Patrick Gordon

Patrick Leopold Gordon of Auchleuchries (31 March 1635, Auchleuchries, Aberdeenshire, Scotland – 29 November 1699, Moscow, Russia) was a general and rear admiral in Russia, of Scottish origin. He was descended from a family of Aberdeenshire, holders of the small estate of Auchleuchries near Ellon. The family were connected with the noble branch of Haddo. He assumed the name Leopold at the Catholic confirmation shortly before he died.

He was raised and remained a lifelong Catholic, at a time when the Catholic Church was being persecuted in Scotland, which had become Calvinist. After completing his education at the parish schools of Cruden and Ellon, he entered, at age fifteen, the Jesuit college at Braunsberg, East Prussia (then belonging to Poland); however, his character did not tolerate well the strict and sombre way of life at the school, and soon decided to return home. He changed his mind, however, before re-embarking on the journey back to Scotland, and after journeying on foot in several parts of what is today Germany, he ultimately enlisted at Hamburg in the military service of Sweden in 1655.

In the course of the next five years he served alternately for Poland and Sweden and was taken prisoner by both. At the Battle of Chudnov in 1660, Gordon was wounded. Upon hearing of the Stuart restoration, Gordon left Polish service, but found himself unable to obtain military employment in Britain. In 1661, after further experience as a soldier of fortune, he took up service in 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 Turk and Tatar ethnic groups in southern Russia. Gordon disliked Russian service, complaining of the corruption and venality of Russian officials, which left Gordon in his own words "almost at wits end with vexation". In recognition of his services he was made major-general in 1678, was appointed to the high command at Kiev in 1679, and in 1683 was made lieutenant-general.

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