george gordon obituary

He attended schools in Ferndale and Eureka, CA. Tablet indicates where General Gordon was killed, Jan. 25, 1885", "Khartoum: blackface Olivier scrapes the bottom of some macabre barrels", "The Political Martyr: General Gordon and the Fall of Kartum", The Journals of Major-Gen. C. G. Gordon, C.B., at Kartoum, Newspaper clippings about Charles George Gordon, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Charles_George_Gordon&oldid=1142434977, Chinese Gordon, Gordon Pasha, Gordon of Khartoum, This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 10:23. The Egyptian soldiers were miserable falln conscripts who had no interest in being in the Sudan, much less in fighting the Mahdi, and morale was so poor that Hicks had to chain his men together to prevent them from deserting. George M. Gordon Obituary. George graduated from Arsenal Technical High School in 1960 and went on to graduate from Purdue University in 1965, majoring in Electrical Engineering. We can only speculate that his increasing religious devotion may have been an outward manifestation of an internal struggle against sexual temptation.[61]. To download this photo, the file name must have less than 255 characters. So, therefore, I believe in our active employment in a future life, and I like the thought. A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. [65] Another "scuttler" later recalled: "He made me feel, first of all, the meaning of the phrase, the Goodness of God. We are very sorry to hear about George, It seems we never seem to get together until we have a reason like this. ", "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. Gordon, seeing that the Abyssinian difficulty could wait, proceeded to Khartoum. [199] The Pall Mall Gazette, in a front page leader, wrote that Gordon stood "out in clear relief against the Eastern sky. [103] A major problem for Gordon was malaria, which decimated his men, and led him to issue the following order: "Never let the mosquito curtain out of your sight, it is more valuable than your revolver". Finally, after much prompting on Stead's part, Gordon opened up and attacked Gladstone's Sudan policy, coming out for an intervention to defeat the Mahdi. [43] Under fire from the Taiping forces, Gordon's men chopped up the wooden stakes the Taipings had placed in the canal, thereby allowing Gordon to outflank the main Taiping defence line and to enter the main canal connecting Quinsan to Suzhou. [12], The American historian Byron Farwell strongly implied in his 1985 book Eminent Victorian Soldiers that Gordon was a homosexual, for instance writing of Gordon's "unwholesome" interest in the boys he took in to live with him at the Fort House, and his fondness for the company of "handsome" young men. We will strive to make you proud, and continue the Gordon legacy of faith you began. He was warm, steadfast, and peaceable. [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. [149], Being unemployed, Gordon decided to go to Palestine, which at the time was part of the Ottoman vilayet of Syria,[150] a region he had long desired to visit, where he would remain for a year (188283). [38] Moreover, Burgevine made little effort to hide his racism, and his relations with the Chinese were very difficult at the best of times. Add a Memory. [46] One British officer serving with the Ever Victorious Army described Gordon at this time as: "a light-built, wiry, middle-sized man, of about thirty two years of age, in the undress uniform of the Royal Engineers. [7], As a cadet, Gordon displayed exceptional talents at map-making and in designing fortifications, which led to his career choice of the Royal Engineers or "sappers" in the Army. George Gordons School of Law The prince keeps a great state and I was introduced to him with much ceremony. Gord was a fun-loving Uncle to five nephews and one . [104], Besides acting as an administrator and explorer, Gordon had to act as a diplomat, dealing carefully with Muteesa I, the Kabaka (king) of the Buganda, who ruled most of what is today southern Uganda, a man who did not welcome the Egyptian expansion into the Great Lakes region. [152] After his visit, Gordon suggested in his book Reflections in Palestine[153] a different location for Golgotha, the site of Christ's crucifixion. Gordon was a valued member of the West Michigan community and made a tremendous impact on Grand Valley. [206], A particular aspect of Gordon's personality that stood out was his death wish, as everyone who knew him was convinced that he wanted to die. It is with heavy hearts the family of Don Bowen announce his passing at the Northumberland Hills Hospital Thursday, March 2, 2023, at the age of 79. The Foreign Secretary, Lord Grenville, wondered if they had just committed a "gigantic folly". [216], In the hours following Gordon's death, an estimated 10,000 civilians and members of the garrison were killed in Khartoum. [40] Gordon's bravery in battle, his string of victories, apparent immunity to bullets and his intense, blazing blue eyes led many Chinese to believe that Gordon had supernatural powers and had harnessed the Qi (the mystical life-force traditionally believed in China to govern everything) in some extraordinary way. [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". [179] The hero-worshiping Powers wrote about Gordon: "He is indeed I believe the greatest man of this century". After his conversation with Baring, Churchill wrote: "Of course there is no doubt that Gordon as a political figure was absolutely hopeless. Sir Gordon Downey, who has died aged 93, leaves a substantial legacy of parliamentary and government scrutiny. [4], In 1843, Gordon was devastated when his favourite sibling, his sister Emily, died of tuberculosis, writing years later, "humanly speaking it changed my life, it was never the same since". Proceeding him in death was his legal partner and beloved step-son Dirk DeJong and the family's special friend U.S Representive Helen Chenowith. I am grieved, with hope, by the sudden passing of George. Always joyful [40], The mercenaries of the Ever Victorious Army, comprising some of the worst social elements of Chinese society, were notorious for their practice, whenever they marched into a new district, of stealing everything while raping all of the women, leading Gordon to impose harsh discipline, with those soldiers accused of looting or rape being summarily shot. He was kind and caring person and we are blessed to have known him. [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. May the words of Psalm 46 bring a sense of peace and hope to all of his family in this season of loss. 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. He doesn't want money!". 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. In Khartoum, Gordon attended a dinner with the Governor-General, Ismail Aiyub Pasha, entertained with barely dressed belly dancers whom one of Gordon's officers drunkenly attempted to have sex with, leading to a disgusted Gordon walking out, saying he was shocked that Aiyub allowed these things to happen in his palace. [120], Gordon returned south and proceeded to Harrar, south of Abyssinia, and, finding the administration in poor standing, dismissed the governor. It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Gordon Richard George, loving husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather. May the happy memories give George's family peace and comfort during this challenging time. Share. [131] These religious beliefs mirrored differing aspects of Gordon's personality as he believed that he could choose his own fate through the force of his personality and a fatalistic streak often ending his letters with D.V (Deo volente Latin for "God willing", i.e. He is fondly remembered for his flair for fun and excitement, witty sarcasm, and incredible passion for his work. 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. [95], The Egyptian authorities had been extending their control southwards since the 1820s. George was such a great guy. [88] The languages of Khedive's court were Turkish and French, not Arabic. [37] Given Burgevine's alcoholism, open corruption, and tendency to engage in acts of mindless violence when drunk, the Chinese wanted "a man of good temper, of clean hands, and a steady economist" as his replacement. [195] Wolseley was a bureaucratic general whose talents lay in administrative work, and as a field commander, Wolseley was slow, methodical, and cautious, making him, in the opinion of Urban, supremely unqualified to lead the relief expedition as he found one excuse after another to proceed up the Nile at a sluggish pace. Following the destruction of Hicks's army, the Liberal Prime Minister, William Ewart Gladstone, decided that the Sudan was not worth the trouble it would take to keep, and that the region should be abandoned to the Mahdi. When your purchase is complete, a post will be made on the tribute wall of the deceased signifying the planting of a memorial tree. The employees sent by the Moldovan government to take over the ceded territory have been receiving bribes and trafficking in the most disgraceful manner. Gordon never married and is not known to have had a sexual or romantic relationship with anyone. [253], Strachey, a member of the Bloomsbury Group of intellectuals, depicted Gordon as a ludicrous figure, a bad-tempered, deranged egomaniac with a nasty habit of knocking out Arabs whenever he was unhappy, and who led himself into disaster. [86] In 1873, Gordon received a definite offer from the Khedive, which he accepted with the consent of the British government, and proceeded to Egypt early in 1874. Those wishing to make a donation in memory of George are asked to consider Compassion Canada. [178] Additionally, Gordon had guns and armoured plating attached to the paddle wheel streamers stationed at Khartoum to create his own private riverine navy that served as an effective force against the Ansar. 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. [147] Gordon saw his work in building forts to protect Mauritius from a possible Russian naval attack as pointless, and his main achievement during his time there was to advise the Crown to turn the Seychelles islands, whose beauty had greatly moved Gordon, into a new crown colony as Gordon argued it was impossible to govern the Seychelles from Port Louis. Critics inverted his acronym, "G.O.M." 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". He was first and foremost a passionate follower of Jesus Christ and lived his life in humble but firm faith, pressing on towards the upward call he felt from a young age. [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". "[26], Afterwards, Gordon was sent to delineate the frontier between Ottoman Armenia and Russian Armenia, the highlight of which was tobogganing down Mount Ararat. Second only to his faith, was the great joy George found in his family. [201], On 5 January 1885, the Ansar took the fort at Omdurman, which allowed them to use their Krupp artillery to bring down enfilading fire on the defences of Khartoum. 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". [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. Very sorry for your family loss. [43] Gordon wrote: "The great thingis to cut off their retreat, and the chances are they will go without trouble; but attack them in the front, and leave their rear open, and they fight most desperately". Gordon passed away peacefully Monday, October 31 at theglorious age of 91, at Good Samaritan Prairie Ridge in Raymond. The best evidence suggests that Gordon went out to confront the enemy, gunned down several of the Ansar with his revolver and, after running out of bullets, drew his sword only to be shot down. [202], The note read "Khartoum all right. [59], On 2 March 1880, on his way from London to Switzerland, Gordon had visited King Leopold II of Belgium in Brussels and was invited to take charge of the Congo Free State. Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. He will be much missed at work. Due to seasonal conditions, the tree planting takes place during the spring and summer. [209] As dawn broke on the morning of 26 January 1885, the Ansar regiments, led by their riflemen and followed by their spearmen, marched out of their camps under their black banners. [96] The peoples of Equatoria had traditionally worshipped spirits present in nature, but were steadily being converted to Christianity by missionaries from Europe and the United States, which further encouraged Gordon in his efforts as governor of Equatoria, who notwithstanding his position working for the Egyptian government, saw himself as doing God's work in Equatoria. [39] Li was impressed with Gordon, writing: It is a direct blessing from Heaven, the coming of this British Gordon. [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. [117] Gordon disliked Baring, writing he had "a pretentious, grand, patronizing way around him. I wish there was anything I could do to help take away some of your pain. Condolences to George's family. [4] For the same services, he was appointed a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour by the Government of France on 16 July 1856. 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. These aims eluded him.[93][114]. [51], A furious Gordon wrote that executing POWs was "stupid", writing, "if faith had been kept, there would have been no more fighting as every town would have given in". 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". [41], In March 1863, Gordon took command of the force at Songjiang, which had received the name of "Ever Victorious Army". 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. [211] The orders were not obeyed. It was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1890 and then erected in Brompton Barracks, Chatham, the home of the Royal School of Military Engineering, where it still stands. Married to the sweetheart of this world - Nancy - a perfect partner. [171] Gordon made a short trip to Brussels to tell King Leopold that he would not be going to the Congo after all, news that enraged the King. [118], Gordon carried no weapons except for his rattan cane (though the bashi-bazouks were armed with rifles and swords), but Gordon showed utterly no fear while his interpreter and the bashi-bazouks were visibly nervous as the rebels numbered about 3,000. [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. From September 1882 onwards, Egypt was a de facto British protectorate effectively ruled by Baring, through in theory, Egypt remained an Ottoman province with a very wide degree of autonomy until 1914. [47] Gordon was thus powerless when the Imperial forces executed all of the Taiping POWs, an act that enraged him. You will receive email notifications when changes are made to the online memorial, including when family and friends post to the Guestbook. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this difficult time. [65] Urban wrote: It is possible that he had sexual feelings for these urchins, but there is no evidence that he ever acted upon them. [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. [60] When the Duke of Cambridge, the Army's commander, visited one of the forts under construction and praised Gordon for his work, he received the reply: "I had nothing to do with it, sir; it was built regardless of my opinion, and, in fact, I entirely disapprove of its arrangement and position". Barbara Hatley (Matt Cudahy), and his twin brother George. [131] Gordon's very strong religious feelings led him to devote much time and money to charity both at home and abroad and he was well-known for sticking Christian tracts onto city walls and to throw them out of a train window. George E. Harrington, 86 of Oswego. George will be missed. He was present during the capture of Peking and at the destruction of the Summer Palace. To slow down the Ansar assaults, Gordon built primitive landmines out of water cans stuffed with dynamite and to confuse the enemy about his numbers, he put up wooden dummies in uniform along the walls of Khartoum facing the Blue Nile. We will remember him forever. [93], Reflecting these realities, Gordon had to undertake much of the administrative work himself, travelling ceaselessly and constantly all over the Sudan via camel in attempts to make the bureaucracy actually obey his orders, something that occurred when he was present, but stopped as soon as he left.

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