"
Gordon at first declined the honor, perhaps through false modesty, and
the command was given to a Captain Holland, with bad results. Holland
traded too much on the invincibility of the Ever-Victorious Army, and
attacked a strongly fortified position at Taitsan. His forces were
driven off with a loss of three hundred men. It was a grievous loss,
but the moral loss was far deeper. His men lost spirit, while the
rebels were extravagant in their glee.
Something had to be done at once. Again they came to Gordon with the
offer of leadership, and this time, he accepted--but not without some
misgiving. In a letter home, dated March 24, 1863, he writes:
"I am afraid you will be much vexed at my having taken the command of
the Sung-kiang force, and that I am now a Mandarin. I have taken the
step on consideration. I think that any one who contributes to putting
down this rebellion fulfils a humane task, and I also think tends a
great deal to open China to civilization."
Gordon soon proved that he had both courage and resourcefulness. He
did not risk another assault upon Taitsan, as the rebels expected, but
decided to attack them in another quarter. He took one thousand men by
river to an inland town, Chanzu. Here was a loyal Chinese garrison
which had been besieged by the rebels and was in sore straits.
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