John William Gordon
Encyclopedia
Major-General Sir John William Gordon KCB
(1805-8 February 1870) was a British Army
officer and Inspector-General of Engineers
.
He obtained a commission in the Royal Engineers
in 1823 and served in the United Kingdom, North America and Bermuda before the outbreak of the Crimean War
.
Due to casualties during the Siege of Sevastopol, he was temporarily the commanding royal engineer of the army. He was brevetted
three times during the war, from Captain to Colonel, became a Companion of the Order of the Bath and received the nickname "Old Fireworks" for coolness under fire. Later in the Siege he was wounded, being shot in both arms, and returned to the United Kingdom.
After the war he served with the Royal Horse Guards
, commanded the defensive works at Plymouth and briefly commanded engineers in Canada when British involvement with the American Civil War
became a possibility. During this period he was a appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, promoted to Major General and became a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers
. In 1869 he was appointed the Inspector-General of Engineers, the head of the Corps of Royal Engineers. However, in 1870 Gordon committed suicide, attributed to insanity brought on by his wounds from the Crimean War, in Westward Ho!
, Devon
while visiting family.
, he inherited Carfin and Maudslie Castle. From a private school at Bexley he passed into the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, and obtained a commission in the Royal Engineers
on 1 December 1823.
He passed the first twenty years of his service at various stations at home and in North America. On his promotion to captain in July 1845 he was appointed to command the 1st company, royal engineers, which he took shortly afterwards to Bermuda
; he remained there six years.
he was at once sent to the East, was present at the battles of Alma
and Inkerman
, and was director of the right attack during the early days of the siege. A month after the siege commenced, owing to several casualties, Gordon found himself commanding royal engineer of the army, and held the position until the arrival of Sir Harry Jones
. The loss of officers increased the strain upon the survivors, and Gordon's energy and physical training were severely tried. During one bombardment he never slept nor sat down to a meal for the greater part of three days.
Gordon became achieved fame during the war and was called "Gordon of Gordon's battery" in English newspapers. He was very popular among the naval brigade, and was always welcome in their lines. Due to his coolness under enemy fire, which he may have attracted due to his height, and his disdain to hide from it, the sailors called him "Old Fireworks" throughout the siege.
During the Siege of Sevastopol, while directing siege operations during a sortie on 22 March 1855, Gordon was severely wounded when a ball passed through both arms. Although he soon returned to duty and commanded the royal engineers in the Kerch
expedition, he had eventually to be invalided before the fall of Sevastopol
.
He obtained a brevet
majority on 12 December 1854, a brevet lieutenant-colonelcy 24 April 1855, and a brevet colonelcy 29 June 1855. He was also made a C.B.
and aide-de-camp to the queen.
, a position which he held for five years. While at the Horse Guards he was elected a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers
. Gordon's next appointment was commanding royal engineer of the southern district, where the works for the defence of Portsmouth
had recently been commenced. His command at Portsmouth was broken temporarily by a call to Canada
to command the engineers on occasion of the Trent affair
at the end of 1861. While at Portsmouth he was made a K.C.B.
. Soon after leaving that command, on 3 August 1866, he was promoted to major-general. On 1 June 1869 he was selected for the appointment of Inspector-General of Engineers
, the head of the corps of royal engineers. The previous holder of the position, Edward Frome, had been titled "Inspector-General of Engineers and Director of Work" but the positions were split. There was, however, no Director of Work during Gordon's life.
He did not long enjoy the honour of high office. Disease of the brain, caused by increasing irritation of his Crimean wound, set in, and the suffering which finally destroyed his judgment was borne patiently and in silence. Accompanied by his friend Colonel Charles George Gordon
, he was on a visit to his brother-in-law, Colonel Hutchinson, at Westward Ho!
in February 1870, when in a temporary fit of insanity he killed himself on 8 February 1870, aged 65 years. A full-length portrait of him hangs in the headquarter mess of the royal engineers at Chatham.
, "[Gordon] was a man of great height and strength, and careless of danger; his earnest religious convictions governed his whole conduct, though his warmth of feeling was hidden under a cold exterior."
Regarding his earlier posting in Bermuda, Vetch also adds, "his name was remembered in the islands long after his departure, not only for his athletic feats, but for a liberality to the poor which continued for many years after he had left the place."
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(1805-8 February 1870) was a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer and Inspector-General of Engineers
Chief Royal Engineer
The Chief Royal Engineer is the official head of the Corps of Royal Engineers. He was also the professional head of the Corps until 1941, when that role was moved to that of the Engineer-in-Chief.-Origin and development:...
.
He obtained a commission in the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
in 1823 and served in the United Kingdom, North America and Bermuda before the outbreak of the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
.
Due to casualties during the Siege of Sevastopol, he was temporarily the commanding royal engineer of the army. He was brevetted
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
three times during the war, from Captain to Colonel, became a Companion of the Order of the Bath and received the nickname "Old Fireworks" for coolness under fire. Later in the Siege he was wounded, being shot in both arms, and returned to the United Kingdom.
After the war he served with the Royal Horse Guards
Royal Horse Guards
The Royal Horse Guards was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry.Founded August 1650 in Newcastle Upon Tyne by Sir Arthur Haselrig on the orders of Oliver Cromwell as the Regiment of Cuirassiers, the regiment became the Earl of Oxford's Regiment during the reign of...
, commanded the defensive works at Plymouth and briefly commanded engineers in Canada when British involvement with the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
became a possibility. During this period he was a appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, promoted to Major General and became a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers
Institution of Civil Engineers
Founded on 2 January 1818, the Institution of Civil Engineers is an independent professional association, based in central London, representing civil engineering. Like its early membership, the majority of its current members are British engineers, but it also has members in more than 150...
. In 1869 he was appointed the Inspector-General of Engineers, the head of the Corps of Royal Engineers. However, in 1870 Gordon committed suicide, attributed to insanity brought on by his wounds from the Crimean War, in Westward Ho!
Westward Ho!
Westward Ho! is a seaside village near Bideford in Devon, England. The A39 road provides access from the towns of Barnstaple, Bideford and Bude...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
while visiting family.
Early life
Gordon was born in 1805, the eldest son of Colonel Thomas Gordon of Harperfield, Lanarkshire, N.B. The estate came to him while still young on his father's death, and through his mother, Miss Nisbet of Carfin, niece of Andrew, last Earl of HyndfordEarl of Hyndford
Earl of Hyndford was a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1701 for John Carmichael, 2nd Lord Carmichael, Secretary of State from 1696 to 1707. He was made Lord Carmichael and Viscount of Inglisberry and Nemphlar at the same time, also in the Peerage of Scotland...
, he inherited Carfin and Maudslie Castle. From a private school at Bexley he passed into the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, and obtained a commission in the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
on 1 December 1823.
He passed the first twenty years of his service at various stations at home and in North America. On his promotion to captain in July 1845 he was appointed to command the 1st company, royal engineers, which he took shortly afterwards to Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
; he remained there six years.
Crimean war
On the outbreak of the Crimean WarCrimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
he was at once sent to the East, was present at the battles of Alma
Battle of Alma
The Battle of the Alma , which is usually considered the first battle of the Crimean War , took place just south of the River Alma in the Crimea. An Anglo-French force under General St...
and Inkerman
Battle of Inkerman
The Battle of Inkerman was fought during the Crimean War on November 5, 1854 between the allied armies of Britain and France against the Imperial Russian Army. The battle broke the will of the Russian Army to defeat the allies in the field, and was followed by the Siege of Sevastopol...
, and was director of the right attack during the early days of the siege. A month after the siege commenced, owing to several casualties, Gordon found himself commanding royal engineer of the army, and held the position until the arrival of Sir Harry Jones
Harry Jones (British Army officer)
General Sir Harry David Jones GCB DCL was a British Army officer who became Governor of the Royal Military College Sandurst.-Military career:...
. The loss of officers increased the strain upon the survivors, and Gordon's energy and physical training were severely tried. During one bombardment he never slept nor sat down to a meal for the greater part of three days.
Gordon became achieved fame during the war and was called "Gordon of Gordon's battery" in English newspapers. He was very popular among the naval brigade, and was always welcome in their lines. Due to his coolness under enemy fire, which he may have attracted due to his height, and his disdain to hide from it, the sailors called him "Old Fireworks" throughout the siege.
During the Siege of Sevastopol, while directing siege operations during a sortie on 22 March 1855, Gordon was severely wounded when a ball passed through both arms. Although he soon returned to duty and commanded the royal engineers in the Kerch
Kerch
Kerch is a city on the Kerch Peninsula of eastern Crimea, an important industrial, transport and tourist centre of Ukraine. Kerch, founded 2600 years ago, is considered as one of the most ancient cities in Ukraine.-Ancient times:...
expedition, he had eventually to be invalided before the fall of Sevastopol
Sevastopol
Sevastopol is a city on rights of administrative division of Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451 . Sevastopol is the second largest port in Ukraine, after the Port of Odessa....
.
He obtained a brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
majority on 12 December 1854, a brevet lieutenant-colonelcy 24 April 1855, and a brevet colonelcy 29 June 1855. He was also made a C.B.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
and aide-de-camp to the queen.
Later life
In 1856 he was appointed deputy adjutant-general at the Royal Horse GuardsRoyal Horse Guards
The Royal Horse Guards was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry.Founded August 1650 in Newcastle Upon Tyne by Sir Arthur Haselrig on the orders of Oliver Cromwell as the Regiment of Cuirassiers, the regiment became the Earl of Oxford's Regiment during the reign of...
, a position which he held for five years. While at the Horse Guards he was elected a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers
Institution of Civil Engineers
Founded on 2 January 1818, the Institution of Civil Engineers is an independent professional association, based in central London, representing civil engineering. Like its early membership, the majority of its current members are British engineers, but it also has members in more than 150...
. Gordon's next appointment was commanding royal engineer of the southern district, where the works for the defence of Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
had recently been commenced. His command at Portsmouth was broken temporarily by a call to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to command the engineers on occasion of the Trent affair
Trent affair
The Trent Affair, also known as the Mason and Slidell Affair, was an international diplomatic incident that occurred during the American Civil War...
at the end of 1861. While at Portsmouth he was made a K.C.B.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
. Soon after leaving that command, on 3 August 1866, he was promoted to major-general. On 1 June 1869 he was selected for the appointment of Inspector-General of Engineers
Chief Royal Engineer
The Chief Royal Engineer is the official head of the Corps of Royal Engineers. He was also the professional head of the Corps until 1941, when that role was moved to that of the Engineer-in-Chief.-Origin and development:...
, the head of the corps of royal engineers. The previous holder of the position, Edward Frome, had been titled "Inspector-General of Engineers and Director of Work" but the positions were split. There was, however, no Director of Work during Gordon's life.
He did not long enjoy the honour of high office. Disease of the brain, caused by increasing irritation of his Crimean wound, set in, and the suffering which finally destroyed his judgment was borne patiently and in silence. Accompanied by his friend Colonel Charles George Gordon
Charles George Gordon
Major-General Charles George Gordon, CB , known as "Chinese" Gordon, Gordon Pasha, and Gordon of Khartoum, was a British army officer and administrator....
, he was on a visit to his brother-in-law, Colonel Hutchinson, at Westward Ho!
Westward Ho!
Westward Ho! is a seaside village near Bideford in Devon, England. The A39 road provides access from the towns of Barnstaple, Bideford and Bude...
in February 1870, when in a temporary fit of insanity he killed himself on 8 February 1870, aged 65 years. A full-length portrait of him hangs in the headquarter mess of the royal engineers at Chatham.
Character
According to Robert Hamilton Vetch, writing in the Dictionary of National BiographyDictionary of National Biography
The Dictionary of National Biography is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published from 1885...
, "[Gordon] was a man of great height and strength, and careless of danger; his earnest religious convictions governed his whole conduct, though his warmth of feeling was hidden under a cold exterior."
Regarding his earlier posting in Bermuda, Vetch also adds, "his name was remembered in the islands long after his departure, not only for his athletic feats, but for a liberality to the poor which continued for many years after he had left the place."