The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1872-06-26
Anecdotes Marshal SuyOroR.

Nv stoiitS toli vi -hdIS Sndl GNuN OF
off display, better than whole page.
of description, the wonderful way in
which he cOntrived to adapt himself
to the rude spirits with whom he had
to deal, without losing one jot of his
authority. What Napoleon was to
the French army, SuvOroff was to
that of Russia now jesting with a
soldier, and now rebuking a General
one day sharing "A ration of black
bread beside bivouac fire, and the
next moment speaking as an equal to
Princes and pOtentates Suvorof
comes before Us a. an uncrowned king
one whose authority needed no out.
ward symbol an autocrat of nature :
making, full of rough, hearty famil-
iarity, that was in no danger of breed
ing contempt, and surrounded bv men
who enjoyed the bonhommie, while
they dreaded the displeasure of the
little, pugnosed, grimy man, who was
in their eyes the incarnation of earthly
power and grandeur.
1t must be- owned. however. that
IN his ownpeculiar vein Ofpleasantrv,
the old Marshal more than once met
with his match. One of his favorite
jokes was to confuse a man by asking
him unexpectedly: How MANY
stars are there in the skv?"
On one occasion he put this ques-
tion to one of his sentries. on a bitter
January night, such "a only Russia
can produce. The soldier not a whit
disturbed, answered coolIy: wait
a little and I'll tell you,r and he de-
liberately began to count.-"One,
two, three" &c In this wav he went
gravely on to hundred, at which
point Suvoreff, who was already half
frozen, thought it high time to ride
of, not, however, without inquiring
the name of this ready reckoner. The
next day the latter found himself pro-
noted, and the story (Which SuvOroff
told with great glee to his staff
speedily made its way through the
whole army.
On another occasion one of his
Generals of division sent him a Ser
geant with dispatches, at the same
time recommending the bearer to Suv-
Droff's notice.
The Marshal, as usual, proceeded
10 test him by series of whimsical
questions, but the cateehumen was
equal to the occasion. How fariS il
20 the moon 2" asked Suvoroff.
Two of Your Ezcellency's forced
answered the Sergeant.
IF your men began to give way in
l battle, what would YOU do ?"
I'D tell them that just behind the
,nemy's line there was wagon-load
If eorn-brandy."
"SuppOsing YOU We're blockaded.
md You had no provisions left, how
would You supply yourselfg"
From the enemy -
How many fish in the sea -
As many as have not been caught"
And so the examination went on
ill Suroroff, finding his acquaintance
Irmed at all points, at length asked
lim as final poser: What is the
Inference between Your eolorncl and
nvself!r
The difference is this. replied the
older, cOolly: my colonel cannot
make me a captain, but your excel
eney has only to say the word -
SuvOroff, struck by his shrewdness.
.ept his eye upon the man, and in no
ong time after actually gave him the
peciiied promotion.
Suvoroif always affected the utmost .
'revity both in speaking and writing,
he terseness of his dispatches being
Ilmost unrivalled. The cOrrespon-
lcnee with Prince Potemkin, relative
o the assault of Ismail, is unique in
military history. Potemkin copying
be brevitv of his general, wrote to
i'm thus:
Marshal, YOU will take Ismail
rithin three days, at whatever cost.
"PoTEMKIN."
The day after the letter arrived
uvoroff carried the town by storm,
nth a loss of fifteen thousand men
D himself, and thirty-eight thousand
D the enemy, summing up the fearful
-agedy in one doggerel couplet,
Thieh, literally translated runs as
blows:
Praise to qod, and praise to thee
Ismaifs taken. and there fbe"