Lot 41: GORDON, Charles G. (1833-1885). Two autograph letters signed ("C. G. Gordon") to Eyre, Kartoum

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)