Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-03-11
COSSack ManMuYres.

Writing from st. Petersburg on Feb
ruary 2, the London Times correspond
Ell says:
"After the review yesterday, the
Princes drove off to the Michael Man.
eye, where the EmperOr's Circassian
and Cossack bodyguard went through
their feats. These wild horsemen gave
us some scenes of their predatory war
fare, exhibiting skill and activity per-
fectly marvellous. One after another,
they gallopped by the Princes, shouting
fierce warwhOOps and firing their long
pistols and f1intlocks at imaginary foes.
They seemed to discharge their weap-
ons III every position but from the sad
die. Hanging on one side of the horse
till the head almost grazed the ground,
and taking leisurely aim under the
animals belly, seemed the favorite atti-
tude. One cavalier went by at speed
standing on his head in his saddle:
others leaped on and off their horses
with the ease OF circus riders. The
n1011ege soon SO filled with smoke that
it might we'll, for all we could see, have
been some mountain defle, and the
Ody-guard band of rObber knights
van, or on the party of peaceable travel
ers represented by the Grand Duke
Nicholas, the Princeof Wales, the Duke
Of Edinburgh, and Prince Arthur. The
Czarevna and the Princess of Wales
were there also, and altogether the wild
riders would have made a good davis
work of it had they been brigands of
the Steppes instead of the faithful BODY
guard of the Emperor. Admiral Pop
Oft told me 1t was a fine sight to see
1900 of these, horsemen playing their
warlike FRANKS for miles and miles
about the imperial cavalcade when the
Grand Duke Constantine was travelling
in the Caucasus. Theyalways turn out
in honor of member of the imperial
family, going through their whole dra-
ma along the road. Once or twice YES
terday they divided and fought battle
among themselves. Half Ofthem made
their horses lie down, and crouched be-
hind the animals, the long barrels of
the flint guns pointing in the direction
OF the enemy. Presently the assailants
came riding out of the curtain of smoke
with fierce cries, opening a glorious fire
IN all directions, which rather reminded
one of some of the melees of our
Autumn Maneuvres Every one must
have been killed, spectators included,
before the bands disentangled them
selves from each other and retired
again to opposite ends of the Munege
to take breath and measure powder for
another onslaught. It was a pictur-
esque and inspiring sight, as utterly
opposed to the precision and science of
modern warfare as anything will could
be. The costumes, the arms, the men,
and the horses who carried them-all
were wild and strange, telling us of a
nation Of warriors who knew not bar
rack yards and schools of musketry,
but who knew right well how to fight in
their own wild way. In real fighting
these fine fellows, one may suppose,
are not quite SO gamesOme as in the
Michae l Manege. Probably for in
stance, the trooper who rode with his
head in the saddle and his feet in the
air would reserve that attitude in the
transports of victory. One of the Cir
cassians, a burly man upon white
horse, was a son of the great Schamyl
He was presented to the Prince of
| Wales at the conclusion of the spec
tacle. More than one of the Russian
officers present wore decorations earn
ed III frontier warfare with such cavalry
as those before us"