Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-04-18
The War Correspondent.

The Ohio Legislature has done a
proper act in making provisions for the
return of the body Of j. A. MacGahan,
the famous American war correspond
ent, from the cemetery at Scutari, on
the Bosphorus, to the Family burying-
plot, in Perry County, Oh2o. j. A. Mac
Gahan was n of the brightest men in
%journalism; but so modest was he that
no n ever heard his many daring feats
in the search for news from his own
lips. He vas at the law school at
Brussels when the,Franco-Prussian war
broke out in 1870, and he turned his
eyes toward the field at once. After
the war he made his memorable ride to
Khiva, the story of which lives in his
admirable book, campaigning on the
Hxus." Another turn Of the wheel
found him in Cuba, where he remained
until the settlement of the troubles
arising out Of the Virginius affair.
Thence he fastened to England and
sailed with Allan Young in the Pandora
for the Arctic regions, penetrating to
Peel Strait. 1t was a voyage OF great
hazard. Allan Young was knighted;
MacGalran published a book, "Under
the Northern Lights"
MacGahan was sitting in his rooms
In London one afternoon in the spring
of 1876. The first rumors Of the mas
sacres IN Bulgaria we're contained in a
! paper that was brought to him. He
read the brief dispatch and acted on the
impulse of the moment. He put on his
hat and walked around into Bou1 erie
street, and when he returned q quarter
| ~ ON 1,o,,,. 1o%,r h. LoJ o1o.al--
tract to go at n ce to Bulgaria for the
Daily News. MacGahan left the follow
ing evening. Ina months time he had
put a new face on the Eastern ques-
ton" The great struggle between
Christian and Turk was no longer
confined to the ''petty quarrs,s of a
few monks over a key and a silver
STAR" as defined by Kinglake, but as
sumed propo.t ons that could he dis
cerned IN every club and drawing-room
of imperial London. Englishmep saw
every morning staring them in the eyes
in their most enterprising journal the
legend, 'Mosiem Massacres in Bull
garia." MacGahan had begun his ride.
He visited lBatak and painted in cold
j type what he saw. He held up the
figure of Aschmet Aga so that all Eng
land saw in him the counterpart Of
Mana Sahib. The dead Bulgarian girls
in the shambles at Batak, and twenty
other pillaged towns cried out for ven
! geance through his pen. All Christian
En- ope rose intheircause. The lingo"
ministry sent its Hectic the Dardanclles,
but dared not land a man or fire a
single gun. Popular England repudi-
ated 1.-The u%nspeakable Turk in Ian
gUage so unmistakable that polite
England was forced to leave the
"Sick Man. to his fate. MacGahan's
letters forced that attitude upon
Beaconsfield. The willy Premier rose
in his place in the Commons and de-
nounced the charges as fabrications
intended to destroy sympathy for
England's old ally-the Turk. Next
he caused kilograms to be forwarded
from Constantinople discrediting the
Daily M,Ws' letters. But MacGahan
rode on forward, and wrote sheaves of
letters. Our Government directed Eu-
gene Schuyler, American charge DAT
fairies at Constant:nople, to visit the
scenes of the atrocities. He found
everything as MacGahan had described
it, and reported to the Washington
Government. In every Hamlet Ma
Gahan said: '.The Gar will avenge
this. Courage, people; he will come"
Two months more and the Russian
army was modified at Kischeneif, and
the Car reviewed it. Then the order
10 cross the Pruth came. as had been
foretold. Attached to the stat of the
Commanding General, MacGahan rode
through Foumania and crossed the
Danube among the first, Through the
varying fort mes of the war he wrote.
rode and laughed. Some o. this work.