New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-05-26
BEAuRKGARD wRarEs.


How He Would AnnikIlate the Russians.
The Louisville Commercial of May 10,
says: .t 1874
The following letter will be OF interest
to those who are studying the Russian
Turkish.wsr. 1t is addressed by General
Beauregard to Colonel Blaaton Duncan:
In 1866 the Sovereign Prince of Rou-
mania rendered to General Beauregard,
then in Paris, the command of his axmies
He offered the rank of field marshal, with
liberal outfit, and $I0e, 900 year pay.
General Beauregard was to be at liberty
to select his own staff and certain other
officers, and the army was to be kept at
100000 men. Colonel Duncan would
probably have been his chief of staff.
General Beauregard, believing that ii
was his duty to remain and share the fate
Of those whose fortune he had shared for
-four years Of war, and that he might be
serYiceable to his own friends and fellow
Confederates, declined the proposals. In
view of the position which, but for his
declinati0n, General Beauregard might
now occupy as one of the conspicuous
figures of the great worlds drama, his
letter will be of peculiar interest. As
armies shape the destinies Of countries
and az monarehieal armies are often WELD
ed according to the will of q popular com
handing general, it is great loss to the
Turks that General BeRuregard did not 60
TO Roumania, as the action of that conn
try might have been shaped for Turkey
instead Of for Russia. =.
ANEW ORLEANS, May TO- 1877.
'fMY DEAR CoLoNEL-I would indeed
have been in the midst OF it. But must
say that my sympathies, if any, are with
the Turks, for they are the weaker party,
and defending their homes and fresides.
Gas to the preteXt for the war on the
tians in Turkey, it reminds me of the
complaint of the wolf drinking al the
same spring with the lamb.
AS you remark, Turkey offers magnif-
cent lines OF defepse-the Danube and the
Balkan mountains. With two or three
hundred thousand Confederate troops
would guarantee to hold them against any
number Of Russians. Ii were in com
mand there, would iortify those lines
well, and with my ironclad gunboats /.
would prevent the construction of any
bridges across the Danube. would sent
General Forrest with %, 900 or 30, 900
cavalry to destroy all the depots of sup
plies, railroads and bridges from the Dam
ube to Middle Russia, thence to some port
on the Black sea, where would transport
his command to some other favorable
point, say in rear Of the Russian forces
operating in Asia, south OF the Black sea,
Forrest would be provided with camels to
transport his light field artillery, baggage
and light pontoon trains He would have
also fall supply Of carrier pigeons to
keep me posted as to his movements. Ny
feet in the Black sea would keep IL free
Of the enemy's ships, would destroy
their supplies at odessa and any other
ports on the Black sea. In other words,
would bring starvation to my assistance,
How long, do you think, Russia could !
stand such q defensive war? Moreover, L /!
an confident that the other powers Of Eu-
rope will never allow Russia to get any |
nearer to Constantinople than the Balkan |
il even she gets there. Volta
non Plan De canlpasae, ~
But am q man Of peace, now that
Louisiana is free, Iremain your friend,
&c. T. BEAUREGARD.
icolcn , Blanton Duncan, Louisville. Kentucky.',