I am the successor of God's Prophet and I have no need of any sultanate of Kordofan or anywhere else! Dirk was an avid photographer and winner of awards, and a law school instructor working right up to the time of his death. [94] John Russell, the son of the famous war correspondent William Howard Russell, was another European recruited to serve on Gordon's staff. [37], Gordon then made a rapprochement with Li and visited him in order to arrange for further operations. Cremation has taken place. I am coming. Love, He also rented a small house in East Terrace for working boys to be taught for free. George was a 1957 graduate of Findlay High School. Ward was killed in the Battle of Cixi and his successor H. A. Burgevine, an American, was disliked by the Imperial Chinese authorities. In 1878, Gordon fired the governor of Equatoria for corruption and replaced him with his former chief medical officer from his time in Equatoria, Dr. Emin Pasha, who had earned Gordon's respect. Second only to his faith, was the great joy George found in his family. He was always professional, approachable, kind, helpful and had an easy smile. Note: These are general guidelines; some florists may not be able to operate within these timelines. [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. [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. When he woke up again that afternoon, he found Gordon's body covered with flies and the head cut off. [30] In 1860, Gordon volunteered to serve in China, in the Second Opium War. Gordon despite or rather, because of his war hero status disliked publicity and tried to avoid the press when he was in Britain. He was warm, steadfast, and peaceable. 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 . The system remained the same creaking slow, utterly corrupt, and oppressive apparatus trampling down ordinary people that it had always been. Taught by his father to love the sea and all things nautical, George was a boater through and through. Gordon was nostalgic for China, and knowing of the Sino-Russian crisis, he saw a chance to do something significant. [17], On 18 June 1855, the besieging British and French armies began what was intended to be the final assault that would take Sevastopol, which began with a huge bombardment. Sign the Guest Book. Gordon accepted the offer, but shortly after arriving in India, he resigned. He is greatly missed by all who were touched by his intellectual kindness. [41], In March 1863, Gordon took command of the force at Songjiang, which had received the name of "Ever Victorious Army". It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Gordon Richard George, loving husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather. [146], In a memo to London, Gordon warned against over-reliance on the Suez Canal, where the Russians could easily sink one ship to block the entire canal, thus leading Gordon to advise upon improving the Cape route to India with Britain developing a series of bases in Africa and in the Indian Ocean. JAMIE WYBLE OBITUARY. [195], On 4 September 1884, Gordon's fortunes took a turn for the worse when the most able of his subordinates, Mohammed Aly, together with about 1,000 of Gordon's best troops, were killed in an ambush while conducting a raid. [203], In 1982, a documentary on Gordon's life was written and presented by the actor and historian Robert Hardy, entitled "Gordon of Khartoum". Dearly. [213], A merchant, Bordeini Bey, glimpsed Gordon standing on the palace steps in a white uniform looking into the darkness. At Cairo, he received further instructions from Sir Evelyn Baring, and was appointed Governor-General with executive powers by the Khedive Tewfik Pasha, who also gave Gordon an edict ordering him to establish a government in the Sudan. The soldiers of the Egyptian Army were falln (peasant) conscripts who were both ill-paid and ill-trained. When oil mixes with water, we will mix together". [40] Gordon designed the uniform for the Ever Victorious Army, which consisted of black boots together with turbans, jackets, and trousers that were all green, while his personal bodyguard of 300 men wore blue uniforms. [115], In 1876, Egypt went bankrupt. George GORDON Obituary (2017) - The New Zealand Herald - Legacy.com He was a devoted husband and a loving, tender, and selfless man who made many friends during his lifetime. (151 W George St, Batesville, IN 47006). 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. [101] Gordon also clashed with Chaill-Long, whom he accused of working as an informant for Aiyub Pasha and called him to his face a "regular failure". So shocked and saddened to hear of George's passing. Gladstone himself took Gordon's attacks on his Sudan policy very personally. Jackie (Meisner) Reinke, 78, died unexpectedly at home on Jan. 27, 2022. 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. Amanda. Tribute will contact you if there are any issues. "[204] On 14 December 1884, Gordon wrote the last entry in his diary, which read: "Now MARK THIS, if the Expeditionary Force and I ask for no more than two hundred men, does not come in ten days, the town may fall; and I have done my best for the honour of our country. George Folk Obituary (1938 - 2023) - Findlay, OH - The Courier [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. [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. [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. [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. George was such a great guy. As Gordon travelled via Egypt to take the streamer back to Britain, a man who met him in Cairo described Gordon as a broken man who was "rather off his head". Bitterly, Gordon wrote in his diary: "It is impossible to have any more words with Mohammed Achmed, only lead. [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. The site lies north of the traditional site at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and is now known as "The Garden Tomb", or sometimes as "Gordon's Calvary". He entered the service of the Khedive of Egypt in 1873 (with British government approval) and later became the Governor-General of the Sudan, where he did much to suppress revolts and the local slave trade. I fear that there will be treachery in the garrison, and all will be over by Christmas. Im grateful to What this almost certainly meant was that Gordon had unresolved homosexual inclinations which, like Kitchener, but unlike Rhodes, he kept savagely repressed. 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. [102] Faught argued that since no one else who knew Gordon in Equatoria described him in these terms, and given that Gordon's accusation that Chaill-Long was a spy for Aiyub Pasha seems to be justified, that Chaill-Long was engaging in character assassination as an act of revenge. [42], Gordon's task was made easier by innovative military ideas Ward had implemented in the Ever Victorious Army. In the hotel's restaurant, now a pub called Happy Days, he met another guest from Britain, the reverend R. H. Barnes, vicar of Heavitree near Exeter, who became a good friend. In defiance of those instructions, after evacuating about 2,500 civilians he retained a smaller group of soldiers and non-military men. 2023 Christensen Salmon Generations Funeral Home. In him I found a dedicated and consummate professional who was unafraid to get his hands dirty and get the job done. [106], Moreover, considerable progress was made in the suppression of the slave trade. Sympathy Ideas. [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. [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. The B.C. He was 96. [183], Gordon decided to stay and hold Khartoum despite the orders of the Gladstone government to merely report about the best means of supervising the evacuation of the Sudan. 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. The best supporter & best trusted in a crisis. I also had the honour of working with George for many years and I will miss seeing his smile. George J Gordon III (Trey) of Azle, TX passed away May 1, 2022. [48] Gordon also had the pleasure of defeating Burgevine (whom Gordon detested), who had raised a mercenary force and joined the Taipings. [228], News of Gordon's death caused an outpouring of public grief across Britain. To download this photo, the file name must have less than 255 characters. Sending you my love. George E. Harrington, 86 of Oswego. George was a wise, strong, hardworking, and unfailingly kind man. A serious revolt then broke out in the Sudan, led by a Muslim religious leader and self-proclaimed Mahdi, Muhammad Ahmad. May peace be with the entire Gordon Family during this sorrowful time. [51] In China, the penalty for rebellion was death. [65] Another "scuttler" later recalled: "He made me feel, first of all, the meaning of the phrase, the Goodness of God. He was predeceased by : his parents, Charles Ross and Sara Tabener Ross; his siblings, William Ross, Charles Ross and Betsy Ross Meyer; and his siblings-in-law, Delleney Ruff and Melinda Ruff. [69], King Leopold II then asked Gordon again to take charge of the Congo Free State. in memory of Gordon Richard George, please visit our floral store. Mr. Pinsent, who was long famous in Canada, but who did not gain wider international recognition until one of his final performances, in the 2006 film "Away From Her," died on Feb. 25 in . George Gordon Obituary Obituary. Those wishing to make a donation in memory of George are asked to consider Compassion Canada. [164], Stead published his interview on 9 January 1884, on the front page of the Pall Mall Gazette alongside an editorial of his titled, "Chinese Gordon for the Sudan". 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. [165], Stead's interview caused a media sensation and led to a popular clamour for Gordon to be sent to the Sudan. George, an original California cowboy, attributed his work ethics to the years of newspaper delivery in Eureka and ranching on horseback in and around Ferndale. [43] At times, Gordon feared that assaults by the Taiping would take the Hyson, but all the attacks were repulsed. [56] A colleague recalled that Gordon's time at Gravesend was the "most peaceful and happy of his life", but Gordon was often bored, and constantly asked the War Office for an assignment to somewhere dangerous. Mac Gordon: Governors that might have been. [187] In one of the last letters Gordon had smuggled out, he wrote: "I expect Her Majesty's Government are in a precious rage with me for holding out, and so forcing their hands". [13] Gordon was especially impressed with Philippians 1:21 where St. Paul wrote: "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain", a passage he underlined in his Bible and often quoted. [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. Acton, NH George E. Gordon, 69 of Acton, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully on Sunday, June 26, 2022, after a long period of declining health at Lahey Clinic Medical Center in Burlington,. Gordon was a valued member of the West Michigan community and made a tremendous impact on Grand Valley. If we can not answer leave a message and we will get back to you as In early 1884, Gordon was sent to Khartoum with instructions to secure the evacuation of loyal soldiers and civilians and to depart with them. A second and larger expedition under Prince Hassan was sent the following year and was routed at Gura. Staveley decided to clear the rebels within 30 miles (48km) of Shanghai in co-operation with Ward and a small French force. [187] Even if the relief force had reached him, it is not clear if he would have left Khartoum, as Gordon wrote in his diary: "If any emissary or letter comes up here ordering me to come down I WILL NOT OBEY IT, BUT WILL STAY HERE, AND FALL WITH THE TOWN! The "Ever-Victorious Army" resumed its high tempo advance, leading to the Battle of Changzhou, and culminating in the capture of Changzhou Fu, the principal military base of the Taipings in the region. [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". At the beginning of 1884, Gordon had no interest in the Sudan and had just been hired to work as an officer with the newly-established Congo Free State. [2] All of Gordon's brothers also became Army officers. To plant a tree in memory of George GORDON, please visit. [88] The languages of Khedive's court were Turkish and French, not Arabic. George, Prince George Obituaries - Prince George Citizen [51] Following a dispute with Li over the execution of rebel leaders, Gordon withdrew his force from Suzhou and remained inactive at Kunshan until February 1864. The bashi-bazouks were extremely susceptible to corruption and were notorious for their brutality, especially to non-Muslims. [12], Gordon believed in both predestinationwriting that, "I believe that not a worm is picked up by a bird without the direct intervention of God"and free will with humans choosing their own fate, writing, "I cannot and do not pretend to reconcile the two". [172] Gordon was well-received by a crowd of about 9,000 during his return to Khartoum where the crowd continually chanted, "Father!" George Gordon Obituary [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. Cremation has taken place. The mortal enemy of the morning had become a trusted ally by night". [40], During his time in China, Gordon was well-known and respected by friend and foe alike for leading from the front and going into combat armed only with his rattan cane (Gordon always refused to carry a gun or a sword), a choice of weapon that almost cost him his life several times. He was named for a prominent lawyer and Tammany Hall leader. [192], During this time, Gordon, when he was not organising the besieged garrison with incredible energy, spent his time writing a somewhat rambling diary containing his reflections on the siege, life, fate, and his own intense, idiosyncratic version of Protestantism. 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. [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". Always happy [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. In October 1880, Gordon paid a two-week visit to Ireland, landing at Cork and travelling over much of the island. He claimed that his army service and frequent travels to dangerous places made it impossible for him to marry. He went up to Bogos and wrote to the king proposing terms. To follow George's story, enter your email. 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". 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. 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 George's Life will be celebrated on Thursday, September 8 at 11:00 a.m. Interment of cremated remains at Pond Mills Cemetery. [93] The bribes that the slave traders offered for bureaucrats to turn a blind eye to the slave trade had far more effect on the bureaucrats than did any of Gordon's orders to suppress the slave trade, which were simply ignored. [51], Gordon refused all these gifts and wrote on the Emperor's silk message: "Major Gordon receives the approbation of His Majesty the Emperor with every gratification, but regrets most sincerely that owing to the circumstances which occurred since the capture of Soochow, he is unable to receive any mark of His Majesty the Emperor's recognition". [174] Travelling through Korosko and Berber, he arrived at Khartoum on 18 February, where he offered his earlier foe, the slaver-king Rahama Zobeir, release from prison in exchange for leading troops against Ahmed. I fear I have not even tried to play battledore and shuttlecock with them. [12] Even an observer as sympathetic as Winston Churchill wrote about Gordon: "Mercury uncontrolled by the force of gravity was not on several occasions more unstable than Charles Gordon. [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. 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. After Baker's release from prison, Isma'il hired him to work in the Sudan. [204] On arriving at Khartoum on 28 January, the reconnaissance gunboats found that the city had been captured and Gordon had been killed just two days before, coincidentally, two days before his 52nd birthday. Peace be upon him. Published on December 13, 2020 Plant a Living Memorial We are very sorry to hear about George, It seems we never seem to get together until we have a reason like this. Share Obituary. Obituary. GEORGE FOLK OBITUARY. Jackie and Thomas Reinke | Obituaries | norfolkdailynews.com