The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-06-14
ALEXANDER iii,
ehe'ch OF the Life OF the Czar-AtI,I.te
Soldier and Statesman.

'Ae'ch ot the Life OF the Czar-AtbIete
Soldier and Statesman.
Alexander AleXandroyitch, Gar Of all
the Russias, was born February oG
March 10, new style), 1915. He was
the second son Of ihe late Car. and %
IS usual with grand dukes with no nroh.
able prospect of the throne. yerv I;ttIe
care was bestowed on his education. lie
was permitted to follow his own ipc,ino.
ton and tastes. He disliked porgan,s
IIIn;iiorms, II; and usually wore civilian dress.
lis iaVorite pastimes were hunting
anu muscular exercise. He was true
sportsman. When his coat was off and
snirt > sleeves rolled up, his tall, large
ngure acquired considerable energy and
aoiiit y, and his features looked animated
II not handsome. Then there was q
certain man!!ness and even bravery about
nm; He was happy when he surpassed
MS brothers, who were also good athletes,
IN gymnestic exercises. Suddenly he
was called from his sports to occupy the
responsible post of Czarevitch, his senior
brother, Nicholas, having died. This
happened in 1865. 1t was q great shock
20 ms future subjects, as the young man
aad the credit OF being an obstinate, ca.
PRECIOUS, bad tempered boy. The brothers
mad always been playfellows and greatly
attached to each other, and when but
ten and eleven years old were brought
10 the death.bed of the Emperor Nicho.
las, ln 1855, to receive their grandfather's
blessing and few words of advice. AS
might be expected ut their age and on
such an occasion, they both shed many
tears: That the present Gear married
the Princess Dagmar (who on her re-.
baptism iiito the Eastern Church received
the names Of Mary Feodorovna) at the
special request of the dying youth to
whom she was betrothed is we'll known (;
ana though the request seemed hardly
natural the elder brother probably re.
membered that she was not without am
bitlon, and had thought much of the
position which she would some day oc.
cupy, and which in his unselfsh love. he
strove to secure for her in the only posi-
BILE way.
The Gear has been in active service in
the army from his boyhood. Before the
late war he had already attained the rank
of full general of infantry and the
command of the corps Of the Guard,
a picked body of troops numbering
about fifty-three thousand men Of
all arms. He was in active
service throughout the whole ofth cam
paign on the Danube, and for this pur-
pose he temporarily gave up the com.
mand of the Guard aud took command
of two corps of the line, the Twelfth
and Thirteenth, to whom was intrusted
the task of protecting the left flank of
the army against any sorties from the
vicinity Of the fortresses of Rustchuk and
Razgrad. In this way it happened that
he was not present at the battles about
Plevna nor the passage of the Balkans,
but he had his full measure of hard
fighting in series of battles and COM
bats, principal among which were Kara
hassankivi, Ablava, Metchka and Iris.
tenik. His lines were too extended in
the early part of the summer, and after
the first two battles, in which he was
opposed by largely superior force of
Turks under Mehemet Ali, he was
obliged to fall back and reduce his front.
lie remained always afterwards on the
defensive, in strict accordance with his
instructions and the plan of the cam
paign, but in the last two battles, which
took place in November, 1877, he signal
ly defeated Suleiman Pacha, who had
succeeded Mehemet Ali, and there was
no further fighting in his front. He
entered Rustchuk in February and
Immediately afterward returned TO
Russia, turning over his command to
General Todleben. The importance of
his command and its achievements have
been overlooked in comparison with the
bloodier battles about Plevna, but had
Vehement Ali broken through the lines
and reached the Zimnitza Bridge the
safety of the whole Russian army would
have been seriously compromised, if
not wholly destroyed. On returning to
Russia he resumed his command of the
Guard, but about year since he was
promoted in the place of his uncle, Field
Marshal the Grand Duke Nicholas, to
the most important military command in
the Empire-namely, that of all the
troop in the military circumscription or
department of St. Petersburg. This
command he still retained when his
father was killed. The civil positions
which he has held have been equally
high and important.
STATESMAN.