Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1890-04-09
STURDY MouNTAINEERs.
How tho MontoneRrlns Fought for Inue
pendeMce Against Incredible Odds.

How tho MontonegrIns Fought for Inue-
pendence Against Incredible Odds.
'"rhe ever-glorious. mountaineers Of
Montenegro" were the only people who
did not succumb to the attacks of the
Turks in the flfteenth century. During
the four centuries which have inter-
vened the Montenegrins have preserved
their autonomy, and, In the midst Of the
mountains which surround them, they
have kept inviolate their Christian faith.
The principality of Montenegro Is about
! sixty miles in length by about thirty
five miles in its widest part. ltis within
the limits Of this small territory that .
comparatively few thousand have been
able for long time to Withstand the
enoroachments OF the many millions by
whom they have been surrounded. As
an illustration of tho valor which these
rugged men have ever displayed, the
following dispa tch from the Montenegrin
CommissiOner-in-Ch to his brother,
Prince Daniel, sent from the field of
| victory In their resistance to the Turks
In 1858, is uniqe: Great Conqueror,
Prince OF the valiant Montenegpins!-
In the name Of the Lord Almighty, and
in honor of my Prince and well-beloved
brother, disposed my troops on Ascen-
| sion Day, May 18th, before sunrise, for
q general assault on the Turkish en-
trenchments. Immediately the columns
| OF attack were formed, l opened fire in
the valley, where were massed the
guards OF your Highness, to cut off the
rrafv mot of fS,n l.
moment our faithful and brave talcons
darted on the foe, brandishing their
yatagans and shout ting with an UNI
speakable enthusiasm, GLORY to God in
the Highest and honor to our Prince! L
beheld, then, o my chieftain. and
brother, prodigies of val6r, OF
heroism, OF love, Of liberty. Thanks be
rendered to the Lord Almighty, our
boys fell on tho ranks of the enemy as
though we had been telling the trees of
the Forest OF the thousands of which
the Turkish army was composed, scarce
few hundreds have escaped to tell,ho
the Montenegrins can fight for" their
country. Your soldiers have slain seven
thousand, Turks, taken eight pieces Of
artillery, twelve hundred caparisoned
horses and five hundred tents At this
moment it is impossible to enumerate
the arms captured and all the rich booty
which;we have acquired. The field Of
battle presents the spectacle of a forest
laid low, and the mutilated corpses Of
Turks are sight Of horror. 1t is thus,
10 my Lord, that the Montene-
negrins have in part avenged the
defeat of: their Servian ancestors
on the plain Of Kossovo ON June
Is, 1899. They rushed onward, one
over: the body of another, Drawing
wounds and death to distinguish them
selves in youreyes. In this action we
had forty-seven killed and about sixty
wounded: On: the side of the Turks
two Pashas we're slain. The head
of one was taken by the brave Captain
Djukanor; the other fell by the sword
of the standaxd-bearer of your High
ness guard. In the struggle of man
against man Our officers were not to be
distinguished from the common soldiers
all behaved as true heroes. Honor to
them all before God and before you, my
Prince!: When.we shall have paid the
last honors to: the dead! tended the
wounded andy distributed the booty, I
win repair to- your Highness-
tian at Work.