Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-03-10
GEN. SKOBELEFF,
The Russian Daredevil, Who Made the
Sensational Speech When Drunk
Sparkling ROederer
The Whole Cause of the MaudIin After
Dinner Rant Which Raised Such
COmmOtiOn.
New York Herald

L
following: General Skobeleff7s speech was
not delivered seriously. The gallant Young
soldier loves champagne, perhaps too we'll,
and II was under its influence he made his
silly speech. II we went to the root of mat
tiers how often should we find Europe up with
arms and exchanges panic-struck for causes
not much more serious! Exaggerated i'm
portance having been given the Skobeleff in
cldent by the comments OF the German and
English press, / think it as we'll to reduce
the affair 10 its original and Insignificant
proportions. No one was more astonished at
the commOtiOn caused by the generals loose,
after-dinner rant than the Russian statesmen
were. General Skobelef is no weighty poll
tician. He is a soldier, only thirty-eight years
old, who has not had time yet to understand
that the commander OF an army has more
responsibilities than mere sub-lieutenant.
| The day after the famous banquet the affair
was dismissed here with the comment that
General Skokeletf had been talking nonsense
again Knowing the. young hero welI-he
Is more youthful, perhaps, by the by, than
herolc-l paid no attention at all to his toast
Nor did he give much more heed to it him
self. Two days later he went abroad with
the insOucidnce OF a school-boy who runs off
after playing practical joke on some one.
The Russian government has ascribed the
speech to its proper contemplating Roed-
erer. Count Kalnoky, Austrian minister of
foreign affairs, knowing st. Petersburg we'll,
cannot have been alarmed by it. The moral
OF the whole story is that it is a mistake to
promote men, however brilliant, too rapidly.
General Skobeleff is a brilliant soldier. but
he has never been regarded as a statesman.
Count Kalnoky and General Schweinitz gage
Skobelof's Importance very exactly, and you
need not attach much weight to the rumors
afoat of diplomatic ruptures."
In connection with General Skobsleff the
Pal Mall Gazette reproduces some interest
ing "reminiscences of his career. The story
of his exploits in the Bulgarian campaign
includes all that was most exciting in the
war which brought the Russian army within
sight of the minarets of Stamboul. From
the day, "when to show the stuff he was
made Of" he swan his horse across the Dam
ube while General Dragominof was forcing
the passage at Simnitza, to the time when he
could with difficulty be restrained from
marching into Constantinople soon as the
British feet entered the sea of Marmora, he
was the most prominent actor in the drama.
He became the legendary hero Of the cam
paign, and in the minds of the common
people he almost monopoliZed its glories.
He was always in the forefront of the hot
test battle; four horses were shot under him
in ten days, but he was only wounded once,
and after being in constant expecta-
ton of death for months, he returned
was to his soldiers as the white plume of
Henri Quatre at the battle of Ivry. az have
heard the soldiers speak of him." says Lieu
tenant Greene, las a general under whom
they would rather fight and die than fight
and live under another. They had often to
die--sometimes fifty per cent. of his COM
maud perished; but he spared no exertion to
minister to their wants and 10 supply their
needs His division was the best fed. and
h.. a. hoe -, L.
He was always with them in the most ex-
posed positions in the fight, sleeping with
them in the trenches and looking after all
their necessities in the camp" 'In short"
says Lieutenant Greene, "he succeeded SO
thoroughly in making himself one with his
division that his men responded to his
thoughts readily the muscles obey the
will. doubt il a more thoroughly ideal
relation between general and his men has
existed since the days OF Cromwell"
His custom OF wearing white, as If 10
court the bullets OF his enemies, his reckless
personal bravery, and the strange custom of
his OF always going into battle in his cleanest
uniform and fresh Undertaking, covered
with perfume and wearing dlamond-hilted
sword, in order that, as he said, he might die
with his best clothes on, gained him the rep
utation of a wild daredevil, which somewhat
obscured his real capacity as a general In
reality they only showed how thoroughly he
had OWNED that secret of power which lies
in fascinating the Imagination as well as of
appealing to the reason of men. When he
was sent to take Geek Tepe and subdue the
Tekkes, many shook their heads and pre-
dicted that his impetuosity would be his
ruin. So far from that being the case, he
displayed the utmost caution, acted with the
greatestest .deliberation, refused to move
from July to December, until he had
made all his preparations, and, after he
had carried on camels TO the trenches no
fewer than ,575, 900 rounds OF ammunition,
to say nothing of the several thousand of
heavy shot and she'll, he laid siege TO Cock
Tepe and captured that hitherto impregna-
BILE stronghold. He had 10, 900 troops against
4e, 900 Asiatics, and he achieved the conquer
of the Aknal Tekke country with a 10 of
937 men. Only once in that campaign did
Skobelef display his usual recklessness.
After the fortress had fallen he was riding
through the country with his escort when he
met several Tekkes. He asked who they
were. They answered: Friendly Tekkes"
"How can l believe your word?" he asked
again. "Tekkes never lie" was their conf
dent response. "Well," replied ShobeIef,,
"if that is the case l will send my escort
home and will return accompanied by you"
He was az good as his word and his trust in
the word of the nomads was not misplaced.