The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1882-08-17
SKOBELEFF'S LAST VIC
TORY,


On the failure of the first expedition
| sent against the Tekke TurkOmans. in
1880, SkOkeleff undertook to subdue
them. This task was serious one, for
the Tekkes, like all fighting Asiatic
races when flushed with victory, were
dangerous enemies, hard to beat. When
the mud Notifications of Geek Teppe,
| in which they had concentrated some
twenty thousand fanatical warriors,
were invested by Skobeleff's small army
of about seven thousand of all arms
the remaining ten thousand men of the
force being occupied in keeping the
communications Open-the real difficult
ties commenced.
Sword in hand, the Turkoman "Gha-
zis" made furious sOrties in bodies of
two or three thousand, usually Just be-
fore dawn; falling herOically upon the
parallels, approaches and preaching bat
teries, which they more than once cap
tured, driving such of the Russian
troops as were not at once cut to pieces
completely out of the trenches; so that
these points had to be strongly rein
forced and covered, keeping the whole
force often day and night under arms.
In one of these sallies SkObeleff's fam
Gus white charger, on which he had
made the Turkish campaign, was killed
under him, and he himself was in i'm
minent danger. The loss of his horse,
which he took for a bad omen, seemed
to shake his resolution somewhat. He
telegraphed to Tiflis desiring that an
other General should be sent to take
command 'in case he was killed" in the
hnal assault, which he proposed deliV-
ering almost Immediately; and General
PauloH actually left for this purpose.
SkObeletf said openly that he would not
survive if the attack failed, and signifi-
cantly observed to his staff "that if 1t
did fail there was nothing for it but
their reYOlvprs."
The assault was made by escalade at
a point midway between breach effect
ed by the batteries and one made by a
mine run under bastiOn or mud caYa-
l1er some three hundred yards distant
from the first breach. Now, the defend
ers expected the assault to be made by
the breaches, and had made every prepa-
ration to repel it at those points; and
thus they were taken altogether by sur
prise. On their being driven from the
rampant, which took some time to effect,
the artillery was dragged through the
breaches, and, being mounted on the
wall, opened an effective cannOnade on
the crowded interior of the enciente,
while the cavalry moved around outside
to cut off the retreat of the fugitiVes
GedSHU.
Russian infantry descended into the en-
ciente, and, orders having been given to
show no quarter, some six or seven
thousand of the enemy were massacred.
an equal number being shot or cut down
by the COssacks and dragons outside
while attempting to escape.
Many of the Russian officers them
selves were completely sickened by the
slaughter, which was horrible. The
Cossacks, as usual, spared no one, and
made no difficultyabOut cutting wOmens'
arms off to get their bangles, and so
forth. As cOntingents from the Akhal,
Sailor and other TurkOmans were in
Cock Tepe (all the hordes having for
the time made common cause against
the Russians), this severe lesson, Joined
to the subsequent plundering of cattle
and all the available effects of the
Tekkes, completely broke the spirit of
these hithOrto uncOnquered nOmads. In
few days all the tribes sent in dele
gates rendering unconditional submis-
sion.
SkObeleff's loss during the siege and
assault amounted to seventeen hundred
killed and wounded, among whom were
many good officers, and one General
(PetrOsaievitch), man of considerable
literary ability, who was much regretted.
The justification of the massacre at
GeOK Iepe Is tnaG the Russians, having
determined to annex TurkOmania, a Sc
we're example was absolutely necessary;
war of very harassing and protract-
ed nature would otherwise have prOba-
bly, dragged on for years, involving
great expenditure both of men and
money. And then, in the stOrming of
fOrtresses held by warlike and fanatical
Asiatics, who invariably expect to be
killed if the place is taken, isolated re-
sistance is going on throughout. Few
If any Ghazis will accept quarter; it is
even dangerous to pass near them when
they are lying badly wounded.
On the conclusion of the campaign
General SkObeleff repaired to st. Peters
burg, where it is said he was very cOldly
received by the Emperor. Anyhow, he
almost Immediately applied for leave
and went to Paris, made his famous
speech against the Germans and return
ed to Russia, where he received an Ova-
tiOn on arrival and en- route. His sud-
den death is generally thought to be
rather mysterious; and certainly no
man alive seemed less likely to die six
months ago than SkObeleff, and none
more likely to be entering upon a new
career.-(St. James Gazette.