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Gordon Charles G. "Chinese"


General Charles "Chinese" Gordon 8pp ALS about a Mysterious Foe


Gordon writes to Mr. Harry Smith, Esq. from Gravesend Oct. 27, 1868.


The letter reads in full, "My dear Mr. Smith, Thank you for your kind letter and its enclosures which I think I shall . . . for the present, though I could not read them again. It is a strange what you say about Sir W. and his regard for me to me. I do not think we ever got on well, for on no subject, do we really agree & he argued with so I have to give in I openly say no real friendship can exist under such circumstances whatever might be eventually developed. Doctor Stevenson often speaks as you do, on another subject, but when I say to him, suppose you were to tell the cat, he says no "I tried & failed", and cannot try again. I would not wish my happiness to be solitary, but when the means of that happiness hope, humbly pointed out, and are rebuffed so very abruptly, discretion, good taste, and above all, kindly feeling desirous not to give offense are not a vital point, makes me silent. I say not a vital, for I believe that most believers are wanting in that item. Happiness in this world under all trial is the proportion of but a few, though I think it might be the portion of all believers. However to go back to Sir W. it is impossible to me to say how much and totally we differ. I will write to him as I do periodically and I have also asked Col. Jervois at W.O. to tell the Duke that I think if he offered him some emply. He would not again refuse which Jervois was very glad to do and wrote me a very nice letter about the same showing he felt he owed Sir W. something for past affairs. Do not mention this!!! I scarcely need say that need I? If he got employed, I must say I should be selfishly glad a little for them I would have quiet. Excuse so much about self. I am glad to say I am better now I am back at Gravesend again. I hope Mrs. Smith is well, I admire the bravery with which she contended with Sir. W. in walking. I had to go to town today on duty, and saw in St. James park some ganders & geese with knobs (bright orange) as big as our friend at Bothwell & as proud & thought of our trip. My friend who was expatiating on something was disgusted at my interest in the noblemen and did not see the propriety of my remarks, they were proclaiming their great truth loudly, and calling for admiration. Kind regards to Mrs. Smith. Yours sincerely, C.G. Gordon."


Lt. Col. William Drummond Jervois R.E Jervois joined the army in 1839, and was educated and commissioned as a Royal Engineer (See combat engineering). After service in South Africa, he became an expert on land-based fortifications of cities against naval attack, and proposed several options for a ring of defenses around London. In 1864-1865, he reviewed fortifications in Canada, submitting what became a politically controversial report that stated that the Great Lakes and Upper Canada were not defensible. Later in his career, he became governor of several colonies-the Straits Settlements (Penang, Singapore and Malacca), South Australia, and then New Zealand.


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