Now if General Gordon so expressed himself on the 28th November, two months before Sir Charles Wilson got to Kartoum, and when the fort at Omdurman and the island of Tuti were both in the General’s hands, what must have been the state of affairs when both those positions had fallen and were in the possession of the Arabs?
Returning to Sir Charles Wilson’s progress with his detachment of only twenty men, when he got to the point of danger, as pointed out by General Gordon, he found himself under a cross fire of artillery and musketry from all points of the compass, including Kartoum itself. Under such circumstances he had no alternative but to retire, since, had he continued his journey, he could never have secured his retreat.
Consequently I cannot but express my feeling that on neither head of charge does any blame attach to Sir Charles Wilson.
H. W. Gordon.
[DESCRIPTION OF THE JOURNAL.]
[Lieut.-Colonel Stewart kept a complete journal of events that occurred at Kartoum from the 1st March to the 9th September, upon the night of which day he left.]
General Gordon, who had assisted in great measure in the preparation of this Journal, describes it as a perfect gem.
It was in duplicate, and was captured when Colonel Stewart was murdered; and, according to Slatin Bey’s account (who at the time was with the Mahdi), is now in his (the Mahdi’s) possession.