After his conversation with Baring, Churchill wrote: "Of course there is no doubt that Gordon as a political figure was absolutely hopeless. [102] Chaill-Long in return painted a very unflattering picture of Gordon in his 1884 book The Three Prophets, whom he portrayed as a bully, a raging alcoholic, an incompetent leader, and a rank coward. When he woke up again that afternoon, he found Gordon's body covered with flies and the head cut off. [12], Despite the popular demand to "avenge Gordon", the Conservative government that came into office after the 1885 election did nothing of the sort. Would not the right honorable Gentleman consider whether this statue [] might not receive special consideration []? George married Lola Shafer and they divorced. He devoted himself fully to being a wonderful father to his three sons, Thomas, Greg, and Curtis, raising them up to be men of strong faith and good character. This memorial website was created in memory of George Gordon, 31, born on December 25, 1955 and passed away on March 0, 1987. OBITUARY George M. Gordon June 19, . The matter ended with Gordon's imprisonment and transfer to Massawa. Gordon personally explored Lake Albert and the Victorian Nile, pushing on through the thick, humid jungle and steep ravines of Uganda amid heavy rains and vast hordes of insects in the summer of 1876 with an average daily temperature of 95F (35C), down to Lake Kyoga. The system remained the same creaking slow, utterly corrupt, and oppressive apparatus trampling down ordinary people that it had always been. [228], News of Gordon's death caused an outpouring of public grief across Britain. 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 . [148] Gordon was promoted to major-general on 23 March 1882. By September 1882, the Egyptian position in the Sudan had grown perilous. [146] Having been to all of those places and thus speaking with some authority, Gordon announced the "scandal" of poverty in Ireland could only be ended if the government were to buy the land from the Ascendency families, as the Anglo-Irish elite was known, and give it to their poor Irish tenant farmers. [48] Gordon also had the pleasure of defeating Burgevine (whom Gordon detested), who had raised a mercenary force and joined the Taipings. It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Gordon Richard George, loving husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather. Family and friends are welcome to leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family. Grief Support. Ismai'il's Chief of General Staff was the American general Charles Pomeroy Stone, and a number of other veterans of the American Civil War were commanding Egyptian troops. I am nearly dead". The Reverend Gordon Graham has taken the biblical injunction to "consider the lilies of the field" to extremes. An Egyptian expedition was completely defeated near Gundet. [137] Gordon arrived in Shanghai in July and met Li Hongzhang, and learned that there was risk of war with Russia. 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. Gladstone told the Cabinet that the public cared much about Gordon and nothing about the Sudan, so he ordered Wolseley home after learning of Gordon's death. Can hold out for years. [132] In April, the government of the Cape Colony offered him the position of commandant of the Cape local forces, which Gordon declined. 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. He managed the grain elevator in Raymond until he retired manyyears ago and has lived in Raymond ever since. [227], After the Battle of Omdurman, Kitchener opened a letter from the Prime Minister, Lord Salisbury, and for the first time learned the real purpose of the expedition had been to keep the French out of the Sudan and that "avenging Gordon" was merely a pretext. They celebrated H.E's [His Excellency] arrival with an indescribable uproar". "[216] His body was desecrated and thrown down a well. Im grateful to Gordon". There was a secret "ultra" faction in the War Office led by Wolseley that felt that the Liberal government was too inclined to withdraw from various places all over the globe at the first sign of trouble, and who were determined to sabotage the withdrawal from the Sudan. Send Flowers. 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. Critics inverted his acronym, "G.O.M." Staveley decided to clear the rebels within 30 miles (48km) of Shanghai in co-operation with Ward and a small French force. A visitation will be held on Wednesday, September 7, 2022 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Northview Funeral Chapel and Cremation Centre, 1490 Highbury Avenue North, London, where Georges Life will be celebrated on Thursday, September 8 at 11:00 a.m. Interment of cremated remains at Pond Mills Cemetery. Words cannot express how shocked and saddened I am to hear about [73] Urban wrote that the best evidence suggests Gordon was a latent homosexual, whose sexual repression led him to funnelling his aggression into a military career with a special energy. He was 96. Following the Hyson was a fleet of 80 junks converted to gunboats. [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. So, therefore, I believe in our active employment in a future life, and I like the thought. [98], From Khartoum, he proceeded up the White Nile to Gondokoro. We cannot bring ourselves to believe that we are to be abandoned". (89 years old). He is survived by : his wife Mary Ruff Ross; his sons, Dr. Greg Ross (Patty) of Florida and David Ross (Changsook) of South Korea; his step-children, Dr. John Beasley (Ann) of Columbia and Joye Beasley Harpe (Stan) of Columbia; and his sister-in-law Sally Wiseman (Jim) of Columbia. [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. [193] Gordon waged a very vigorous defence, sending out his armoured steamers to engage the Ansar camps along the Blue Nile while he regularly made raids on the besiegers that often gave the Madhi's forces a "bloody nose". [139], Gordon went to Beijing and used all his influence to ensure peace. [85] In 1872, Gordon was sent to inspect the British military cemeteries in the Crimea, and when passing through Constantinople, he made the acquaintance of the Prime Minister of Egypt, Raghib Pasha. I also had the honour of working with George for many years and I will miss seeing his smile. He attended schools in Ferndale and Eureka, CA. [74] The British historian Denis Judd, wrote about Gordon's sexuality: Like two other great Imperial heroes of his time, Kitchener and Cecil Rhodes, Gordon was a celibate. Mac Gordon: Governors that might have been. [65] Another "scuttler" later recalled: "He made me feel, first of all, the meaning of the phrase, the Goodness of God. [93] Licurgo Santoni, an Italian hired by the Egyptian state to run the Sudanese post office, wrote about Gordon's time as Governor-General that: as his exertions were not supported by his subordinates, his efforts remained fruitless. Funeral: 15 Mar 2023, Dewsbury. Sir Gordon Downey, who has died aged 93, leaves a substantial legacy of parliamentary and government scrutiny. Words cannot express how saddened we are to learn of George's sudden loss. [5] After her death, her place as Gordon's favourite sibling was taken by his very religious older sister Augusta, who nudged her brother towards religion. The employees sent by the Moldovan government to take over the ceded territory have been receiving bribes and trafficking in the most disgraceful manner. All the Europeans, with some rare exceptions, whom he has honoured with his confidence have cheated him. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Still Hopes Retirement Community, located at 1 Still Hopes Drive, West Columbia, SC 29169 and First Baptist Church, located at 1306 Hampton Street, Columbia, SC 29201. [106], Moreover, considerable progress was made in the suppression of the slave trade. In addition, one of the first Woolwich Free Ferry vessels was named Gordon in his memory. Gordon started for Cairo in January 1884, accompanied by Lt. Col. J. D. H. Stewart. [117], Slavery was the basis of the Sudanese economy, and Gordon's attempts to end the slave trade meant taking on very powerful vested interests, most notably Rahama Zobeir, known as the "King of the Slavers" as he was the richest and most powerful of all the slave traders in the entire Sudan. A graveside service was held for Dirk at the family farm March 7, 2014 in Isabella, MO. Alone in [Africa], dauntless and unfaltering, he discharges his great trust, holding the capital of the Sudan against the beleaguering hordes". [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. Gordon's Sudanese servants later stated that Gordon for once did not go out armed only with his rattan cane, but also took with him a loaded revolver and his sword, and died in mortal combat fighting the Ansar. Share. Loved husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. The bashi-bazouks were extremely susceptible to corruption and were notorious for their brutality, especially to non-Muslims. [105] Gordon's attempts to establish an Egyptian garrison in the Buganda had been stymied by the cunning Muteesa, who forced the Egyptians to build their fort at his capital of Lubaga, making the 140 or so Egyptian soldiers his virtual hostages. I fear that there will be treachery in the garrison, and all will be over by Christmas. [219] Wolseley, who had been led to believe that his expedition was the initial phase of an operation to re-conquer the Sudan, was furious, and in a telegram to Queen Victoria contemptuously called Gladstone "the tradesman who has become a politician". The best supporter & best trusted in a crisis. [78] Faught argued that no-one at the time suspected Gordon of having sexual relations with the legions of teenage boys living with him at the Fort House. 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. "[198], Among the papers captured on the Abbas was the cipher key Gordon used to code his messages in and out of Khartoum, which meant he could no longer read the messages he received, leading him to write in his diary: "I think cipher-messages are in some countries, like this, a mistake". [224] This symbolic decapitation echoed General Gordon's death at the hands of the Mahdist forces in 1885. During his time in Sudan, Gordon was much involved in attempting to suppress the slave trade while struggling against a corrupt and inefficient Egyptian bureaucracy that had no interest in suppressing the trade. Very sorry for your family loss. Many Taipings were willing to surrender only if the Imperial government would spare the lives of themselves and their families. [56], In a leader in August 1864, The Times wrote about Gordon: "the part of the soldier of fortune is in these days very difficult to play with honourbut if ever the actions of a soldier fighting in foreign service ought to be viewed with indulgence, and even with admiration, this exceptional tribute is due to Colonel Gordon". This was a very evangelical branch of CMS and was able to start work in Sudan in 1900 as soon as the Anglo-Egyptian Condominium took control after the fall of Khartoum in 1899. As a toddler he moved to Basking Ridge, NJ. 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". May the words of Psalm 46 bring a sense of peace and hope to all of his family in this season of loss. He could only hurt a potential wife because it was inevitable that he would die in battle. Allah Himself is merciful to you". [12] After Khartoum, the Mahdi established his Islamic state which restored slavery and imposed a very harsh rule that, according to one estimate, caused the deaths of 8 million people between 1885 and 1898. Doreen Sargeant. [58], The traders of Shanghai offered Gordon huge sums of money to thank him for his work commanding the Ever Victorious Army. [235] Shut for the closing years of World War II, it reopened in 1947 under the same name, but serving as a psychiatric unit operated by the Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust. Relations between Egypt and Abyssinia (later renamed Ethiopia) had become strained due to a dispute over the district of Bogos, and war broke out in 1875. [199] The American historian Cynthia Behrman wrote that the articles all commented upon "Gordon's religious faith, his skill with native peoples, his fearlessness in the face of danger (a recurrent motif is Gordon's habit of leading his troops into battle armed with no more than a rattan cane), his honor, his resourcefulness, his graciousness to subordinates, his impatience with cant and hypocrisy, his hatred of glory and honors, his dislike of lionization and social rewards, and on and on. We will remember him forever. You rest easy my friend. [47] The suffering of the Chinese people strengthened Gordon's faith, as he argued that there had to be a just, loving God who would one day redeem humanity from all this wretchedness and misery. He was a lifelong resident of the Ozarks and of Isabella since 1968. [184] The British government had decided to abandon the Sudan, but it was clear that Gordon had other plans, and the public increasingly called for a relief expedition. The pedestal bears the arms of the Gordon clan and of the borough of Southampton, and also Gordon's name in Chinese. Due to seasonal conditions, the tree planting takes place during the spring and summer. [66] The council subsequently acquired the gardens of his official residence, Fort House (now a museum), for the town. An interment will take place in Raymond at the Temple Hill Cemetery following the service. [159] By the end of 1883, the Egyptians held only the ports on the Red Sea and a narrow belt of land around the Nile in northern Sudan. [132], Gordon rejected Leopold's offers, partly because he was still emotionally attached to the Sudan and partly because he disliked the idea of working for Leopold's Congo Association, which was a private company owned by the King. The Mahdi and his followers had been fighting a jihad since 1881 and looked forward to taking on the famous General Gordon as a chance to win glory for Allah. I am coming. [40] In Sudan, Sudanese historians have traditionally focused on the Mahdi and his rebellion, with Gordon only being relevant as the enemy general during the Siege of Khartoum, and his abolitionist work largely ignored. [65], Octavia Freese published a book in 1894 about his charity work and Christian beliefs. Love, GEORGE GORDON OBITUARY GORDON, George Colburn. George, [68], Every year, Gordon gave away about 90% of his annual income of 3,000 (equivalent to 351,000 in 2021) to charity. When I was 17 I started working, with George as my manager. [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. [146], In April 1881, Gordon left for Mauritius as Commander, Royal Engineers. [87], Gordon had come into conflict with the Egyptian governor of Khartoum and Sudan over his efforts to ban slavery. [128] The eccentric Gordon was very religious, but he departed from Christian orthodoxy on a number of points. This eventually led to the Warlord Era and the Chinese Civil War which saw the communists defeat the nationalists and establish control over China. Order by Saturday. In the words of the American historian Immanuel C. Y. Hsu, Gordon was a "man of action" unsuitable for a bureaucratic job. He quickly learned that before he could establish stations to crush the slave trade, he would have to first explore the area to find the best places for building them. You will be taken to the charity's website to process your payment. 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. Send Flowers: When Is the Ordering Deadline? [177], The novelist John Buchan wrote that Gordon was so "unlike other men that he readily acquired a spiritual ascendency over all who knew him well and many who did not", but at the same time, Gordon had a "dualism", in that "the impression of single-heartedness was an illusion, for all his life his soul was the stage of conflict". [3] He was educated at Fullands School in Taunton, Taunton School, and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. In December 1883, the British government ordered Egypt to abandon the Sudan, but that was difficult to carry out, as it involved the withdrawal of thousands of Egyptian soldiers, civilian employees, and their families.[161]. Gordon's willingness to renounce his British citizenship in order to fight with China in the event of war did much to raise his prestige in China. [43], Gordon's breakthrough caught the rebel army off guard and caused thousands of the enemy to panic and flee. [174] Gordon sent a telegram to Khartoum reading: "Don't be panic-stricken. Aug 1931 - Feb 2023. [211] The orders were not obeyed. woodhams, walter woodhouse, victor frederick. We can only speculate that his increasing religious devotion may have been an outward manifestation of an internal struggle against sexual temptation.[61]. [47] Gordon had to impose strict discipline on the Ever Victorious Army and worked hard to prevent the Army from engaging in its tendency to loot and mistreat civilians. [65] Gordon often spoke nostalgically of his service in China, and wished he could return to that country.[70]. Special thanks to the caring staff of Good Samaritan Prairie Ridge and the Raymond Health Centre. He was exhausted by years of incessant work. George was a U.S. National Guard Veteran. [136], An exchange of telegrams ensued between the War Office in London and Gordon in Bombay about just what exactly he was planning on doing in China, and when Gordon replied that he would find out when he got there, Gordon was ordered to stay. [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. The Aylmer Flickering Flames Hockey Club wish the entire Gordon Family our deepest sympathies during this sad time. [63] Gordon's closest friends were a couple, Frederick and Octavia Freese, whose son Edward, became Gordon's surrogate son. You are all in my thoughts and prayers. [19] It was said at the British HQ that, "If you want to know what the Russians are up to, send for Charlie Gordon. When Gordon first arrived at the city of Galatz (modern Galai, Romania) in the Ottoman protectorate of Moldavia, he called the city "very dusty and not desirable at all as a place of residence". Obituaries & obituary notices in Glasgow. Find the obituary of Gordon L. Arnold (1982 - 2023) from Batesville, IN. Parcourez la ncrologie de Donald Don Gordon Bowen 2023 rsidant dans la province Ontario pour le dtail des funrailles . When considering a Mississippi governor's race, I often think of those people who never entered a political election, wishing they had for the state's sake. Baker met with great difficulties and managed little beyond establishing a few posts along the Nile. . A group of European financial commissioners led by Evelyn Baring took charge of the Egyptian finances in an attempt to pay off the European banks who had lent so much money to Egypt. (Right beside the Raymond Hospital) Friends can meet the family prior to the service between 10:00 AM and 10:45 AM. A serious revolt then broke out in the Sudan, led by a Muslim religious leader and self-proclaimed Mahdi, Muhammad Ahmad. Besides working to end slavery, Gordon carried out a series of reforms such as abolishing torture and public floggings where those opposed to the Egyptian state were flogged with a whip known as the kourbash made of buffalo hide. The most popular account of Gordon's death was that he put on his ceremonial gold-braided blue uniform of the Governor-General together with the Pasha's red fez and that he went out unarmed, except with his rattan cane, to be cut down by the Ansar. 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. 1 Still Hopes Dr, West Columbia, SC 29171. Exhausted, he resigned and returned to Europe in 1880. Survived by his daughter, Melanie (Barry) Thompson. I repeat to you the words of Allah, Do not destroy yourself. [164] Urban wrote: "With this leader, William Stead's real motive in going to Southampton revealed itself at last. "[19], Gordon took part in the expedition to Kinburn, and returned to Sevastopol at the war's end. [168] Gordon and Wolseley were good friends (Wolseley being one of the people Gordon prayed for every night), and after a meeting with Wolseley at the War Office to discuss the crisis in the Sudan, Gordon left convinced that he had to go to the Sudan to "carry out the work of God". In October 1880, Gordon paid a two-week visit to Ireland, landing at Cork and travelling over much of the island. You can then forward the email to the family or print it and give it to them personally. [114] The reforms that Gordon wanted would have changed the basic nature of Ottoman-Egyptian rule, by replacing a system based on exploitation of the people by the state with one where the state would work for the betterment of the people. [202], The note read "Khartoum all right. [172], Owing to the fact that his Turkish and Egyptian (and many Sudanese) troops were Muslim, Gordon refrained in public from describing his battle with the Mahdi as a religious war, but Gordon's diary showed he viewed himself as a Christian champion fighting against the Mahdi just as much for God as for his nation. [56] Gordon also gained the popular nickname, "Chinese" Gordon. The Cabinet felt highly uncomfortable with the appointment, as they had been pressured by the press to send a man who was opposed to their Sudan policy to take command there. 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. I miss you my dear George; emailing you in the morning about orders was a norm thing but now getting answers from someone else using your email address feels really weired.