The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-03-06
A rURKIsH CAMPAIGN.

| Druses
| When the Druses reVolted against The
benevolence of the Sultah, the Sultan
| decided to crush them and enforce their
| submission. Marshal Osman Pasha ac-
eordingly dispatched $4,000 soldiers un-
| der the command of Edhem Pasha, a
man eighty-1ive years old, and he dl-
Viued the army into three corps, the
| FIRST commanded by Memduh Pasha,
the second under omar Loutd Pasha,
and the third under Mohammcd Pasha,
| Instead Of choosing the village of Bas-
sra el Hirirl, well known for its salub-
! rity as his headquarters, Edhem Pasha
| selected the village of Sheikh Mesllin
| which is notorious for malarial fever
| Scarcely We're the soldiers encamped
| than fever and dysentery broke out
| and 5000 soldiers soon persisted. The
troops We're terrified at this mortality,
and even the officers complained to the
marshal at Damascus. who ordered the
removal of the camp to BaSsra el Ea-
riri. Edhem obeyed and went thither,
the Druses having quilted it, and he
wrote to Osman Pasha for rewards for
himself and his officers, just as If he
had conquered a great country. The
Druses, however, had previously cut the
water conduit, and lGdhem ordered two
bodies of troops to restore the sup
ply to its source, two miles off. The
Druses lay in wait behind the rocks,
fell on these brave soldiers and merci-
lessly killed them. The soldiers vainly
sounded the trumpets for relief, but
none came. They fought like lions and
died gloriously,
Next day the war really began by a
great battle. The Druses numbered
10000 and took the defensive, awaiting
the attack of the Turkish army, which,
as have told you, was divided up into
three divisions. Two only had received
the order to attack, the third being kept
in reserve in order to lie in wait for the
treacherous foe. The battle lasted the
entire day. The victorious soldiers dis
played remarkable bravery and courage
| and the Druses an extraordinary bold
| ness. When night fell Edhem ordered
| the Cease fire. that the army might
| have rest until the morrow. Moham-
med Pasha explained to him the danger
of these tactics, for the Druses might
| fall upon them as they returned to their
| camps. Edhem Pasha, however, per-
sisted in his order and General Moham~
med Pasha was obliged to obey; but the
| strange thing is that the general-in-
| chief, Edhem, had not informed the
rest of the army that the third division
! was lying in wait for the Druses, nor
| had he told that division that the other
| two divisions had returned to their
| camp. The Druses took advantage of
this great blunder, and, With their ac-
customed boldness, followed the yictori-
GUS soldiers. The soldiers replied. NOV
| ing from point to point untilfthey were
in close proximity To the place where
the third division lay in wait for the
Druses. The darkness of night prevent
ed the third division from seeing that
| those who approached were their com
| rades. Taking them for the Druses
| they fired on them, so that the men of
the first and second divisions thus
| found themselves between two fires.
! Thinking that the Druses were cutting
| their lines of retreat they were divided
| into two parties-thes FIRST to resist the
| expected Druse attack, and the second
to meet those who were attacking them
| in the rear, who were really the third
| Turkish division, their comrades. 1t
was only at daybreak that the army
| perceived into what q situation it had
! been led by the extraordinary negli-
| gence of its commander, Edhem Pasha.
| He, when he knew what had taken
| place, wept like Il child. Finally, by the
energy of Hassru PaSha, commander of
| the gendarmerie, the fighting ceased
for he rushed between the eombatants
and succeeded in showing them the ma
| ture of the mistake, not, however, be-
fore our soldiers had suffered enormous
| ". The soldiers returned pell nell to
their camp and spent the entire follow
| ing day in putting themselves in readi-
ness for further hostilities.
| Two days later the battle began anew.
There was no discipline, each officer Civ
ing orders at his viii without obeying
his chief, but the soldiers fought like
wounded lions, and succeeded at last in
| putting to rout the Druses. who took
! flight like hunted hares General Edhem
| then gave orders to move on to the
| Druse capital which is called Souieid-
4 ieh The inhabitants of this big village
| had not joined their co-religionists
against our government, and the Sheil1h
| Chibli al Atrash, kaimakam of the
| Druses, remained neutral When Ed
! hem Pasha entered this place without
opposition the Sheikh al Atrash came to
! greet him and eomplimented him on his
courage. Edhem Pasha thereupon sent
| 20 Marshal Osmon Nouri the following
! telegram II have entered Souiedieh
on my horse, surrounded by the soldiers
of the head of the believer and under
the auspices of the Great Caliph of
wait for it's prey, in spite OF the bold
ness of the Druses / pray your excel
| lency kindly to recompense my efforts
and those of the officers who contrib
uted to this victory Thereupon he
stood up in the midst of his officers and
men and harangued them, thanking
/ them for their devotion and courage.
But while he was speaking the Druses
fell upon the vanguard. They were inn
! mediately repulsed, but when the artil-
! 1ery commander wished to fire on the
fleeing Druses, Edhem Pasha objected,
saying that each shell cost the govern
ment 100 piastres. The artillery officer
sought to convince Edhem Pasha that
it was absolutely necessary TO shell the
1 enemy, but unfortunately he could not
be convinced until the Druses were al
ready, thanks to their horses, out of
reach of the shells, and this artillery
fire went on for some time without do
ing any damage. The COMMANDMENT
! chief then decreed a grand fete for the