Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-11-19
SkObeleff-An Interesting Sketch Of
the Russian General.

In return for his care of his men, he
demanded of them, first of all, unhesi-
tating, untiinching, unquestioning obe-
dience to his orders. If he ordered a
man to do anything, where instant
death was as certain as the sun in Heav-
en-, he expected to be instantly obeyed,
without so much as even a look of ques-
ton or surprise. Himself a man of
wide reading, speaking many languages,
and having travelled in many lands, he
gathered about him, in his personal
staff, Gs rough and unculmred lot of
men as l ever saw in officers uniforms,
but they answered his purpose to carry
orders, and, as he said, if he ordered
one of them to ride his horse against
the muzzle of a discharging cannon he
would do it instantly. One morning that
! was with him on a reconnaissance we
came to a small brook; an officer of his
staff, with whom he had had some cause
of dissatisfaction just before, rode for
ward to try its depth; while he was
cautiously feeling the bank another ofli-
cer-a Cossack-rode toward it, and, as
his horse drew back, piled both spurs
and the whip with all his force; the
horse sprang forward into the middle
OF the little stream, and as it was very
deep though very narrow, both horse
and rider disappeared under the water.
"There," cried Skobeleff to the 9TH
er, "that's the way want my officers
to do things"
The first officer, greatly nettled, then
put spurs to his horse, and though Sko.
belief, seeing his purpose, yelled at him
to stop, in an instant he and his horse
disappeared under the water. Both
men we're then dragged out, dripping
from their cold bath. Every one laugh
ed, and Skobeleff was in the best of
humor.
Now go home and dry your clothes.
You're both fine fellows. But, =" turning
to the first one, Z" after this never hest
tate in what you have to do"
On another occasion Skobeleff heard
one of his Colonels, just as he was going
into action, trying to make a speech to
his men, but hesitating, and stammer-
ing, and breaking down in it. He re-
lieved him instantly. "If at such mo-
ment," he said, ga man can't find few
simple words to tell his men what he
expects them to do then, he don't know
1t himself. At that moment man can't
lie; his heart will speak if he have
heart for fight, and if he can't find
words IL is because he is a coward or be-
cause he has no notion In his head of
what he is to do"
Again, he punished his men without
mercy for the slightest depreciation on
unarmed inhabitants or their property.
''Not that l care anything for these
miserable people-their sufferings are
nothing to those of my men-but be-
cause they had no orders to do it. If it
would serve my purpose, would give
them village to plunder' and burn
without a moments thought. But they
must do it only on my order. want
them to feel that they are merely my
creatures-that they exist simply by my
will"
These little episodes read queerly;
they seem to be almost the doings and
talk of a madman; but it was madness
with a direct method-the insanity
which is merely another name for in
tense concentration of thought and en-
ergy on a single purpose. OF his Off
GERS he required that they should know
their own businessi not that they should
be cultured, should present a fine ap-
pearance, should be gentlemanly In
their speech. He demanded none of
these things, but only that they should
combine untlinching bravery and obedi-
ence with a thorough knowledge of the
way to handle the number of men each
commanded, so as to obtain the great
est results with them. II they answered
these requirements there was nothing
he would not do for them; he secured
them rewards and promotions; he
shared with them whatever he had.
If they failed him in these qualities, he
pursued them relentlessly, abused them
in unmeasured terms, and sought the
first opportunity TO get them out of his
division.
His personal bravery was not only of
the most reckless character, but at times
1t seemed to partake of the merest BRAY
ado, in which only extraordinary luck
prevented him from reaping in death
the well-earned reward of his foolish
ness. He always wore a white coat, a
white hat and rode white horse in bat
tie, simply because other Generals
usually avoided these target-marks. He
was perpetually riding at break-neck
speed over some fence or ditch, leaving
half his staff or orderlies sprawling in
it. He never lost an opportunity of dis
playing courage. He went into battle
in his cleanest uniform and fresh under
clothing, covered with perfume and
wearing q diamond-hilted sword, in or
der, as he said, that he might die with his
best clothes on: For E..a !, long time he
ala MI abmpnt A vona AZ a,d - -.-t.-.