Sir George Arthur (1860–1946)

The text of the enclosed letter, which probably was a gift by the book's author (but not the letter's author) to HRH The Prince of Wales, having come perhaps from his research materials, as it is also quoted in the text of the book, reads as follows (in reference I think to the massacre at Khartoum, subject of a great movie with Charlton Heston): "Cairo, 18 Feb (18)88. My dear Lord Wolesley, I am very much obliged to you for your kind letter. My wound is getting on very well and I hope in about 10 days to out of the doctors' hands & on my way back as soon as possible - I have been very well treated by the medical staff and nurses of the citadel hospital & I should take it as a personal favor if you could write them a word of praise which I am sure (they) truly would prize - Brigade Surgeon Markey, Surgeon Major Wood, Surgeon Hunter and Sister Cavell (!!! - not the same as the executed nurse-"spy?" of WWI even if the age would have been right) have been unremitting in their attention and the doctors have shown in my opinion great ability. The whole hospital is wonderfully well managed. I feel that I owe those I mentioned a great debt of gratitude which I cannot better repay than by taking this opportunity of letting you know how excellently well they performed their duties... etc" Wolseley was to have relieved "Chinese" Gordon at Khartoum, but seems not to have been able to arrive in time, and the Mahdist's literally took Gordon's head and put it up on a pike. Kitchener wasn't there either, so I am not sure where he received the wound of which he speaks. Later, however, he would enter Khartoum and rout al-Qaeda, er uh, the Mahdists. Later he will die on a ship sunk by German torpedoes. There is no telling how many centuries of this kind of fighting we have to look forward to. WarNerd would say there is no choice but to understand. Some would say that we are the descendants of the Greeks and Alexander. Others would just say, with Kurt Vonnegut, "and so it goes" - and that this species of primate just isn't very bright. But you can always find a handsome dumb guy to play Gordon; Kitchener's casting is I think harder, because he has such an impossible gold-tinged handsomeness that would come off as over-the-top when it is really true-to-life.… (meer)