ded
bridges in spite of the mandarin's information, and the too close
proximity of the heavy guns to the walls, and the want of cover
they had, and finally the withdrawal of the lighter guns before
the heavy guns, whose removal they should have covered. There is
little doubt that the rebels had been warned by persons in
Shanghai of the intended attack, and that several foreigners, who
had been dismissed by Captain Holland, were with the rebels
defending the breach. As may be imagined, Burgevine's removal had
caused considerable feeling among his acquaintances, who were not
sorry to see the first expedition of the force under an English
officer fail, being in hopes that the command would again revert
to Burgevine."

This reverse occurred on 13th February, and no further steps of any
consequence were taken until the appointment of Major Gordon, which at
last was sanctioned in the latter portion of March, about a week
before ill-health compelled General Staveley to resign his command in
China. That officer was connected with the Gordon family, his sister,
a most amiable and sympathetic lady, being Lady Gordon, widow of the
late Sir Henry Gordon. As far back as May 1861--that is, prior to most
of the events described in this chapter--Gordon's sensitiveness about
his family connection with the commanding officer in China had
impelled him to write this letter:--

"I was much put out in Henry's writing, and I think hinting he
could do something for me, and I went to Staveley and told him
so. It is the bother of one's life to be trying after the honours
of the profession, and it has grown in late years into a regular
trade--everyone uses private interest."

When Gordon gave this early manifestation of his independent spirit he
was little more than twenty-eight years of age, but it should
certainly be noted as showing that in one respect he was very little
changed in his later years from what he was in his youth.

After these reverses in February nothing more was attempted until
Major Gordon arrived at Sungkiang on 25th March 1863 to take over the
command of the force. It is to be hoped that the last few pages have
made clear what that force was like. In the first place, it had been
one composed entirely of Europeans, a band somewhat resembling those
that have set up and cast down the mushroom republics that separate
the conquests of Pizarr