The New era. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1865-1871, 1867-01-24

ltOpeu, lib the same tlnle. MtlStalila
Pasha set out from Retiino, only il few
hours march from Arkadi, the 18th of
November, and arriving at night en-
tered the moaastry unperceived. There
were in it only the priests and the fam
lilies of the villages, in number 5 10 souls.
OF whom BIB we're women and children
Some attempted to escape, but finding
| retreat cnt off, returned to t..e con-
vent. preferring to share the result Of
the fight to being taken prisoners. The
forces OF the Pasha We're about 10000
men, to meet whose attacks the. Chris
tlans had less than 200, priests and faith
ers OF the families mostly. They de-
clned to surrender, and finding that
any attempt 1T escalade was useless. the
lasha sent to ssetino for artillery which
was Sent iiiHa; the next day he sent for
relnforceients and more guns, so that
at last he had tWenty-six guns and Two
mortaFs, minus three guns burst, and
$4,000 men.
The convent having been cnt off from
communication Mith The III .latains, no
news could be sent 20 CoroncoS, who
was absent on an eSpt dition, and there,
was no hope Of relief from ssie', over
whel,ning numbers if he had come.
Three days the 200 heroes fought the
battle Of despair. firing from window
and loep-loie So anefeatieally and oh
stlnately that the turks speak Of it Us
like a EUROPEAN battle, She like Of which
WAS never seen in Crete The third elay
a breach was effected al The grea. norta!
and III assault made, the Af;iiilaougs and
Gfotan Aiusseinlans in advance. the
gate opens within a large court, around
which are arranged the cells and rooms
OF the montstia establishment, and 10
these the Christians withdrew when the
troops had effected an entrance. and
kept up the fire from the doors and VIM
doWs on the enemy, VINO was pushed
III III Increasing masses. At this time
some participants say that Il small mine
or magazine exploded, killing about $50
ct the troops, who reeolieG and left the
place in Il panic, but were ordered in
again, and the fight in the court was
kept up six hours they say, from the
time the breach was entered. The
ground of the court was covered with
the Turkish dead and wounded, but the
Christians too wasted away and finally
seeing all to be lost, and longer resist
ance impossible, some of the combatants
embraced farewell. and stabbed each
other; the Heguminos. Gabriel, fight
ing to the last moment, blew out his |
own brains when he found the Turks
were about to take him. The rest, re-
treating to the great town .f the Heyu-
minOs, where were most of the women |
and children, and under which was the
powder magazine, determined to perish
together rather than submit to the bru-
talities and Outrages Of the Tanks, AMI
fired tte magazine, all being destroyed, !
with all the troops in the vicinity. In
Il distant room were thirty-nine sick
and wounded men, and siXty-one Wom-
en- ana children, who. escaped the eXpl0-
sion. One priest of a neighboring con-
vent, who had surrendered to the Pasha
and received protection from him, was
murdered by the Egyptians, incarnate
tiends, who spare nothing that is Chris
tian.
The survivors, except six who were
shot down in cold blood because they
had European costumes or, were hy a
inprcF without parallel IN the whole {
var, made prisoners, aad s4;t. with III.
suits and abuse, to Retimo, where many /
of them arrived half dead, the stronger
the children, of whom MANY
were infants, left orphans by the disas-
ter; some only three or four months
old.
After the fighting was all over, the
Cretan Musselmans, with lighted tapers,
went among the dead to see if any
Christian still breathed, and ali who
showed any signs of life were dispatch
ed without mercy.
A few Greeks held the stone mill of
the Monastery with such obstinacy that
the Turks were obliged to batter it down
IN them, destroying everything in it.
The losses of the troops were enor-
nous; the city of Retimo is filled with
the wounded, and the hospitals have
received over four 400 of whom most
must die, the surgeons say, having been
injured by the explosion. Not less
han 5000, and some say 1000, of the
have been killed or badly
wounded III the affair; and an unwon-
ed gloom IS on the faces OF their COM
patriots here-no exultation OF victory
AN be seenand they say that Mnstapha
Pasha ragged like "a wounded lion..when
he battle was over--no one dared ap-
lroach him. Ills l,rother~in-law, Suley-
nan, his favoll,u WAS mortally woun- {
led, and many officers killed or woun-
led. Thirty-six hours the army was
engaged in bringing in the wounded,
and it is said that the ground around
The convent is strewn with the Turkish
lead.