The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1877-06-14
TURKISH VS.. RUSSIAN FIGHTING.

TURKISH VS.. RUSSIAN FIGHTING.
Their Relative Proves shown on the
Battlefield.
In a recent article the Levant Herald
a newspaper published in the English in
terests at COnstantinOple' took occasion
to draw comparison between the fighting
qualities of the Russians and the Turks,
taking care to disparage the former and
| to extol the MOslems. Among other
| things it said, in substance, that the
Russian soldier is so impregnated with
alcohol that he is degenerate, and that
the false courage communicated to man
| by exciting stimulants alone nerves him
| for the front of battle. Fortunately for
the MuscOvites, history does not bear
! out the acrimonious assertion of the Con-
stantinOple publication. Ever since
dread PuItowa's day
When fortune left the royal Sweed,''
| the proves of the Russian arms and
| the native dauntlessness of the Russian
heart have remained undOubted. OF all
! nations of Europe, Russia, since the
| overthrow of Charles Mi, has least to
blush for in the way of panic. The tenac-
! ity of her soldiers has become prOyerbial.
! SuwarrOw, that rough -hewn hero, tested
| the quality of endurance in his army to
| the utmost, and under his command the
MuscOvites achieved the most astonish-
| ing military successes against the Turks.
In every campaign of the Russ against
the Ottoman on land or sea, whether at
Ismail or at NavaTino, the crescent has
ever paled before the might of the double
headed eagle. 1t is true that in the great
/ he
| ton of Greece the Russian fleet had the
assistance of French and English squad
rOns, but the Russian seamen, on that
memorable day, behaved with an intre-
pidity which won the admiration of
their allies.
OF all his European enemies, Napoleon,
until he encountered Wellington, had
most respect for the Russians. At Eylau,
opposed to the flower of the French
grand army, fresh from the splendid dual
victory of Jena and Auerstadt, they re-
sisted the most determined attacks OF
the French infantry, although most OF
the Russians were cOnscripts, awkward
in the use of arms, and entirely unused
to scenes of blood and devastation. So
stubborn was their resistance that NapO-
leon, was compelled to order Murat,
with 1900 cavalry, to ride down
their centre. This was the most for
midable task ever assigned to a cavalry
leader, but the dashing King OF
Naples was equal to the emergency. In
the midst of a binding snowfall he exc
cuted the order of the emperor and his
avalanche of hOrsemen fell upon the
Russians with all the headlOng ardor of
France. Through and through the iron
ranks tore the impetuOUs dragons, fol-
hit
leader, which, like that in the helmet
OF Navarro, became their Orifamme for
that day. The Russians were trampled
down, shot down, cloven down, but they
refused to fly. 1t is related that Murat,
his bride in his teeth, charged right
into the centre of one group, followed by
few of his staff and succeeded in dis
persing it. The MuscOvites died in their
tracks, but held the field until the
friendly night came to their aid, enabling
them to retreat in comparative order.
| The final scene OF the havoc at EylaU
has been made a subject for one of Bur
nett's most successful battle pictures.
This trial of Russian bravery made
| Napoleon more cautious in his dealings
with an enemy 50 formidable, and a few
months later he decoyed their generals
into false position at Friedland, where
he almost annihilated their army and
| stunned the Emperor A alexander so badly
that he was glad to conclude the Cele-
brated treaty of Tilsit, which ended
hOstilities between the Two nations until
| BOnaparte made his luckless expedition
to Moscow in 1912. In following the
retreating French from the burning
streets OF their holy city," the Russians
again displayed their hardihOod, and,
= IL, -. !
march was never stayed until the Cos
sacks Watered their horses in the Seine
after passing through the Arch of Tri-
umph.
The English in the Crimean war had
a rough experience of Russian valOr.
1t is generally admitted that the French
saved their allies ut the battle of Inker-
mann, the British being overpOwered by
numbers and the Russians charging them
home with the bayOnet, which, previous
to the era of breach-lOading rifles. had
been England's favOrite weaTOn. Some
of the Russian wounded were so tenacious
of life that it is recorded that they lived
for hours with gunshOt wounds through
the head, the brain OOzing out upon the
forehead. Zone English correspondent
writing from the battlefield of Alma
said that he saw a Russian soldier
wounded as described crawling down tC
the river to get water. This toughness
of vitality is said to have once extracted
from BOnaparte this remark: &" You
must not only kill a Russian, you must
also knock him downp'
A race that have given such evidence
of pluck and fOrtitude in modern times
cannot be justly called degenerate. Tue
Russians may drink too much alcohol
but if they are 80 staunch with that vice
4 they must be simply miraculous without
it.
Opinions seem to differ as regards the
morale of the Turks. Some authors at.
tribute to them great virtues. Others
execrate their vices. Still some Others
allow them a generous mixture of both
When reused to fanatiCism they are
fiercely brave, just as CromwelPs iron
sides were brave, chanting their psalms
and shifting their enemies. But the
Turks, like all Orientals are liable to
panic. At the battle of Aboukir the
! French beat them So badly that, histO-
rians say. fifteen thousand Mussulmans
ran into the bay and were drowned In
offensive movements the Turks have not
much distinguished themselves since
their reuuIse by John SObiesH under the
walls of Vienna. at the period when the
followers of the prophet threatened to
overrun all Europe. As defenders OF
strong places, such as Ismail and Kars,
they have. when well handled, proved
themselves worthy of their ancient repu-
! tation.
The Turkish contingent in the Cri-
mean war did not cover itself with
glory, but rather earned the contempt Of
| the other allies. At Balaklava, where the
mad charge of England's light brigade
made their names shine forever in story