Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1882-10-25
The New Ruler of Central Asia.

Gen. TchernMef may be expected to
take up his quarters IN Tashkent. Until
eclipsed by Gen. Scobeleff the new ruler
of Central Asia was regarded as what the
Americans would style the banner-5earcr T
of the Slavonic cause. and since the death
of the hero Of Plevna he has regained his
position rs the ablest military champion OF
I the Slavs. During the ServIan campaign,
when, with 1000 Russian volunteers and
the undlsciplined ribo.e of the Servian
militia, he kept at bay for four months the
| flower of the Turkish army, he was hailed
as ''the GarIbaldi of the Slsys," destined to
deliver by his sword the oppressed nation
alties of the East. His early laurels, how
ever, won on a far different field, and II Is
to be the scene of his previous trIumphs
that he Is now returning, not as the cham
pIOn of revolution, but as the representa-
tive of the empire. Tchernaieff's career
as solder began IN the do.orous days Of
the Crmean campaign. He fought at In
herman, defended the Malakod, and, when
the hopeless strnggle was ending, he took
part in blowing up the bridge across which
the garrison OF SeJastopol had made its
retreat. When the treaty of Paris WAS
signed, Ichernaietf found himself. after
nine years. service in the army, a major
On the staff, ard with considerable repu-
tatiOn for a young officer of eight-and-
twenty. After serving for q short time In
Poland, he made his first acquaintance
with Aslatics in ls5S, when he was dis
patched to Orenburg, the Tashken. OF that
day. After a narrow escape from massa-
or OF nI- Af hn Il d -,
who surrounded his little force with over
Thelming numbers, he made peace, and
was busted with administrative and mill
Jary duties until 1861, wnen his active Gu
reer may be said 10 have begun in elrnes,
In the au.umu OF 1861 he had attempted
to capture Tashkent, the capital of tnat
region, by Immediately after taking Tchem-
kent, and he had failed. At the beginning
of 1865 he found himself at Tchemkent
with small force, In position complete
ly commanded by Tashkent town of
rs, QUO inhabitants, greatly coveted by the
Enir OF BOkhars, who was preparing 10
seize II. Notwithstanding the notorious
reluctance of the home government to per.
NIT new advance, Tehsrnaief determined
10 anticipate the B)khsrIJ, Emr and seize
the town. He had not quite ,, 600 men,
with four guns under his orders; bat in
june he set out FOR rchemkent, Lispcr5ei
kokandIan army 10, 900 strong. with 1 5
guns, and after q resistance costing MN
twenty eight killed and eighty wounded,
sJormed Tashkent snd put 10 1Ight rs gar
rison OF ]. 900 men. Trouble ensued with
the Bainariaus, AMI IN the course OF the
lighting Tchernaief received cheek which
led him to retire on the SyrIa Ddria AMI
wait for reeafOrcements. HIS activity,
however, was SO much condemned by tue
Car that, although MS brilliant ullItray
exploit was rewarded by the present OF
sword Dy the emperor, his excessive Zeal
Vas punished by recall. since that time
lS66) he has never been aliawed 10 return
10 Turkestan. Ichernaief, findIng his
military career cut thus abruptly short,
thought of bee c)mIng a lawyer, but he ula-
mately elected TO employ himself as al
editor. lie bought and edited the Rus
sky Mr., and it whaa as special corEcSpOn-
deut Of that paper that he first made his
way into Servia IN the shring of 1876. He
had volunteered TO go to Montenegro ii
the previous autumn, but funds were not
forthcoming, and he had b stay at home.