Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1854-02-03

The Cossacixs.Of the Don.
In an interesting letter from Sir Charles Shaw,
which appeared in the London Morning Chronicle.
the writer states that whilst the Continent in Inc
winter OF 1913 and 1874. he much disappointed
at the appearance of the Cossacks he there saw so
unlike The desert ption of them which he had read
They were armed with the lance, sabre, and pistols,
and mounted on animals much resembling starved
Highland ponies and, instead of being soldiers,
they more resenbled bands OF robbers On inquiry,
he found these not real Cossacks but peasants.
whose houses had been burnt down by the French
army, and had followed in the rear of the Russians
IN the uniform OF CossaCks, for the purpose of legal
lsing their plunderng propensitles. Immediately
after the abdicaon Of Napoleon. in the spring of
1914 he had an opportunity, at Paris, of seeing the
armies of Russia, Austria, and Prussia; and certainly
no troops caused more wonder and admiration there.
in better fighting order than the Cossacks,
especially those of the Don They were in general
very handsome men, their mothers having been stolen
from the Circassians. They lad manly, indepen-
dent look, and with manner in speaking if they
felt while respectful to their hetman and officers,
they showed they had respect Tor themselves
Their horses, though small, active and in the
best condition, and altogether they "a superior
class of men. Though serving privates with the
army, they in measure sort OF woman
ry, being equipped and horsed at their expense
their system both civil and military being essentially
democratic eecting their own officers, and being
entitled 10 many privileges ~ home their districts
governed by corporations. they elected their
municipal officers, they were sub ect to Gov
eminent taxes and were not liable to the conscrip
ton but they bound to defend the frontier
where they located, and able TO serve with the
Russian army in the field against a national enemy.
There they received pay and rations. and full liberty
live at free quarters their friends and to plumber
their foes when on the move These the
who had been the guard of the Russians their
retreat TO Moscow before Napoleon. and their ad-
vanced guard in following the French from Moscow
to Paris
! The CoSsacks in Paris armed in many differ
ent ways they Of various hues, languages.
uniforms, and personal appearance having come from
all the districts of the extensive frontier of Russia ;
but the finest body decidedly the Cossacks of the
Don. Although all the Cossacks were plunderers
! they strictly honest with their class, pro-
wing III practice that there honor among thieves
This strangely exempfed when they were quar-
tered in Paris, in 1914. They established regular
parties, al days march from each other, to forward
their plumber from the banks Of the Seine to those of
the Don and the Wolga, and the shores of the Casp
and AZoff But the riches of Italy, Germa-
ny, and France first paved the way for the Cossacks
losing their warIike character. On their return home
after the war; with their pockets full Of cash, they
naturally wished 10 enjoy it, and from the Russian
territory being at that time greatly extended, they did
not find their former place of residence the
| frontier consequently not their daily en-
ploymen, and they still wished 10 retain all their
privileges. The Emperor Alexander recolected that
when Moscow was the seat of the Russian Gov
|
of immense bands of robbers had often changed the
government of the Cars, and that the vicinity of the
Cossacks of the chief reasons for Peter the
! Great changing from Moscow to st. Petersburg -
But, be that as it may, it is certain that whenever
Alexander found any body of the CosSacks attempt
ing to restore claiming the enjoyment of their priv
leges, he moved of them to the most quiet part
of his domrions, he surrounded others with bodies
of bis troops, and forciby removed them to dis
turbed part OF his distant frontier, hen giving them
but privileges were done away with.
| The Emperor Nicholas carried on the system,
though witha ceveness and tact peculiar TO himself;
but while ndulging his own despotc notion, he has
knocked the fighting propensiticS out of the Cossacks,
and they now incorporated in his army subject
to all the rules OF regular and severe discipline thus.
though in appearance Cossacks, they have lost their
natural characteristics, AMI they now considered
the soldiers in the Russian army, having prov
cd themselves such in the Turkish war Of 1928 1929
and in The against the independence Of Poland
in 1881 But still in spite Of this reality, there is,
out OF Russia sort OF romance attached to the
and dress Of Cos<ackS, from the remembrance of what
they in 1912. 1913, 1914 and perhaps increas-
ed by Lord Byr0n's 8 Mazeppa,' who after being a
ady's page Joined that sucitly, and from their dem
ocratic government obtained the rank Of hetman or
chief Of Cossacks and, joining himself to Charles
XII of Sweden against the Car totally defeat
ed BY Peter the Grt at at the battle of Pultowa Peter
mastered many of them after the fight, and sent
10000 of them to deepen the Lake of Ladoga, where
the whole miserabty persisted, and at the same time
eXierminated other tribes.
But in making any remarks about the Cossacks as
soldiers, Sir Charles Shaw does not include the Cos
sacks employed at the Caucasus, $ they are spe-
cialy called the Line CoSsacks. He says - be-
lieve there are no better fighting men in the world
than these men but, from their composition, | be-
eve in this they will attach themselves to that
parry which proves itself the stronger. Many of
the Cossack tribes were tyranncalIy treated by
Alexander that they en- grated to Turkey, aud set
| tied in the Balkan range of mountains but about
5000 of them in 1923. tempted by Nicholas TO
return, who sent them off at once to the Caucasus
and Sea Of Azof Other four regiments of Cossacks,
who had behaved i'll in Poland in 1881, had many
| Poles incorporated with them, and as Il punishment
Were sent to the Caucasus so it is to be hoped a
proportion of those may now JON the Turks
COWHIDING A = We notice in a recent
} exchange paper account of cowhiding inflicted
upon man by woman. Such things. to the shame
Of womankind, happen in a while, and are
oJajl