Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-08-05
sKOBELOFFs LAST VICTORY.
Graphic story Of His Defeat OF ths
Turk0mans.

81. SuHteS OtASStCc.
On the failure of the first expedition sent
| against the Tekke Turkomans, in 1850,
| Skobeloff undertook to subdue them. The
task was a 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 Geke
Tepe, In which they had concentrated some
twenty thousand fanatical warriors, were
| invested by Skobeloff's little army OF seven
thousand of all arms-the remaining ten
thousand men OF the force being occupied
In keeping communications open-tne real
difficulties commenced.
Sword in hand, the Turkoman "Ghazls"
made furious sorties in bodies OF two or
three thousand, usually just before dawn,
falling heriocallv on the parallels, ap-
proaches, and preaching batteries which
they more than once captured, driving such
of the Russian troops as we're not at once
cut to pieces completely out Of the trenches,
so that these points had to be strongly
reinforced and covered, keeping the
whole force often day and night
under arms. In one of these sallies
Skobelotf's famous white charger, on
which he had made the Turkish campaign,
was killed under him, and he himself was
in imminent danger. The loss of this horse,
which he took for a bad omen, seemed to
shake his resolution somewhat. He tele-
General should be sent ''to take command
in case he was killed" in the final assault,
which he proposed delivering almost imme-
diatelY; and Gen. PaulOff actually left for
this purpose. Skobeloff said openly that he
would not survive If the attack failed, and
significantly observed to his staff "that II
1t did fail there was nothing for it but their
revolVers."
The assault was made by escalade. ar
{vnf mid hafx apN.
the batteries and one made by mine ru1
under bastion or mud cavalier some three
hundred yards distant from the first breach
Now, the defenders expected the assault tn
be made by the breaches, and had made
every preparation to repel it at those points.
and thus they were taken altogether bv snrl
prise. On their being driven from the ram
part, which took some time to effect. the
artillery was dragged through the breaches.
and, being mounted on the wall, opened an
ehective cannonade on the crowded interior
of the enceinte, while the cavalry moved
around outside to cut on the retreat Of the
fugitives. Organized resistance HAVING
ceased, the Russian infantry descended into
the enceinte, and, orders having been issued
to give no quarter, some six thousand to
seven thousand of the enemy were massa-
cred, an equal number being shot or cut
down by the Cossacks and dragons outside
0btCLupbluE W C6CdpCs
Many of the Russian officers themselves
were completely sickened by the slaughter,
which was horrible. The Cossacks, as usual,
spared no one, and made no difficulty about
cutting women's arms of to get their
bangles. and so forth. AS contingents from
the Akhal, Sailor. and other Turkomaps
were in Geek Tepe (all the hordes having
Tor the time made common cause against
the Russians), this severe lesson, ioined to
the subsequent plundering of cattle and all
the available effects of the Tekkes, COM
pletelY broke the spirit of these hitherto
unconquered nomads. In q few davs all
the tribes sent in delegates rendering un-
conditional submission
Skobelot's loss during the siege aud as
sault amounted to seventeen hundred killed
And wounded, among whom were many
good officers, and one General PetrOsaie-
Vitcn), man of considerable literary
ability, who was much regretted.
Inc 1usGincatiOn OF the massacre at Geek
Iepe is, that the Russians having deter
mined to annex Turkomania, a severe ex-
ample was absolutely necessary; a war of
very harassing and protracted nature
would otherwise have probably dragged on
Tor years, involving great expenditure both
d men and money. And then, In the
.torming OF fortresses held by warlike and
'anatical Asiatics, who invariably expect to
De killed II the place is taken, isolated re-
'istance is going on throughout. Few Il
my Ghazis will accept quarter; it is even
dangerous to pass near them when thew are
Ying dangerously wounded.
On the conclusion of the campaign, Gen.
'kooelof repaired to st. Petersburg, where
t is said he was very coldly received bv the
Emperor. Any how, he almost immediately
'ppned Tor leave and went to Paris, made
lis famous speech against the Germans and
eturned TO Russia, where he received an
walton on arrival and en- route. His sud-
len death is generally thought to be rather
and certainly no man alive
eemed less likely to die six months ago
han Skobelof, and none more likely to Be
ntering upon new career