Thomas Gordon (British Army officer)
Encyclopedia
Major-General Thomas Gordon (1788 – 20 April 1841) was a British army officer and historian. He is remembered for his role in the Greek War of Independence
in the 1820s and 1830s and his History of the war published in 1833.
to Charles Gordon of Buthlaw and Cairness in Lonmay, Aberdeenshire
and his wife Christian, née Forbes of Ballogie. He was educated at Eton College
and Brasenose College, Oxford
.
From 1808 to 1810 he served in the Scots Greys
. In May 1810 he left service in the British Army
for travel and on 26 August was well received in Ioannina
by Ali Pasha
, local governor for the Ottoman Empire
. Between 1810 and 1812, his travels included Athens
, Constantinople
, Thessaloniki
as well as parts of Anatolia
, Persia and Barbary.
In 1813, he served as a captain on the staff of the Russian Army
, and in November 1813 was in the army of Count von Walmoden at Pretzer in Mecklenburg
. Early in 1814, he returned to his seat of Cairness House
until 1815 when he went abroad again to Constantinople, where he married Barbara Kana (afterwards Baron
ess de Sedaiges).
in 1821 at the commencement of the Greek War of Independence
. He served through the campaign of 1821 in the Morea
in the Peloponnese
as chef d’état major under Demetrios Ypsilantis. He took part in the siege of Tripolitza. After the capture, he strongly protested against the massacre by the Greeks of several thousand Turks there. On being ignored, he retired for a time from service.
In November 1822, the provisional Greek government at Hermione
sent a letter asking him to return. He declined but joined the Greek committee in London
(formed 8 March 1823) and contributed money and military supplies. He refused the committee’s invitation to go to Greece as one of three commissioners in charge of stores and funds stating that the Greeks were unwilling to submit to European discipline. As a committee member he strongly supported the appointment of George Byron, 6th Baron Byron.
Early in 1824, a Greek deputation raised a loan in London and again unsuccessfully asked Gordon to return. In 1826, renewed representations from Greece and the Greek deputies in London persuaded him to return to promote unity and military discipline. He reached Nafplion
in May 1826 and found that bitter dissentions among the Greeks had quenched even their animosity against the Turks. He was well received and arrived in time to prevent the disbanding of the regular corps.
Towards the end of June, Rumeliots
forced the government to seize $10,000 from Gordon to give to the Suliot Kapetanioi from Epirus
. By the end of 1826, Gordon had spent all the public funds which the Greek deputies in London had entrusted to him.
In 1827, Gordon accepted the command of the expedition to Piraeus
, with the rank of brigadier
, his troops consisting of the corps of Ioannes Notaras, that of Ioannis Makrygiannis
, the regulars, and the foreign volunteers. His aim was to relieve Athens, which was being blockaded. Gordon successfully landed his troops at Faliro
“under the nose of Reshid Pasha
”.
Having found that the Greeks besieged in the Acropolis
were still able to hold out, Gordon wished to resign and only continued on condition of receiving supplies and being “entirely master of his own operations”. He remained in command of the troops at Faliro until the arrival in April of General Richard Church
, who took over the supreme command.
On 16 April 1827, Church appointed Gordon director-general
of the army. He probably continued to serve in this capacity until the Greek defeat of 6 May. Nevertheless continued resistance, the success of the Battle of Navarino
, and the backing of France
, the Russian Empire
and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
enabled the Kingdom of Greece
to emerge with a northern frontier from Arta
to Volos
, but without Crete
or Samos
. In July 1827, Gordon returned to Scotland
.
from 1828 to 1831 with his secretary James Robertson and the historian George Finlay
, he worked on the site of the ruined Heraeum
near Argos
. Archaeological plans also included a proposal to form a joint stock company for the purchase of Epidaurus
. Finlay also suggested that he might be president of the Greek national assembly, but Gordon had no such ambitions.
While at Argos, Gordon collected both written and oral material for a history of the Greek revolution. He also built a magnificent mansion which was modeled on Cairness House
although smaller. He returned to Cairness in 1831 and completed his book in 1833. It was acclaimed for its detail and accuracy.
as the new King of Greece, Gordon returned to Greece in 1833 and was commissioned colonel
in the Hellenic Army
. His campaigns that year included rooting out brigands in Aetolia
and Acarnania
, who were supported by Turks across the border. Gordon spoke the Turkish language
fluently, to the astonishment of local pashas, and this was of considerable value in negotiations. He was also appointed president of the military court set up to try the rebels in the Messenian disturbances.
Due to poor health, Gordon resigned his commission in February 1839 and returned to Cairness, although he made another short visit to Greece in 1840.
, to an illegitimate son called Charles Wilkinson, who later took the surname Gordon. His existence seems to have been a secret from the rest of the family as he had been brought up by a tutor in Elgin
. The inheritance caused much scandal and led to a long period of litigation within the family. Thomas Gordon’s historical library and manuscripts were sold in March 1850, and his antiquities in the following June, although some items remained at Cairness House until 1938, after the last of the Gordons sold the estate.
by the Greeks on his retirement.
He was a member of many learned societies including the Royal Society
(1821), the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
(1828), and the Royal Asiatic Society
(1834), and in Greece the Society for Natural History (1837) and the Archaeological Society (1840).
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between...
in the 1820s and 1830s and his History of the war published in 1833.
Early career
He was born at Cairness HouseCairness House
Cairness House, south of Fraserburgh in the County of Aberdeenshire, is the largest and finest country house in Buchan and one of the great houses of Scotland. It was built between 1791 and 1797 to designs by architect James Playfair and replaced an earlier house of 1781 by Robert Burn, which was...
to Charles Gordon of Buthlaw and Cairness in Lonmay, Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...
and his wife Christian, née Forbes of Ballogie. He was educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Brasenose College, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
.
From 1808 to 1810 he served in the Scots Greys
Scots Greys
The Royal Scots Greys was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1707 until 1971, when they amalgamated with the 3rd Carabiniers to form The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards ....
. In May 1810 he left service in the 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...
for travel and on 26 August was well received in Ioannina
Ioannina
Ioannina , often called Jannena within Greece, is the largest city of Epirus, north-western Greece, with a population of 70,203 . It lies at an elevation of approximately 500 meters above sea level, on the western shore of lake Pamvotis . It is located within the Ioannina municipality, and is the...
by Ali Pasha
Ali Pasha
Ali Pasha of Tepelena or of Yannina, surnamed Aslan, "the Lion", or the "Lion of Yannina", Ali Pashë Tepelena was an Ottoman Albanian ruler of the western part of Rumelia, the Ottoman Empire's European territory which was also called Pashalik of Yanina. His court was in Ioannina...
, local governor for the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. Between 1810 and 1812, his travels included Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
as well as parts of Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
, Persia and Barbary.
In 1813, he served as a captain on the staff of the Russian Army
Military history of Imperial Russia
The Military history of the Russian Empire encompasses the history of armed conflict in which the Empire participated. This history stretches from its creation in 1721 by Peter the Great, until the Russian Revolution , which led to the establishment of the Soviet Union...
, and in November 1813 was in the army of Count von Walmoden at Pretzer in Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern...
. Early in 1814, he returned to his seat of Cairness House
Cairness House
Cairness House, south of Fraserburgh in the County of Aberdeenshire, is the largest and finest country house in Buchan and one of the great houses of Scotland. It was built between 1791 and 1797 to designs by architect James Playfair and replaced an earlier house of 1781 by Robert Burn, which was...
until 1815 when he went abroad again to Constantinople, where he married Barbara Kana (afterwards Baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
ess de Sedaiges).
Military service in Greece during the 1820s
Gordon returned to GreeceGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
in 1821 at the commencement of the Greek War of Independence
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between...
. He served through the campaign of 1821 in the Morea
Morea
The Morea was the name of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. It also referred to a Byzantine province in the region, known as the Despotate of Morea.-Origins of the name:...
in the Peloponnese
Peloponnese
The Peloponnese, Peloponnesos or Peloponnesus , is a large peninsula , located in a region of southern Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth...
as chef d’état major under Demetrios Ypsilantis. He took part in the siege of Tripolitza. After the capture, he strongly protested against the massacre by the Greeks of several thousand Turks there. On being ignored, he retired for a time from service.
In November 1822, the provisional Greek government at Hermione
Hermione
Hermione may refer to:* Hermione , a female given name* Hermione Granger, a main character in the Harry Potter novels and films, seven ships of the Royal Navy...
sent a letter asking him to return. He declined but joined the Greek committee in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(formed 8 March 1823) and contributed money and military supplies. He refused the committee’s invitation to go to Greece as one of three commissioners in charge of stores and funds stating that the Greeks were unwilling to submit to European discipline. As a committee member he strongly supported the appointment of George Byron, 6th Baron Byron.
Early in 1824, a Greek deputation raised a loan in London and again unsuccessfully asked Gordon to return. In 1826, renewed representations from Greece and the Greek deputies in London persuaded him to return to promote unity and military discipline. He reached Nafplion
Nafplion
Nafplio is a seaport town in the Peloponnese in Greece that has expanded up the hillsides near the north end of the Argolic Gulf. The town was the first capital of modern Greece, from the start of the Greek Revolution in 1821 until 1834. Nafplio is now the capital of the peripheral unit of...
in May 1826 and found that bitter dissentions among the Greeks had quenched even their animosity against the Turks. He was well received and arrived in time to prevent the disbanding of the regular corps.
Towards the end of June, Rumeliots
Central Greece
Continental Greece or Central Greece , colloquially known as Roúmeli , is a geographical region of Greece. Its territory is divided into the administrative regions of Central Greece, Attica, and part of West Greece...
forced the government to seize $10,000 from Gordon to give to the Suliot Kapetanioi from Epirus
Epirus (periphery)
Epirus , formally the Epirus Region , is a geographical and administrative region in northwestern Greece. It borders the regions of West Macedonia and Thessaly to the east, West Greece to the south, the Ionian Sea and the Ionian Islands to the west and the country of Albania to the north. The...
. By the end of 1826, Gordon had spent all the public funds which the Greek deputies in London had entrusted to him.
In 1827, Gordon accepted the command of the expedition to Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
, with the rank of brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
, his troops consisting of the corps of Ioannes Notaras, that of Ioannis Makrygiannis
Ioannis Makrygiannis
General Yannis Makriyannis was a Greek merchant, military officer, politician and author, best known today for his Memoirs...
, the regulars, and the foreign volunteers. His aim was to relieve Athens, which was being blockaded. Gordon successfully landed his troops at Faliro
Faliro
Faliro is a seaside suburb 8 km southwest of downtown Athens. There are two communities sharing the name: Palaio and Neo Faliro. Palaio Faliro is a municipality, whereas Neo Faliro is part of the town of Piraeus...
“under the nose of Reshid Pasha
Resid Mehmed Pasha
- Early life :Reşid Mehmed was born in Georgia, the son of a Greek Orthodox priest. As a child, he was captured as a slave by the Turks, and brought to the service of the then Kapudan Pasha Husrev Pasha. His intelligence and ability impressed his master, and secured his rapid rise...
”.
Having found that the Greeks besieged in the Acropolis
Acropolis
Acropolis means "high city" in Greek, literally city on the extremity and is usually translated into English as Citadel . For purposes of defense, early people naturally chose elevated ground to build a new settlement, frequently a hill with precipitous sides...
were still able to hold out, Gordon wished to resign and only continued on condition of receiving supplies and being “entirely master of his own operations”. He remained in command of the troops at Faliro until the arrival in April of General Richard Church
Richard Church
Richard Church may refer to:*Richard Church *Richard Church , nephew of the general, Dean of St Paul's*Richard Church , English poet and man of letters...
, who took over the supreme command.
On 16 April 1827, Church appointed Gordon director-general
Director-general
The term director-general is a title given the highest executive officer within a governmental, statutory, NGO, third sector or not-for-profit institution.-European Union:...
of the army. He probably continued to serve in this capacity until the Greek defeat of 6 May. Nevertheless continued resistance, the success of the Battle of Navarino
Battle of Navarino
The naval Battle of Navarino was fought on 20 October 1827, during the Greek War of Independence in Navarino Bay , on the west coast of the Peloponnese peninsula, in the Ionian Sea. A combined Ottoman and Egyptian armada was destroyed by a combined British, French and Russian naval force...
, and the backing of France
Bourbon Restoration
The Bourbon Restoration is the name given to the period following the successive events of the French Revolution , the end of the First Republic , and then the forcible end of the First French Empire under Napoleon – when a coalition of European powers restored by arms the monarchy to the...
, the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
enabled the Kingdom of Greece
Kingdom of Greece
The Kingdom of Greece was a state established in 1832 in the Convention of London by the Great Powers...
to emerge with a northern frontier from Arta
Arta, Greece
Arta is a city with a rich history in northwestern Greece, capital of the peripheral unit of Arta, which is part of Epirus region. The city was known in ancient times as Ambracia . Arta is famous for its old bridge located over the Arachthos River, situated west of downtown...
to Volos
Volos
Volos is a coastal port city in Thessaly situated midway on the Greek mainland, about 326 km north of Athens and 215 km south of Thessaloniki...
, but without Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
or Samos
Samos Island
Samos is a Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea, south of Chios, north of Patmos and the Dodecanese, and off the coast of Asia Minor, from which it is separated by the -wide Mycale Strait. It is also a separate regional unit of the North Aegean region, and the only municipality of the regional...
. In July 1827, Gordon returned to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Archaeological and historical interests in Greece
Gordon returned to Greece in 1828. While at ArgosArgos
Argos is a city and a former municipality in Argolis, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Argos-Mykines, of which it is a municipal unit. It is 11 kilometres from Nafplion, which was its historic harbour...
from 1828 to 1831 with his secretary James Robertson and the historian George Finlay
George Finlay
George Finlay was a Scottish historian. He was the brother of Kirkman Finlay.Finlay was born at Faversham, Kent, where his Scottish father, Captain John Finlay FRS, an officer in the Royal Engineers, was inspector of government powder mills. His father died in 1802, and his Scottish mother and...
, he worked on the site of the ruined Heraeum
Heraion of Argos
The Heraion of Argos was the temple in the greatest sanctuary in the Argolid, dedicated to Hera, whose epithet "Argive Hera" , is familiar to readers of Homer. Hera herself claims to be the protector of Argos in Iliad IV, 50–52): "The three towns I love best are Argos, Sparta and Mycenae of...
near Argos
Argos
Argos is a city and a former municipality in Argolis, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Argos-Mykines, of which it is a municipal unit. It is 11 kilometres from Nafplion, which was its historic harbour...
. Archaeological plans also included a proposal to form a joint stock company for the purchase of Epidaurus
Epidaurus
Epidaurus was a small city in ancient Greece, at the Saronic Gulf. Two modern towns bear the name Epidavros : Palaia Epidavros and Nea Epidavros. Since 2010 they belong to the new municipality of Epidavros, part of the peripheral unit of Argolis...
. Finlay also suggested that he might be president of the Greek national assembly, but Gordon had no such ambitions.
While at Argos, Gordon collected both written and oral material for a history of the Greek revolution. He also built a magnificent mansion which was modeled on Cairness House
Cairness House
Cairness House, south of Fraserburgh in the County of Aberdeenshire, is the largest and finest country house in Buchan and one of the great houses of Scotland. It was built between 1791 and 1797 to designs by architect James Playfair and replaced an earlier house of 1781 by Robert Burn, which was...
although smaller. He returned to Cairness in 1831 and completed his book in 1833. It was acclaimed for its detail and accuracy.
Last military role in Greece
With the arrival of Prince Otto of WittelsbachOtto of Greece
Otto, Prince of Bavaria, then Othon, King of Greece was made the first modern King of Greece in 1832 under the Convention of London, whereby Greece became a new independent kingdom under the protection of the Great Powers .The second son of the philhellene King Ludwig I of Bavaria, Otto ascended...
as the new King of Greece, Gordon returned to Greece in 1833 and was commissioned colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in the Hellenic Army
Hellenic Army
The Hellenic Army , formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece.The motto of the Hellenic Army is , "Freedom Stems from Valor", from Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War...
. His campaigns that year included rooting out brigands in Aetolia
Aetolia
Aetolia is a mountainous region of Greece on the north coast of the Gulf of Corinth, forming the eastern part of the modern prefecture of Aetolia-Acarnania.-Geography:...
and Acarnania
Acarnania
Acarnania is a region of west-central Greece that lies along the Ionian Sea, west of Aetolia, with the Achelous River for a boundary, and north of the gulf of Calydon, which is the entrance to the Gulf of Corinth. Today it forms the western part of the prefecture of Aetolia-Acarnania. The capital...
, who were supported by Turks across the border. Gordon spoke the Turkish language
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
fluently, to the astonishment of local pashas, and this was of considerable value in negotiations. He was also appointed president of the military court set up to try the rebels in the Messenian disturbances.
Due to poor health, Gordon resigned his commission in February 1839 and returned to Cairness, although he made another short visit to Greece in 1840.
Death and controversy
Gordon died at Cairness and was survived by his wife. He had no issue with her and in his will left most of his estate, including a large landholding in JamaicaJamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, to an illegitimate son called Charles Wilkinson, who later took the surname Gordon. His existence seems to have been a secret from the rest of the family as he had been brought up by a tutor in Elgin
Elgin, Moray
Elgin is a former cathedral city and Royal Burgh in Moray, Scotland. It is the administrative and commercial centre for Moray. The town originated to the south of the River Lossie on the higher ground above the flood plain. Elgin is first documented in the Cartulary of Moray in 1190...
. The inheritance caused much scandal and led to a long period of litigation within the family. Thomas Gordon’s historical library and manuscripts were sold in March 1850, and his antiquities in the following June, although some items remained at Cairness House until 1938, after the last of the Gordons sold the estate.
Honours
Gordon was awarded various honors, including being made Grand Commander of the Order of the RedeemerOrder of the Redeemer
The Order of the Redeemer , also known as the Order of the Savior, is an order of Greece. The Order of the Redeemer is the oldest and highest decoration awarded by the modern Greek state.- History :...
by the Greeks on his retirement.
He was a member of many learned societies including the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
(1821), the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is the senior antiquarian body in Scotland, with its headquarters in the National Museum, Chambers Street, Edinburgh...
(1828), and the Royal Asiatic Society
Royal Asiatic Society
The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland was established, according to its Royal Charter of 11 August 1824, to further "the investigation of subjects connected with and for the encouragement of science, literature and the arts in relation to Asia." From its incorporation the Society...
(1834), and in Greece the Society for Natural History (1837) and the Archaeological Society (1840).