Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-12-05

feet. The Servians never liked to
meet them after that.
On the other hand, the Turk
continued to make war in his own
stolid fashion. Had he been well
led, he would have gone straight to
Belgrade, and the whole business
would have been settled forthwith.
AS it was, nothing but his own
dogged courage saved him. 1t has
always been a beautiful sight to see
him 60 into battle.
never saw a man finch, al
though sometimes the fire was ter
ribly heavy, and the ground was
covered with the dead and dying.
Understand me, am not referring
now to the Bashi- Bazouks, who in
variably had important business in
another direction when they were
wanted for the fight, but simply to
the drilled troops. Yet, even the
Sofia battalions, which had been
drilled at Beycost, just opposite our
Embassy at rherapia, had caught
the true spirit of the soldier, who
went into action like men. | well
remember u very striking instance
of this on August %. 1t was to-
ward evening time when Tcherna'
yef's newly arrived Russians were
, trying to fight their way up the
face Of our position at Resavlc. 1t
was clear somebody must stop
! them, and they were sheltered from
Q our guns by the wood below. The
SoItas were called up, got into line,
dressed" and ordered TO double
down the hill. For a moment there
q was comparative silence; nought
q but the rattle of musketry and ar
/ tilery was heard. The priests were
). gathering inspiration. 1t was theil
+ first battlefield. Then with one
:. voice they shouted "Allahl" anC
4 with this religious appeal the,
4 dashed into the woods. Ill Jared i
4 with Russian and Serb that day
d for the Softas went on, passing be
a tween the trees, and searching TO
4 the foe, whom, when found, the,
,e incontinently destroyed. Their
4 was no more cheering till W
ia reached the village at the end o
il the wood, and the last Serb ha
az fl d. Then there was another lou
,le shout, which told that the priest
at had won their maiden fight, an
of we're victorious. 1t was always tn
Il same; the Turk seemed ever anx
al ious for the fray. The difficult
h. was to make him keep under cove
as do not think the officers on tn
re- other side had any such difficulty
l. No Turk ever shot off his ow
MI hand to avoid the bullets Of the in
d. fidel; he might not go forward wit
iIv great speed; would like generally
as trust rather to his rifle than to tn
nv wretched tooihpick- bayonet whic
no 9 his short-sighted government lili
,re our own, deems a sufficiently goo
p;r weapon but he would never swerv
ev not even when shells plunged int
~, his ranks and laid his comrad(
70 low.
.yN ~ # the Turk and his comradt
"a Z fight we'll, it is not because they al
ba we'll fed or well clothed; on ii
nv ~ contrary, their daily bread seems
~ be about the last Of which tho
ror who bear rule and authority oyt
'ot them ever thought. Their con
t tiv missariat system is even more d
o;y plorable than ours; in fact, it ca
W W. scarcely be said to exist. If the
nO m are arrangements of any kind the
.IISS may be briefly said to consist of
ny happy reliance Hpon chance, and
bU ' broad, hopeful trust in somethir
.m o' turning up. 1t was, indeed, fe
-hn H. that the men must have somothir
Iat I in the way of solid food, and a
ne no cordingly the bakers at Nisch al
l ,ad Sophia were set to make thousan
20 of hard biscuits, winch it was d
,on tegmiRe9 to forward to the soldier
nj 10 get them there, however, W
vas another puzzle, for there is
,th Turkish transport service, and
' " the end all the wagons and carts
the country had to be requistione
oe e together with their bullocks al
ID drivers. Then long trains of the
~ ~ laden with the biscuits were dai
taJ dispatched over tho rocky roac
am am and SO they have gone on ever slnt
- DR.. Leslie told me that he h
Ino found some men who had tast
,pd ~ nothing but biscuit and roast
az maize stalks for several weeks al
No No he made a present to the army
,nS the name of the excellent K
tbe @ Gross Society, which he represent
'4 70 Of 1000 sheep and some bullocl
- But what were they among
;oS " many? Hardly a "kabob " apit
n+o ~, for the $4,000 hungry men "
,nO mSO wanted them, Yet the Turks ha
y Sa1 a,' gone conttntedly soaking the brio
'p;;. like biscuit in the muddy wa
lsr' org they have obtained from t
om ' Morava valley-sQmetlmes 50 +
had tunate as TO be able to supplem(
@ a~G it with little coffee or roast
& ot;c maize stalks, occasionally with
oSs ny Seryian fowl caught in some