The New York herald., 1877-10-29
The Last Days Of the Late Com
mander's Triumphs.
DREADFUL DEEDS OF THE TURKS.
Scenes on BattlefieldS and in De.
vastated Villages.
NO RUSSIAN PRISONERS
CAMP OF THE TURKISH ARMY,
KoPAycHE, TWENTY MILES EAST OF BJELA,

KoPAycHE, TWENTY MILES EAST OF BJELA,
Sept 20, 1917.
fhis charming and once peaceful equally pros
porous village lies the direct road from Popkeui on
the Lom TO Bjela and IL about eight miles from tho
former and twenty from the latter place. 1t is at
present the furthest point at which nohcombatants
can stay; Tor immediately beyond, at u distance OF
about four miles, tho main body OF the centre OF
Mehemet ALPS army lies encamped, and three miles
beyond that again know that wc arc confronted by
tho Thirty ysecond division OF the Eleventh corps OF
tue Russian army, which forms the advanced guard OF
the larger force, which bars tho way to Bjela The
house which and colleague who started with me
from Shumla have 'annexed" is situated close to the
Bulgarian church, next to It is another house, which
have also appropriated for the Of servants
and horses The day after arrived Turkish ''vil-
lager" who carried about his person many tools
winch are quite useless in husbandry, presented HIM
and announced that he the owner OF the prem
ses, which, seeing that the house In tho Bulgarian
quarter statement requiring confirmation
Our visitor. hover, said he proposed TO occupy the
premises, but, as We pointed out 10 him IN forcibo
language tho exceeding mprobabilty ofsuch an event
while we renamed In them, he grew contemplatve,
aud said that what he meant that after we lott he
should take possession, and had not the slight
est objection to that course his part we parted
quito amicaby. Probably this ingenious vager
thought he had fine chance Of levying blackmail
from the rich 'Ingleez Pachasi"
BULGARIAN wHIsKEY.
After the horrors OF Ketchiler and Karahassan
camping in this village s comparatively pleasantas
pleasant, indeed, the miserable squalor OF camp
life can be. l have annexed two houses with all the
outhouses and yards belonging TO them, and have
made myself at home under somebody escs hg tree.
lhe village full Of wheat rye and barley stacked by
the inhabitants In their gardens but abandoned TO
ho Droo
obgingy, did not burn the stacks during his retreat
through the village, and overworked horses are
luxuriatng In the plentiful supply OF grain. We sleep
on beds Of unthrashed wheat, and gourbie which
servants have built OF branches, archcd and tied to-
geher, is covered with masses of splendid barley
as TO be wind and weather proof Al for the rye,
light our fires with It and bed down horses in It
] remarked 70 tho Turkish "villager" who is in my
employ special messenger between and tho
telegraph office at Shumla that the Kopatchean bur
gers would not have much rye bread this winter II
they came back, "Rye bread |" he exclaimed, with
grim smile, ''tho giaours don't mako bread Of their
rye; they mako 1t all into rakL" AS proof Of his
statement he pickod up in the garden curious little
earthen flask and told me to smell tho mouth OF It.
Rye whiskoy ana no mistakei In the yard of our
house huge fire Of logs burns night and day, and
the intervals when are not writing cooking
and eating. Marvellous stews OF goose giblets and
vegetables: soups OF Liebg's extract, favored with
en onion; puddngs OF rice and condensed milk
such is our cuisines for sauce we have the best-hun
ger And so, although the evil day Is drawing near
when last goose must die and our last spoonful OF
Liebig dissolved. we cannot complain. Perhaps, be-
fore get down to the 'hard pan" Of army biscuits
aud cold water the great battle will bc fought and
aud shall be flying back to the comparative luxu
Ves OF the "Restaurant at Shumlan
sHUDDkRiNG RECOLLECTION.
kOD8tCho
pleasant relief the odious and disgusting exist
ence which we led in Ketchler. There In the yard
behind the next house to mine lay tho swollen body
OF Russian soldier who had been killed In The fight
when the Turks carried the village during the battle
of Karahussan; the wretched mans head had been
hacked oh-no doubt by tho bashi-bazouks the
body lay naked, save for cotton SHIRT, with extended
legs and one arm doubled over the breast, the flies
swarmed over II, aud the horrd rcd neck black
with the disgusting insects. l used 10 wake up
night with start aud broke into cold
thought of that horrible unburied figure but finally
induced the doctors who had no such petty scrupes,
10 have u put away out OF sight underground. For few
pastres-b but not with0ut-s0me bashi-bazouks werc
induced to bury the dead giaour To this horror
ceeded worse one. had heard when nrst came TO
the village that there werc five six Russian heads
kicking about the road but had not cared 20 aud
see them. Every morning aud afternoon during the
few days was IN Ketcher It was my custom to walk
down 10 tine fountain. which was situated IN field
across the road, about quarter OF mile distant from
my quarters to wash. On the third day OF my stay
happened to return by another path which passed
dry ditch. was walking slowly along IN tho heat
OF tho burning sun, thinking at the moment Of
horror ricken at the edge of the d,tcn There
RUBBISH and weeds lay OF the headsl IL that
Ola young man with crisp, light hair, but wIthou!
and the mouth was hall open there Was an expression
ofpeacelu repose the features but the whole head
was Off ghastly vd, brownish, gray color which made
1t the most horrible object ever saw. Myrlads Of
dies were buzzlng about H. and there arose from the
ditch the sckenIng odor OF corruption. did pass
by that ditch in my future expeditions to ioun-
t.in, but heard that tho head aierward buried
with the cap-the kept of private soldier with the
urnb n the In haa dp 4
ATROCITIES
have sudiously reraincd during tho course OF this
war from hunting for atrocities There has been too
much airocity mongorng already and the market has
been oversocked. have simply recorded the facts
which came under my observation. The Mussuman
women aud chdren, wounded to the death by lance
thrusts and sabre cuts, whom saw ut Rasgrad,
occuar evidence 10 me OF Cossack brutality, and the
beadloss body and the severed head which ut
ketchier testified to bashi-bazouk nendishness The
u tale OF the atrocities committed by both the par
Ties engaged IN this lamentabio struggle Will never be
known; probably half the stories Will never be Lc-
leved The deeds OF the "Legion OF Vengcnrcc'
the one sido Of The bash Uazouks and Crcassans
The other form chapter OF horrors such the his
tory OF war has rarely known oven in the old story OF
eonflictng religions and nations struggling for exist
ence.
TnK FATE OF THE WOUNDED.
When 1t Is considered tnat Ia all the engagements
fought IN Bulgaria Ia which the Turks have been VIC
torious there have bocn no Russian wounded brought
into the Turkish hospitals the inference Is oDvious
either the Russians invariably succeeded even 10 Tho
haste and confusion Of retreat carrying oil all their
wounded, or else the wounded killcd by the VIC
tors Alter every battle that has been iough this
sde OF tho Jantra, at least the bashI-bazouks who
swarm around the Turkish regular army have ovcrrun
tho held Immediately alter the close of tho engage
mont was informed by an eye witness that on one
OCCASION be saw tUe Uashi-DazouAs 20 up 10 tnrec
wounded Russians III wood niercilcssy cut their
throats. During the battle of Karahassan "A russian
officer was taken prisoner IN tile village by the Nj
Eims, or regular troops, who relieved him OF his
sword revolver and watch, but offered him
personal injury; soon aiterward somc rodiis,
tho soldiers oi tho second ban or reserve
came rushing np The street, mad with fury, and In
stanty Killed the unfortunate officer. 80 lar
ascertain there have been no Instances in watch tho
soldiers oil the reguiar army have broken loose from
the control OF Their officers, even in battle
although probably even they have occasionally
wrcakod thor vengeance on the bodies OF their
enemies. IL seems to be a Mussulman failing 10 cut
oil tho heads Of their foes alter death.
BLOOD FURY.
was told that during tho oatte Of Karahassan,
while NedJib Pacha, the general commanding the
main attack on the village. was standing beneath
tree looking at the progress OF the nght Turkish
soldier passed by carrying, skowcred his bayonct
the head OF Russian. As he passed tho general he
lard the hoad trumphanty AZ his feet Nodjib
is exceedingly humane and enlightened man
and turned away WIN an angry exclamation