The Chronicles of a Gay Gordon

BRIGADIER-GENERAL J. M. GORDON, C.B. _Frontispiece_ WARDHOUSE, ABERDEENSHIRE 10 KILDRUMMY CASTLE, ABERDEENSHIRE 10 ALFONSO XII. 34 THE PRINCE IMPERIAL 34 DON CARLOS 50 "TURF TIS...

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 hi...

The journey from Jerez 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 sist...

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 str...

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...

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 succ...

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...

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 man...

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...

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 so...

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, who...

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 Th...

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 t...

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 eas...

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 M...

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...

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...

men on the horse had passed him on the road about a couple of miles before reaching the camp. It was a moonlight night, and he had noticed they were pretty drunk, hardly being a...

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...

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...

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 Aus...

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 attrac...

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 h...

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 ex...

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 a...

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...

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 wor...

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...

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 pro...

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 t...

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...

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 t...

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...

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 o...

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 fra...

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 th...

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 b...