River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-10-26
"GEN DARMERIE. ,,
what Baker Pasha is Doing and lEas
Bone i'm Turkey.

DVhc HI AuEACy
Some years ago, one Friday night,
an announcement appeared in the
London Gazette stating that her majesty
the queen had no longer need of the
services of Valentine Baker, colonel
and late lieutenant colonel of the Tenth
Huzzars. How that announcement
was regarded by those to whom it
came need not now be considered.
From that moment her majesty's army
had lost the services of one of its ablest
cavalry officers and the nation capa-
bic and loyal soldier. Some short time
had elapsed when the British residents
in Turkey learned to their surprise that
excel. Baker had been appointed, at
the instance of certain distinguished
personages known to the Padishah, as
the head Of a new gendarmerie force
which, rumor had it, would shortly be
formed in Turkey. He WAS to have q
salary of $4,000 year, guaranteed by
the Imperial Ottoman bank. Under
him were to serve about dozen Eng
fish officers chosen by MIN for various
qualities and qualifications, and under
his care the urban populations of
Turkey were to laugh "and grow fat"
Injustice in the provinces, and in the
towns, too, for the matter of that, was
to disappear, rapacious pachas were to
be checked, murders were to cease
from troubling, and weary but long
suffering people were to be at rest.
But human reasons are evanescent and
often deceptive. Blaced under the su-
pervision ofthe minister of police, then
one Handy Pacha, Baker Pacha-for
this time he had attained the rank of
Iva, or brigadier-general-found that
the promises of the porte were like pie
crust, and that these alternative ar
engagements were apt to be abortive.
In fine, Valentine Baker having en-
gagged his staff got them to CONSTANT
nople, reported himself as "ready to
begin" and, prepared to send his Off
GERS into the districts he had selected,
discovered that the jovial Turk. had no
intention whatever of flying into the
face of providence by violently re-
forming a system which Allah had APP
proved, and that, in fact, Handy Pasha
meant to do nothing.
Meanwhile the Russians had crossed
the Danube and were we'll enseonced
behind the hills of the Biela. There
was kind of panic at Stamboul, for
somehow or other the Turks had
looked upon the Danube as kind of
indispensable line, and were terribly
frightened when first the Russ were
"over the border" In the midst of
the general tremor Baker Pash, giving
up for the moment the unavoidable
gendarmerie scheme, volunteered for
active service. might he go and fight
the infidel2' Gus hullah" please
God), was the reply, so Shumla he
went, to place himself under the COM
mand of the slowest. LATEST and most
incompetent commander of the Otto
man forces, Ahmed Eoub, who ever
led the hosts of the Commander of the
Faithful. OF the vicissitudes of his
career on the Danube there is no ne
cessity to treat in detail. He was pres
emily ON the staff of Mehemet Ali, and
while in this position gained the four
little battles of Kaschedo. Then Suiei-
man came, with him he served. All
was of no use, however, and he pres
emily returned, disheartened and upset
to Stamboul, resting 8 while, but chat
| ing to be away. At length an oppor-
| tunity offered, and he found himself at
| Shipka, awaiting Raouf, the CiTcassian.
Presently Mehemet Ali, the little Ger
Imam who was later on to be sssassinated
in Bosnia, demanded his services
st Kamarli, and here he was placed in
| command of the extreme right. Me-
hemet Ali stayed but little while, how
ever, and then came Suleimsn's own
name to the front-Suleiman vino was
afterward tried on the charge oftreach-
cry and finally condemned. AT the re-
treat of that strange commander
Baker once more distinguished him
self by the gallant fight he made with
HOO Turks against 10000 Russians
and SO, too, during the fight to the sea,
conducted himself as soldier Should.
Returned once more to CONSTANT
nople, Baker devoted himself to con-
sideripg how best the capital might be
defended against the Muscovite hosts
then rapidly advancing. His plans
executed at last-were SO admirable
that it is not saying too much to assert
that had he been allowed to hold the
lines with 5000 men, the treaty of San
Stefano would never have been made.
Peace came, and with it certain re-
| Taxation of Bakers duties, for between
the time when the Russians occupied
Macrikeni and the day which saw their
departure, upon Baker had devolyed
the task of defending the most impor-
tant part of the Turkish lines. Baker
was now free to finish the "lines" he
had partially and hurriedly construct
ed at the Buyuk Tckekmedje. and at
the Su'tan's request he did SO. During
this time he was seen several times by
Abdul Hamid, and gained greatly in
his favor. From the day when the
Berlin treaty was signed ne has always
been con leave" doing something. He
speaks Turkish little; is liked by
Turkish soldiers; is clear-sighted, calm
and resolved. OF all living English
men, not excepting Chinese Gordon,
he is the most competent to carry out
fba foely nf military rpfOrna in ETvnt -