "Last Stands, Custer, General Gordon, and Being a Christian Warrior", "Did General Charles Gordon Have Aspergers Syndrome? Find an Obituary. Loved husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. An Egyptian expedition was completely defeated near Gundet. In 1874, he built the station at Dufile on the Albert Nile to reassemble steamers carried there past rapids for the exploration of Lake Albert. Condolences to George's family. Rick and Karen Stainthorpe. He was so erratic, capricious, utterly unreliable, his mood changed so often, his temper was abominable, he was frequently drunk, and yet with all that, he had a tremendous sense of honour and great abilities". Proceeding him in death was his legal partner and beloved step-son Dirk DeJong and the family's special friend U.S Representive Helen Chenowith. After an order is placed, our forestry partners will plant the tree in the area of greatest need (nearest the funeral home), according to the planting schedule for the year. Send Flowers. Jamie graduated from Baker High School in 1985, where he was a talented and . [187] In a letter that reached Cairo in December, Gordon wrote: "Farewell. Born Geoffrey George Gordon FitzClarence, he was the son of William FitzClarence, 2nd Earl of Munster (19 May 1824 - 30 April 1901) and Wilhelmina Kennedy-Erskine (27 June 1830 - 9 October 1906). George, an entrepreneur, piloted his own plane at the age of 18 and created a construction company specializing in the restoration of San Francisco's "painted ladies.". [188] The Turkish troops at Khartoum were not part of the Ottoman Army, but rather bashi-bazouks, irregulars whom Gordon commented were good for raids, but useless for battle. The Grand Valley community is mourning the death of George Gordon, who coupled his philanthropic passions for education and art throughout West Michigan. Faught also pointed out that the first hints that Gordon might secretly have been having sex with the boys of the Fort House were made by Lytton Strachey in his book Eminent Victorians (published 1918) which, in Faught's opinion, may have said more about Strachey than it did about Gordon. [48] After Gordon had surrounded Burgevine's force outside of Suzhou, the latter had abandoned his own men and attempted to rejoin the Imperial side, leading Gordon to arrest him and send him to the American consul in Shanghai together with a letter asking that Burgevine be expelled from China. [12], To block the French, a British force under Herbert Kitchener was sent to conquer the Mahdiyah state and defeated the Ansar at the Battle of Omdurman in 1898. [10] The sappers were an elite corps who performed reconnaissance work, led storming parties, demolished obstacles in assaults, and undertook rear-guard actions in retreats and other hazardous tasks. Enter It was a highly dangerous job that frequently put him under enemy fire, and led to him being wounded for the first time when a Russian sniper put a bullet into him. [43] Gordon disembarked the 4th Regiment with orders to take Quinsan while he sailed up and down the main canal in the Hyson, using the 32-pounder gun to blast apart the Taiping positions on the canal. Alone in [Africa], dauntless and unfaltering, he discharges his great trust, holding the capital of the Sudan against the beleaguering hordes". [219], Many biographies have been written of Gordon, most of them highly hagiographic, such as the one by William Butler. If there is anything that I admire nearly as much as the superb scholarship of Zeng Guofan, it is the military qualities of this fine officer. Jamie Wyble passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on February 24, 2023, at the age of 55 after a very brief battle with brain cancer. Second only to his faith, was the great joy George found in his family. George worked as a custodial supervisor in the Lincoln County School system. Jiading, northwest suburb of present Shanghai, Qingpu, and other towns were occupied, and the area was fairly cleared of rebels by the end of 1862.[35]. Northview Funeral Chapel takes safety seriously. Gordon then returned to Khartoum, and went again into Darfur to suppress the slave traders. Search by name or location to find online obituaries. Gordon William Hatley | Obituary | Sharing Memories May your faith guide you through this difficult time. [192] Gordon's armoured steamers continued to sail in and out of Khartoum with little difficulty for the first six months of the siege, and it was not until September 1884 that the armoured steamers first had trouble reaching the city. The mandarins were thus much inclined to execute not only Taipings, but also their spouses, children, parents, and siblings as being all equally guilty of treason. [199] "The reading public wanted heroes, it wanted to read about one lone Englishmen sacrificing himself for glory, honour, God, and the Empire. February 2, 2023 [64] Persuaded by his friends in 1867, he became a trustee for the local Ragged school committee. We will remember him forever. Notably, Strachey emphasises the claims of Charles Chaill-Long that Gordon was an alcoholic, an accusation dismissed by later writers like Alan Moorehead[252] and Charles Chenevix Trench. For information and online condolences, please visit:www.northviewfuneralchapel.com. [35] Gordon was attached to his staff as engineer officer. An official certificate recognizing your purchase will be included with your email receipt. You will never hear from me again. Obituary for Gordon Richard George | Christensen Salmon Generations Gordon was nostalgic for China, and knowing of the Sino-Russian crisis, he saw a chance to do something significant. Gordon agreed with Lord Elgin that after the Chinese authorities had murdered a group of British and French officers travelling under a white flag to parley that a reprisal was in order, but called the burning of the Summer Palace "vandal-like" and informed his sister in a letter that "it made one's heart sore" to burn it. [119] Gordon was met by Suleiman Zobeir, the son of Rahama Zobeir, and demanded in the name of the Khedive of Egypt that the rebels end their rebellion and accept the authority of their lord and master, telling Zobeir that he would "disarm and break them" if the rebellion did not end at once. [184] In his diary, Gordon wrote: "I own to having been very insubordinate to Her Majesty's Government and its officials, but it is my nature, and I cannot help it. [59] Gordon disapproved of the forts he was building at the mouth of Thames to guard against a possible French invasion, regarding them as expensive and useless. Dearest Dad and Grandpa, [25] Gordon called the Romanians the "most fickle and intriguing people on the earth. Gordon's charitable work for the boys of Gravesend led to assertions later in the 20th century that he was a homosexual. [157] In 1882, nationalist rage in Egypt against Baring's economic policies led to the revolt by Colonel Urabi Pasha, which was put down by Anglo-Egyptian troops. [164], Stead published his interview on 9 January 1884, on the front page of the Pall Mall Gazette alongside an editorial of his titled, "Chinese Gordon for the Sudan". The pedestal bears the arms of the Gordon clan and of the borough of Southampton, and also Gordon's name in Chinese. Gordon L. Arnold Obituary (1982 - 2023) | Batesville, Indiana Share Your Memories and Sympathies and Join the Bereaved! "[19], Gordon took part in the expedition to Kinburn, and returned to Sevastopol at the war's end. Southampton, where Gordon had stayed with his sister, Augusta, in Rockstone Place before his departure to the Sudan, erected a memorial in Porter's Mead, now Queen's Park, near the town's docks. in memory of Gordon Richard George, please visit our floral store. williams, clive anthony williams, eileen mabel wilson, radcliffe wood, edwin clifford woodgate, barry reginald james. Orphali was knocked unconscious and did not see Gordon die. [190], Gladstone was opposed to hanging onto the Sudan, saying in a speech in the House of Commons that sending a relief force to Khartoum would be "a war of conquest against a people struggling to be free. The Egyptian Prime Minister opened negotiations for Gordon to serve under the Ottoman Khedive, Isma'il Pasha, who was popularly called "Isma'il the Magnificent" on the account of his lavish spending. Many have seen the attempt to save Emin Pasha, a German doctor-biologist-botanist who had converted from Judaism first to Lutheranism and then (possibly) to Islam, and who had not been particularly famous in Europe until then, as a consolation prize for Gordon. [46] One British officer serving with the Ever Victorious Army described Gordon at this time as: "a light-built, wiry, middle-sized man, of about thirty two years of age, in the undress uniform of the Royal Engineers. More importantly, I saw someone who cared deeply for the people he led, who never failed to make time for them, and practiced a patience and measured calm that I have spent 20 years attempting to replicate. [167], In 1880, the Liberals had won the general election on a platform of overseas retrenchment, and Gladstone had put his principles into practice by withdrawing from the Transvaal and Afghanistan in 1881. In 1904, it was moved to Khartoum, where it stood at the intersection of Gordon Avenue and Victoria Avenue, 200 metres south of the new palace that had been built in 1899. He. OBITUARY George M. Gordon June 19, 1947 - September 11, 2022 - September 11, 2022 [188], The Shaggyeh (one of the few Arab tribes who did not rally to the Mahdi) drove Gordon to distraction, with Gordon writing in his diary about them: "Dreadful lot! [43] At times, Gordon feared that assaults by the Taiping would take the Hyson, but all the attacks were repulsed. [96] Gordon visited the provinces of Berber and Dongola, and then returned to the Abyssinian frontier, before ending up back in Khartoum in January 1878. Receive obituaries from the city or cities of your choice. 05/01/2023. His words started out with "I'm here to serve" and ended with those words, after humbly explaining all the amazing things he did at Sterling. [32] Gordon had heard of the Taiping Rebellion long before he had set sail for China, and he was at first sympathetic towards the Taipings, led by the charismatic madman Hong Xiuquan, who proclaimed himself to be the younger brother of Jesus Christ, viewing them as somewhat eccentric Christians. and, like Lawrence, I have tried to do my duty. When he moved to Boise, Idaho, George started a furniture factory and designed and manufactured bedroom furniture which was sold nationwide. [59], On 2 March 1880, on his way from London to Switzerland, Gordon had visited King Leopold II of Belgium in Brussels and was invited to take charge of the Congo Free State. Obituaries - Smith's Funeral Homes My heart goes out to the entire family and friends for the loss of dear George. In the months before the fall of Khartoum, Gordon and the Mahdi corresponded; Gordon offered him the Sultanate of Kordofan and the Mahdi requested Gordon to convert to his religion and join him, to which Gordon replied abruptly: "No! [51] A Scotsman who knew Gordon in China wrote: "he shows the Chinese that if even an able and reliable man, such as he is, is unmanageable". He was promoted to captain on 1 April 1859. View obituary. George Gordon Obituary We are sad to announce that on May 13, 2020, at the age of 51, George Gordon (Raymore, Saskatchewan) passed away. The insurgents were numerous, and he saw that diplomacy had a better chance of success. [101] Gordon also clashed with Chaill-Long, whom he accused of working as an informant for Aiyub Pasha and called him to his face a "regular failure". The American historian John Semple Galbraith described Gordon as suffering from "utter boredom" during his time in Mauritius. [178], Gordon commenced the task of sending the women, the children, the sick, and the wounded to Egypt. [229][230], Statues were erected in Trafalgar Square, London, in Chatham, Gravesend, Melbourne (Australia), and Khartoum. George Leslie Gordon July 18, 1939 - March 12, 2022 George Leslie Gordon, 82, of Pynn's Brook, NL, passed away peacefully on March 12, 2022, at the Corner Brook Long-term Care Home. George GORDON Obituary (2017) - The New Zealand Herald On 2 September 1877, Gordon clad in the full gold-braided ceremonial blue uniform of the Governor-General of the Sudan and wearing the tarboush (the type of fez reserved for a pasha), accompanied by an interpreter and a few bashi-bazouks, rode unannounced into the enemy camp to discuss the situation. He loved their wives, Chelsea, Janine, and Samantha as if they were his own, a trait learned from the great and limitless love he received from his parents-in-law, Tom and Edna Lewis. GEORGE GORDON OBITUARY GORDON, George Colburn. [96], A tense stand-off ensued, and though the rebels could have easily killed Gordon and his party, as Gordon wrote in a letter to his sister, the rebels were all "dumbfounded at my coming among them". As Gordon travelled via Egypt to take the streamer back to Britain, a man who met him in Cairo described Gordon as a broken man who was "rather off his head". Karen and I were shocked and saddened to hear of Georges passing. Charles George Gordon - Wikipedia As a toddler he moved to Basking Ridge, NJ. the passing of George. [117] Gordon disliked Baring, writing he had "a pretentious, grand, patronizing way around him. Always thoughtful [43] Gordon always preferred to outflank the Taiping lines rather than to take them on frontally, an approach that caused much tension with his counterparts in the Chinese Imperial Army who did not share Gordon's horror at the huge numbers of casualties caused by frontal assaults. The true joy of George's life were his five beloved and oftentimes spoiled grandchildren: Maeve, Emmett, Isla, Felicity, and Nixon. [31] When Gordon arrived at Hong Kong, he was disappointed to learn he was "just too late for the fighting". In both cases, naval power was the key factor, as gunboats in the Red Sea and on the Nile provided a degree of firepower with which the Ansar could not cope. [175] Gordon had a garrison of about 8,000 soldiers armed with Remington rifles, together with a colossal ammunition dump containing millions of rounds. Elated by these successes, Gordon wrote in his diary: "We are going to hold out here forever". He is survived by George and Jacqueline Gordon; four nieces he helped raise and home school; Kohl Gordon Conner and her girls Ruth and Faith; his brother Thor Eric Downing. [169] Gladstone had gone to his estate at Hawarden to recover from illness and thus was not present at the meeting on 18 January where Gordon was given the Sudan command, but he was under the impression that Gordon's mission was advisory, whereas the four ministers present at the meeting had given Gordon the impression that his mission was executive in nature. [94] Because the Egyptian troops at Suakin were repeatedly defeated, a British force was sent to Suakin under General Sir Gerald Graham, which drove the rebels away in several hard-fought actions. As a sapper, Gordon was in a front line trench where he was under intense fire, men fell all around him and he was forced to take cover so often that he was covered literally from head to toe with mud and blood. Some of the voyageurs who arrived in Egypt turned out to be lawyers led by an alderman from Toronto who wanted to see "the fun" of war and were useless as boatmen.