Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-09-13
A CossACK OF THE DON.


travelled lately among the Cossack tribes of Rus
sa-sojourned, as French critic expresses it,
l." beneath the wide-spreading wings of the two
headed eagle" He has published an account
of his adventures in two very pleasant volumes,
entitled Der Kaukasus und das Land der Kos
achen From it we translate the following cpl
sode:
AT one of his stations in the Crimea, Herr
Wagner met and gradually became intimate
with Major in the Cossack army, who wore
on his breast the order of St. Anne, and spoke
French with remarkable facility One evening,
while sitting together after dinner, their CONVEX
sation turned upon the manners and customs of
the native tribes. If you wish," said the
Major, " to form just idea of the Cossacks of
the Don, do not be satisfied with viewing them
in their capital city, but penetrate into the step
pes of the south. There still exists specimens
of the real original wild Cossacks, but in our
town of Novo-Tcherkask you will find degen-
crate population"
"On the left bank of the Don," he continu-
ed, " are great number of families who pass
the winter in reed -thatched cabins, but who,
during the summer, encamp under tents, and
are almost as thoroughly nomadic in their hab
its as their neighbors, the Kalmucks From
one of these families was descended my matern-
al grandfather, Wassili Tgurof, surnamed the
Devil of the Steppes.'
although the tribes of the steppes formed
free commonwealth of soldiers, among whom
formerly neither lords nor serfs were recognized,
yet certain families were raised above others,
not by patent of nobility, but by the honor
which they had acquired in various encounters.
by their alliances. and by the number of COM
batants whom they could bring to the field
Such was the family of my mother the Tguroffs
Frequently, without consulting their het.
man, they attacked the Nogai Tartars, and
were usually joined by number of other Co.'S
sacks, attracted by the love of war, and the
hope of plumber This family was believed to
be under tho special protection Of the god o.
war, and it was thought, that all their enter
prises were certain to succeed Emboldened BY
good fortune, the Tguroffs continued to pene
trate more deeply into the steppes. On one oc
casion, during winter, they advanced as far al
Perekop, and were returning in triumph will
flock of fine sheep, when suddenly they fount
themselves assailed by formidable host of Tar
tars, who were lying in wait. They were sur
rounded and massacred More than hundre,
: Tguroffs were slain my grandfather alone es
Gaping from the slaughter. He received sabre
cut across the skull, which laid him senseess OF
the ground his wounded horse fell on him, an
: by concealing him from his enemies, saved hi
u life. The Tartars stripped their victims Gu
II on their heads, to be carried to the khan G
Baktschi Sarai, who rewarded them literally
Ia and they went away. After some time IN
grandfather revivdd ; he rose from his couch {
snow, and recognising the body Of his fathe
- he managed to bury it, in order to save it fro
- the teeth of the wolves, which already we,
:. approaching in droves. He then succeeded
- catching stray horse, which brought him bae
:. ~ safely to his village.
IA. Among the Cossacks, death is not acco,
ns panied by sombre mourning. When one Of the
rd falls bravely in battle, they do not weep or
er ment for hin. We leave tears to the wome
- prayers TO the priests; and when we ha,
an thrown few shovelfuls of clay ofer the gra
an of our departed friend, we meet together
:. drink, smoke, and talk of his bravery and VI
tue. Thus were celebrated the funeral rites
the brave warriors whose terrible end Wass
- Tgurof came to announce. By the death
his father and of his nearest relatives, he inh,
tied quantity of horses and oxen, consderal
sumsof money, and an ample supply of brand
~, Crowds of Cossacks assembled around him,
hear the recital of the disaster from which
,e. had 30 miraculously escaped, and to render no
O age to the memory of their companions by plt
III tiful banquets and deep libations. While tn
let were emptying his tuns of liquor, and devouri
nd his roasted sheep, he lay stretched on his be
ne suffering cruelty from his wound. In t
sh days, however, he rose up with fresh yigor, q
IN. summoned all his friends to follow him il
IN; fierce expedition. At their head, he entered
cen night a Tartar encampment, had destroyed ev,
ged living soul within it. not sparing even the
ing men, and carrying off the children transfxed
tho points of their lances Then Wassi
you his friends to the place where his people
rst perished, disinterred the body Of his father,
to carried it to his stanitsG, in order to celeb,