He could only hurt a potential wife because it was inevitable that he would die in battle. He thereafter received the honorific rank and title of pasha in the Ottoman aristocracy. [44] Aboard the Hyson were 350 men from the elite 4th Regiment of the Ever Victorious Army. [255] In 1953, the British novelist Charles Beatty published a Gordon biography, His Country was the World: A Study of Gordon of Khartoum, which focused on Gordon's religious faith, but for the first time noted what a tormented figure Gordon was: a man of deeply felt Christian convictions, full of guilt and self-loathing over his own sinfulness and inability to live up to his own impossibly high standards over what a Christian should be and desperately longing to do something to expiate his sinfulness. [14] Before 1870, there was no universal school system in Britain, and the Ragged Schools were a network of privately-funded schools that gave a free education to children whose parents were too poor to afford the school fees. For these accomplishments, he was given the nickname "Chinese Gordon" and honours from both the Emperor of China and the British. [191] Khartoum was surrounded by the Ansar in March 1884, but was not cut off from the outside world for a considerable time afterward. E-mail: GeorgeGordonsSchoolofcommonlaw@usa.net [56] The British journalist Mark Urban, wrote: "People saw a brave man who acted with humanity in an otherwise ghastly conflict, standing out from the other mercenaries, adventurers, and cut-throats in wanting almost nothing for himself". [174], The Mahdi ended his letter with the remark: "I am the Expected Mahdi and I do not boast! [12], Reference is made to an 1889 account of the General surrendering his sword to a senior Mahdist officer, then being struck and subsequently speared in the side as he rolled down the staircase. Home Obituaries Locations Harrisburg, PA Pittsburg, PA . George Gordon (1955-1987) *31, Grave #45742967 - Sysoon It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Gordon Richard George, loving husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather. After his conversation with Baring, Churchill wrote: "Of course there is no doubt that Gordon as a political figure was absolutely hopeless. Gordon died May 21 at age 96. Second only to his faith, was the great joy George found in his family. He was warm, steadfast, and peaceable. The site lies north of the traditional site at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and is now known as "The Garden Tomb", or sometimes as "Gordon's Calvary". He managed the grain elevator in Raymond until he retired manyyears ago and has lived in Raymond ever since. My thoughts are will you all (Chelsea, Janine, Samantha and the grandkids). In a world moving inexorably towards conformity, it would be well to remember Gordon of Khartoum. So shocked and saddened to hear of George's passing. [223] The body of the Mahdi was disinterred and beheaded. [60], Following the death of his father, he undertook extensive social work in Gravesend, feeding homeless boys whom he found begging on the street while also attempting to find them homes and jobs. [51], Gordon believed this approach was militarily counterproductive, as it encouraged the Taipings to fight to the death, which Gordon felt to be very unwise as the Taiping leader Hong Xiuquan, had become murderously paranoid, conducting bloody purges of his followers. Christopher Paul Senior. Queen Victoria sent him a telegram of rebuke which found its way into the press. Share. He first displayed his death wish as he wrote at the time that he had gone "to the Crimea, hoping, without having a hand in it, to be killed". In the words of the American historian Immanuel C. Y. Hsu, Gordon was a "man of action" unsuitable for a bureaucratic job. A. At the beginning of 1884, Gordon had no interest in the Sudan and had just been hired to work as an officer with the newly-established Congo Free State. Gordon's charitable work for the boys of Gravesend led to assertions later in the 20th century that he was a homosexual. [174] Travelling through Korosko and Berber, he arrived at Khartoum on 18 February, where he offered his earlier foe, the slaver-king Rahama Zobeir, release from prison in exchange for leading troops against Ahmed. [59] Gordon seemed pleased by his simple lifestyle, writing in a letter that: "One night, I slept better than I have for a long time, by a fire in a fisherman's hut". 23/01/2023. Pallbearers will be some of Gordon's beloved nephews. (for "Grand Old Man"), to "M.O.G." Send Flowers: When Is the Ordering Deadline? Around the base is an inscription referring to Gordon as a soldier, philanthropist, and administrator and mentions those parts of the world in which he served, closing with a quotation from his last letter to his sisters: "I am quite happy, thank God! In March 1896, a French force under the command of Jean-Baptiste Marchand left Dakar with the intention of marching across the Sahara with the aim of destroying the Mahdiyah state. Share Your Memories and Sympathies and Join the Bereaved! [187] Even if the relief force had reached him, it is not clear if he would have left Khartoum, as Gordon wrote in his diary: "If any emissary or letter comes up here ordering me to come down I WILL NOT OBEY IT, BUT WILL STAY HERE, AND FALL WITH THE TOWN! Taught by his father to love the sea and all things nautical, George was a boater through and through. [77] Together with his sister Augusta, Gordon often prayed to be released from their "vile bodies" in which their spirits were "imprisoned" so that their souls might be joined with God. In September 1883, an Egyptian Army force under Colonel William Hicks set out to destroy the Mahdi. The Mahdi had given strict orders to his three Khalifas not to kill Gordon. He is superior in manner and bearing to any of the foreigners whom I have come into contact with, and does not show outwardly that conceit which makes most of them repugnant in my sightWhat an elixir for a heavy heart-to see this splendid Englishman fight! [146] Besides championing land reform in Ireland, Gordon spent the winter of 188081 in London socialising with his family and his few friends, such as Florence Nightingale and Alfred Tennyson. [88] Isma'il was a Muslim who loved Italian wine and French champagne, and many of his more conservative subjects in Egypt and the Sudan felt alienated by a regime that was determined to Westernise the country with little regard for tradition. Gordon's papers, as well as some of his grandfather's (Samuel Enderby III), were accepted by the British Library around 1937. [62] Together with Mrs. Sarah Mackley, his housekeeper, he adapted two rooms at Fort House to serve as classrooms and basic needs resource rooms for boys living on the streets. 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. [87] Gordon's reforming zeal made him popular with the ordinary people of the Sudan. Gordon Pinsent, Actor Known for Playing Twinkle-Eyed Rogues, Dies at 92 George Gordon Obituary - Fort Worth, TX - Dignity Memorial [187], Gordon energetically organised the defence of Khartoum right from the moment he arrived in Khartoum, using his training as a military engineer to turn the city into a fortress. ", "Ghosts of Empire by Kwasi Kwarteng review", "General Charles "Chinese" Gordon Reveals He is Going to Palestine", "Intended burning of Berber and surrender of Soudan", "Gordon, Charles George (18331885) Major General", "A Self-declared Pasha and African Explorer Is Killed", "Viewing Violence in the British Empire: Images of Atrocity from the Battle of Omdurman, 1898", "21 February 1899: Treatment of the Mahdi's body condemned", "Gordon Hospital: Vincent Ward, Ebury Ward, Gerrard Ward CNWL NHS", "Statue of General Gordon, Victoria Embankment Gardens", "Memorial to General Gordon, Brompton Barracks, Gillingham", "Tomb of General Gordon by Frederick William Pomeroy (18571924)", "Sudan. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this difficult time. [182], The ferocity of the Haddendowa attacks astonished the British, and Graham argued that he needed more troops if he were to advance deeper into the Sudan while one newspaper correspondent reported that the average British soldiers did not understand why they were in the Sudan fighting "such brave fellows" for "the sake of the wretched Egyptians". 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). [104] Gordon chose not to meet Muteesa himself, instead sending his chief medical officer, a German convert to Islam, Dr. Emin Pasha, to negotiate a treaty wherein in exchange for allowing the Egyptians to leave the Buganda, the independence of the kingdom was recognised. View obituary. He loved his Heavenly Father and his Saviour, and he was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for which he held many positions and worked faithfully in many capacities. George Gordon 1925 - 2021 BORN 1925 DIED 2021 ABOUT Cornell University FUNERAL HOME Metcalf & Jonkhoff Funeral Service 4291 Cascade Road SE Grand Rapids, MI GEORGE GORDON OBITUARY George H.. The wave of mourning was not just confined to Britain. [52], Instead, the Ever Victorious Army was given the task of taking the secondary cities of Yesing, Liyang, and Kitang. 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. When the news of the defeats reached Ansar besieging Khartoum, terrible cries of lamentation rose from the besieging force, which led Gordon to guess that the Ansar had been defeated in battle and that Wolseley must be close. Funeral Home website by, Christensen Salmon Generations Funeral Home. [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". 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". Unexpectedly at home on Wednesday 25th January 2017. [146], In a memo to London, Gordon warned against over-reliance on the Suez Canal, where the Russians could easily sink one ship to block the entire canal, thus leading Gordon to advise upon improving the Cape route to India with Britain developing a series of bases in Africa and in the Indian Ocean. Always happy [219] During a meeting in 1898 in Cairo where Churchill interviewed Baring to gather material for his 1899 book The River War,[250] Baring challenged Churchill about his belief that Gordon was a hero. Sir Gordon Downey obituary | Civil service | The Guardian 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. Nutting made the controversial claim that the basis of Gordon's death wish was that he was gay, noting that Gordon never married, is not known to have had a relationship with any women, and often wished that he had been born a eunuch, which strongly suggested that Gordon wished to have no sexual desires at all. George Brooke Ltd Obituaries - Funeral Guide 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". However, in 1953 the statue, minus a large slice of its pedestal, was reinstalled on the Victoria Embankment, in front of the newly-built Ministry of Defence main buildings. George was born August 4, 1948 in Chicago, Illinois to George and Sophie Gordon. [40] In a 2008 article, Stallard argued that Chinese historiography has largely neglected Gordon, which Stallard felt was undeserved. [17], On 18 June 1855, the besieging British and French armies began what was intended to be the final assault that would take Sevastopol, which began with a huge bombardment. We can only speculate that his increasing religious devotion may have been an outward manifestation of an internal struggle against sexual temptation.[61]. [115], In 1876, Egypt went bankrupt. GVSU community mourns death of George Gordon, philanthropist of Condolences to George's family. [132] In April, the government of the Cape Colony offered him the position of commandant of the Cape local forces, which Gordon declined. American historian James Perry wrote: "But instead of following instructions, he stayed put, longing for martyrdom. [184] The Cabinet itself was divided and confused about just what to do about the Sudan crisis, leading to a highly dysfunctional style of decision-making. [27] Gordon continued surveying, marking off the boundary into Asia Minor. and "Sultan!" To send flowers The men of the Gordon family had served as officers in the British Army for four generations, and as a son of a general, Gordon was raised to be the fifth generation; the possibility that Gordon would pursue anything other than a military career seems never to have been considered by his parents. As a toddler he moved to Basking Ridge, NJ. [216], In the hours following Gordon's death, an estimated 10,000 civilians and members of the garrison were killed in Khartoum. George was born January 27, 1994 in Fort Worth, Texas where he enjoyed going to the zoo and riding his jeep in the park and at Granny Janny's house. [160] While staying with his sister in Southampton, Gordon received an unexpected visitor, namely William Thomas Stead, the editor of The Pall Mall Gazette, to whom Gordon reluctantly agreed to give an interview. [172] Gordon was well-received by a crowd of about 9,000 during his return to Khartoum where the crowd continually chanted, "Father!" We played hockey together. Barbara Hatley (Matt Cudahy), and his twin brother George. [98], After a short stay in Cairo, Gordon proceeded to Khartoum via Suakin and Berber. Gordon Averyt Murrill Obituary 2023 - Resthaven Gardens of Memory "[207], The relief force under General Wolseley, which set out from Wadi Halfa, was divided into two columns at Kortia 1,200-strong "flying column" or "desert column" of camel-borne troops which would cross the Bayuda desert to reach Metmemma on the Nile and meet Gordon's gunboats there, and the main column which would continue to advance along the Nile heading for Berber. 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.