eminent victorians-第42部分

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Shanghai。　It　was　clear　that　the　Imperial　army　was　incompetent；　

and　the　Shanghai　merchants　determined　to　provide　for　their　own　

safety　as　best　they　could。　They　accordingly　got　together　a　body　

of　troops；　partly　Chinese　and　partly　European；　and　under　European



officers；　to　which　they　entrusted　the　defence　of　the　town。　This　

small　force；　which；　after　a　few　preliminary　successes；　received　

from　the　Chinese　Government　the　title　of　the　'Ever　Victorious　

Army'；　was　able　to　hold　the　rebels　at　bay；　but　it　could　do　no　

more。　



For　two　years　Shanghai　was　in　constant　danger。　The　Taipings；

steadily　

growing　in　power；　were　spreading　destruction　far　and　wide。　The

Ever　

Victorious　Army　was　the　only　force　capable　of　opposing　them；　and

the　

Ever　Victorious　Army　was　defeated　more　often　than　not。　Its　first

European　

leader　had　been　killed；　his　successor　quarrelled　with　the　Chinese



Governor；　Li　Hung　Chang；　and　was　dismissed。　At　last　it　was

determined　to　

ask　the　General　at　the　head　of　the　British　Army　of　Occupation　for

the　loan　

of　an　officer　to　command　the　force。　The　English；　who　had　been　at

first　

inclined　to　favour　the　Taipings；　on　religious　grounds；　were　now　

convinced；　on　practical　grounds；　of　the　necessity　of　suppressing　

them。　It　was　in　these　circumstances　that；　early　in　1863；　the　

command　of　the　Ever　Victorious　Army　was　offered　to　Gordon。　He　

accepted　it；　received　the　title　of　General　from　the　Chinese　

authorities；　and　entered　forthwith　upon　his　new　task。　He　was　just



thirty。



In　eighteen　months；　he　told　Li　Hung　Chang；　the　business　would　be　

finished；　and　he　was　as　good　as　his　word。　The　difficulties　before



him　were　very　great。　A　vast　tract　of　country　was　in　the　

possession　of　the　rebels　an　area；　at　the　lowest　estimate；　of　

14；000　square　miles　with　a　population　of　20；000；000。　For　

centuries　this　low…lying　plain　of　the　Yangtse　delta；　rich　in　silk



and　tea；　fertilised　by　elaborate　irrigation；　and　covered　with　

great　walled　cities；　had　been　one　of　the　most　flourishing　

districts　in　China。　Though　it　was　now　being　rapidly　ruined　by　the



depredations　of　the　Taipings；　its　strategic　strength　was　

obviously　enormous。　Gordon；　however；　with　the　eye　of　a　born　

general；　perceived　that　he　could　convert　the　very　feature　of　the　

country　which；　on　the　face　of　it；　most　favoured　an　army　on　the　

defence　its　complicated　geographical　system　of　interlacing

roads　

and　waterways；　canals；　lakes　and　rivers　into　a　means　of　

offensive　warfare。　The　force　at　his　disposal　was　small；　but　it　

was　mobile。　He　had　a　passion　for　map…making；　and　had　already；　in　

his　leisure　hours；　made　a　careful　survey　of　the　country　round　

Shanghai；　he　was　thus　able　to　execute　a　series　of　manoeuvres　

which　proved　fatal　to　the　enemy。　By　swift　marches　and　counter…

marches；　by　sudden　attacks　and　surprises；　above　all　by　the　

dispatch　of　armed　steamboats　up　the　circuitous　waterways　into　

positions　from　which　they　could　fall　upon　the　enemy　in　reverse；　

he　was　able　gradually　to　force　back　the　rebels；　to　cut　them　off　

piecemeal　in　the　field；　and　to　seize　upon　their　cities。　



But；　brilliant　as　these　operations　were；　Gordon's　military　genius



showed　itself　no　less　unmistakably　in　other　directions。　The　Ever　

Victorious　Army；　recruited　from　the　riff…raff　of　Shanghai；　was　an



ill…disciplined；　ill…organised　body　of　about　three　thousand　men；　

constantly　on　the　verge　of　mutiny；　supporting　itself　on　plunder；　

and；　at　the　slightest　provocation；　melting　into　thin　air。　Gordon；



by　sheer　force　of　character；　established　over　this　incoherent　

mass　of　ruffians　an　extraordinary　ascendancy。　He　drilled　them　

with　rigid　severity；　he　put　them　into　a　uniform；　armed　them　

systematically；　substituted　pay　for　loot；　and　was　even　able；　at　

last；　to　introduce　regulations　of　a　sanitary　kind。　There　were　

some　terrible　scenes；　in　which　the　General；　alone；　faced　the　

whole　furious　army；　and　quelled　scenes　of　rage；　desperation；　

towering　courage；　and　summary　execution。　Eventually　he　attained　

an　almost　magical　prestige。　Walking　at　the　head　of　his　troops　

with　nothing　but　a　light　cane　in　his　hand；　he　seemed　to　pass　

through　every　danger　with　the　scatheless　equanimity　of　a　demi…

god。　The　Taipings　themselves　were　awed　into　a　strange　reverence。　

More　than　once　their　leaders；　in　a　frenzy　of　fear　and　admiration；



ordered　the　sharp…shooters　not　to　take　aim　at　the　advancing　

figure　of　the　faintly　smiling　Englishman。



It　is　significant　that　Gordon　found　it　easier　to　win　battles　and　

to　crush　mutineers　than　to　keep　on　good　terms　with　the　Chinese　

authorities。　He　had　to　act　in　cooperation　with　a　large　native　

force；　and　it　was　only　natural　that　the　general　at　the　head　of　it



should　grow　more　and　more　jealous　and　angry　as　the　Englishman's　

successes　revealed　more　and　more　clearly　his　own　incompetence。　At



first；　indeed；　Gordon　could　rely　upon　the　support　of　the　

Governor。　Li　Flung　Chang's　experience　of　Europeans　had　been　

hitherto　limited　to　low…class　adventurers；　and　Gordon　came　as　a　

revelation。　'It　is　a　direct　blessing　from　Heaven；'　he　noted　in　

his　diary；　'the　coming　of　this　British　Gordon。　。。。　He　is　superior



in　manner　and　bearing　to　any　of　the　foreigners　whom　I　have　come　

into　contact　with；　and　does　not　show　outwardly　that　conceit　which



makes　most　of　them　repugnant　in　my　sight。'　A　few　months　later；　

after　he　had　accompanied　Gordon　on　a　victorious　expedition；　the　

Mandarin's　enthusiasm　burst　forth。　'What　a　sight　for　tired　eyes；'



he　wrote；　'what　an　elixir　for　a　heavy　heart　to　see　this　

splendid　Englishman　fight！　。。。　If　there　is　anything　that　I　admire



nearly　as　much　as　the　superb　scholarship　of　Tseng　Kuofan；　it　is　

the　military　qualities　of　this　fine　officer。　He　is　a　glorious　

fellow！'　In　his　emotion；　Li　Hung　Chang　addressed　Gordon　as　his　

brother；　declaring　that　he　'considered　him　worthy　to　fill　the　

place　of　the　brother　who　is　departed。　Could　I　have　said　more　in　

all　the　words　of　the　world？'　



Then　something　happened　which　impressed　and　mystified　the

sensitive　

Chinaman。　'The　Englishman's　face　was　first　filled　with　a　deep

pleasure；　

and　then　he　seemed　to　be　thinking）；　of　something　depressing　and

sad；　for　

the　smile　went　from　his　mouth　and　there　were　tears　in　his　eyes

when　he　

thanked　me　for　what　I　had　said。　Can　it　be　that　he　has；　or　has

had；　some　

great　trouble　in　his　life；　and　that　he　fights　recklessly　to　

forget　it；　or　that　Death　has　no　terrors　for　him？'　But；　as　time　

went　on；　Li　Hung　Chang's　attitude　began　to　change。　'General　

Gordon；'　he　notes　in　July；　'must　control　his　tongue；　even　if　he　

lets　his　mind　run　loose。'　The　Englishman　had　accused　him　of　

intriguing　with　the　Chinese　general；　and　of　withholding　money　due



to　the　Ever　Victorious　Army。　'Why　does　he　not　accord　me　the　

honours　that　are　due　to　me；　as　head　of　the　military　and　civil　

authority　in　these　parts？'　By　September；　the　Governor's　earlier　

transports　have　been　replaced　by　a　more　judicial　frame　of　mind。　

'With　his　many　faults；　his　pride；　his　temper；　and　his　never…

ending　demand　for　money；　（for　one　is　a　noble　man；　and　in　spite　of

all　

I　have　said　to　him　or　about　him）　I　will　ever　think　most　highly　of



him。　。。。　He　is　an　honest　man；　but　difficult　to　get　on　with。'



Disagreements　of　this　kind　might　perhaps　have　been　tided　over　

until　the　end　of　the　campaign；　but　an　unfortunate　incident　

suddenly　led　to　a　more　serious　quarrel。　Gordon's　advance　had　been



fiercely　contested；　but　it　had　been　constant；　he　had　captured　

several　important　towns；　and　in　October　lice　laid　siege　to　the　

city　of　Soo…chow；　once　one　of　the　most　famous　and　splendid　in　

China。　In　December；　its　fall　being　obviously　imminent；　the　

Taiping　leaders　agreed　to　surrender　it　on　condition　that　their　

lives　were　spared。　Gordon　was　a　party　to　the　agreement；　and　laid　

special　stress　upon　his　presence　with　the　Imperial　forces　as　a　

pledge　of　its　fulfilment。　No　sooner；　however；　was　the　city　

surrendered　than　the　rebel　'Wangs'　were　assassinated。　In　his　

fury；　it　is　said　that　Gordon　searched　everywhere　for　Li　Hung　

Chang　with　a　loaded　pistol　in　his　hand。　He　was　convinced　of　the　

complicity　of　the　Governor；　who；　on　his　side；　denied　that　he　was　

responsible　for　what　had　happened。　'I　asked　him　why　I　should　

plot；　and　go　around　a　mountain；　when　a　mere　order；　written　with　

five　strokes　of　the　quill；　would　have　accomplished　the　same　

thing。　He　did　not　answer；　but　he　insulted　me；　and　said　he　would　

report　my　treachery；　as　he　called　it；　to　Shanghai　and　England。　

Let　him　do　so；　he　cannot　bring　the　crazy　Wangs　back。'　The　

agitated　Mandarin　hoped　to　placate　Gordon　by　a　large　gratuity　and



an　Imperial　medal；　but　the　plan　was　not　successful。　'General　

Gordon；'　he　writes；　'called　upon　me　in　his　angriest　mood。　He　

repeated　his　former　speeches　about　the　Wangs。　I　did　not　attempt　

to　argue　with　him。。。　He　refused　the　10；000　taels；　which　I　had　

ready　for　him；　and；　with　an　oath；　said　that　he　did　not　want　the　

Throne's　medal。　This　is　showing　the　greatest　disrespect。'



Gordon　resigned　his　command；　and　it　was　only　with　the　utmost　

reluctance　that　he　agreed　at　last　to　resume　it。　An　arduous　and　

terrible　series　of　operations　followed；　but　they　were　successful；



and　by　June；　1864；　the　Ever　Victorious　Army；　having　accomplished　

its　task；　was　disbanded。　The　Imperial　forces　now　closed　round　

Nankin；　the　last　hopes　of　the　Tien　Wang　had　vanished。　In　the　

recesses　of　his　seraglio；　the　Celestial　King；　judging　that　the　

time　had　come　for　the　conclusion　of　his　mission；　swallowed　gold　

leaf　until　he　ascended　to　Heaven。　In　July；　Nankin　was　taken；　the　

remaining　chiefs　were　executed；　and　the　rebellion　was　at　an　end。　

The　Chinese　Government　gave　Gordon　the　highest　rank　in　its　

military　hierarchy；　and　invested　him　with　the　yellow　jacket　and　

the　peacock's　feather。　He　rejected　an　enormous　offer　of　money；