Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-11-09
"REMINISCENCES OF STEWART
The English or GER Lately AssassiHsted
by Arabs on the Nile.

The English OE-cer Lately AssassiHsted
by Arabs on the Nile.
Your notice CT the death OF Lieut.. Col.
Stewart brings to my mind many pleas
ant things concerning this brave of2cer.
says a letter to the Springfield Republican.
About three wears ago while passing
through Asia &-InOr l met COi.-then
Capt.-Stewart, Vice Consul TO CeTea,
Turkey. As we were going the same di-
rectiOn we agreed TO travel together.
found him a true English gentleman, of
high culture. sympathetic, and uniformly
kind, He was extensively Travelled, hav-
ing seen most OF the world, ana not yet
more than 80 years Of age. He ha dtraVel-
ed extensively in Europe and Asia, and
was in Egypt VIXEN death claimed ham
early in his promising career. No Obsta-
Gle turned HIM fFCm his purpose when
once settled upon at the time he travel
ed through Persia it was not safe for an
officer or tourist. SO ne travelled as an
American missionary. He had already
visited China and ~ estern Asia, and was
He visited the States-as the English call
the United States-and Canada a few
wears ago, Just after | babe him good
bye at AleppO he started for the desert
with three camels and Arab servants, and
an Interpreter. He lett his own servants
in Aleppo so that ne would be compelled
to talk Arabic and sc get the language.
He acquired a Language rapidly. In one
wear he spoke Turkish like a native; of
course. this is wonderful. He was hard
worker, ard constantly active. He. with
a number of other English army officers,
was sent to Turkey to help the Turks car
rv out some reforms which the Sultan had
promised England to have carried out.
But a very little of his time was required
for this purpose. However suspect that
part of their object in residing in Turkey
was to study its strategic points. for
whenever / travelled with them they were
making observations and noting dis
tauces, etc, which ] afterwSrd saw at the
I Consulate were being converted into maps.
The sultan mace a spasmodic attempt to
ameliOrate the condition Of his subjects.
Gen. Valentine Baker was appointed, at
the request Of the English Minister at
EOnstantinOplo. chief Of an imperial COM
mission. composed Of Lord PaEAa, Sui
ran Pasha. Col. Salvier Bey, and others,
to visit all parts of Turkey aud rake a
renoTt to him. Gen. Baker made an elab-
crate report ans the whole thing ended
there. Gen. Baker told me that his report
would never be read. The whole thing was
done to quiet England.
At 6ivas, Asia Minor, Col. Stewart cane
| to reside for a while before leaving TuT-
hEls " ulAt LLEAG NkELs B0ACA Auu NA0
commission came to remain SIX weeks
[ Col. Chermside, whose Enished diplomacy
is doing SO much in Egypt, soon arrived
at Sivas with his party. lie was Lieut..
1 Chermside then. and a splendid gentle
man. | was taken sick at SiYas and he
insisted on Il change, he going with me, at
tended by his bOdy-guard, caring for me
as a brother. And one OF the laet acts Col.
Stewart did for me was sending me mill
20. orH 70 . from tho intorinr
to the Mediterranean sea. Gen. Valentine
Baker, Col. Stewart, Col.
Chermside, and other English
gentlemen were at my kuOnag at break
fast, dinner, and at all hours, and l have
met them under many other circUm-
stances, and l never met truer gentlemen.
The English who criticise our country
and people do not represent the true Eng
lish people.
Col. Stewart sympathiZed with the op-
pressed people Of the country, and was al
ways doing something for them. He was
often called upon to act as arbitrator be-
tween them. They had great faith in him.
He was constantly eXhortIng them TO in
dustry and a better life. He rose very
rapidly in the army, and would, had he
been spared, have been high up, for he was
brave and every inch soldier. Wnen
passing through a part of the country
infested with Circassian TObbers-and if
anybody has been in their hands he will
ever remember them as a blOOdthirsty.
cruel race; / fell into their hands, and
know how cruel they are-the Colonel
was riding along vita but two servants,
when they met twelve well-armed Circas-
sian hOrsemen. The Colonel Immediately
placed himself and his men on the defen-
sive, and by his GOODNESS and his skillful
defense he kept the robbers at a respect
fill distance until they nnarp6 a town
when the brigands smilingly withdrew,
fully acknowledging their defeat. The
last l saw Of this modest, cOurtly, brave
gentleman was at AleppO. had been IN
the city day or two when he sent his
servant. saying that he had just heard
that l was in town, and would call on me
in an hour or two. He felt very badly that
l had not come directly 10 the Consulate,
and then urged me to make the Consulate
my home. He said he was sorry on his
own account that l had not come directly
to his kuOnag, as he would have been glad
to have presented me to an English party
who had Just come from the desert. and
was en- route to England. l was sorry,
too, not to have met them, for l had heard
Of this Englishman who yearly visited the
desert, making his home with its most
powerful chief. The gentleman drew blood
from mis- arm. and the chief drew blood
blood brothers. That Englishman's life
is as safe there as in the streets Of Spring
field.
| don't know when l was more deeply
affected than when l heard of the death
of that sincere, unseltish, noble gentle
man, Col Stewart. Truly, Gordon has
lost a true friend and wise counsellor,
and an able soldier, and England a finish
ed diplomat, as we'll as one Of her most
NM .f-~rus e-,41 aAnr.r