The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-07-26
GENERAL LAzAREFF's EXPEDITION BOUND FOR
NERVE


GENERAL LAzAREFFs EXPEDITION BOUND FOR
NERVE
General Lazaref is commissioned to capture and
destroy Nerve. the capital of the Teke Turcomans.
This town has its seat among the steppes and sandy
deserts, bounded on the north by the Kara Kura,
the west by the Kopett Hills, by the Afghan Noun
tans on the south. and by the -Darya or Oxus,
on the east. Connected with Nerve. through i'm
perfect line of defence. the the townets of Cod
shat, Abula, Kandshukalan and Naukiia--all these
together forming quadrilateral within which the
affairs OF the tribe are administered. From this
quarter continues the Russian correspondent the
brave barbarous Tekize directs their raids some
times crossing the Oxus in boats and piundering the
territory Of khiva and Bokhara, sometimes bursting
into the rich and fair Persian province of Khorassan
The Turcomans, though living under Russian pro-
lection. not spared by these marauders. who do
not copfne themselves merely to arriving of cattle,
but steal men, many Persians pining away their
lives in cruel captivity among them. The women
and children carried away by them are sold in AZ
ghanistan and Bokhara. .'rie persians.' says the
st. Petersburg correspondent of the Berlin North
German Gazette" have in vain sought to set
tie accounts with these inveterate thieves
and scoundres, but, though their troops have
ON several occasions pressed on toward
Nerve, they have either been wholly annihilated
or have had to retreat tn great loss. What, how
ever, the persians could accomplish the
Russian government has determined summarily to
achieve, and to put a stop once for all to the in
tolerabe state OF things existing thereabouts by
destroying Nerve, that den OF rapaciouS robbers
THE INVADING ARMY
Tho troops appointed to perform this task. under
General LazaIetf. belong exclusively the Army Of
the Caucasus, and after assembling at Baku
carried the Caspian in steamers to Tchkslar,
near the mouth OF the Atrak The infantry.
sistinp of sixteen battalions is commanded by
Major General Borch while Prince Won Wttgenstein-
Bereburg has charge of the cavalry, numbering two
squadrons of dragons. twenty-one sotnias of Co.'S
sacks and five sotnias of Turcoman volunteers
of the tribe of Jernude, implacable foes OF the
Iekinze The artillery force made up of thirtysix
Cossacks, under the command OF Colonel Prosorken-
itscht the chief Of the staff being Colonel Malama.
The commissariat train necessary for the purpose OF
this formidable force includes $4,000 cames and
5000 draught horseshoe OF the reasons which de-
tanned the expedition so tTng at re being
tough and long enduring Turcoman steeds. As long
this expeditionary force can march in the neigh
borhood OF the Atrak River, which forms the bound
airy between Persia and Russia. their difficult
ties will not be very great Leaving the course Of
that stream, however, the troops must cross the
Kopett Hills. the eastern slope whereof lie
eral Tekinze settlements such as Aschabad, Tiami-
aschik Giaurs. Bah Burma, &C., and here violent re-
sistance may be expected from the enemy
THE MARCHES.
1t will be necessary, however, tor General Lazaref
to attempt reaching the Schard and Mania, where
the desert intervening between these places and
Merry territory has theeshortest Enthusiastically.
thirty versts or two DAYS march 1t is calculated
that the distance from Tchikisar to the sources of
the Atrak is $50 versts, from there to Mania 800
verst and thence to Nerve $50 in all about
100 The possession of Nerve is claimed to be ut all
essential to the security of the Russian position in
Central Asia, apart from which the annexation of
this nest of robbers would entail expenses little cal
culated to bring any adequate return to the Empire.
Thus it may be taken tor granted that the Mus
covites marching with all possible energy on
Nerve and though, 50 far as Great Britain is
cerned, it is undoubtedly true that candid foe is
much better tn IN false friend for the sake of his
torical parallel. IL for nothing else the clrcum-
st noes which attended the conquest of khiva, aud
to reflect that the Russians went out to battle against
that independent khanate with precisely the
object as that ostensibly held i'll view by them
Notwithstanding point which, by its geographic
cal position. forms the northwestern key to Afghan
istan.
MERv AND THE KHIvANs.
According to the St. Petersburg Gazette, the news
has reached Teheran that the Inhabitants of Merry
have decided to send deputation to the
Khan of Khva with petition for tho annex
alton of Merry to the KLAMATH 1t Is added that the
people OF Merry are convinced that the Russians will
obtain possC ssion of their territory
later and that they, therefore. wish to avert
also that the Persian government agrees to the
proposal, hoping that 1t may delay the consolidation
Russian rule on the eastern frontier OF Persia
at would be more advantageous" proceeds the Ga
seffe .sfor the Turkomans to be placed under the
rule of Khiva than under that of Russia, as nom
inal recognition of the Khan their sazerain would
permit them TO contin their plundering expedi-
lions ON Russian and Persian ana Khivan
territory. As to the Persian government 1t
is incapable, Notwithstanding the reform OF its
army by Austrian officers, OF keeping the Turkomans
sufficiently in check to prevent them from robbing
Persian subjects aud taking them into slavery.
The report, therefore, that 1t desires the annexl-
ton OF Merv to khiva cannot be true and is prob
ably circulated by English agents.
There was "a time when tho Turkomans. with other
Asiatc tribes freely wandered on the shores of the
Caspian and even attacked tho Russian settlements
there: but since the Khivan campaign they have
been driven back to the Atrek, and the object of
General Lazareh's expedition is to subdue them al
together-which, doubtless, could not DO done with
ont flac nr,fti n