The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-02-07
The Mutilation of Russian Dead by
the Turkish Troops.

I1o M0tllaIl0n OF RUSSIAN Ueau Dy
the Turkish Troops.
From Private Letter of Russian Officer to rel
atiye in Cleveland
Four days later our First Brigade, to
which nv regiment belongs, was Or
dered toward Telish, eight miles from
Dabulk. Our first squadron, comman-
ded by my friend S., moved forward, ac-
companying regiment of infantry and
two light field pieces. They met over
whelming forces of Turks, and after a
heavy struggle fell back to await rein
forcements. We were ordered forward,
the second squadron. About three
miles ahead We overlook the remnant of
our ill-fated first squadron-of five
hundred men hardly one hundred and
forty remained, and six officers were
missing. We stopped but moment,
and then cantered on along path that
every moment grew more and more
thickly strewn with dead. Wounded
we saw none. The nearest bodies were
only partly stripped of their clothes and
their heads cut off, but the further we
rode the ghastlier grew the sight. The
dead Turks lay as they had fallen, but
our poor comrades had been robbed and
mutilated, some in manner too horrible
to describe. Coming to a place where
the road somewhat widened, about two
miles from Telish, we halted, and after
driving away and cutting down in a
short skirmish a party of Turks who
were busy robbing our dead, We stopped
to form before going on. AS | rode
along the front, shouting out orders to
the men, an agonized cry for help ar
rested my attention. ] looked round.
Nothing but heaps of dead everywhere.
| Of these none needed me. But hark!
Once more, and again, these piteous
cries. Hastily dismounting, L threw the
bride over my sound arm and ran
toward some bushes from behind which
the sounds proceeded, and there, in a
small pool of clotted blood, lay that
which / at first failed to recognize as a
human being, though human it certainly
was, in its piteous cries and the SEEM
ingly gloved hands that clutched air
and earth in their agony. The rest
from the waist upward was one mass of
raw, quivering fesh-the face feature
less, eyelids and eyes cut out, the man
fayed alive, all but the hands, whose
white skin at first gave the impression
of their being gloved. This CHASTITY
object lay few steps from dead horse,
one of our own regiments golden bays.
Faint at heart bent over the sufferer,
evidently one of our own men. but now
mangled beyond recognition. He prayed
for death with his poor torn lips, and in
minute more W., our surgeon, and two
more of our officers were by my side.
made room for W., who stopped for a
few seconds over our comrade, and from
rising, sadly shook his head, murmuring
"No help"
A sudden impulse prompted me to
seize the poor helpless hand in my own,
and pressing it, whisper few words of
comfort. At the sound of my voice
came the sadder appeal: Nicolai, for
old friendships sake send a bullet
through my heart" This voice sounded
so strangely familiar, and yet [ could
not recognize it. "Who are your
Alexis S." Alexis, my old school
mate, who had but a few hours ago
shared my breakfast by our bivouac fire
and then rode away, handsome and bold
at the head of our gallant first squadron.
He had fallen wounded, helpless, his
horse shot under him, and the fendish
Turks were slowly torturing him to
death when our approach drove them
away. Clasping my hand in his he still
begged for death. My revolver was
empty, discharged in the scuff1e few
moments before. looked at W, who
suddenly drew out his, and shuddering
in every nerve, placed the muzzle
against SIS breast, and with avertec
face fired twice in succession, while
still pressed the poor hand in mine. We
wrapped him up in my cloak, and plac
ing him in the shallow ditch, rolled {
bowlder over him, and then, with oul
hands still moist with his blood, W,
swore to each other never to empty thu
last chamber of our pistols, but alway
} to reserve a shot for ourselves and
friends, should any of us, wounded
have to be left behind. May quicl
death, a soldiers death, be ours. AS
, rode away thought of SIS young wifi
and of my own, a few weeks bride, on
widowed, the other likely to be, and m,
heart burned with indignation within
{ me as I thought how, in the face of wal
t fare waged by the Turks with sucl
J fiendish, savage atrocity, any civilize'
} Nation, any paper edited in a Christian
land, should have the heart to vast
their sympathies upon the Moslems.