Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-07-29

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From the London Times.
No military commander of the present gen.
Grafton has succeeded in gaining the enthusiast
tic attachment of his soldiers in anything APP
preaching the same degree as Gen. Skobeleff.
and, indeed, he appears to have been able to ex-
ercise as complete a fascination over all who
were brought into contact With him. The
military annals of Russia during the last ten
years are full OF anecdotes of his personal valor
and daring, some of which were highly
Characteristic, While they all contributed to
make him the idol Of his men. The general feel
ing of his soldiers toward him was one OF in
tense p rsOnal attachment and devotion, which
lrresistibly remind the reader of the sentiment
felt by the veterans of Napoleon toward their
great chief. In this respect Skobeleff stood
alone among Russian generals. and this unique
position, which was growing stronger every
day, because the feeling of admiration on which
it was based was passing from the ranks of the
army into the hearts of the people. seemed to
warrant belief that the young general would
play foremost part in the crisis when the house
OF Romanof. brought to it's long-threatened
trial, will be rel affiliated in popular esteem or
ruined forever. We propose to briefly record
some of the principal of these anecdotes as
throwing light upon the character Of one Of the
few heroes of our time.
SkObelef found no opportunity of special dis
tinction until the time of the expedition against
khiva. He was appointed to the command Of
regiment of Cossacks in the column sent from
Kimberly Bay, on the Caspian, to join the corps
derthe orders of Gen. Verefkin which operated
from Orenburg. The suffcrings incurred during
this march were dreadful. and have been feel
ingiy recorded by Lieut.. Sunni German
officer attached to it. Several times it seemed
that the absence of water would entail not
merely the failure of the expedition. but the
destruction of the whole force, and a rapid
retreat to the Caspian seemed to afford the only
means OF escape During this critical time Col
Skobeeif was always to the front with his Cos
sacks, and it was his fortunate capture of a
large convoy of provisions from a stronger
body of Turcomans that gave the trOops the
first encouragement they had met with during
their march. In the operations before the
town of khiva, Skobclef took a more promi-
nent part than his rank warranted. owing to
Gen. Verefkin being incapacitated by a wound
Indeed, he may be said to have effected the
capture OF the place, for, having battered down
the HaZavat Gate, lie made his way, at the
head of d thousand men, to the palace of the
Khan. He effected his purpose but. on
learning that Gen. Kaufman had entered the
town by another gate he at once withdrew
leaving the Governor General the nominal credit
OF the victory Before the Russian troops re-
crossed the OXus SkObelef on the principle
that " adventures are still for the adventurous )"
made the opportunity of gaining fresh distinc-
ton The difficulties Of the desert, which had
nearly proved too much for his own column,
had completely bafiied that sent under Col Mar
kOZof from Chikshlar and the Attreck 1t adj
vanced short distance Beyond the Igdy wells.
when it had to beat retreat and the opera
tons eliminated in disgrace and disaster. The
desire was often expressed to ascertain whether.
if MarkOZof had persisted in his attempt. he
could have made his way to cKhiva and the
only means of settling the point was for some
one to explore the route between Khiva and
lgdy This was the task to which. when the
operations Of the war were concluded. Skcbeletf
set himself with characteristic energy. Dressed
IN Turcoman costume. land accompanied BY
three Turcomans attached to his person, he
rode for ten days through the desert. and sue
ceedcd IN making the necessary examination to
establish the fact that NarkozOf had had no
choice save to retreat. This adventurous Jour-
ney, in the midst of a cruel and infuriated en-
envy. spread the fame Of Skobeieff's gailantry,
and his exploration OF the old bed Of the OXus
was acknowledged to be the most intrepid feat
OF the war.
In 1873 the outbreak of disturbances in the
khanate of Khokand, where the people rose I'D
against their Prince khudayar resulted in the
dlspateh OF RUSSIAN expedition into that state,
and Skobe!ef was intrusted with one OF the
principal commands. 1t was mainly due to hi,
valor and to the energy with which he followed.
up the beaten attachments Of the enemy that
the khokandians were so speedily dsheartened
At Makhram he showed for the first time the
capacity of a leader of men in out-maneuvring
a greatly superior force of his opponents. He
obtained the reward of his merit in his appoint
nent to the post of first governor of Ferghana;
but, having exposed something of the corrup-
ton prevailing throughout the public depart
ments, he made powerful enemies, and found
himself obliged to hasten to st. Petersburg to
meet and refute the charges brought in retalia-
ton against himself. He was still under cloud
when the Turkish war began. aud the utmost
favor he could obtain was to be appointed en-
dlsponibitte to the staff Of the Grand Duke Mich
Olas. Neither the jealousy of his brother gene
als-1Or Skobelef was now major general.
and decorated. moreover, with two crosses of
st. GeOrge-nOr the disfavOr OF the court could
keep such man in the background when rep
utatlon was to be won by vaor and skill shown
IN face e, Of the enemy The first act OF the
OF the Bayard of the Russian army. He
attached himself as aide-de-camp to the gene
raj commanding the advance guard. and,
while the rest OF the troops were crossing the
Danube IN boats: he swan his horse across In
view OF the whole army. The Danube at this
point Is twice the width Of the Thames, and the
effect of the act was to bring home as vital
fact to the army in Europe Skobeeff7s reputa-
ton for gallantry, which had been up to that an
Aslatic production. What this passage of the
Danube showed the later incidents of the war
confirmed. In the second battle at Plevna-
that fought on the 3Oth of July-his skillful ma
npulation of the cavalry checked the Turkish
advance and virtually saved the Russian army
from humiliation. But it was at the struggle
of Loftcha that he shone to the most cOnspic-
uOus advantage; for the results of that battle,
which was fought on the lines he sketched out,
were that Osman Pasha was cut Off from his
communications with Shipka and constrained
to hold on to his position at Pleyna. The Grand /
Duke Nicholas acknowledged that Skobeleff
was 1.-The hero of the day" The struggle at
Loftcha being successfully concluded, Skobeleff
fastened to take part in the desperate assault
Oh the Gravitza and adjoining redoubts, which
resulted in, perhaps, the most awful slaughter
of modern times. It will be remembered that
SkObeen, at the head of $4,000 men, succeeded
in effecting a Judgment within the line of Turk
fsh red oubts, but that he was driven out on the
following day. His loss amounted to 5000 men,
but instead of his soldiers being disheartened
and disguised with him personally by this dis
astrous failure, they worshipped him more than
ever as the general who had shared all their
perlls and who had performed almost incredible
feats of valor. 2 II
Skobelef received his reward in being raised
to the rank of lieutenant general, with the COM
mand of the 10th division, which he at once set
himself to work to make the most efficient in
the army. His attention to the comfort of bis