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Militaria and Political Auction
Lot 1297:
Charles G. Gordon
ALS
May 5, 1875
South Sudan
Charles G. Gordon Twice Signed Letter with Hand-drawn Illustrations
Charles G. Gordon Twice Signed Letter with Hand-drawn Illustrations
GORDON, Charles George. Autograph Letter Signed, "C. G. Gordon", dated May 5, 1875, from his post in Bedden, South Sudan. Letter spans six pages on blue stationery consisting of a bifolum sheet and a separate loose sheet, each measuring 8.25" × 10.75".
Numerous hand-drawn illustrations. Partial separation along folds, many of which have tape repair. Chipping to edges; some fading to ink; overall, in good condition.
In this letter written to Sir Samuel Baer, Gordon not only goes into detail regarding the navigability of portions of the Nile River, but provides context on why he chose to serve in Africa on behalf of the Egyptian Khedive. Letter reads, in part, "Yesterday I received your letter 14 Jany 75 and as from one or two letters which I have received, it appears that you think I wish to detract from what you did in those parts; before I give you any
news I will give you such explanation, as will enable you to understand me better than you or those who write to me do at present. When the [?] joined me, it was urged that I
should prevent them writing. This I declined to do and gave them full license to write
what they might think proper either about me..I am thus utterly free of any responsibility of what they may write. With respect to my own opinion which I imagine I have a right
to form on actual facts, I cannot avoid feeling that my action (decidedly unpopular with
many of the Pashas at Cairo) in taking Abou Saoud was imputed to others than myself, and, as I have said before, I think…I have a right to my opinion on this subject. I do not consider that the country between Gondokoro and Fatiko is annexed, inasmuch as to send a letter, upwards of 60 soldiers must go with it… I do not consider Kaba Rega dethroned…Kaba Rega is as strong as ever he was.. Surely I have a right to have these opinions, and if in conversation I should express them, I am not to be held in detracting from your efforts…I do not credit you with cruelty to the natives – it is your own writing that has done so…I am writing to you quite plainly on this matter… I fully appreciate your very great difficulties.. rate myself as having been able to have done more than you did and estimate my value very much below what perhaps my friend’s do. I have no pretension to bring an administrator.. all I try and do is to get a regular communication from Gondokoro…with as little annoyance…as I can avoid. There is enough misery in the world….. Infinitely more agreeable is my military life than this life. Why come here? Well, I thought that sooner or later these lands must be annexed to Egypt. And I thought if I went, I might so soften the yoke… [Henry Morton] Stanley will be down here (it appears) do not credit me, with anything he may write. It will not be just. Do you know Higginbotham wrote a detailed proposal which was read by several at Cairo…" Gordon adds a postscript, "P.S. If you take this letter in bad part, I cannot help it if you take it, as it is written in good part…" Gordon continues on the verso, "P.S. [?] telegraphed to stop two letters I wrote to [?] claiming me of having taken Abou Saoud.
On a separate sheet Gordon writes, "The great difficulty of communicating with the navigable part of the Nile to the South and the unsettled state of the country induces [?] the idea of establishing posts along the river (even though it is [?" and impassable) from [?] to [?] a probability excited of the existence or [?] of the River being navigable along this distance, which probability was confirmed in a journey made to Kerri [?] 20 miles
South of [?] at Bedden the rocks tilt up and rapids are [?] but with the exception of 120 yds, they are predictable[?] and it is more than probable that in the rainy season this portion will be passable. The bit of rivers at Bedden 14 miles south of [?" is this [drawing].
The place where the real obstructions exist is 2 miles north of the [?] then after that say of the soldiers, you took the [?] boat. The river makes an elbow and a ?1 of islands are here below the obstruction, the river is 100 yds wide & has a current of 3.5 miles [?" velocity per hour, the West passages there is one drop at [?], in East passage there are 5 drops at No 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 of [?] no 3 is only a bad one of 6 to 8 ft. in length & drop of 2’6". on the head of the protruding [?] project in the river bed, there is depth of water around these heads & may be by digging a lateral canal, one might get over all these obstructions but it is not a difficulty to make an [?] over land or to swim the boats by [?]. Then above the obstruction you have a [?] for 20 miles, above that it is uncertain, but from your boats one can argue [therefore] the mile is navigable to [?] from Bedden with fall of 3.7 ft in miles it might to be navigable from above Bedden… with fall of 3.5 in miles. At [?] there are r?1 for 7 or 8 miles with fall of 28′ in mile. So that is what, I fear, must be a land journev.
From what Chappendall heard and saw in his journey from [?] towards Lake Albert, 70 miles, he corroborates… the Victorian Nile passes out of the lake as some of it enters it that a ledge isle exists with a channel from Lake & a channel from Majengo.. and he thinks that [if] perhaps you passed through the edge to Majengo there appears no doubt of there being two passages from Lake, probably the ledgy isle is formed by debris held stationary by the meeting of the two currents from Lake & Victoria Nile. Without risk I cannot advance quickly, & do not mean to do so till I have mind my rear. CGG"
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