The Chronicles Of A Gay Gordon - free ebook by J. M. (Joseph Maria) Gordon

Part I

Wardhouse, Aberdeenshire Kildrummy Castle, Aberdeenshire...

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MY SCOTS-SPANISH ORIGIN

At a period in the history of Scotland, we find that a law was passed under the provisions of which every landowner who was a Catholic had either to renounce his adherence to his Church or to forfeit his landed property to the Crown. This was a severe blow to Scotsmen, and history tells that practically every Catholic laird preferred not to have his property confiscated, with the natural result that he ceased—at any rate publicly—to take part in the outward forms of the Catholic religion. Church

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MY SCHOOLING

The journey from Jeréz to Scotland must have been full of interest and excitement for my father. Our party numbered about thirty of all ages, down to a couple of babies, my sister’s children. My father found it more practicable to arrange for what was then called a family train to take us through Spain and France. We travelled during the day and got shunted at night. Sometimes we slept in the carriages; other times at hotels. In either case, as a rule, there were frequent and—for a time—hard-fou

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A FRONTIER INCIDENT

I was finishing my second term at Woolwich and the Christmas holidays were close at hand. I had, during the term, been closely following the fortunes of Don Carlos and his army in the northern provinces of Spain. Year after year he had been getting a stronger and stronger hold, and the weakness of the Republican Governments in Madrid had assisted him very materially. There was no one—had been no one—for some years to lead the then so-called Government troops to any military advantage in the fiel

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FIRST WAR EXPERIENCE

I arrived at the headquarters of the Carlist Army, the stronghold of Estella, about the middle of January, 1875. Estella had been the seat of Government of the first Don Carlos in the earlier war. On December 31, 1874, young Alfonso had been proclaimed King of Spain. His accession to the throne had taken place earlier than the Civil Government, then in power in Madrid, had intended. Its members were Royalists, and were preparing the way for the restoration of Alfonso to the throne, but were not

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MY MEETINGS WITH KING ALFONSO

While the exiled Prince Imperial was at the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich another exiled Royal Prince, in the person of Alfonso XII, father of the present King and the successful claimant in the great Carlist struggle, who came to his own in 1875, was undergoing training in the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. I came to know him intimately during his stay in England owing to the fact that the Count of Mirasol, whose sister married my eldest brother, was his tutor and factotum. I well reme

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WITH DON CARLOS AGAIN

When I left Don Carlos in Spain after my visit to his Army I little thought that we were again to come into close touch and I was to spend much time with him and my cousin, Pepe Ponce de Leon, his A.D.C. It was a few days after I had received my commission and I was enjoying my leave previous to joining up at Woolwich in April (1876), when (I think it was the morning of March 8) I received a telegram from the War Office asking me to call there as soon as possible. As, for the next four or five m

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MY FIRST ENGAGEMENT

I had been in Paris about three weeks when it came to the mind of Don Carlos that he could arrange an excellent marriage for me. Any of my readers who know how marriages are managed in France and Spain could not be surprised that his liking for me personally prompted this kind thought. Without my knowledge, but with the aid of my cousin’s wife and other feminine confederates, he had selected a charming girl, some seventeen years of age, the only daughter of a rich financier, scion of an old Fren

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SOLDIERING IN IRELAND

On obtaining his commission a young officer was ordered to report himself at the Royal Artillery Barracks at Woolwich, to undergo six months’ further training in his regimental duties and in practical work at the Arsenal, with occasional visits to the School of Gunnery at Shoeburyness. It was a happy six months if he managed to keep out of trouble, for there were many temptations to overcome. Straight away from the strict discipline of the “Shop,” the young officer found himself—or at least cons

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UNRULY TIMES IN IRELAND

Affairs in Ireland have always been a source of wonderment to me. Ever since the days I spent there, right through to the present time, the doings—at one time or another—of some of the inhabitants of Ireland have puzzled most people. All the talent of all the Prime Ministers and Members of Parliament, within these forty years, has been unable to ensure for Ireland such political and economic conditions as would have made it the happy country which it ought to be. When I was there in 1877-1878 th

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SPORT IN IRELAND

Roller-skating had become the fashion in England, and three or four of us became anxious to introduce it into Ireland. We formed a small company and appointed our directors, whose business knowledge was about equal to their knowledge of the art of roller-skating at that moment. However, all went well. The rink was opened at Dublin. A club of the nicest of the nice was formed. The members practised very hard, day after day, and evening after evening, with closed doors, until we became quite artis

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A VOYAGE TO NEW ZEALAND

It was a bright summer’s morning. Somewhere about noon the good clipper, the New Zealand Shipping Company’s Waipa , slipped her cable and was taken in tow down the old River Thames. Her skipper was a good sea salt; he was a Scotsman all right. His name was Gorn. I had been allotted my cabin. I was, of course, unable to move without help, but I did look forward to getting better as the good old ship moved to the south and worked into warmer tropical climes. The days are now past to go to the othe

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A MAORI MEETING

At this time Tauranga itself was a centre of another kind of activity. Exeter Hall had exerted its wonderful influence in attempting to settle all sorts of questions affecting the Empire and the management of Imperial interests in the colonies, the governing of which had already been handed over to the care of those who had so ably developed them. Exeter Hall had influenced the Imperial Government to call upon the New Zealand Government to make monetary compensation to the Maoris for the loss, o

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AN OFFER FROM THE GOVERNOR OF TASMANIA

My life in Tauranga was becoming every day more interesting. Fishing, both fresh water in the Wairoa, and deep sea, was excellent. Any amount of shooting could be got within easy driving distance from the township—red-legged partridges, rabbits, and any number of pheasants; as a matter of fact, these were looked upon by the farmers as vermin, they were so plentiful, and they did much damage to their grain crops. Some eighteen miles away one reached the border of the King Country, the large tract

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I BECOME A NEWSPAPER PROPRIETOR

On arrival in Melbourne I took up my quarters in the old White Hart Hotel at the corner of Bourke Street and Spring Gardens, at that time one of the most comfortable hotels in Melbourne. Situated as it is just opposite the present Federal Houses of Parliament, it is well known indeed by many members both of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The topic of the day was the opening of the Exhibition, and the official representatives of the foreign nations who were taking part had by this t

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A MERCHANT, THEN AN ACTOR

Well, something else had to be done to recover my losses and fill in time. Having the offices on my hands—for I had taken them on a three months’ lease—it struck me that if I became a commission agent, and if I secured something good to sell, I might make some money. So I decided to interview several firms in the exhibition with a view to becoming their agent. My first endeavours met with what I thought was considerable success. They were mostly foreign firms that I approached, as I am a good li

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AS POLICEMAN IN ADELAIDE

On arrival at Adelaide I called on the Governor of South Australia, then Sir William Jervois, the distinguished Engineer officer, who, with General Scratchley in Melbourne, was advising the Australian Colonies with regard to the land defences. As I was shown into the private secretary’s room I was more than surprised to meet his son, Captain John Jervois, who had been a cadet at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, with me. We had a long chat. I told him of my varied experiences, some of which

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Part II

Lord Hopetoun, Marquis of Linlithgow...

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SOLDIERING IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA

On January 2, 1882, I attended the staff office and began my new duties. The general asked me to draw up a short memorandum setting out how best to utilize my time up to the end of the financial year—June 30. My special work was the instruction of the Volunteer Companies and detachments stationed in the country, as apart from the units maintained within the metropolitan area of Adelaide. It is worth while for you to study the map of South Australia. In order to carry out these duties very large

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POLO, HUNTING AND STEEPLECHASING

While busy with my professional duties I found time to amuse myself as well. My friends at the club had put my name up as a member. I was soon elected. You will doubtless smile when I tell you what happened the first time I entered the club as a full member. It had been a very hot day. A visiting team of polo players from the western district of Victoria had battled hard in the afternoon against the Adelaide team. The good game of polo in those days was in its infancy in Australia. A few enthusi

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THE RUSSIAN SCARE AND ITS RESULTS

Sir Frederick Sargood had been appointed Minister of Defence in Victoria. He had evidently been impressed with the success that had attended the experiment made by the South Australian Government when they had decided to ask the Imperial Government to lend them the services of a regular officer to command their local troops. He decided upon a similar course of action, but he went a good deal further than the South Australian Government had done. He was determined to do the thing well, and he did

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THE SOUDAN CONTINGENT

A few months later Mrs. Barr Smith proposed to open the new theatre and ballroom which had been added to Torrens Park. Private theatricals and dances were to be the chief attraction. She wished me to take the leading part in the opening play and coach the others. I knew that I would have to give more time, than I could really spare, to make it a success. Further, there was always the possibility of some untoward event happening which at the last moment might prevent me from taking my part and pr

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A TIME OF RETRENCHMENT

The term of office of General Owen began with the passing of the “Russian scare.” The finances of the colony were for the time being undergoing a period of depression. Economy had to be enforced, and General Owen’s first instructions from the Government were to recommend ways and means of effecting reductions to meet the decrease in the military vote. Major Jervois’s period of service as adjutant-general came to an end about this time, and the Commandant was informed that it was not proposed to

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MY VISION FULFILLED

My voyage homewards on the Valetta was indeed a contrast to the three months spent on the good old clipper, the Waipa , on my way to New Zealand. I had arrived in New Zealand in November, 1879, as you know, with practically nothing before me but a determined and firm resolve to make good somehow, without any assistance except that which I could give myself. Within ten years I was returning home, with a record of service of which I could be proud. Within those ten years I had held the position of

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THE GREAT STRIKES

In 1890 the great maritime strike had its birth in Sydney. The original strikers were the wharf labourers, who paralysed all business. The strike spread rapidly to practically all the chief ports of Australia. The Government at Sydney trusted more to the support of the merchants and producers, whose interests were being so assailed, than to the power that lay in their hands to tackle the strikers by the aid of the military forces. The police, under the able guidance of Mr. Fosberry, then Chief C

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THE INTRODUCTION OF “UNIVERSAL SERVICE,” AND TWO VOYAGES HOME

From the very time that I took over the duties of my first appointment I had thought that a considerable improvement could be made in the organization of the existing forces. I had encouraged the formation of cadet corps, as far as lay in my power, and I had been splendidly supported by the Education Department in my efforts, with the result that, when I assumed the command, the cadet system was a flourishing institution. The success that attended the cadet movement, the support given to it by t

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MILITARY ADVISER TO THE AUSTRALIAN COLONIES IN LONDON

On my arrival in London I found that my wife was not well. As a matter of fact, she was anything but well. I at once removed her and the children to Richmond Hill and set to work at my new duties. I was not prepared for the consternation which my arrival in London caused amongst the Agents-General of the Colonies which I was to represent. Kingston had evidently thought it advisable not to cable, with the result that the official notification arrived by post practically at the same time as myself

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OFF TO THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR

Towards the middle of September, 1899, rumours of war began to spread. Early in October war was declared. At that time a squadron of the New South Wales Lancers, which had been sent home by voluntary subscription, was undergoing a course of training in England under the command of Captain Cox. The officers and men volunteered, and they were the first Australian mounted troops to land in South Africa. I was naturally very anxious to go out myself, so I cabled to the Governments of the several col

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WITH LORD ROBERTS IN SOUTH AFRICA

It was on February 25, 1900, that the Surrey anchored in Cape Town Bay. As soon as the usual formalities were completed I was taken off in a special launch, and on landing proceeded to report myself to General Forestier Walker, at the time G.O.C. Lines of Communication. Lord Roberts, who had superseded General Sir Redvers Buller as Commander-in-Chief, was, I think, at that very date hammering Cronje at Paardeberg. On the voyage over in the Surrey I had prepared a scheme to submit to Lord Roberts

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IN COMMAND OF A MOUNTED COLUMN

On the day before he left Bloemfontein Lord Roberts sent for me and asked me how many of the Overseas Brigade had been unable to march out of Bloemfontein. I informed him that taking into account the sick and convalescent, two or three units which had only just arrived, and some for whom I was awaiting delivery of horses from the Remount Depôt, in all somewhere between seven and eight hundred men. He also asked me to ascertain as soon as possible how many had been left behind belonging to Genera

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SOME SOUTH AFRICAN REMINISCENCES

I never enjoyed better health than I did during the twelve months when the hard veldt was my bed and the deep, dark, starry night was the roof over my head. No one can wish for a more healthy climate than that of the Orange River Colony during the dry season. I was only twice hit; once near Karree Siding when a pom-pom shell burst just under my horse and took off the heel of one of my boots; the second time a sniper’s bullet went through my coat sleeve without touching me. But I was unfortunate

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ORGANIZING THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

On my arrival at Adelaide I at last resumed my duties as Commandant after three and a half years’ absence. The Government of South Australia did me the honour to promote me to the rank of brigadier-general, and the Governor informed me that I had received the Companionship of the Order of the Bath for my services in South Africa. The Act to constitute the Commonwealth of Australia received the Royal assent on June 10, 1900. The provisions that had been considered in framing it had received lengt

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COMMANDANT OF VICTORIA

My wife and I took up our residence in Melbourne, securing a comfortable house not far from “The Grange,” which had been the official home of the Commandant of Melbourne in the earlier days and was then occupied by General Hutton. Four years of steady, solid work followed, during which General Hutton laid the foundations for a sound organization of the future forces of the Commonwealth. Contingents of Federal Troops were raised, trained and dispatched to South Africa. It was a time worth living

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COMMANDANT OF NEW SOUTH WALES

Shortly after I took up the command in New South Wales an incident occurred which gave the first real impetus to the serious consideration and final adoption by the Government of the system of universal service as proposed by me eleven years before when Commandant in Adelaide. I had arranged to read a paper to my officers in New South Wales. Owing to the fact that our own military institute was not sufficiently large to accommodate them we had made arrangements to hire one of the big public hall

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LORD KITCHENER’S VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

Shortly after the initiation of the Universal Service system, the Government was met with the difficulty of providing the necessarily increasing cost. On the estimates being framed for the ensuing year it was found that the expenditure was somewhat heavier than had been anticipated. The Government had followed my advice so far and were quite prepared to urge Parliament to find the money, but they considered it would be most desirable to get the highest military opinion procurable to support them

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MANŒUVRE AND TACTICAL EXERCISE

1st Light Horse Brigade General Idea A Northern Force (Brown), consisting of one L.H. Brigade, covering the detrainment of Troops at PARRAMATTA, reach LIVERPOOL at 10 P.M. on the night of the 5th January. A Southern Hostile Force (White) of all arms is reported to have occupied APPIN. Special Idea (Reference-map of Liverpool Manœuvre Area) During the night of 5th-6th January, the O.C. Brown L.H. Brigade received order to march at 9 A.M. on the 6th January by the right bank of the GEORGE’S RIVER

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MANŒUVRE AND TACTICAL EXERCISE

1st Infantry Brigade General Idea (Reference Map—1/2 in. Map, County of Cumberland) A force (Brown) consisting of one Infantry Brigade, covering the approaches to PARRAMATTA from the South, is camped at LIVERPOOL. A hostile force (White) of all arms is known to be at HELENSBURGH. During the night of the 6th-7th January, reliable information was received that the White force had advanced along the OLD ILLAWARRA ROAD, and was bivouacked at DARK’S FOREST. Special Idea (Reference Map.—Map of Liverpo

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THE AMERICAN NAVAL VISIT

The next big event of importance after Lord Kitchener’s tour of inspection was the arrival of the American Fleet. Whether the visit of this fleet, which comprised practically the full strength of the American Navy, had any connexion with the visit of the Japanese Fleet which I have already told you about, I do not know. Was it by way of a demonstration in force in the waters of the Pacific in answer to the display made by the Japanese? Had it a political aspect in other ways? Or was it purely a

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CHIEF OF THE GENERAL STAFF

When General Hoad, my predecessor as Chief of the General Staff, fell ill, the Government decided to grant him six months’ leave of absence on full pay, and his duties were to be carried out temporarily by Major Wilson, R.F.A., p.s.c. , who was the only qualified staff officer at the time attached to the Headquarters Staff of the Commonwealth Forces. During these six months Major Wilson had an exceedingly difficult task. It is needless to say that all he was able to do was to carry on ordinary r

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