New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-22
STORIES ABOUT THE RUSSIAN BAYARD

STORIES ABOUT THE RUSSIAN BITARD
WK Rose IN The Forfnighqy Reriec
A woman would have described SCObelet's face as
handsome and it was manly III every Hneament.
With short-peaked, far, almost golden, whskers,
the clean shaven chin and well-cut mouth almost
covered by a long silky mCstache, Indicated
great fTmness OF purpose and strength OF Will. HIS
nose was large straight, finely moulded ana not too
prominent: The flexible nostrls dla'ed IN The ex,
ctement of battle or animated discourse thus and
the flashing light OF his bright blue eyes being tne
only indications of the volcanic energy Vi the an.
On foot his tall and graceful presence. ms free,
onen and courteous manner riveted atten-
tiGn One felt Instnctlyely that he was
face to face with a king among men. He
was the best hOrseman | ever saw 6estrde
thoroughbr d. and his splendid personal bearing at
the head of column of ca Try or the cent hgure
of a brilliant staff fully realized ones idea OF the
knIghtly character. HIS mount was a white or
light gray thoroughbred. In campaign he lad
ALWAYS three remounts OF these white char2er5,
which were bred on his own estate at SpassksJe.
His attachment his horses was a. that OF an Arab
and next TO cruelty TO man. nothing reused hm
more than inattention OF cruelty To ms equine
iavorltes. From his white uniform aud Snlte
charger nc received among his Turkish foes the
name of AJAX Pacha. Wherever the ire was hottest
or the combat most deadly there was the AK or
White Pacha and ScObeleli came 10 be regarded by
the superstltlOus Turkish s0ldlery as u species OF
demon with IA charmed lie.
This reputation, by the way, was not connneu
to the Turk sh army. though with the simple Rus-
sian soldiers his charmed life WAS believed TO 10
due to the special nterpOstlO- OIL SAINT DemetIlus-
4 sis q
field hospitals in the ra'ine close 10 the l.ovaeha
road at PleNna told me that wounded soldier
whom she was tending had soemnly assured her
that nothing could hurt the General: he bulet
which had shattered bis had, he said first passed
clean through the General but as usual without
iuluring him III tho slightest, ,
Genial goOd-natuIe and a remarkable warmth
of heart were emlnently CHARACTERISTIC OF TINS
chlvalrOus soldier. | remember seeing MN cast
his cloak over wounded Hnesmah mo Had uad
his leg shattered by shell on Tie Vne-ciad slopes
leading from the ravlne to the Gfeen liu az
Plevna: and. at n subsequent date, when Me-
Gabsn was hurt, he sent him his only remaining
w-rap When the Sixteenth Division, of which he
then held command, was quarteTeu IN ana aTouDu
>HyuO | accompanied him one day IN hls Tound Oh
inspection And here Is an exact report OF the visit
written at the time to a little inend IN Englahd
"General ScObelei carefully over the soldiers
quarters, TO see that the men are c0mtortaLie ana
that their food Is good. lie tastes their DrOh anu
mlllet portage, and bread aud meat and woe be 10
the contractor who supplies BAD stun. W hen VIC
| made our UNEXPECTED entrance into the yaid which
constituted the kitchen of the regiment, we found
lot of hungry little boys and glrls whose parents
had been allied By the Turks They "ere hanging
about quietly watching the sOdler-coOks with
hungry eyes, and hoping that they might Tome 10
tor a little bit OF the dinner. The soldiers, when
they saw the General, whom they all love ana
admire. were not very sure tlat they were uOius
what would be approved OF In giving share or
their dinner to the poor starving orphans. - they
tried TO screen them when they drew themselves
M 10 salute the General. General Scobelen, how
ever observed the urchlns, and at once surnised
what they had come into the yard Tor And he san
tD
these ragged chlldIen Iney saiuted anu saId,
Yes your Excellency. Do they come every day :
again asked the General. Yes, your ENcellency,
was the answer OF the soldiers. Then the Gencral,
quite moved. dropped his angry tone and SAID
That Is right. my "A brave soIdlerls always d
kiua romTade and kind man is always brave
soldier Never forget, he added, 10 share your
little with the poor aud the starving. Ine soldiers
tnereupon gave burrah, ana ScOOeeH Instructed
his aIde-de-camp 10 dlstlOuJe some uouey ahlOHE
Some time before the last recorded incident was
travelling with General Scobelen from fhilpp0p0lls
To kaZanlik, when our carriage broke down at ma
lofer DURING enforced stay the General as
was his wont. went and ont among the lnhao-
itants making kindly inquiries ~ 10 their lot In
life A Noman who had taken 10 her home two
children orphaned during tue massacre al tha1
place by the retreating Turks on GOurkO brst al,
vance across the Balkans was earnestly commehued
fot her dsiutereS ted behavior by the Genefai, VINO
added hat lt tbs duty as well as the prlNiles9
of the poor to help each other al Time wuen uou
sent mistOrtunes upon them; wished 70 oheI
Ntrle money 70 the woman but the General speak
ing IN English forbade ~ stating that IL nAnt taAe
the ed ge OF the very proper feeling which had nan-
ifestIv nrompted her good action. and blunt the
splrit of independence which he was gao I'd oo-
serve was the rule among the peasants OIL bulgaria.
But tine General himself COmtorted the hearts OF
crowd of children who had collected by Tree as
trbution OF sugar-tne whole stock OF when ne
had purchased from a little store III halt-fulheu
house. o., c,.ton,
character was his deep righteousness Ills rellglon
was broader than creed ana deeper thah form,
nature 80 strongly developed IN the menDe Oh al
the branches of the great Slavonlc race. Naturally
conformiugtO the orthodox Ortek ChurcD. Whlcu
lie Thought with his Friend Aksakoh peculiarly
suited 10 the genius of the Slay people, ne was 50
little of fanatic as TO recognize That religion
did not consist III either belief IN Church or con-
LESSONS OF faith, IN profession but IN IuIty
conception OF duty discharged az earnestly as Iue
doctrine seemed to be: "Whatsoeyer thy hand
fpdeth to 40 do il with all thy might" leaving
the rest with God. And IL was in this lght-not
the blind fatalism of the Turk, but the assured
faith OF the Christian-that heard bis remark on
being driven out of the Green Hill redoubts after
1877: " | have done my best could do no more.
blame NOBODY; II is the will OF God" -
As a disciplInaran he was firm and strict. no
point too minute To be overlooked Sconelen
yedettes were never caught mapping Ills KNOW
ledge CT the detail Of llltary duty was universal
even TO sounding all the bugle calls. An lllustra-
ton of the discipline of ms corps occurs 10 me-
had Deen talking with him OF military breech-
leaders aud discussing the merits oI various - >
| TENS Taking Berdan" With which the troops
| were latterly armed from soldier, he undld inc
| breech and lock and explained the mechanism
| with the precision OF gulsmtn. returning INC
ride IN the soldier he turned. and walking mp 10
! sentry few PAGES distant, he SAID; Let me SO
! vour rifle U-eAteuding his hand AS he spoke Tho
! man saluted and replied: cannot, your Excel
IencyD But want TO see If II Is Clean. persist,
| ted the General / cannot your EXcelency'
| again said the sentry, firm ~ rock. ccOoelet
smiled, pulled his ears and walked on asAeu ai
! explanation whereupOn he said THAI rule OF war
| with him was that no sentry on duty was on any
account to give up possession Oh MS arms-not
even 10 the Gar himself. But, said i, suppose
the sentry had given up his rifle "hen YOU WEI, 80
seemingly so serious in asking IT, what then
/ " lie would have been shot, quietly replied lnes
| General, Tor disobedenee to orders III 'ilus
war"