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This item WAS NOT SOLD. Auction date was 2002 Nov 16 @ 10:00UTC-08:00 : PST/AKDT
<b>359. CHARLES G. "CHINESE" GORDON</b> (1833 - 1885)<b> </b>British soldier involved in the taking of Peking and suppressing the Taiping rebellion, resisted the siege of Khartoum when killed by forces of the Mahdi. A most rare, superb and lengthy Gordon correspondence, being a collection of 93 A.L.S., largely 8vo size and written from various places and to various correspondents, with some being partially<b> </b>in French, during the period of 1863 - 1892, and a few of which include fine original ink sketches by Gordon. This vast collection reads, in extremely small part: "<i>[1866]...I was very much interested to know how the Fenians [?] would attach your station, it situated exactly where they might be expected to come but I suppose they are expended by this time. The Corps dinner though unanimously attended went off entirely without incident the duke was a dull as ever...[1868]...I forgot to tell you that in one of the later Pall Mall Gazettes, was a paragraph relative to the Chinese Usurpation...[Soon after Gordon's arrival in the Sudan as governor-general]....I wish to stamp out the irregularities which exist...The Bimbashi is not evil, but he is afraid of his soldiers and the fortress is falling into ruins. I would not wish to call in foreign officers here, but might have to do so for my own security if I cannot find native officers. 300 soldiers [with] two cannon would be enough for Keren with a decent fort; at the moment 1,000 in this fort are inadequate...[1872]...The budge must wait for I am going up to Galatz on Friday...Thank you for paying Alexander...The Commission have in view not to sell a single thing that may possibly be required at any future tense & look to you to see that their wish is carried out. With respect to...Bullet purchase, I will send you the details & Commission would not have but the things except with the guarantee they have got...[1873]...Have been to Cairo and now on my way back to England. I saw Khedive and he has been very civil...Could you send me a...Compass with a card. Mine has a metal ring &...takes me several minutes to take an angle. I went out to Babadagh today and traversed the main road, then went out to the marsh...[1874]...Kindly read and send on to [Colonel Charles] Nugent...I have no time to write to my dear Gerald Stanton [Agent and Consul-General in Egypt]...[Kerri 1876]...Do not abuse my roads. Letters from England reach me even here under 7 weeks time. I have already described the...failure of my intended exterminating raid on the Moogies & how the south column never turns up. It is quite impossible to do anything with these troops but the veriest ABC of operations. Irregular warfare is to me a far more dangerous matter than regular warfare. Through ignorance or through fanatic rage, irregulars attack<b> </b>where regulars never would think of it. Irregulars generally know every inch of the country & generally they are animated with a fiercer spirit, in the defence of their own lands. It is these they are, like the Bhang eaters in India, to be feared, a little active savage is more than a match for a fat, ruddy Britisher...In China, the rebels fought as we fought viz regularly, we no night-attacks of consequence, no foolhardy...expeditions were undertaken by them against our rear. All depends when they attacked on the steadiness of the off & N.C.O.'s...I never feel comfortable unless I have some native allies with me and I never would have tried what I did at Moogie unless I had had native allies with me in the cannibals of Niami Niami, at least 500 of them by this means, the country was well secured. While the troops were their backbone. I do want reliable men or a reliable man to take some of the detail off my back but they are so<b> </b>are...[1877]...We will not have missed one another...I am sorry to have seen you, you will pass me mostly near Massowah, where I shall be trying to make peace with Joannes...[1878]...There is very little shooting as far as I can see. You come across large herds of antelopes but they are some off, and are very shy. You see ostriches and giraffes, but if you kill one what is the use of it? The natives are utterly uninteresting naked savages, nothing more than animals who are always hungry. My great amusement is my doctoring the soldiers. I am now a pretty good medical man...Metternich makes no more voyages this year...No news of Egypt as yet...Just a line to say I'm off again for Cairo. I have seen...in England & D'Avril in Paris...The expedition of Baker was a complete failure & I do not myself think the Khedir care a lot about the whole affair but I shall come to close quarters with him when I get to Cairo. I will not go if he really is forced into it by Foreign Powers...I can not add to credit of 89 for the current we shall want every farthing for the Ichatel...When I arrived here [Debb] after a very uncomfortable search (owing to Dhuran Pacha's not having had houses made on the road) I found your people...As it is much more important for you to examine the river that to do to Salabal...it will be a month before you can get your baggage...[1881]...I do not think unless our govt is idiotic, you will have any more bother with the troops. The Egyptian people have a right to some say as to their govt and I do not think the late events are to be regretted. They were inevitable out comings of this' deposition of Ismaiah Pacha...I had hoped that LO would have appointed the Consuls but I suppose they will now say that things are too critical in Egypt...[1881]...The mail...brought order for me to report on defences in Seychelles also an order to governor here...committee on defences of Munitions & dependencies. I, Col. Roberson Ret. Capt. Key [?] & lt. Rogers...found our...Committee. I got Key & Rogers to back me...I fear the next mail, with news of Sudanby & Moffitt, and fear the worst...Kindly look at the packet you mention as sent from China and tell me rightly that it is. I expect it is a most interesting paper detailing how Warn entered Chinese service; if so, it is very interesting & ought to be sent to Mr. Bouger...I am glad Willie is in the Military, it is better than idling about. What a great mistake the mode of educating boys is, and to day a good Colonial life education would cost much less & be really useful...[1884]...Will you kindly send me 12 flannel shirts. Send all to Suez care of H. M. Consul [written as leaving Sudan]...I had some models made of the Coco de Mer [a tree native to the Seychelles]...[the] Kew [Gardens in London] were delighted with them...I have your brooches. One is the arms of the Seychelles when it gets free of Mauritius the other is the Hindoo representation of Universe. The Hindoos think that Curuman one of the incarnations of Bhudda [sic], and which name signifies Tortoise when the flood came Noah...[with a sketch of a tortoise egg]...You will be sick of my notes...Mind the two leaves are well-packed...The vessel for Zanzibar I had hope to catch, has not been able to wait...I hope you will keep an eye on everything connected with the Coco de Mer, especially its germination...</i>". Much more fine content about his campaigns and so forth. Along with a handsome cabinet card showing Gordon in head and shoulders (backstamp by Dighton's Art Studios, Cheltenham, matted with a signature. Overall in very good condition, and certainly very worthy of much further research.<b> $30,000-40,000</b>
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