The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1877-01-04
rURKs Is sOLDLERs.



for itself that name in military history
which it used to possess. 1t was always
known that the Osmanl were brave
the record of their deeds for hundreds OF
years told that but great question had
arisen whether they had to any extent
become enervated and enteebled. There
we're not wanting those who were ready
to assert that in Crete the Turks had
given unmistakable signs Of want OF
vigor, and the Servians at the beginning
of the campaign believed, without doubt,
that their militia was quito the equal of
the Turkish line. remember how thisV as
| shown at the first serious battle which
was fought-namely, that at Granada
There was line Of hills on which the
Serbs stood, overlooking the vast plain
which runs down to the city of Nisch
On the summit of this ridge was the Ser
Wan artillery, behind were the white
houses Of the pretty little village, with
it's church. school and d0uane. AS the
Turks advanced the Serbs, who might
easily have remained inside their trench
es, and, in fl ct, have thrown up many
more earth-works, actually came down
the slope to meet us. There was no ne
cessity at all for their doing so, but they
felt that they We're quite equal to the
hated wearera of the fez, and they wanted
to fight them. Then came a sharp rifle
fire, and for half an hour a hardly-fOught
battle, while the Turks were gradually
pushing up the hill.
The Servians began to discover that
their foes were, after all, not to be despised
and they presently sought shelter. But,
to their amazement, that, too, was of no
avail; up came the Turks, leaving many
man on the hard rocky ground, yet still
going on, to the dismay of the blue-coated
Serbs, who could do nothing to stop
them. VoIleys even failed to hinder the
MOslems for a moment; and what was
of consequence at this time,
some guns that the Turks had dragged
up to the summit of neighboring hill
began to play upon the trenches with in
creased effect. The village of Granada
too, was in flames, the air was alive with
shells, that still advancing line of Turks
was sending up such storm of bullets
that the whistle of the missiles was
everywhere heard, and the Servians could
stand it no longer. They had not ex-
pected this. Somebody had told them
they were invincibIe-that the Ottomans
would flee before the blue banner Of lib
erty with its cross and its crown; that
the hill of Granada was impregnable,
and that no troops in the world could
ascend the long, weary slope. Yet the
Turks were coming, were close to the
trenches, were beginning to cheer and
take little runs which would presently
bring them into the defenses themselves.
1t was too much. The Serbs felt that
they must retreat and, alas for all
their prestige, these bold Highlanders,
who had been compared to Camerons and
CampbelIs, who had sworn to die for
their country, and had sung ever so
many patriotic hymns, got out of the
trenches, and, without more ado, threw
down their rifles and retreated. But
they were not even then allowed to de-
part in peace. Those feztopped children
of tyranny actually cheered louder than
ever, and, rushing past the trenches into
the village, shot down the sons of Servia
by scores. Nor we're they content with
this, for they pursued them that night
as far as Derbent, giving many soldier
of Tchernayeff to the crows and the dogs,
and only resting when night came on,
with the intention of doing the like next
day-a promise which they carried cut
with terrible effect. The SerVians never
liked to meet them after that.
On the other hand the Turk contin.
ued to make war in his own stolid fash
ion. Had he been we'll 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
go into battle.
l never saw a man finch, although