Related
66 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1666 wee had from Plesko
1666] DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. 75 carowsing, swearing, and blaspheming
1666] DIARY OF PATEICK GORDON. 81 mariners aud souldlers
1667] DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. 87 Dined by Mr. Carril his father
1667] DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. lOl with their officers, from which 1 diswaded them, that the Emperour
1678] DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. 107 delivered to Gordon.
74 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1666 go from hence. So here wee lodged, and the next morning came to Dort
76 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1666 the cart was ready
1666] DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. 79 I did writt to Sir John Hebden
1666] DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. 69 evening, wee sailed by it, and Bornholme
Summary
Passages from the diary of General Patrick Gordon of Auchleuchries : A.D. 1635-A.D. 1699"
1666] DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. 69
evening, wee sailed by it, and Bornholme, three miles distant from it. These
belong to the King of Denmarke.
Wee sailed towards the Pomers coast, and came in the view of the illand August 2.
Rugia, which ha'h tiirce hookes or nesses called Wittemund, DIasmund, and
Darnbush, which is divided from the illand. This illand is distant from August 3.
Bornholme fourteen, and from Lubeck twenty six leagues ; and, keeping our
course south west, wee had in our view Stralsund, and, towards evening
the promontory Dass, which is the confines of Pomeren and Mechlenburg.
Wee sailed by Rebnits, Rostock, and Wismar, which is fyve miles from August 4.
Lubeck ; and, sailing by the points called Great and Little Cluisemunde
towards evening, wee came into the river, where the fortress Travemunde *
and with a great deale of worke, all the night, wee winded the ship up the
river, and, about fyve aclock in the morning, came to anker just under the August 5.
towne, being by water foure, and by land but two, miles from the mouth of
the river. I tooke up my lodging at the signe of the Red Lyon, and sent
the amber cabinet, which Mr. Bryan desired me to bring hither, to Just
Poorten with the letter concerning it.
Haveing, with others, hired a waggon, about foure aclock, wee went
from Lubeck ; and, feeding the horses about midnight at halfe way, wee
arrived at Hamborg about midday. I tooke up my lodging in the Stone August c.
street, at the signe of the Towne Revall, where I had choice company of
cavaliers, only a litle more ranting as was fitting for my humour. I sent
immediately for Mr. Nathaniell Cambridge, to whom I had letters of
recommendation ; with whom, being come, I consulted about my jorney
further. By sea was exceeding dangerous and uncertaine, and by land
tedious and expensive, neither without hazard. He promised to ask the
advice of other ffriends, and give me his and their opinions, proffering me
withall all the kindness in his power. Mr. ver Poorten came to me after-
wards, to whom I had also letters, who also very kindly offered me all
assistance.
I went in the morning to Altonaw, and heard devotion. After noone, August 7.
one Mr. Kenedy came to me, who, at his going from Mosko, had taken
letters from us all to Scotland, but lost them all at Riga, he haveing had a
fitt of a frensy there.
My ffrlends came to me, being very irresolute of giveing their advice. August 8.
However, 1 resolved to travell by land, as the most pleasant and secure, by
reason of the warr.
Gordon was brought up and remained a lifelong Roman Catholic, at a time when the Church was being persecuted in Scotland. At age of fifteen, he entered the Jesuit college at Braunsberg, East Prussia, then part of Poland. In 1661, after many years experiences as a soldier of fortune, he joined the Russian army under Tsar Aleksei I, and in 1665 was sent on a special mission to England. After his return, he distinguished himself in several wars against the Turks and Tatars in southern Russia. In recognition of his service he was promoted to major-general in 1678, was appointed to the high command at Kiev in 1679, and in 1683 was made lieutenant-general. In 1687 and 1689 he took part in expeditions against the Tatars in the Crimea, being made a full general. Later in 1689, a revolution broke out in Moscow, and with the troops under his command, Gordon virtually decided events in favor of Peter the Great against the Regent, Tsarevna Sophia Alekseyevna. Consequently, he was for the remainder of his life in high favor with the Tsar, who confided to him the command of his capital during his absence from Russia. In 1696, Gordon's design of a "moveable rampart" played a key role in helping the Russians take Azov. One of Gordon's convinced the Tsars to establish the first Roman Catholic church and school in Muscovy, of which he remained the main benefactor and headed the Catholic community in Russia until his death. For his services his second son James, brigadier of the Russian army, was created Count of the Holy Roman Empire in 1701. At the end of his life the Tsar, who had visited Gordon frequently during his illness, was with him when he died, and with his own hands closed his eyes. General Gordon left behind him a uniquely detailed diary of his life and times, written in English. This is preserved in manuscript in the Russian State Military Archive in Moscow. Passages from the Diary of General Patrick Gordon of Auchleuchries (1635–1699) was printed, under the editorship of Joseph Robertson, for the Spalding Club, at Aberdeen, Scotland, 1859.