The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1877-05-31
BEAUREGARD.
His Sympathies with the Turks
and What He Would do If
He was i'm Command.
louisville Commercial.l

louisville Commercial.l
The following letter will be Of
interest to those who are studying
the Russian Turkish war. 1t is at
dressed by Gen. Beauregard to Col.
Blanton Duncan:
In 1866 the Sovereign Prince OF
Roumania rendered to Gen. Beau
regard, then in Paris, the command
of his armies. He offered the rank
of Field Marshal, with a liberal out.
fit, and 100000 a year pay. Gen.
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. Col. Dun
can would probably have been his
chief of staff.
Gen. Beauregard believing that it
was his duty TO remain and share
the fate of those whose fortune he
had shared for four years Of war,
and that be might be serviceable To
his fellow -Confederates, declined
the proposals. In view of the po.
sition which, but for his declina
tion, Gen. Beauregard might now
occupy as one of the conspicuous
figures of the great worlds drama,
his letter will be of peculiar inter
est. AS armies shape the destinies
of countries, and as monarchial
armies are often welded according
to the will of a popular command
ing general, it is great loss to the
Turks that Gen Bcauregard did
not 60 To Roumania, rs the action
of that country might have been
shaped for Turkey instead of for
Russia.
GEN. BEAUREGARD's LETTER.
"NEw ORLEANS, May 10, 1871
My Dear Colonel: / would indeed
have been in the midst of it. But
| must say that my sympathies. il
any, are with the Turks, Tor they
are the weaker party, and defending
their homes and iiresides.
"As to the preteXt for the war on
the part of Russia (the protection
of the Christians in Turkey, it re
miads me oil the complaint of the
wolf drinking at the same spring
with the lamb.
"As you remark, Turkey offers
magnificent lines of defense-the
Danube and the Balkan Mountains.
With two or three hundred thou
sand Confederate troops, / would
guarntee to hold them against any
number Of Russians. Ii / were in
command there, would fortify
those lines well, and with my iron
clad gun-boats / would prevent the
construction of any bridges across
the DanEbe. / would send Gen.
Forrest with $4,000 or 10000 cav
airy to destroy all the depots OF
supplies railroads and bridges from
the Danube to middle Russia, thence
to some port of the Black Sea,
where l would transport his COM
mand to some other favorable point,
say in rear of the Russian forces
operating in ASIA, south of the
Black Sea. Forest would be pro
vided with camcls to transport his
light field artillery, baggage and
light pontoon trains. He would
have also full supply of carrier
pigeons 20 keep me posted as to
his movements. My fleet in the
Black Sea would keep iG free of the
enemy's ships. | would destroy
their supplies at Odessa and any
other ports on the Black Sea. In
other words, l would bring starva-
tion to my assistance. How long
do you think Russia could stand
such defensive war? Moreover, /
am confident that tic other Po~crs
of Europe will never allow Russia
to get any nearer to Constantinople
than the Balkan mountains, if even
she gets there. V,Ota mon plan de
c0nlPGgne.
"But am a man Of peace now,
that Louisiana is free.
IL remain your friend,
'.G. l.. bEAUREGARD.
"CoL. BLANroN DUNCAN,
Louisville, Ky.