The system remained the same creaking slow, utterly corrupt, and oppressive apparatus trampling down ordinary people that it had always been. [87] Gordon's reforming zeal made him popular with the ordinary people of the Sudan. For some years, the Taipings gradually advanced eastwards, but eventually they came close enough to Shanghai to alarm the European inhabitants. [110], He accepted their offer, believing rather naively in Leopold's and Mackinnon's assurances their plans were purely philanthropic and they had no interest in exploiting Africans for profit[111] but the Khedive Isma'il Pasha wrote to him saying that he had promised to return, and that he expected him to keep his word. An expedition was sent up the White Nile, under Sir Samuel Baker, which reached Khartoum in February 1870 and Gondokoro in June 1871. [151], In Jerusalem, Gordon lived with an American lawyer, Horatio Spafford, and his wife, Anna Spafford, who were the leaders of the American Colony in the Holy City. Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. Sympathy Ideas. A cornor [i.e., corner] in palace hall. [257] Nutting noted that Gordon had often recklessly exposed himself to Russian fire while fighting in the Crimea and stated he hoped to die in battle against the Russians before leaving for the Crimea. He is fondly remembered for his flair for fun and excitement, witty sarcasm, and incredible passion for his work. Some of the voyageurs who arrived in Egypt turned out to be lawyers led by an alderman from Toronto who wanted to see "the fun" of war and were useless as boatmen. [20], For his services in the Crimea, he received the Crimean war medal and clasp. In his biography of Gordon, Anthony Nutting wrote that Gordon was obsessed with "the ever-present, constantly repeated desire for martyrdom and for that glorious immortality in union with God and away from the wretchedness of life on this earth". You rest easy my friend. My deepest condolences. Karen and I were shocked and saddened to hear of Georges passing. Gordon despite or rather, because of his war hero status disliked publicity and tried to avoid the press when he was in Britain. The long exploitation of the Sudan by Egypt led many Sudanese to rally to the Mahdi's black banner as he promised to expel the Egyptians, whom Ahmed denounced as apostates, and he announced he would establish an Islamic fundamentalist state marking a return to the "pure Islam" said to have been practised in the days of the Prophet Mohamed in Arabia. in memory of Gordon Richard George, please visit our floral store. In all the cities of Egypt, it will be felt that what the Mahdi has done, they may do; and, as he has driven out the intruder, they may do the same. 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. Gordon wrote in his diary: "The HOUR GLASS BROKEN" and predicted that the war would soon be won. [93], Gordon remained in the Equatoria province until October 1876. 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. Always thoughtful 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. [33] The Anglo-French force remained in northern China until April 1862, then, under General Charles William Dunbar Staveley, withdrew to Shanghai to protect the European settlement from the rebel Taiping army. [201] Gordon told the civilians of Khartoum that anyone who wished to leave, even to join the Mahdi's army, were free to do so. and "Sultan!" Family and friends are welcome to leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family. If you wish to make a donation, please consider one of the charities listed below. He received no reply as the king had gone southwards to fight with the Shoa. Even more importantly, Gordon had given his word of honour that all of the Taipings who surrendered would be well-treated, and regarded the massacre as a stain on his honour. The best supporter & best trusted in a crisis. He was 96. The countenance bore a pleasant frank appearance, eyes light blue with a fearless look in them, hair crisp and inclined to curl, conversation short and decided". After meeting Gordon in 1874, the Khedive Isma'il had said: "What an extraordinary Englishman! He was born in Fortuna, CA 75 years ago to Winton and Evelyn Chase Gordon. [48] Gordon also had the pleasure of defeating Burgevine (whom Gordon detested), who had raised a mercenary force and joined the Taipings. [132] In April, the government of the Cape Colony offered him the position of commandant of the Cape local forces, which Gordon declined. [98], From Khartoum, he proceeded up the White Nile to Gondokoro. [3] He was educated at Fullands School in Taunton, Taunton School, and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. Gordon never married and is not known to have had a sexual or romantic relationship with anyone. [89] As the attempts of his grandfatherMuhammad Ali the Greatto depose the ruling Ottoman family in favour of his own family had failed due to the opposition of Russia and Britain, the imperialistic Ismai'il had turned his attention southwards and was determined to build an Egyptian empire in Africa, planning on subjugating the Great Lakes region and the Horn of Africa. [195], It took considerable time to hire the voyageurs in Canada and bring them to Egypt, which delayed the expedition. George was predeceased by his father, and is survived by his mother. Nephew to John and Delcie Moriarty, Jim Moriarty (late Brenda), Lorraine Hatley (late Bill). He was a committed and valued friend and colleague for over thirty years at Sterling Marking Products. As a sapper, Gordon was in a front line trench where he was under intense fire, men fell all around him and he was forced to take cover so often that he was covered literally from head to toe with mud and blood. 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. ObituaryRev. [222], Egypt had been in the French sphere of influence until 1882 when the British had established control over Egypt. Obituary. [152] The Spaffords had lost their home and much of their fortune in the Great Chicago Fire and then had seen one of their sons die of scarlet fever, four of their daughters drowned in a shipwreck, followed by the death of another son from scarlet fever, causing them to turn to religion as consolation for unbearable tragedy, making them very congenial company for Gordon during his stay in Jerusalem. 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 . Suddenly at home on Wednesday 25 January 2017; aged 86 years. file size: 2 MB. [189] The black Sudanese troops, many from what is now South Sudan, proved to be Gordon's best troops at Khartoum and numbered about twenty-three hundred. Last modified on Thu 21 Apr 2022 12.52 EDT. [103] The heat greatly affected Gordon as he wrote to his sister Augusta, "This is a horrid climate, I seldom if ever get a good sleep". February 2, 2023 There they found four gunboats which had been sent north by Gordon four months earlier, and prepared them for the trip back up the Nile. (for "Murderer of Gordon"). Planting will take place in Spring or Summer of the same year. George G. Gordon 80, of Indianapolis, passed away December 18, 2022. [194] Though the telegraph lines to Cairo were cut, Gordon used the remaining telegraph lines to build his own telegraph network within Khartoum linking the men holding the walls of Khartoum to the Governor-General's palace, thus keeping him well-informed of what was happening. [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. Gordon made a point of treating POWs well to encourage the Taipings to surrender, and many of his men were former Taipings who chose to enlist in the Ever Victorious Army. [245] The British historian Alex von Tunzelmann criticised the film for portraying Gordon and the Mahdi regularly meeting and as frres ennemis, though she added that it is true that Gordon and the Mahdi did exchange letters. [27] Gordon continued surveying, marking off the boundary into Asia Minor. The Mahdi contemptuously rejected Gordon's offer and sent back a letter demanding Gordon convert to Islam. In his 62nd year, George Gordon passed unexpectedly into the presence of his Lord and Saviour. He saw action in the Crimean War as an officer in the British Army. George Gordon GORDON, George - 1919-2007, peacefully at the Apotex Jewish Home for the Aged on Monday, May 7th. [165], Stead's interview caused a media sensation and led to a popular clamour for Gordon to be sent to the Sudan. In September 1883, an Egyptian Army force under Colonel William Hicks set out to destroy the Mahdi. [208] On the evening of 24 January 1885, the Mahdi met with his generals, whose leading spokesman was his uncle Muhammad Abd al-Karim, who told him that, with the Nile low and Wolseley close, it was time to either storm Khartoum or retreat. [154] Gordon's interest was prompted by his religious beliefs, as he had become an evangelical Christian in 1854. [178], Gordon commenced the task of sending the women, the children, the sick, and the wounded to Egypt. [225][226] Lord Kitchener kept the Mahd's skull and it was rumoured that he intended to use it as a drinking cup or ink well. He was named for a prominent lawyer and Tammany Hall leader. This eventually led to the Warlord Era and the Chinese Civil War which saw the communists defeat the nationalists and establish control over China. Box 297 [64] Outside of the Fort House were graffito written on the wall by one of the evidently less-educated boys that read: "God Bless the Kernel". He doesn't want money!". GORDON, George Thomas (Ex Fire Control Services) Peacefully at Ellerslie Gardens Resthome on Tuesday 26 April 2016. He will be missed by all who knew him. Your email will not be used for any other purpose. The wave of mourning was not just confined to Britain. George E. Harrington, 86 of Oswego. [180] At one point, Gordon suggested in a telegram to Gladstone that the notoriously corrupt Ottoman Sultan Abdul-Hamid II could be bribed into sending 3,000 Ottoman troops for the relief of Khartoum and if the British government was unwilling and/or unable to pay that amount, he was certain that either Pope Leo XIII or a group of American millionaires would be. Very sorry to hear of his passing. Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. [81], In October 1871, he was appointed British representative on the international commission to maintain the navigation of the mouth of the River Danube, with headquarters at Galatz. 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. [156], The year 1881 was the Islamic year 1298, and to mark the coming of the new century, Ahmed announced that he was the Mahdi, and proclaimed a jihad against the Egyptian state. [139], Gordon went to Beijing and used all his influence to ensure peace. By September 1882, the Egyptian position in the Sudan had grown perilous. May God be your strength and comfort. He was a committed and valued friend and colleague for over thirty years at Sterling Marking Products. The matter ended with Gordon's imprisonment and transfer to Massawa. General Gordon was a figure outside and above the ranks of military and naval commanders." 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. [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. [89], At the beginning of his reign in 1863, Egypt's debt had been 3 million Egyptian pounds. [258], More balanced biographies are Charley Gordon: An Eminent Victorian Reassessed (1978) by Charles Chenevix Trench and Gordon: The Man Behind the Legend (1993) by John Pollock. [116], Gordon travelled north to Cairo to meet with Baring and suggest the solution that Egypt suspend its interest payments for several years to allow Isma'il to pay the arrears owed to his soldiers and civil servants, arguing that once the Egyptian government was stabilised, then Egypt could start paying its debts without fear of causing a revolution. I wish there was anything I could do to help take away some of your pain. George married Lola Shafer and they divorced. Christopher Paul Senior. The clash led to Gordon informing the Khedive that he did not wish to return to the Sudan, and he left for London. [51] A Scotsman who knew Gordon in China wrote: "he shows the Chinese that if even an able and reliable man, such as he is, is unmanageable". [40], Gordon was honest and incorruptible, and unlike many Chinese officers, did not steal the money that was meant to pay his men, but rather insisted on paying the Ever Victorious Army on time and in full. He will be forever cherished by his wife Gail Bowen (nee Reid). [257] Behrman wrote that the first part of Nutting's thesis, that Gordon had a death wish, is generally accepted by historians, but the second part, that Gordon was homosexual, is still the subject of much debate. During this time in Khartoum, Gordon befriended Irish journalist Frank Powers, The Times (London) correspondent in the Sudan. I know George will be missed by and a great loss to the Sterling family. I know if I was chief I would never employ myself for I am incorrigible". [39] These requirements led Staveley to choose Gordon. However, he made his military reputation in China, where he was placed in command of the "Ever Victorious Army", a force of Chinese soldiers led by European officers which was instrumental in putting down the Taiping Rebellion, regularly defeating much larger forces. GEORGE GORDON OBITUARY Gordon, George George H. Gordon, Husband, Father, Grandfather, Oilman and decorated World War II veteran, died peacefully in Naples, Florida May 21. Burial will follow in the Evergreen Lawn Cemetery at George, IA. [201], Gordon and the Mahdi never met, but the two men, both charismatic and intensely religious soldiers who saw themselves as fighting for God, had developed a grudging mutual respect. [38] Moreover, Burgevine made little effort to hide his racism, and his relations with the Chinese were very difficult at the best of times. 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. [25] As the maps that delineated the Russian-Ottoman frontier were all old and inaccurate, Gordon spent much time clashing with his Russian counterparts about where precisely the frontier was and soon discovered that the Russians were very keen to have the frontier on the Danube, which Gordon had orders from London to prevent. [220] As late as 1901, on the anniversary of Gordon's death, The Times wrote in a leader (editorial) that Gordon was "that solitary figure holding aloft the flag of England in the face of the dark hordes of Islam". George Thomas GORDON. the passing of George. A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. [194], It was not until August 1884 that the government decided to take steps to relieve Gordon, with the British relief force, called the Nile Expedition, or, more popularly, the Khartoum Relief Expedition or Gordon Relief Expedition (a title that Gordon strongly deprecated). My Prayers are with all your family especially Nancy and children and Grandchildren. [187] The merchant recalled Gordon's response: "He called up the guard and gave the orders to shoot me if I moved" and ordered all of the lamps in the palace to be lit up as brightly as possible. Of Marton formerly of Auckland. After an order is placed, our forestry partners will plant the tree in the area of greatest need (nearest the funeral home), according to the planting schedule for the year. With Egypt under British rule, the British also inherited the problems of Egypt's colony, the Sudan, which the Egyptians were losing control of to the Mahdi. [172] Baring disapproved of sending Gordon to the Sudan, writing in a report to London that: "A man who habitually consults the Prophet Isaiah when he is in a difficulty is not apt to obey the orders of anyone". 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. Praying for you Nancy and family. woodhams, walter woodhouse, victor frederick. As a toddler he moved to Basking Ridge, NJ. The British sinologist Demetrius Charles Boulger published a biography of Gordon in 1896 which depicted him as a staunch patriot and a Christian of immense virtue who displayed superhuman courage in the face of danger. He was exhausted by years of incessant work. [51], On 1 January 1864, Gordon was informed that a messenger from the Tongzhi Emperor was coming to see him and that he should put on his finest uniform. [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. Under the Chinese system of familial responsibility, all family members of a rebel were equally guilty even if they had nothing to do with the rebellious individual's acts. In the article, Stallard pointed to the egalitarianistic attitudes displayed by Gordon towards the Chinese, and argued that if Chinese historians paid closer attention to the activities of Gordon in China, it would improve Anglo-Chinese relations. About 2,500 people had been removed before the Mahdi's forces closed in on Khartoum. [54][55] Only forty men were allowed to wear the Yellow Jacket, which was the Emperor's ceremonial bodyguard, and it was thus a signal honour for Gordon to be allowed to wear it. Pallbearers will be some of Gordon's beloved nephews. Receive obituaries from the city or cities of your choice. [24] Gordon did not speak Romanian, but his fluency in French allowed him to socialise with the Francophile Romanian elite, who were all fluent in French. George Gordon of Isabella, Mo died in his wife's arms at his farm August 30 and was buried that same day in the family cemetery on the farm. Right up to 1914, Egypt was officially a vilayet (province) of the Ottoman Empire, but after Mohammed Ali become the vali (governor) of Egypt in 1805, Egypt was a de facto independent state where the authority of the Ottoman Sultan was more nominal than real. Celebrate the life of George Gordon, leave a kind word or memory and get funeral service information. [100] Gordon soon learned that his superior, the Governor-General of the Sudan, Ismail Aiyub Pasha, was deeply involved in the slave trade and was doing everything within his power to sabotage Gordon's anti-slavery work by denying him supplies and leaking information to the slavers. Here was one man among men who did not do what he was told, but what he believed to be right. [84], Gordon was promoted to colonel on 16 February 1872.