New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-08
ORIENTAL NOTIONS or HONOR on THE
BATTLEFIELD.

From me LO7tdOn l(Hby NfFss
The late kilograms report dreadful mutilatlons by
the Egyptian soldiers on the wounded az Tie last
engagement which took place. Inc Dooies OF INy
Life Guardsmen were found in such a dlslgured
condition that they were quite unrecognHabie'
Their faces were horribly gashed about. One BODY
had one Of the hands completely severed from the
arm, while the other Vas nearly so. one 0t ING
eyes had been scoOped out of the socket" A
wounded Guardsman relates that after be fell with
his thigh broken. and while lying on the battle
field, he saw q soldier in Egyptian Uniform riding
by, and called on him for help, when the brute
rode up and with cut OF his sabre laid the troop
er's cheek open from the temple to the chin"
comparatively small battlefield. and we can i'm
agine what they might be II It was heavy
struggle and more particularly II tine ground vi the
battle had to be lett in the occupation OF the enemy
The Oriental soldier OF the present day Is not a
Saladin He has no nOticn OF mercy TO iallen
foe It matters not In what part Oh tbe Lost We
seek examples the battlefield witnesses the same
brutalities In Afghanlstan. as we had many OK
periences. whoever fell into the hands OF the enemy
was crimped all over, like a piece OF PORK ready
for the spit. with the long charra which each AZ,
CHAN carries in his kummerbaud; men murdered
on the road, were they natives or Europeans, 70
.nattered nothng-this was the condition In when
their bodies were found The Abysslnians, who are
in very primitive condition as well rs their helgh-
bors the Gallas practise very rude kind OF mnlIa-
ton. OF which reference Will be iound III the scrip
ture and IL seems 10 have been common act on
battlefelds at an early period IN the last Nhen
we 20 back to the more savage conditions OF civil
ization the victorious war; Tor cuts oil noses ears
and fingers from his fallen enemy, and wears them
on his person as trophies OF prowess This is still
done by the Indian tribes OF North America, with
some of whom the scalp is not the only evidence
of victory that is carried of.
In the account OF the battle which took place
between the Turkish troops under Mustapha Paeha
and NapOleOn at Aboukr, the Turks not only lost
the dav but their whole army, and that, too, after
they had all but won the fight, from this most rep
rehensible practice. When the French began 70
retreat the Turkish soldiers rushed ont OF tnelr
jntrenchments TO mutIlate the wounded bodies
left on the field, and from the disorder TINS pro-
duced in their ranks the French were abe 10
renew the attack aud finally annlhllated the urk-
ish army on that occasion. The Russian Army,
which Is supposed TO be completely European IN US
organization and sentiments. has shown AT no Tar
back date that IL had still left some Of the Oriental
in stincts 80 peculiar 70 its origin. AT the battle OF
Inketuann accounts were current OF barbautes
committed on wounded men, ana RUSSIAN
major who was made prisoner was accused oil some
of these acts A correspondence was said 10 have
taken place between Lord Raglan and the author
tiles in Se0astOpol to his conduct. and the major
was understood 70 have made q narrow escape rom
hanging a. shooting would have been too good TOT
such crimes. Russian officers as BODY are no
doubt educated above this type, but their men az
the time OF the Crmean War not free from tho
weakness At the siege of Kars both Russians aud
Turks ere said to have been guilty OF TINS on the
field of battle. Colonel Lake, in his account OF tue
defence OF Kars in 1875, in describing the ground
after one of the Russian attacks, says that, DIt
few wounded remained, for, unlapplly. htte
quarter was given on either side" In Enropedu
battles there is certain proportion OF killed ana
wounded which is well understood, but IN Dattles
fought by Oriental soldiers this proportion is never
found The number of dead Is enormously Increased
In comparison TO that of European battlehelds