The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-31
AREALWARC CORRESPONDENT
Notable Achievements of John A. Nc
Gahan in Northern Europe.
With Skobeleif at the Fall of Khiva-Writ-
ing Up Bulgarian Atrocities-The De-
feat of 0sman, the Turk, at Plevna.
Written for the Indianapolis Journal.

Journey TO the hH0kanu WIFI Oenerdl uduu
and the Russian column as the correspondent of
the New York Herald, in 1873 he returned to
this country. McGahan had accomplished q
magnificent achievement He had the news of
the fall of Khiva in New York almost as soon as
it was known in st. Petersburg, and before it
was heard Of by the London Foreign Office
which was deeply interested. That expedition
of Kaufman's was the beginning of the strategic
movement by Russia on Afghanistan and North
ern India the nucleus of the storm which now
threatens to burst over dominions of the Car.
and the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland and
Empress of India. A day or two after MEGA
hans return to New York dined with him at
the Astor House. He was full of interesting
"reminiscences of the expedition and could easily
see that he was 'Russophle" through and
through. He told me how he had been arrested
twice by order of General Kaufman. On the first
occasion he was sent to the rear of the column
with caution The Generals orders were posi-
tive that no newspaper correspondents were to
be allowed to accompany the expedition. Sec
ond arrest would entail serious consequences a
trial by drum-head court-marshal and-nothing
daunted McGahan held on the skirts of the army
and once more fell into the hands of a scouting
party. General Skobeleff was attracted by the
pluck of the American. The order against cor
respondents was principally directed against the
representatives of English newspapers, from
whom it was most desirable to keep the opera
tons of the army secret. Skobelef pleaded
for McGahan that he was an American and, that
man with grit enough to face the consequences
of second arrest could be trusted The plea
held, McGahan was forgiven by Kaufman, got
staff appointment from Skobeleff, and enrolled
his name for all time in the annals of dis
tinguished journalists when Khiva fell
During that after dinner conversation at the
Astor House Mr.. McGahan prophesied to me
that sanguinary war between Russia and Tur-
key was inevitable in the near future. His
friend Skobeloff had inocuated him with the
doctrines of the Pan Slavist dreamers. of whom
the beau sabreur of the Russian army was the
head and front. McGahan, too, had accurately
guaged the feelings of the Russian people over
the Turkish atrocities on Christians in Bulgaria.
and have often recalled with admiration for
the gallant correspondents accurate provision
of great events, how positively he predicted
that the Russians and The Turks would be at
each others Threats before long, and with what
gusto he remarked that he intended ''to be there
when the band began to play
THE Eastern Question was the absorbing
topic of the hour in the English metropolis and
negotiations were opened between Mr.. Bennett
and the man who had already done such
splendid work for his paper, looking to MEGA
hans being sent to the Danube as the represent
alive of the Herald to write up things
just as he found Them within tine limits of
propriety. But Mr.. Bennett, for some reason,
would not agree to Mr.. McGahan's terms, and
in fit of indignation the correspondent went to
the London Daily News Office, few doors away
from the Herald bureau, with his budget of
startling intelligence He could not have struck
more congenial stamping ground. Lord Bea-
consfeld was then in power, and Mr.. Gladstone
the leader of her Maiesty's opposition. The
Daily News was then, and is now thick and
thin supporter Of the policy of the Liberal party,
but especially Of the policy Of William Ewart
Gladstone Beaconsfed was Russophobe, and
his Hebrew and Oriental sympathies were with
the Sultan; for the Russians had always been
prosecutors of his race. Mr.. Gladstone hated
the Turk with all the intensity of his strong
nature, that knows no half way sentiments. Nc
Gahan's visit was windfall to the Daily News
people They closed contract with him almost
instantly. He went again to Bulgaria, and then
there began to be published in the columns of the
London Daily News the brilliant series of letters
on the Bulgarian atrocities, pre- Raphaelite in
their marvellous accuracy Of detail which gave
Russia the excuse the Car wanted to declare
war with Turkey in the interests of civilization;
which startled humantarianism in England into
flame from the Firth of Forth to the Lands
End; which got for Russia sympathy in quarters
where she had no reason to expect it, and which
did more than anything else to precipitate the
conflict that shook Europe and ended with the
treaty of st. Stefano and the partial dismem-
berment of the Sultan's dominions. Thus too
through haggling over the price of magnificent
newspaper work, was the United States deprived
of the privilege of paying back in kind to Russia
the service she had rendered to us during
troubles when other European nations were
chuckling over our illluck or benefting their
commerce at our expense.
When the war broke out John McGahan, of
course, remained with the London Daily News
and Mr. Bennett soon realized that he had made
serious blunder in losing the services of one of
the most brilliant correspondents of his time in
the field. McGahan too, spoke Russian per-
fectly, and that was an invaluable accomplish
ment to a newspaper man who crossed the At
lantic with the forces of the Gar. Mr.. Bennett
cast around for correspondent to represent mis-
paper at the front, and finally hit on Frank Mil
let, of Boston, young artist who had studied in
the East, and who was comparatively familiar
with the theater of hostilites
Soon afterward Mr. McGahan returned to
Europe and when the London Daily Telegraph
and the New York Herald purchased the steam
err Foxhound and sent her to the Arctic ocean,
under the name of the Pandora, in search of
the remains of Sir John Franklin and party,
he accompanied the expedition as correspond
ent of both papers. He has himself given
his experiences on that trip in his charm
ing book, under the Northern Lights" and
know of no more interesting or delightful read
ing of it's kind than McGahan's description of
social life at Disco and the reception given to
the Jack tars by the Esquimaux, male and fe-
male. But it is of the subsequent adventures of
the famous correspondent which have never
yet appeared in print until now, but which come
to me. upon entirely reliable authority that
desire to speak of this Renaissance of an old
friend
After his return from the North and shortly
before the outbreak of the Turko Russian war
McGahan made dash into Bulgaria on his own
account. although, no doubt, the excursion was
undertaken at the suggestion of General Skobe-
left. When he went back to London he was
trimming over with indignation at the outrages
by the sunspeakable Turk" among the peasantry
of the Danubian provinces. / have been told
that he could never have printed in a civilized
community all that he saw in Bulgaria. He was
no longer in the service of the New York Herald