The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-12-01
VICTORIA'S GODSONS.

Two Turkish Babes Brought
Home from the Crimea.
During the Crimean war there &C.
CURED an incident which resulted,
strangely enough. in the adoption by
her Majesty Queen Victoria of two lit
tie boys
The Russian army does not contain
any drawer soldiers than the Cossacks,
free, light-mounted warriors; but un-
fortunately, their bravery is not tenn
pered with mercy. They are cruel,
fierce and predatory, and a village
through which they have swept during
war time remains blackened ruin
strewn with the dead bodies of old
and young-men, women and chill
dren. like our red Indians, they
slaughter all and spare none.
During their victorious march
through the Crimea the allied troops
of England. France, Sardinia and Tur-
key had ample proof of the cold-blood-
ed nature of the COssacks. Their mode
of fighting consists of a wild, sudden
sOrtie on tho enemy. and their retreat
is rs sudden as their bold descent
which ia often made on some unoff'end-
ing town, which they sack and pillage
without remOrse. During the autumn
of 1854 . stOrming party of English
men drove band of Cossacks from a
Turkish town they were plundering
and burning. The British force con-
sisted OF the crew of H. M. S. Fire
brand. under Sir Hyde Parker. the
commander Of that ship. During the
brief engagement he foil MORALLY
wounded near the ruins Of the resi-
dence Of the mukhtar. or mayor, of the
town. A few Of his men gathered
around him. among them tn eh6plain
of his ship, and they were startled BY q
strange sound strange, indeed, amid
such soene-the faint cry of young
infant
A search was made among the still
smoldering ruins, while the surgeon OF
the Firebrand attended to the wants OF
his dying commander, and sad sight
met the eyes Of the searchers-yes.
brought tears to those eyes; for, rough
tars though the men were, theyrcould
not fail to be touched by the terrible
sight of a woman dead body stretched
upon the floor of the corridor of the
mansion, where she lay with a child'l
fnrp, olovva1 IN oifkor a rv,,
by her dress she was evidently The
wife of the mukhtar, who had persisted
with his men in the vain attempt to de-
fend his home. The devoted mother
had sought safety in fight, but tn,
cruel assassins had struck her down a
the very door. The children were boil
living. though wounded and bleeding
and the sailors drew them gently from
the clinging arms of their dead mothe
and removed their blood-stained gar
ments. A fountain played near by
and in its cooling flood the little weep
ing survivors of the massacre wer
bathed right tenderly, and then the pit
iful discovery was made that through
each tiny right arm cruel bullet ha,
,plowed its way. The naked infant
were borno to the side of the dyin!
man. who turned his eye on them, los
ing sight OF his own suffering in theirs
"Wrap them in the flag" he whis
pered, family.
This was done.
"Baptize them" said Sir Hyde.
"By what names?" asked the chap
lain.
AFTER our good ship-John an
George Firebrand."
The solemn rite was soon over, an
the Captain. whose ,ife-blood was ebt
ing, beckoned the chaplain to stoo
near. He did SO to catch the partin
words: IF they live take them HON
to the Queen. God bless her, and te
her l died for my country. and LEI
them to her care: that the only clotf
ing they have is the British flag"
The brave commander passed ava
a moment later, and then his me
sought for some means of carrying OF
his last request
twas no easy matter. The eide!
child was a boy of some two years. bu
tNC OJIGA ~ NV OLA InOhtuN~ w Ia
was to 10 done with him. The SUI
SeOn came forward with q suggestio
which was ut once adopted. A gos
was procured and taken on board tn
ship along with the unexpected add
lions to her crew.
Any mother whose eyes rested o
the wartlrobes hastily improvised frol
such materials as were at hand for til
two infants thus strangely thrown O
the hands of the manly tars, woul
have smiled through tears, but in spit
of the incongruous surroundings tn
little Turks throve at sea John, I'll
eldest was an easy-tempered. winnin
little fellow, who laughed readily o
all occasions and bore with the cou
AGE of man the surgeons necessar
though painful attentions. His fac
WAS completely filled with CRIME an
powder burns, and remained deepl