Gordons and Smiths at Minmore, Auchorachan, and Upper Drumin in Glenlivet

26
ated wounds. So close was the Kaffir who fired it
that Gordon had attempted to seize his gun. The
next day the bodies of the dead were placed in a mule
waggon for burial at Post Relief, 15 miles across the
table-land, for which place ib set off, accompanied by
a party of officers who had obtained permission from
the General to join this sad office. I followed slowly
after them, with a strong escort guarding the woun-
ded accompanied by our surgeon, Fraser. Poor
Gordon, from the nature of his wounds, was unable
to bear the motion of a waggon, and was carried on
a stretcher the whole distance by the men of his com-
pany. Gordon's suffering were very great, though
borne with a fortitude only equalled by his courage
in the field ; his thirst was insatiable. When about
half-way one of the stretcher poles broke in two. We
had, however taken the precaution to bring a spare
stretcher, which was laid on the ground, the other
placed gently on it, its poles withdrawn, and we went
on again as before. ... At the fort, a miserable
barrack-room with roughly paved floor and smoke-
blackened rafters was hastily cleared for poor Gor-
don, into which we carefully bore him, and adding
every obtainable blanket or plaid to the thin straw
mattress, and doing all in our very (limited power to
cheer him and alleviate his sufferings, left him for
the night (with his trusty and attached servant Stuart.
. . . We visited Gordon again in the morning be-
fore starting for the camp, and assisted the surgeon
to dress his wounds and arrange his bed, and sat
as long as we possibly could, wiping his brow and
moistening his lips. On leaving, he begged us to
come over as often as we could to see him during
his probable long confinement in this lonely place,
which we promised to do, but never saw him again.
After three days of excruciating agony, the broken
limb suddenly mortified, and he was carried off in a
few hours. So died this young soldier, alone in a
wild mountain fort, thousands of miles away from
home and relatives, and only a servant to witness
his last moments. Poor Ricketts of the 91st, dan-
gerously wounded on October 14, in the Waterkloof
. . . died the same day. . . His death, which
occurred some hours the first, was purposely kept
from Gordon, but the sound of the funeral volleys
reached his ear, and in a quiet voice he blamed his
servant for not telling him of it. In two hours after,
a like salute was fired over his own grave. His loss
was sincerely mourned both by officers and men, his
honest, sterling qualities, kindly heart, and dauntless
bravery in the field having endeared him to all"
[Another John Gordon, lieutenant in the 91st, and
said to be an Irishman, was also killed in the Kaffir
War.]