GORDON CHARLES: (1833-1885) GORDON CHARLES: (1833-1885) British Major General, known as Chinese Gordon and Gordon of Khartoum. A.L.S., C. G. Gordon, two pages, 8vo, Beaufort Street, Chelsea, 14th April 1881, to Garnet Wolseley ('My dear Wolseley'). Gordon writes a letter of introduction recommending Captain Hurrell of the 89th as 'a candidate for the Residency of Transvaal (if the Transvaal allows a British Resident)', further remarking 'I have known him for some years as an energetic officer, & he has good recommendations from Cape. I have told him that you will receive him kindly and hear what he has to say'. With blank integral leaf. A letter of good association. About EX Garnet Wolseley (1833-1913) 1st Viscount Wolseley. Anglo-Irish Field Marshal, one of the most admired and influential British Army officers of his day. Wolseley served as Quartermaster-General to the Forces 1880-82 and as Governor of Transvaal 1879-80.
Gordon (Charles George, 1833-1885). A small archive of documents and objects * Gordon (Charles George, 1833-1885). British Army officer and administrator. A small archive of documents and objects relating to Major-General Charles George Gordon, comprising two Bank of Egypt bills of exchange from January 1880 (one for £70 and made out to General Gordon, the other for £1078 to C. C. Thompson), a brief autograph note to his sister Augusta, a commemorative bust of General Gordon manufactured in 1885 by W. H. Goss, a horn drinking cup, a small Jerusalem olive wood tobacco barrel with inscription ?????????????? (Jerusalem in Hebrew), a carved wooden cigarette box, a cap badge for the Royal Engineers with manuscript note worn in the Crimea, a greetings card from New Years 1886 to Miss [Augusta] Gordon signed by William T. Stead (English newspaper editor and pioneer of investigative journalism] during his incarceration in Holloway prison, a framed photo of William T. Stead with inscription and signature to verso, a facsimile copy of a letter from Queen Victoria QTY: (Approx. 14) NOTE: Provenance: Miss Harriet Hayter, a friend of Augusta Gordon (General Gordons sister), with whom Gordon lived in Southampton when he wasnt abroad. Thence by descent to the present owner.
Gordon (Charles George) Gordon (Charles George) Autograph note signed ('C.G. Gordon'), reading "I am leaving tomorrow 26th Jan. Sorry I am not able to do what you ask me for I do not wish to be under favour", one page, age-related browning, folding marks, 8vo, 25 January 1884, mounted for display, framed and glazed, overall size 29.5 x 38cm.
Gordon (Charles George, 1833-1885). Autograph Letter Signed, 'C.G. Gordon', Jerusalem, 9 June 1883 * Gordon (Charles George, 1833-1885). Autograph Letter Signed, 'C.G. Gordon', Jerusalem, 9 June 1883, to Walter Besant, beginning, 'I was talking with Mr Schick today, about the tombs near Skull Hill. He says, in 1879, he found three tombs, those at B. in Shalala, and also that he had sent you plans of buildings he found at X. It has not been opened out any more since he sent you the plan. I have a firm idea that we shall find that Constantine's Churches are near Skull Hill and that they eventually be found', continuing with further details and information and with one thumbnail pen and ink sketch, a little light creasing, a few pin holes to upper left corner and adhesion remains to inner margin of final page from previous album leaf mounting, 4 pages, 8vo QTY: (1) NOTE: In 1883 Gordon made a pilgrimage to Palestine, during a break from military service. Once in Jerusalem he decided to investigate the 'true' site of Golgotha. During this visit he proposed a new site, now referred to as the Garden Tomb.
* Gordon (Charles George, 1833-1885). Autograph Letter Signed, C.E. Gordon Gordon (Charles George, 1833-1885). British Army officer and administrator. Autograph Letter Signed, C.E. Gordon, 21 Cecil Street, Strand, no date, c. 1870s, to Miss Brown, saying he hopes to be at her house at 5.30pm on Friday, and asking for the London addresses of Arthur White and Ridley, a few light marks and creases, old adhesion marks along fore-edge where previously tipped into an album, not touching text or signature, 1 page, 8vo QTY: (1) NOTE: Provenance: From the family of Rt Hon. Arthur Cohen (1829-1914), barrister and diplomatic counsel. His daughter Mary Freda Cohen (1871-1964) married Sir Thomas Colyer Colyer-Fergusson (1865-1951) in 1914. Thence by family descent from Mary to the current owner.
* Gordon (Charles George, 1833-1885). Autograph letter signed, 'C.G. Gordon', Galatz [Galati], Romania, 4 February 1873, to Hughes, 'Here are the views of "Ani" I promised you. I have just come back from him', mentioning meeting Dallyell who 'said he would only stay a year more in these parts' and concluding that he will write again when he goes to Bucharest, one page, 8vo, slightly toned, tipped on to an old album sheet Qty: (1)
Royal Doulton Character Jug, General Gordon D6869 (red, blue, and gold coloration). Designed by William K. Harper. Series: Great Generals, issued 1991 in special edition of 1,500. Size: 7.25"H (Large)Charles George Gordon (1833 - 1885) was known as "Chinese Gordon" after he commanded the Chinese forces against Taiping rebels in 1863. As Governor-General of the Sudan, he was instrumental in closing down the slave trade. In 1884 he was ordered to rescue the Egyptian garrison at Khartoum; instead he was besieged in Khartoum and killed. The jug was commissioned by U.K. International Ceramics and issued in 1991 in special edition of 1,500 pieces Manufacturer: Royal Doulton Country of Origin: England
GORDON CHARLES GEORGE: (1833-1885) British Army officer and administrator, known as Chinese Gordon. A.L.S., C G Gordon, three pages, 8vo, Harpersfield, Lanark, 8th October 1868, to Newsome. Gordon informs his correspondent 'On receipt of your letter containing W[ar] O[ffice] query & supposing you would go to town on Monday I wrote my answer to you at that Temple of Wisdom and I am afraid you missed it', adding that 'it contained my official answer to Jervis open for your perusal with a private note to him & a ditto to you' and that he had followed it up with another private note to Jervis 'recommending the glacis of the forts to be made at same time as they were weighted'. Gordon further outlines his upcoming travel arrangements and suggests meeting Newsome at Suffolk Street, reflecting 'It seems to me 14 or 15 years since I left Gravesend, time hangs so in the country and for my life I dare not give away a trait' and concludes by remarking that he expects to receive a long letter containing the interview with Jervis before long, although if it is not yet written to not mind and wait until until Friday 'when we will get it over in a minute, and go to the W.O. together'. A few light, very minor creases, VG
GORDON CHARLES GEORGE: (1833-1885) British Army officer and administrator, known as Chinese Gordon. A.L.S., C G Gordon, three pages, 8vo, Harpersfield, Lanark, 8th October 1868, to Newsome. Gordon informs his correspondent 'On receipt of your letter containing W[ar] O[ffice] query & supposing you would go to town on Monday I wrote my answer to you at that Temple of Wisdom and I am afraid you missed it', adding that 'it contained my official answer to Jervis open for your perusal with a private note to him & a ditto to you' and that he had followed it up with another private note to Jervis 'recommending the glacis of the forts to be made at same time as they were weighted'. Gordon further outlines his upcoming travel arrangements and suggests meeting Newsome at Suffolk Street, reflecting 'It seems to me 14 or 15 years since I left Gravesend, time hangs so in the country and for my life I dare not give away a trait' and concludes by remarking that he expects to receive a long letter containing the interview with Jervis before long, although if it is not yet written to not mind and wait until until Friday 'when we will get it over in a minute, and go to the W.O. together'. A few light, very minor creases, VG
GORDON CHARLES: (1833-1885) British Army officer and administrator, known as Chinese Gordon. A rare 20 piastre promissory note signed by Gordon, the oblong 12mo note printed on a somewhat inferior card and with Arabic text, signed ('C G Gordon') in ink to the lower left corner beneath the pale green oval stamped seal of the Governor-General. Some light creasing, age wear and minor staining, and a few traces of former mounting to the verso, about G The present note, an emergency paper money also known as Siege of Khartoum currency, was issued between April and November 1884. Gordon's currency, essentially promissory in nature, was personally guaranteed with the backing of the Egyptian government. Initially £2500 was issued in notes of various denominations and, accepted by both merchants and sailors, the notes initially provided economic relief and trade stimulus. Around half of the notes were personally signed by Gordon, the others bearing a facsimile signature which merchants were reluctant to accept. Had the currency not been introduced by Gordon the defence of Khartoum would have collapsed much earlier, however after the city was stormed and captured by the Ansar the notes were publicly burnt or left discarded in the streets for cattle to consume. Possession of the notes was subject to an unpleasant punishment, nevertheless some made their way across the desert in the following months hidden in clothing or bags of grain, completely at risk to their owner's lives.
[GORDON CHARLES GEORGE]: (1833-1885) British Army officer, known as Chinese Gordon. Unusual Chinese contemporary envelope, hand addressed to Charles George Gordon, in Chinese characters. The document bears a red paper stick, affixed all along the envelope centre, and states to the front cover `Your distinguished country - Gordon´s arrangement petition - Message to Colonel Gordon to implore for his respect - To remain honest and poor, to obey and worship your family´ in Chinese characters. Also written in another hand `Colonel Gordon´. Overall age wear. F £100-150
GORDON CHARLES GEORGE: (1833-1885) British Army officer, known as Chinese Gordon. Fountain pen ink signature ('C.G. Gordon') on a small piece, presumably neatly clipped from the conclusion of a letter. A light smudge only very slightly affects the middle initial. G
GORDON CHARLES GEORGE: (1833-1885) British Army officer and administrator, known as Chinese Gordon. A.L.S., C G Gordon, one page, 8vo, n.p., 30th January 1877, to Mr. Southall. Gordon thanks his correspondent for their kind note and remarks 'I am sorry I cannot come & see you, but I leave on Wednesday for Egypt.' With small tears at the edges of the two folds, dust toning and minor age wear. G
Parian Ware Bust Major-General Charles George Gordon CB (28 January 1833 - 26 January 1885), Also known As Gordon Of Khartoum Small 19th century bust depicting General Gordon in full military regalia. The bust stands on square column. Height 11 inches. Slight chip to bottom of bust.
GORDON CHARLES GEORGE: (1833-1885) British Army officer, known as Chinese Gordon. Black fountain pen ink signature ('CG Gordon') on a small piece, presumably neatly clipped from the conclusion of a letter. Matted in white and black beneath a photograph of Gordon in Egyptian uniform, and above the Gordon family crest, to an overall size of 8 x 11½. VG
GORDON, Major General Charles George (1833-1885). A small clipped signature from General " Chinese" Gordon of Khartoum, mounted below an image of the General and above a facsimile of his coat of arms.
GORDON, Charles George, General (1833-1885). Autograph manuscript signed (‘C.G. Gordon’), ‘Eden, and its two sacramental trees’, proposing a site for the Garden of Eden on the island of Praslin, Seychelles, 26 February 1882, with two watercolour sketch maps. 10 pages in total, folio (323 x 200mm) (losses to the paper, most notably the maps, generally at folds). Laid down. Provenance: Ray Rawlins (1917- 1979) collection. Having identifed to the west of the Seychelles a deep basin, into which fow the four rivers specifed in Genesis as marking the Garden of Eden - the Euphrates, Hiddekel, Pison and Gihon - Gordon moves on to the two ‘sacramental trees’ that identify the Seychelles as the site of the Garden: the Coco de Mer, which he posits as the Tree of Knowledge - a ‘curious tree in every way, unique among its kind & among trees’, with a nut ‘like a belly with thighs’ - and the ‘life supporting tree’, the Bread Fruit Tree or Tree of Life. That the Coco de Mer is indigenous to the island leads him to conclude ‘I believe Praslin is the site of Garden of Eden’, before he continuing on the subject of the Fall. An ardent Christian, Gordon’s position in command of the Royal Engineers in Mauritius from 1881-2 allowed him to pursue his investigation of the lost site of the Garden; just two years after this posting, Gordon would return to the Sudan, meeting his death in 1885. (10)
GORDON CHARLES GEORGE: (1833-1885) British Army officer, known as Chinese Gordon. Ink signature ('C G Gordon') on a slim oblong 12mo piece removed from the foot of a partially printed document. Gordon signs in his capacity as a Colonel and Commanding Royal Engineer and the piece is dated 18th January 1882 in another hand. Some light folds and age wear and with a very slightly irregularly torn upper edge. Gordon's signature is a little light although perfectly legible. G"""
CHARLES GEORGE "CHINESE" GORDON (1833-1885) British major general known as "Chinese Gordon"; took part in capture of Peking and destruction of the Summer Palace (1860); commander of the "Ever Victorious Army," a Chinese force, suppressed Taiping Rebellion (1863-64); Governor General of Sudan, equatorial provinces, and Red Sea littoral (1877-80); killed in the fall of Khartoum, becoming in popular view a hero and martyr. A.L.S., 4pp. small 8vo., Junior United Service Club letterhead, London, May 2, 1865, to Colonel Nugent, excellent content re: Japan. In part: "…When I saw you last, I tried a feeler to see if you would but look Eastwood, but you did not take (excuse the story expressions). When I hear of your going away from Weymouth I thought of writing & opening the subject, but did not like to do so. I have just seen Sealey & he has told me that you have been talking to him about the East. Sir R[utherford]Alcock has great ideas of lending officers to the Japanese...in order to train his men even to encounter the Rebellious Domos…It must come to pass however sooner or later unless we take the country. When there are two factions, as in China & Japan our policy is to support one…Parker is going to Japan, he is a fiery man & I have but little doubt that he will…With respect t China, I cannot say for the present what is likely to turn out, as the Peking Govt. have not yet applied for officers...the climate of Japan, it is splendid…The work is interesting, & useful. One can have great influence…" Adds an interesting postscript: "You will not be annoyed if I say I think that your field would either India or China or Japan. Our caliber are not fitted for Gr Britain." Sir Rutherland Alcock (1809-97) was a diplomat, being the first British representative to live in Japan. Light soiling on last page. An excellent letter.
GORDON CHARLES GEORGE: (1833-1885) British Army officer, known as Chinese Gordon. A.L.S., C G Gordon, three pages, 8vo, Southampton, 21st January 1881, to [Carl Christian] Geigler Pasha. Gordon asks his correspondent if he has received 'a couple of copies of the Arabic Manuscripts, one the History of Hainan (?) one the History of the Sudan' and further requests that he 'get me a copy of each, and send me the same by safe hand', further instructing 'You had better not say who they are for'. In concluding Gordon remarks 'I hope you are all well & have been tardily treated properly by Hutchinson' and in a postscript adds 'I have seen nothing of the...stories or things...but I only care for the M.S.S.' Accompanied by the original envelope hand addressed by Gordon to Geigler Pasha in Khartoum, Egypt. Some very minor show through of ink, VG Carl Christian Geigler Pasha (1844-1921) Governor General of the Egyptian province of Sudan.
GORDON CHARLES GEORGE: (1833-1885) British Army officer, known as Chinese Gordon. A lengthy A.L.S., C. G. Gordon, seven pages, 8vo, Gravesend, 17th May 1866, to 'My dear Nugent', on mourning stationery. Gordon writes an informative letter to his correspondent, commenting on an attack on a station ('...it seemed situated exactly where they might be expected to come, but I suppose they are expended by this time') and further referring to a Corps dinner and meeting, 'though unanimously attended went off entirely without incident, the Duke was as dull as ever. The next day at the Corps meeting Emmett....wanted to come back to Widows fund, but March made a very good speech & they were refused admittance. After this there was a motion to give Davison a dinner on his return and then some one proposed that an annual medal should be given to the young officers at Chatham for the best paper on Engineer subjects considering that these young fellows are officers & therefore should only be probably interested in our medal. Also that engineering subjects are as boring as they could probably be. I should say it was nonsense & I trust will not be carried', also writing of mutual acquaintances, and remarking 'After the Corps meeting Hutchinson read the report of the Corps papers after which Simmons got up & asked why Inglis' paper on an experiment which had been tried....had not been published. He was answered by Jervois & then commenced a row. Jervois lost his temper and spoke in a most dictatorial way....& so it went on till Owen called both to order as it was not a matter to be discussed at a meeting like that. He was right for there were too many young fellows there. You never heard such a row....Jervois answer was self defence for Inglis paper wound up with these conclusions derived from the experiment viz that granite was useless and was obsolete. Forts must be of iron for the future. It was useless to build forts of granite of course as Jervois is building many forts of granite & still thinks it very good (as cheaper) these conclusions are quite condemnatory of him & his work & he was right to defend himself but his manner was very rude & violent. I do not care granite or iron....it is doleful but I have not given up agitating the matter and I hope I may make Jervois do something about the matter.' Gordon also reflects on his unhappiness with Chatham ('what silliness....You never saw such a lot of talking and such a little doing') and concludes by again referring to various mutual acquaintances and their travels to Newfoundland and Ceylon. Some very light, minor age wear, VG €750-1000
19th C. portrait bust of Charles George Gordon (British, 1833-1885) on pedestal, brass, Gordon depicted wearing fez and traditional Egyptian military dress, "GORDON" inscribed under bust, tapering columnar pedestal decorated with foliate and swag decoration, square base raised on four winged paws, 14" h. [Also known as "Chinese Gordon", "Gordon of Khartoum", and "Gordon Pasha", Gordon saw action as a British military officer in the Crimea, China, and Africa. Gordon was killed in Khartoum in modern day Sudan after being besieged there by local Muslim leader Muhammad Ahmad for almost a year.]
Major-General Charles George Gordon of Khartoum (1833 - 1885), British General who became a National hero for his exploits in China. Autographed letter signed, in which he states ''It is no use my telling you anything of China, you do not know the Country'', 1880, plus a small piece, also signed
GORDON CHARLES GEORGE: (1833-1885) British Army officer, known as Chinese Gordon. A.L.S., C G Gordon, two pages, 8vo, Kartoum, 6th March 1884, to 'My dear Aunt Amy'. Gordon thanks his Aunt for her letter and the 'nice verses you copied out' and continues to paraphrase various verses from the Bible, 'I am quite well, and our Lord has & will bless me, for my desire is that His will be done. Things are daily improving, though they are chequered. I like Asa's prayer Lord, it is nothing to Thee, to help with many, or with them that have no power. Let not mortal man prevail agst Thee, and Jehosophat's prayer, we have no might agst. this multitude we know not what to do, but our eyes are upon Thee...´, continuing his letter in a similar vein. Professionally silked, G £400-600
GORDON CHARLES GEORGE: (1833-1885) British Army officer, known as Chinese Gordon. Ink signature ('C.G. Gordon'), and eight additional words in his hand on a piece neatly clipped from the conclusion of a letter to his sister Augusta. Matted in red and black beneath an original carte de visite photograph and silk memoriam bookmark. Framed and glazed in a modern brown frame to an overall size of 10 x 10. VG
A print of 'Charles George Gordon, Born at Woolwich, Jany-28th-1833, Treacherously killed at Khartoum, Jany-26th-1885', 40 by 32cm, and another of a military officer and his mother, 43 by 32cm.
HOUSE OF COMMONS 1885-VOTE OF THANKS- CHARLES GEORGE GORDON, large vellum document with gold stamping expressing appreciation to Gordon for his work in the Soudan. In a handsome green leather folder. H. 17" x W 13 3/4". From the Marvin Sadik Collection.
CHARLES GEORGE GORDON SIGNED CABINET PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPH. Gordon, ( 1833- 1885), also known as Chinese Gordon, Gordon Pasha, and Gordon of Khartoum, British army officer and administrator. The photograph by Adams & Stilliard 6 1/2" x 4 1/4", in good condition. From the Marvin Sadik Collection.
* Gordon (Charles George, 1833-1885). A pair of half-length portraits by Adams & Scanlan, c. 1884, albumen print cabinet cards, both with sitter's facsimile signature stamp beneath portrait, photographer's printed details at foot and to verso of each (2)
15 AUTOGRAPH LETTERS SIGNED, TO THOMAS GIBSON BOWLES a revealing correspondence to the proprietor of Vanity Fair protesting his dislike of publicity ("...I do not like to be put before the world in any way...") whilst providing a summary of his family background and career and an assessment of his own character, discussing at length Isma'il Pasha, the deposed Khedive of Egypt, warning that "Europe wishes to destroy not reform Turkey" and that "By the present mode of operation, we weld together Sultan & people to resist us" (13 November 1880), with the final letter explaining his aims in Sudan on the eve of his final departure ("...it is only advice I can give, of course. I am hopeful of the success, for they are sharp enough to see I can have no other motive than their welfare..."), also covering such subjects as his awkwardness in London society including a meeting with Florence Nightingale, his fondness for Vanity Fair, and the dissemination of a pamphlet on marine warfare, 50 pages, 8vo, Southampton, Bantry, Twywell Rectory, Thrapston, London, and "At Sea", 25 October 1880 to 21 January 1884, together with two letters by Gordon's sister, a draft letter by Bowles, and one other letter, dust staining to some letters
Gordon (Charles George, 1833-1885). Signed cabinet card photograph by Adams & Scanlan, c. 1884, the mounted albumen print showing Gordon standing three-quarter length in civilian dress with one arm akimbo, signed 'C.G. Gordon' above photographers' imprint to lower mount, Ray Rawlins circular ink stamp and several small adhesion marks to verso, together with another earlier albumen print cabinet card of Pasha Gordon at Khartoum by London Stereoscopic Company, facsimile signature to lower mount, both approx. 165 x 105 mm (2) Please Note: Buyer's Premium for this lot is 21%
Gordon (Charles George, 1833-1885). Autograph letter signed ÔC. G. GordonÕ, United Services Club, Pall Mall, Londres, 9th February 1880, ÔMy dear Mr. Reinach, Merci de votre Brochure which I received. Kindly wait a few days say 10 days and I will write to you a very long letter. The Chief Mountebank, Lord Salisbury is ill. I am not looked on with pleasure by Foreign Office. I have given them my ideas, by writing, viz a viz la Belle France i.e. a thorough Entente cordiale or to break with her at [once?]. I hope your father is well. It would be very dull if there were no MountebanksÕ, with a postscript, ÔRed Journal des Debates 31 Dec 79, to Feby 80Õ. They are hard on me. I will answer it. I hope Eve Madame Adam is well & has forgiven meÕ, some ink fading and a little soiling, closed tear, 2 pp. on centrefold of a bifolium, 8vo. , laid flat, framed and glazed in a near-contemp. ornate gilt frame with some restoration and old Parisian label pasted onto modern backing card (1)
Major General Charles George Gordon (1833-1885) - An addressed envelope, franked in Gravesend Kent in 1867, from Major General Gordon to Lieutenant-General Sir Gerald Graham (1831-1899) 6d (Plate 6) Lilac (Wmk. Emblems) tied by Gravesend duplex dated June 19th 1867, the reverse London datestamp for June 20th and Montreal arrival mark July 2nd Gordon was killed by the MahdiIs forces after defending the besieged city of Khartoum for 317 days when he was Governor-General of the Soudan, he held a number of important posts throughout his military career, and was in command of the Royal Engineers at Gravesend when addressing this envelope to his lifelong friend Gerald Graham, at that time Colonel of the Royal Engineers at Montreal in Canada Lieutenant-General Sir Gerald Graham served in the Crimea, where he was awarded the Victoria Cross, afterwards with Gordon in China 1860/61, he commanded a brigade of infantry in the Egyptian War of 1882, where he won a victory at Hassassin and led the assault on Tel-el-Kebir, he was appointed Colonel-Commandant of the Corps of Royal Engineers in the year of his death. Mounted with full inscription, framed and glazed, 26.5cm x 14cm.
GORDON'S WOODEN CHINESE SEAL, carved with two Chinese characters Ge Deng, 'Advancing Spear', the epithet applied to Gordon in China, which in the Chinese is phonetically similar to the name Gordon, inscribed 'Gordon' on the back in a nineteenth-century hand, 3¼ inches (8.2 cm) high, [c. 1863]
LONG AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED ('C.G. Gordon'), TO RICHARD FRANCIS BURTON, whom he calls 'one of nature's nobility', written in reply to Burton's letter declining the Governorship of Darfur, apologising for having offered an inadequate salary, indeed for having offered one at all ('...I considered you, from your independence, one of nature's nobility, who did not serve for money, excuse the mistake, if such it is...'); discussing the death of white men in tropical climates ('...do not you, who are a Philosopher think it is due to moral prostration, more than to the climate...'), with reference to his assistant [Colonel] Prout who, he says, has been lingering on the grave's brink for a long time ('...I doubt he will go up again [to the Lakes]...'); asserting that he himself has no fear of dying in any climate and quoting Burton's aphorism 'Men now seek honors not honor' ('...you put that in one of your books, do you remember it. how true it is. I have often pirated it and not acknowledged the author, though I believe, you stole it...'); mentioning or giving news or views on DAVID LIVINGSTONE ('...I should like to hear you hold forth on the idol "Livingstone" and on the slave trade...'), SIR SAMUEL BAKER ('...Baker certainly gave me a nice job, in raising him ag[ain]st the Govt so unnecessarily, even on his own shewing. vide his book "Ismailia" & judge justly...'), JAMES GRANT and his claim to have found the source of the Nile ('...I suppose you know that that old creature Grant, who, for 17 or 18 years, has traded on his wonderful walk. I am grateful to say he does not trouble me now...'), H.M. STANLEY, with a passing reference to his finding Livingstone ('...Stanley will give them some bother, they cannot bear him, and, in my belief, rather wishes he had not come through safe, he will give them a dose for their hard speeches. he is to blame for writing what he did, as Baker was. these things may be done, but not advertized...'), Andrew Wilson (1831-1881), [Verney Lovett] Cameron (1844-1894, African explorer) ('...the wonderful journey of Cameron...') and Lieutenant Faulkner R.N. (whom Burton had offered to Gordon) and Quarter Master Young ('...Mr W[alker] remarked that a Lieut to serve under a Qr Mr was unusual. "Oh!," said F. "I will black Young's boots", then months after, Young fled from F. who pursued him from tent to tent, with a revolver...'); Gordon also discusses the slave trade ('...I would like to hear you hold forth on the idol "Livingstone" and on the slave trade. Setting aside the end to be gained, I think that slave convention is a very unjust one in many ways, towards the people, but we are not an overjust nation, towards the weak...'), his own plans ('...I am now going to Dongola...and then to ...Aden near your old friends the Somalis (Now there is a Govt which might suit you, and which you might develop, paying off old scores, by the way, for having thwarted you...I then return to Kartoum...and then go to the Lakes...'), politics in the Sudan and his own ambitions ('...Kaba Rega [King of Unyoro], now we have two steamers in Lake Albert (which, by the way, is according to Mason, 120 miles longer than Gessi made it) asks for peace, which I am delighted at, he never was to blame...little by little, we creep on to our goal, viz the two lakes, and nothing can stop us, I think...'), and the work of the missionaries ('...You know the hopelessness of such a task, till you find a St Paul or St John, their representations now a days want so much a year, and a contract, it is all nonsense...), 6 pages, octavo, hinged and sewn into a dark green wrap-around binding, lettered in gilt 'Letter from General Gordon to Sir Richard Burton', 'En route to Berber' [Sudan], 29 October 1877
GORDON CHARLES GEORGE: (1833-1885) British Army officer, known as Chinese Gordon. A.L.S., C G Gordon, one page, 8vo, n.p., n.d., to Monsieur Habib, in French. Gordon informs his correspondent that Ferranti, Mr. Brocklehurst's major-domo, is coming to Massawa and continues to ask 'Would you be kind enough to help him, and to send him on here, charging it to the Government, should he not have the money to pay for it himself.' VG
AUTOGRAPHS: GORDON CHARLES: (1833-1885) British Army officer, known as Chinese Gordon. Rare D.S., C G Gordon, being a partially printed bank note, 12mo, Khartoum, 25th April 1884. The bank note, in Arabic, is for a sum of Egyptian piastres, also known as a Gordon note. The note bears several official stamps and is signed by Gordon with his name alone in ink to a clear area in the lower right corner. Some very light age wear, otherwise VG When Gordon arrived in Khartoum he found a depleted treasury and issued his own bank notes in order to pay troops and secure supplies. Although Gordon held off defeat for ten months, Khartoum fell around nine months after the issue of the Gordon notes, and the General died defending the city. A large number of the Gordon notes were burned and it became a punishable offence to possess one. As such, any surviving notes are rare and desirable.
General Charles George Gordon (1833-85), a one page autograph letter sheet in pen "At Sea 23.1.84" to Mr Clifford Lloyd regarding Mr Rhodes. Apparently written whilst returning to Egypt to relieve the Egyptian garrison at the Siege of Khartoum, together with a collection of clipped autographs of late 19th century nobility, military and naval commanders and other personalities, mounted in an autograph book.
GORDON, Charles George (1833-1885, 'Chinese Gordon'). Series of approximately 98 autograph letters signed (two with signatures removed, five incomplete, lacking opening or concluding leaves) to his friend and fellow officer Charles Harvey (one to his wife), England, China, Galatz, Sudan, Mauritius, Holy Land and other places, 11 June 1859 - 6 October 1883, 11 of the letters illustrated with sketch-maps or diagrams, together approx. 375 pages, mostly 8vo, many letters docketed over text by recipient (some tearing or splitting at folds, especially of later letters, letter of 23 April 1873 torn through and roughly repaired with tape, letters of 1 July and 12 August 1875 much worn at folds, letters of 14 October 1876 and 26 December 1882 with an upper corner torn off but present), together with a transcript of a letter of 26 March 1877, a letter of Gordon's brother M.A. Gordon to 'Mr Harvey', 29 December 1890, urging him to censor the correspondence ('I should be so glad if you felt inclined to scratch out the names of the officers my brother wrote about in his letters' -- a suggestion which was not complied with) and two other letters. GORDON IN CHINA, EGYPT, PALESTINE AND THE SUDAN The correspondence covers virtually the whole of Gordon's active career, beginning when he was adjutant of the Chatham depot of the Royal Engineers and ending with him in the Holy Land, having passed through the looting of the Summer Palace in Peking (1862), the great exploits against the Taiping rebellion in the following years and the heady days as governor general of first Equatoria and later the whole of Sudan (1873-1879). Only his Crimean service and the last act in Khartoum are outside the range of the correspondence. The recipient, Charles Harvey, was a fellow officer in the Royal Engineers, and the letters contain frequent affectionate enquiries after not only Harvey and his family, but also after a large circle of other brother officers. The looting of the Summer Palace: Gordon's letters on his way out to China show an alert, though critical, interest in his surroundings, noting at Hong Kong 'The Chinese here do not care a fig for the defeat. What an absurd mode of speaking English they have got into in this colony!', and later 'The banks of the Pei Pao are exactly like the Thames at Barking'. Arriving in Peking on 25 October 1860, he complains 'You will see that the War is over, and such a rotten war as it has been', but reports with satisfaction 'I have got such a piece of plunder which I think will be for the mess. It is part of a throne out of the Summer Palace. It is of iron wood & some red wood beautifully carved. There was a splendid screen behind which I took for Mitchell the General & I kept the throne', providing illustrations of the screen and throne. On 13 November he refers to the dispatch of the throne, 'The other fellows (RE) want to present it as a joint gift. As I had the bother of getting it and carting it off ... I am not anxious for it ... It is valuable I think from the place it came from & the beauty of the carving. I hope you will not think me selfish about it, but I am rather sore at some of the other fellows taking such very good care not to present any of their own plunder & yet so willing to join in presenting mine'. Tsientsin and the Taiping rebellion: 'Tsientsin is a miserable place': Gordon's letters focus initially on his hard work and the difficulties he faces, not least with his men -- 'Grumbling, dirty, idle, helpless to a degree and without the smallest spark of Esprit de corps, what a brute the ordinary British Linesman is' -- but refers to the detailed reconnaisance of the district ('I have got such a plan of Tientsin nearly completed, it would astonish it') which was to play such an important role in his successful defeat of the Taiping forces in 1863-64. That hectically busy period is referred to in satisfied retrospect in a letter of 13 March 1864: 'My troubles are now over ... The Rebels hold now only Waichow ... My endeavour now is to instruct Chinese officers in Artillery & Infantry drill'; although he expresses some regrets at British policy in China, 'We have done the Chinese a large amount of harm and are now only beginning to treat them well & fairly', he has no regrets as to his own role, 'I have no hesitation in having been an assistant in putting [the rebels] down for they were utter locusts. I went to Nankin after its capture, and went over the city. The Imperialists blew up the wall which is 40 ft high with 60000 lbs of powder ... My old foe Chung Wang was made prisoner, but I did not like to see him for he was a brave & daring man ... the Tien Wang committed suicide by eating gold leaf when I was at Nankin in June ... The Chinese make very formidable field works ... but an attack in flank generally upsets their equanimity & they bolt'. Gravesend and the Danubian Commission: Gordon's frustration at home life is often evident in the letters after his return from China in early 1865, particularly at the mundane requirements of his command in Gravesend, from 1865 to 1871 -- '[I] most heartily wish I was in the Celestial Empire again. I will never come back to this land again if can get abroad'; the letters also reflect his growing religious pre-occupations at this period. A group of six letters written from Galatz (present-day Romania) during Gordon's service in the Danubian Commission, giving detailed descriptions of his work there, suggest that his mood was scarcely improved by his changed circumstances -- he now counsels Harvey not to consider overseas service, 'I hope you won't think of it, "abroad" is very dreary'. The Sudan: It is with evident relief that at the end of 1873 he announces his acceptance of an appointment in the Egyptian service as governor general of Equatoria -- though evidently to his correspondent's disapproval, 'Sorry you do not like my going to the Pharoahs' -- summarising his mission (with a sketch-map of his proposed territory) as follows: 'the Khedive gives me what troops I want to guard my operations. He wishes me to put steamers of which there are two in sections on the lakes & to trade with the people. He gives me full powers military & civil in the district -- all I want for Barter -- right to issue orders causing (?) monopoly of trade &c'. The earliest letters from Equatoria give the impression of an uneventful life -- 'it is a humid & unhealthy clime, and beyond now and then a little excitement with the slavers, there is not much going on' (though the letter does go on to recount his capture of a slave trader) -- and depict the locals as 'miserable' and 'listless', 'you see I have no high flown ideas of being able to civilize Central Africa'. Later letters give accounts of his pleasure at finding the Nile navigable much further south than expected, and of his setting up stations along the river (frequently illustrated with sketch maps) as well as progress in mapping and pacifying the country; characteristically he is less pleased at his colleagues, except when they depart on sick leave, 'I never had such a tumble down set of men, they are all now gone, & I am very glad of it', later noting with satisfaction 'I am now the only European in the Province'. Although Gordon professes to find travelling 'terribly dull' and at one stage comments 'I hope Stanley, having completed Victoria Lake, will do Albert Lake and save me the trouble for I hate the worry of exploration of any sort', the letters include a number of vivid descriptions of his situation, not least a letter of 5 October 1879 on his way to visit King Johannes in Abyssinia, which is enlivened with a neat sketch and description of a characteristic 'amba' or hill-top fortress, and a similar sketch of the 'odd' topography of Abyssinia itself, illustrating a proposed strategy of trapping Johannes in his uplands if necessary. (98)
Autograph Letter Signed ("C.G. Gordon"), 2 1/4 pp, recto and verso, 8vo (conjoining leaves), "Near Aden," May 22, 1880, to Watson, with an autograph double-page manuscript map of Egypt in pen and pencil, fine. Wonderful letter from "Chinese Gordon" with an accompanying manuscript map. Gordon makes a request of Watson (Major Watson, later of Cairo?) to organize the publication of a map of Egypt, north of Lake Victoria. Gordon sketches the area that he thinks necessary to include and pens the names of over 50 towns. In part: " Passing thro Egypt, I saw J. Scott of Ranil’s Alexandria. He wants to get a map of the Egyptian Dominions … Now it is no use to my mind taking in more than the north end of Lake Victoria or to put in many towns, I send you what I think, would be sufficient … I am to pay for the maps / they are for Scott’s book ." Gordon was already become world-famous for his successes in China and for his quashing of the slave trade and insurrections in Darfur and Khartoum. In 1880, he mystified public opinion by accepting a post as private secretary to the Marquess of Ripon, Governor General of India. He was en route to India when he penned this letter and his speedy resignation from the India post is already foreshadowed: " We get on all right, but you may be sure I will not stay in India, one day longer than is necessary. I am not much for this sort of work. " See illustration .
GENERAL CHARLES GEORGE GORDON (1833-1885, 'CHINESE GORDON') A series of approximately 98 autograph letters signed (two with signatures removed, five incomplete, lacking opening or concluding leaves) to his friend and fellow officer Charles Harvey (one to his wife), England, China, Galatz, Sudan, Mauritius, Holy Land and other places, 11 June 1859-6 October 1883, 11 of the letters illustrated with sketch-maps or diagrams, together approx. 375 pages, mostly 8vo, many letters docketed over text by recipient (some tearing or splitting at folds, especially of later letters, letter of 23 April 1873 torn through and roughly repaired with tape, letters of 1 July and 12 August 1875 much worn at folds, letters of 14 October 1876 and 26 December 1882 with an upper corner torn off but present), together with a transcript of a letter of 26 March 1877, a letter of Gordon's brother M.A. Gordon to 'Mr Harvey', 29 December 1890, urging him to censor the correspondence ('I should be so glad if you felt inclined to scratch out the names of the officers my brother wrote about in his letters' -- a suggestion which was not complied with) and two other letters. GORDON IN CHINA, EGYPT, PALESTINE AND THE SUDAN The correspondence covers virtually the whole of Gordon's active career, beginning when he was adjutant of the Chatham depot of the Royal Engineers and ending with him in the Holy Land, having passed through the looting of the Summer Palace in Peking (1862), the great exploits against the Taiping rebellion in the following years and the heady days as governor general of first Equatoria and later the whole of Sudan (1873-1879). Only his Crimean service and the last act in Khartoum are outside the range of the correspondence. The recipient, Charles Harvey, was a fellow officer in the Royal Engineers, and the letters contain frequent affectionate enquiries after not only Harvey and his family, but also after a large circle of other brother officers. The looting of the Summer Palace: Gordon's letters on his way out to China show an alert, though critical, interest in his surroundings, noting at Hong Kong 'The Chinese here do not care a fig for the defeat. What an absurd mode of speaking English they have got into in this colony!', and later 'The banks of the Pei Pao are exactly like the Thames at Barking'. Arriving in Peking on 25 October 1860, he complains 'You will see that the War is over, and such a rotten war as it has been', but reports with satisfaction 'I have got such a piece of plunder which I think will be for the mess. It is part of a throne out of the Summer Palace. It is of iron wood & some red wood beautifully carved. There was a splendid screen behind which I took for Mitchell the General & I kept the throne', providing illustrations of the screen and throne. On 13 November he refers to the dispatch of the throne, 'The other fellows (RE) want to present it as a joint gift. As I had the bother of getting it and carting it off ... I am not anxious for it ... It is valuable I think from the place it came from & the beauty of the carving. I hope you will not think me selfish about it, but I am rather sore at some of the other fellows taking such very good care not to present any of their own plunder & yet so willing to join in presenting mine'. Tsientsin and the Taiping rebellion: 'Tsientsin is a miserable place': Gordon's letters focus initially on his hard work and the difficulties he faces, not least with his men -- 'Grumbling, dirty, idle, helpless to a degree and without the smallest spark of Esprit de corps, what a brute the ordinary British Linesman is' -- but refers to the detailed reconnaisance of the district ('I have got such a plan of Tientsin nearly completed, it would astonish it') which was to play such an important role in his successful defeat of the Taiping forces in 1863-64. That hectically busy period is referred to in satisfied retrospect in a letter of 13 March 1864: 'My troubles are now over ... The Rebels hold now only Waichow ... My endeavour now is to instruct Chinese officers in Artillery & Infantry drill'; although he expresses some regrets at British policy in China, 'We have done the Chinese a large amount of harm and are now only beginning to treat them well & fairly', he has no regrets as to his own role, 'I have no hesitation in having been an assistant in putting [the rebels] down for they were utter locusts. I went to Nankin after its capture, and went over the city. The Imperialists blew up the wall which is 40 ft high with 60000 lbs of powder ... My old foe Chung Wang was made prisoner, but I did not like to see him for he was a brave & daring man ... the Tien Wang committed suicide by eating gold leaf when I was at Nankin in June ... The Chinese make very formidable field works ... but an attack in flank generally upsets their equanimity & they bolt'. Gravesend and the Danubian Commission: Gordon's frustration at home life is often evident in the letters after his return from China in early 1865, particularly at the mundane requirements of his command in Gravesend, from 1865 to 1871 -- '[I] most heartily wish I was in the Celestial Empire again. I will never come back to this land again if can get abroad'; the letters also reflect his growing religious pre-occupations at this period. A group of six letters written from Galatz (present-day Romania) during Gordon's service in the Danubian Commission, giving detailed descriptions of his work there, suggest that his mood was scarcely improved by his changed circumstances -- he now counsels Harvey not to consider overseas service, 'I hope you won't think of it, "abroad" is very dreary'. The Sudan: It is with evident relief that at the end of 1873 he announces his acceptance of an appointment in the Egyptian service as governor general of Equatoria -- though evidently to his correspondent's disapproval, 'Sorry you do not like my going to the Pharoahs' -- summarising his mission (with a sketch-map of his proposed territory) as follows: 'the Khedive gives me what troops I want to guard my operations. He wishes me to put steamers of which there are two in sections on the lakes & to trade with the people. He gives me full powers military & civil in the district -- all I want for Barter -- right to issue orders causing (?) monopoly of trade &c'. The earliest letters from Equatoria give the impression of an uneventful life -- 'it is a humid & unhealthy clime, and beyond now and then a little excitement with the slavers, there is not much going on' (though the letter does go on to recount his capture of a slave trader) -- and depict the locals as 'miserable' and 'listless', 'you see I have no high flown ideas of being able to civilize Central Africa'. Later letters give accounts of his pleasure at finding the Nile navigable much further south than expected, and of his setting up stations along the river (frequently illustrated with sketch maps) as well as progress in mapping and pacifying the country; characteristically he is less pleased at his colleagues, except when they depart on sick leave, 'I never had such a tumble down set of men, they are all now gone, & I am very glad of it', later noting with satisfaction 'I am now the only European in the Province'. Although Gordon professes to find travelling 'terribly dull' and at one stage comments 'I hope Stanley, having completed Victoria Lake, will do Albert Lake and save me the trouble for I hate the worry of exploration of any sort', the letters include a number of vivid descriptions of his situation, not least a letter of 5 October 1879 on his way to visit King Johannes in Abyssinia, which is enlivened with a neat sketch and description of a characteristic 'amba' or hill-top fortress, and a similar sketch of the 'odd' topography of Abyssinia itself, illustrating a proposed strategy of trapping Johannes in his uplands if necessary. (98)
Relics of General Gordon comprising: Gordon's Imperial Dragon robe (pu fu), dark blue twill silk with roundels, three smooth spherical metal buttons at collar and waist, four metal buttons with leaf patterns, Gordon's name on a paper label sewn into the collar; A black lacquered cane with ivory and metal mounts, 892mm. long; A set of three bamboo seals in a box and cover, dated to Tongzhi Yi chou (1865), the seals bearing the Chinese syllables for Gordon (Ko têng) in modern and classical styles (with a sheet bearing impressions of the seals and a description); A scroll bearing Chinese calligraphy couplets sent by Gordon to his sister (many damages and losses, in two pieces); A glass plate negative studio portrait photograph of Gordon wearing a fez and his uniform of Governor General of the Sudan at Khartoum; and a passport belonging to his father, Henry William Gordon (1821) (a lot). PROVENANCE: General Gordon (the robe presented to Gordon by the Emperor Tongzhi) and by gift and descent to his elder sister Elizabeth Maria Dunlop, and thence by descent to Mrs R F Dunlop. Her sale Sotheby's, 18 July 1966, lot 7 (part). EXHIBITED: Boston, The Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists, Empire of the Warrior Prophet, The Sudan in the Age of the Mahdi 1881-1898, Oct. 1998. A collection of Gordon's personal relics, the majority from his service in China (1860-1865). After operating under Sir James Hope Grant with the French forces against China, and present at the capture of Peking and destruction of the Emperor's Summer Palace in October 1860, Gordon left to explora the interior before being called back to clear the Shanghai district of the rebel Taipings. He led the force raised by the Shanghai merchants and supported by the Chinese government which engaged the rebels, defeating them and suppressing the rebellion in 1864. He is said to have led the 'Ever Victorious Army' (a few thousand Chinese led by British officers) armed only with his little cane (presumably his black lacquered cane in the present lot) which his men called his 'magic wand'. Seconded to the Chinese, he was promoted to the order of the first rank by the Emperor, and in 1864 awarded the yellow jacket and peacock's feather of a mandarin of the first class, with the title of Ti-Tu, the highest military rank in China. Many of his Chinese court costumes, presented by the Emperor, are now in the Royal Engineers Museum, Chatham (see for example his yellow riding jacket (Huang ma gua) and first rank military official's surcoat (pu fu), in the same pattern as the present robe, but with the additional 'mandarin square' rank badge (qi lin), illustrated in G. Dickinson and L. Wrigglesworth, Imperial Costume, London, 1990, pls.98 and 119).
GORDON, Charles G. (1833-1885). Two autograph letters signed ("C. G. Gordon") to Eyre, Kartoum, 18 February 1884 and Kartoum, 6 March 1884. Together 4 pages, 12mo and 4to. The second letter also includes autograph envelope. GORDON PONDERS THE HICKS MASSACRE UPON HIS ARRIVAL IN KHARTOUM AND SPECULATES ON THE STRENGTH OF THE MAHDI Perhaps with a premonition of his own disastrous fate, General Gordon's thoughts are with the murdered Col. Hicks in the first of these two letters to General Eyre: "We are just entering Kartoum, having left London 18.1.84. We had a pleasant time up here & things thank God look better than I had expected. Hicks was a sad affair. It was a divided command between him & Aladdin Parks. He trusted to an Arab tribe who led him into a thickly wooded country without water & it is painful to picture him & the 10,000 men going on day by day into the trap prepared for them. Of course every letter he sent back was handed over to Mahdi, who watched his crazy march like a tiger, & then fell & annihilated him." On 6 March Gordon tries to be optimistic and speculates that the "Mahdi is in as great or greater pickle than I am, for he has no money & I have, and I am very strong at Kartoum with my steamers. Stewart is a capital fellow. I have not so much to do now. I have my antennae in all directions. Hick's defeat was terrible, facing his guides every night having communication with agents of Mahdi. It is terrible the Mahdi knew everything which went on." (2)
GORDON, Charles G. (1833-1885). Two autograph letter signed ("C.G. Gordon"), Khartoum, 24 September 1878 to Sir Samuel Baker, and Khartoum, 20 October 1878 to Rev. Horace Waller. Together 11 pages, 8vo and 4to, 24 September letter incorporating autograph map of the Nile. GORDON FIGHTS THE SLAVE TRADERS: "IT IS MERELY A QUESTION OF WHO IS THE SHARPEST, THE SLAVE DEALER OR THE GOV'T" These two lengthy letters reveal Gordon's passionate determination to thwart the slave traders in Sudan, and bring about a gradual abolition of the traffic in human beings. He devised an unorthodox solution: legalizing and registering slaves, and then permitting the sale of only those slaves registered with the government. In the 24 September letter he thinks that "the mere fact that none but registered slaves being acknowledged by the Gov't. will do more, than anything else, to frighten off dealers from the trade, for the fact of unregistered slaves in their possession is damnatory to them...My plan is a definite one, it is easy to check its not being obeyed. Now it is merely a question of who is the sharpest, the slave dealer or the Govt., one pecuniarily interested...the other only lukewarm to prevent it." Vexed by conflicting local and imperial policies governing the trade, Gordon vents his frustration to a prominent British abolitionist in the 20 October letter. "Now that things have come to a dead lock I will write to you. But first of all take the convention & Duree of [Altyness ??] published in London Gazette 17 August 1877. Read Article 1 & 2 of Convention, Read Article 1 & 2 of Duree. Under the Convention, slave trading was a capital crime. Yet under Duree "it is punishable by from 5 months to 5 years imprisonment." Thus "A. can buy 3 slaves at Sheka from B. and yet do so lawfully, for Sheka is Arab territory, if A. takes the 3 slaves to Jeddah, on his pilgrimage, he is in rule. Yet how is it, if I catch A. en route or in Red Sea, I accuse him of Vol avec meutre, or else by the contradictory clause in Duree, give him 5 months, to 5 years in prison, all the time it being in his right, by the law of the land." He suggests that "the only way to stop the slave trade is to register the existing slaves, & legalize their possession, till the expunction of 12 years, freeing all slaves who are not registered." Rev. Waller was an anti-slavery evangelist who traveled throughout Africa, several times in the company of David Livingstone (see also Lot 14). (2)
![[GORDON CHARLES GEORGE]: (1833-1885)](https://stageimg.invaluable.com/housePhotos/IAA-Spain/66/634366/H5255-L156375268.jpg)
![[Vintage Photographs ]](https://stageimg.invaluable.com/housePhotos/Dominic/60/313360/H0433-L29250473.jpg)
