Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-02-23
VALENTINE BAKEn.s EnPLOau.
Guarding the Turkish Rear-Otfo4
man Stntcsmnnship and
Gemern1NhHn.

man MmM
Gencrn1NhGp.
The correspondent Of the New
York Times writes from Adriano-
pie, Jan. IL:
KOmarll was Threatened, the Rus
SLAMS were at Etropol, and only ten
battalions held the position Of Asia
di, whence the enemy could have
moved directly upon Tartar Baz-
| ardllk-OrderS We're even sent on
( from the council 10 defend X at al
hazards why, no one can Imagine,
for il has no value against a flank
attack, but Shakkyr Pacha consul.
ted his own interests, and the re-
treat began. Miles of narrow defile
were to be threaded, where the enc
my's cannon would have plowed
through the ranks of the retiring
army, and ii became necessary 10
attempt such a counter-movemenf
as would at least temporarily arrest
the assailants. No Turk would do
il. Perhaps Shakkyr Pacha hesita-
ted 10 sacrifice one Of his own race
and creed, and 40 Valentine Baker
was sent to the rear with 5000 men
and four guns, and bid 10 hold the
enemy at bay until the vanguard
Of the army should be In safety.
Now Baker Pacha, until this war,
had seen little actual campaigning,
and though reputed to be the smar-
test cavalry officer In the Brstlsh
service, had never handled any
large bodies Of troops except In
some show manPuvers at Alder
shott. But he was equal TO the emer-
gency, and English pluck showed
itself, as IL always does. lie scarcely
speaks one word Of the Turkish
tongue his two staff officers, AlliX
and Baker, are inexperienced yet
he carried his soldiers with him,
and during ten hours contended
against twenty battalions OF the en-
emy and sixteen cannon, and al
though he left six hundred dead
and wounded upon the field behind
him, finally fought his way back TO
the main body, which had gone on,
little recking what had become OF
their comrades. He was made n
Lieutenant General for this brilliant
exploit, but the reward comes too
late to be Of use TO the nation, for
jealousy and distrust Of all of foreign
birth, even though they may have
the MOslem faith as did
Mehemet Ali, will prevent with
him, as il has already done with so
many others, employment where
courage and ability may be Of
value.
The behaviour Of the Turks to
strangers Is one of the anomalies of
the national character. At times,
and when in tight place, they ea-
gerly go to them for assistance, thus
tacitly acknowledging their superb
ority, but as soon as the critical mo-
ment has passed, they switch them
on one side like a coal train, TO be-
kept until called for. The soldiers
and will follow them where their
own people would decline to expose
their own lives but, probably be-
cause the government breads their
growing influence, they are never
kept long in positions Of trust.
/ had omitted 10 tell of the last
act of Suleiman Pacha. last week
Mehemet Ali Pacha, the only Turk
sh general who has ever shown any
real talent in the open field, was
sent up TO supersede him with fully
ndorsed powers TO conduct the Op-
without interference from
and Mehemet went up,
md he came back, for the gentle
nah In authority simply declined
% obey orders, and told his would
De successor that the sooner nc left
hat camp the better II would be for
lis personal safety.