The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1882-08-09
General SkobeleR,s Career.

Russia and the most picturesque soldier
in Europe. In peace he excelled the
swells Of the kingdom in his fondness
for the luxuries Of dress and the dainti
ness of his tastes. In war he was the
embodiment OF bravery and the persona
fication OF reckless fury. Glad in a
white uniform that glittered with gold
braid, and mounted on q white horse,
he led his men to victories snatched
out Of the very CULTS of death, and it
was said of those he commanded that
they idolizei him, and seemed to
prefer death at the heels of his
horse to victory under any other
commander. He was OF soldierly
carriage and fine physique, black-eyed
brown. haired and full-bearded. he came
OF q race of soldiers. His grandfather,
rather and himself we're all generals
and chevaliers Of st. George, and valor
got each one his title and honors.
Michael was the youngest Russian gen
eral. He was graduated from the Mill
tary Academy in St, Petersburg in 1858,
and, without serving in the Guards, be
at once pitched into battlein Turkestan
at the head of corps OF Cossacks. He
was then twenty-five years old. He re-
mained in Turkestan until 1871, and
went thence to the Caucasus on the staff
of the Grand Duke Michael. Later he
commanded battalion of the Seventy
fourth regiment of the line, and
in 1873 he was transferred to Khiva,
where the czar was fighting the khan.
When the formslity of military disci.
pline hampered him in this campaign,
he deliberately disobeyed orders ana at
the same time gave evidence of his
genius as soldier. In the same cam
paign, in order to finish and deliver
his report to General Kaufman, he and
MacGahan, the famous wa correspond
ent, remained in the palace of the khan
when 1t seemed madness to tarry there.
For this and reconnaissance in dis
guise to the Turcoman desert he was
given the cross of st. George of the
fighting for the throne of Spain Skobe'
left Joined his staff avowedly to study
war out of Russia, but probably because
he could not keep away from war.
As cavalry commander he fought in
Turkestan, and here, at night, with $50
men, he dashed into the main camp Of
the enemy, who, imagining the Russian
army upon them, fed without taking
even their turbans. Not one of Skobe-
leff's men was killed or wounded. Tem-
porarily left in command he stormed
and took the city of Namanyah, which
had revolted. For this, though he was
but thirty years old, he was made
maior.general. In the second war with
Khokland he compelled the khan to sur
render, and when that country was an
nexed was made its governor and given
the third class cross of st. George, His
next brilliant feat was in the Russo
Turkish war. He had been on the staff
of the Grand Duke Michael, been trans
ferred to the staff of his father, a
lieutenant general, and his fathers COM
mand being broken up, he found him
self out of employment where the
| lighting was heaviest. He remained in
| the army as volunteer, and sent his
name riug ginR through Russia by CROSS
! ing the Danube on horseback, sword in
hand, at the head of a few men, and
driving the Turks from their positions
overlooking S,stowa. Again, almost in
the next dispatches, he was reported at
the siege of Plevna. at the head OF a
whirlwind of cavalrymen, actually PEN
etrating the Notifications. But the in
fantry upon whom he relied failed, and
| Skobeletf had to retire. In the second
battle of Plevna he captured two re-
doubts, and, after defending them for
twenty. four hours against the incessant
| hail of lead from vastly su-
perior force, he was forced back, still
lighting like q bulldog. He lost 5000
out of $4,000 men, had seven horses
shot from under him, and when the last
had gone led the way into the redoubt
on foot, waving his diamond-hilted
word.
His greatest military feat was, when,
with 20, 600 men, he stOrmed and took
Lovtscha in Bulgaria, and won a strate-
gical point behind Osman Pasha's
army. The war was not half over when
he was made heutenant-general and
commander of the Sixteenth division.
When Radetzky and Prince Mersky had
both been repulsed by Vessel Pasha al
Shenova, Skobeleff made the PashH
surrender. At the czar's' order he en-
tered Adrianople. With his already
famous command he was long before
Constantinople, and finally had charge
Of all the Russian forces retiring from
Turkey.
Since the war the world outside Rus
sia heard but little of him, though two
thirds of his countrymen worshiped
him as the foremost champion of Pan
slavist theories Love for him was said
to be one of the few things in which
the country and the czar were wholly in
accord. Last February his soldierly
bluntness gave him worldwide promi-
nenee. 1t was at a dinner of Servian
stulents in Paris that he declared O
.lruggls between the Slavs and Te1tons
Inevitable. He said it would be long
and bloody, but the SlaVs would con,
quer. He had the world for his hearers,
and Europe waited snxiously for an ex-
PLANTATION. Skobeletf disavowed any