Corinphila Auction 284-290 Day 3

General Gordon Relief Expedition 1885: OHMS printed envelope and full contents endorsed "On Active Service, No Stamps Available" and countersigned "Capt C.R. Orde, Boat Staff", written on May 2nd from Tani by Captain Charles Reginald Orde to his wife in Dursley, Gloucestershire (with full transcript, see below) and struck on despatch by "DONGOLA" Star & Crescent datestamp (May 6) in black (Stagg fig. 13 / Smith X-1). On arrival the cover was originally charged '2d.' but the fee was deleted by obliterator at right and was forwarded on to the Grand Hotel, Locarno, Lago Maggiore, Switzerland franked by Great Britain 1883 2½ d. lilac pair tied by "Dursley / 269" duplex (May 26). Reverse with Locarno arrival (May 28). An exceptional and rare cover from the Relief Expedition from a particularly fine letter-writer, no examples of covers from Tani were present in the Danson, Frazer or Inglefield-Watson collections. Signed Todd AIEP.rnNote: Captain Orde was mentioned in despatches, received a brevet of Major, the Egyptian Medal and Clasp and the Khedive's Star for the Nile Campaign. He writes: "My dear Alice, we are alkl in a fever of excitement here with the idea of going down the river...I was told to get all the boats ready on wednesday and telegrams have been flying about like autumn leaves...the health of the Camp is better than at other places but the men are dying off rather too quickly...3 officers have died already and one in hospital is not expected to recover. Most of the cases have been enteric fever. When once the move begins I expect I shall be sent home as they will want to get rid of all the superfluous staff officers as soon as possible as there is nothing to do after we get doen to Abu Fatmeh where we shall have to leave the boats...Of course you will know what the movements are long before we do out here...there wass talk in Camp last night that this coming move is only to concentrate our forces at Dongola...old Gladstone has an awful number of lives to answer for...The Essex are a Regiment of savages and undisciplined beyond belief but they always find the best things. They found and got one of the largest crocodiles I have seen and then caught a turtle and have taken all the goose eggs in the country to eat...The mail from Cairo is late again so we have to close the home mail before the other gets in...".rnProvenance: Collection Richard Wilson.