Two Autograph Letters Signed (both 'J Gordon') written from India by the cavalry officer Sir John Bury Gordon of Park, raiser of the 4th Nizam's Cavalry ('Gordon's Horse'), to his sister Mrs Jessey Hannah Creed, including a discussion of his career.

Both items in good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with slight loss of text to both from the cutting away of Gordon's seal. Both addressed to 'My dearest Jessey' and posted to her as 'Mrs. Creed', care of General Corner, 4 Berkeley Street, Portman Square, London. Letter One (1828): 5pp., 4to. On a bifolium and a single leaf. With Madras postmark and three others. He begins by explaining his handling of money 'from the Estate of our poor late Uncle [...] sufficient in the beginning of the Year for the Purchase of my Majority in the 13th Dragoons in the Event of a Vacancy'. After further discussion of the family finances he continues: 'You may remember my writing to you that I had left the Command of the Ellechpoor [sic] Horse, and had been appointed to a Corps just forming - after commanding the latter Corps one year, it was Review'd by the Officer Commanding the Cavalry Division, a very flattering Report was made on my

Exertions & I found myself on orders a few days afterwards - appointed 2d in Command to the Hyderabad Divison of the Nizams army with an encrease [sic] of 600 Rs. a month to my Salary - I suspect as the

was made for me and is a great Charge on the Nizams Government, that in the event of the first Division of the Nizams army becoming vacant I shall be appointed to it'. He now turns to his wife's health, about which he has received reports from Lord Fife and Sir William Rumbold. After references to some members of the nobility he concludes: 'I think I may say without assuming too much, that I have some Interest among the people in Authority and all I have shall be exerted. I shall write to you again by the next ship. My best regards to Creed. Love to your Children. God bless you my dear Sister.' Letter Two (1831): 3pp., 4to. Bifolium. He has the pleasure of sending her 'the Duplicate of a Set of Bills for 52 Guineas'. The only letter he has received recently was from his uncle, 'and that was of so distressing a nature, relative to my dear Wifes health that I am in such low spirits that you must not expect to have a long letter from me'. Referring to Lord Clare's return voyage from England to India, he states that 'His Lordship had been detained a long time in the Red Sea owing to a Poverty of Coals for the Steam Vessel'. He speculates on the effect of the change of ministry in Britain on Indian regiments. He discusses his health, and the salaries of 'officers in Command of Regts. in the Nizams Service': 'Ellichpor, Hingolee, Aurungabad, Moominabad and

- a Subultern does not receive 50 or 60 Rs a month more than he would with a Companys Regt.' Details of Gordon's career are to be had from C. E. Buckland's 'Dictionary of Indian Biography' (1906): 'Born in India, April 6, 1779: son of Sir John James Gordon: entered the 22nd Light Dragoons, 1813: Captain 13th Light Dragoons, 1821: entered the Nizam's service, 1822: commanded the force at capture of Fort Mohun: and the Elichpur Horse (5th Nizam's Cavalry), 1822: the 4th Nizam's Cavalry, 1826: raised Gordon's Horse (since 30th Lancers): died at Madras, July 23, 1835, when the baronetcy became extinct.' There is also a scarce 1907 biography of Gordon by John Malcolm Bulloch.