The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1877-09-14
THE ROMANTIC
S;ory OF csman Pasha ha-crawtora, Late Of
Hawkins County, Of this State,
Later Ct Cairo, Egypt, but
Just Now the Hero Of
Plevna
First West Point Cadet, then Fugitive
Criminal, and then a Leader in the
Turkish Army-His Career, as
Told by One Who Knows.
Special Dispatch of the st. Louis Globe
DemOcrnt

renowned exploits of Osman Pasha
the hero of the battle of Plevna, have
aroused little curiosity to know who
he is and something of his antece-
dents Already speculation is rife as
to them, and several accounts have
been published purpOrting to give the
facts in the case. These, which make
of him a Tennesseean, bearing his
American hOnors lightly upon him
under the name of Robert Clay Craw-
ford, approximate very near the truth.
Understanding that General Joseph S.
Reynolds, of this city, knew some
thing of this remarkable individual
your correspondent this morning call
ed upon him, at his office, on Wash
ingtOn Street, and subjected him to
an interview. He knew Crawford
well. In 1861 General Reynolds was
recruiting-lieutenant for the Forty
fourth Illinois volunteers. In his per
ordinations for recruits, he met, at
Wilmington, on the nineteenth of Oc-
tOber, the subject of this memoir and
duly enlisted him. He found straight
way that Crawford understood militia
ry tactics better than he did himself,
and intrIIsted him with the drill of the
company, then taking lessons in the
MlIClI SCCASNi0
sc0ned within his tent. To account
for this knowledge, Crawford was
necessarily compelled to admit the
soft impeachment that he had seen a
little of inside military life, having
been a cadet at West Point.
To keep the run of the illustrious
Turks history it may be best to as
sumo ken of his proceedings from
the beginning, considering them pro-
gFeSSiVely rather than as retrospect.
Be it known, then, that among
the last official acts of
ANDREW JOHNSoN'S
congressional life was to secure Craw-
ford an appointment as a cadet to
West Point, from the district of Ten
nessee. Crawford was a native of
ROgersville, Hawkins County, and
was at that time bright, handsome,
manly lad of seventeen, the date be-
ing about 1853 or 1851. His early edu-
cation had been by no means neglect
ed, and he was prepared to pass rigid
He was q quick stu
dent, acquiring knowledge with case
and rapidfty, but poor disciplinarian.
The result was that Il reckless mode of
living at last secured his expulsion
lIOlll llIC vi lllC WI
lege for militants. Crawford did not
go home. On the contrary, he intend
ed to have a high old time seeing the
world, so he surrendered himself to
the wild tutoring of metropolitan life
in New York. This course of pro-
cedure soon left him without finances,
and his wonderful facility for proving
necessity the parent of invention, and
invention this time was a home eX-
pediency. Accordingly he turned his
face toward the scenes of his child
hood. He had progressed as far as
Virginia, when at the
goodIy tavern which afforded him
cheer he encountered n wealthy cattle
dealer just returning with a bOuntiful
of barter. Here was
young man greatly in need of a small
amount of the world-lever, and there
AN OLD CURMUDGEON
loaded with the same dire power.
With the broad idea or communism
surging in his breast, Crawford real
lied that what was his brothers. was
his. Night came, bringing slumber to
the old man; also came Crawford. As
the Cattle King slept, the present hero
of PleVna crept into his room, and
shortly afterWard stole out again.
That was all right and regular. When
the pale air of morning beamed over
the adjacent hills, MOnsieaT, the Cat
tie King, encased himself in his gar
ments and looked about him. He
found also that the hand of the mid
night maurauder had strayed under
his pillow, and extracted all of the
sweets Hereunder secreted. Craw-
ford, be il said, had brought to the no.
tel a pretty woman, Said woman was
not his wife. Her needs made it in
cumbent on him to raise money. Very
well. Is it necessary to go into de-
tails? Pointing out the old mans
suspicion, the arrest Suffice it that
Crawford adorned thereafter a cell in
the Richmond prison. 1t promised to
be q sad ending of a promising career.
One day Crawford held valuable pa
per in his hand. He proffered it to his
keeper. Did that man know that
Crawford was one of the most expert
manipulators of pen on earth, and
that the alleged pardon was nothing
more than
A FORGERY,
made by the prisoner who rendered it?
1t looked all right and the jailer was
SdLISIlSu. I1C lllIGN ODNn IliS UOOl'
and the eX-cadet inhaled long breath
of pure, free air and made for Mary
land. 4 short distance from Balti-
more he set himself up asa pedagogue,
under the name of Robert Clay, and
opeued a school. He dealt out the
same kind of learning that can be
found at thousands of such schools in
Yankeedom. Among the pupils un-
der his charge was ayOung man nearly
Iais own age, named Robert Russell.
1t is needless to follow Russell through
the tortuous row of intricate figures
which beset his footsteps, nor tell how
he progressed. He awOke one morn
ing from his slumbers to hear his sister
and father bewailing the loss of two
gold watches owned by them respect
ively, and TO find that the daShing,
handsome schOOlmaster wasgOne. Nc
trace Of the three missing articles
could ever be found. The
ToCsIN OF WAR
was sounded, and Russell entered the
ranks of the Union army, to lay down
his life for his country. Fate guided
him into the command of Lieutenant
REYNOLDS. There the thief and the
robbed met. Under the peculiar cir
C1lmstances, it was deemed best not tC
arrest Crawford, though the matter
was presented to Reynolds, because