The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-26
4 HERO AMONG THE TURKS.
c>rsE or HE EIRsTDEFEITOF THE
GREEKS IN EPIRUS.

"a warn the Turks OF the Number OF Their
Voc.-srcnca In Arta-Tho hattie or Thirst
=, yele.tIno-Tho wounde In tho Hospitals
toxpoS. May l4.--As the details como to hand
.,,hc strange campaign Of n fortnight by the
c,oct army IN Epirus, tho story develops into
20 NJ the most romantic military episodes in
S,s,ory. The first dctoat Of tho Greek advance
,rord and the f~anatical ruse by which II was
sccomplishcd arc by no means q discredit to
creek honor, though they may be to Crock mil
,,ary skll. The invading army had been ad-
v,ncinv from Philippians along tho road taken
nv tho retroating Turks toward Janina. A
,irc,c battalion under command OF Major
coumondouro comprised tho advance guard. A
sorrcspondcnt OF the Daily Netcs thus describes
what happened:
AT was dawn before Major Coumondouro
,c,rhcd the neighborhood Of Pcntepi6hadia. And
here comes n strange story. When no entered
the fort or tower he found M its sole occupant
an Albanian, who was OF course made prisoner.
pu, the man seemed very friendly. and had n
long story to tell OF abuses by the Turks. and
finally took either the Major or his guards or
,omc OF the officers, l know not which, up to tho
ton OF the tower to show them the road by which
the Turks had retreatcd to Janina. While there
no led the talk upon rifles and asked to SEQ the
Gras rife, with which the Greek army is
eouipped. A rifle was handed to him, where.
upon he examined 1t, looked at tho cartridge,
loaded, and fred, and then, turning to his cap
tors, said. Now kill me-
"uc then explained that the Turkish Pasha
had sent him to find out how many Greeks werc
cominx to the fort, and had told him IL there
vns only one rcg,ment to fire one shot. What
he was to do IL there were more than one regi-
mcnt | do not know. but l suppose It would not
have been necessary to fire. as the Turks only
numbered 5000, or two regiments. AS we know.
there was but one battalion. with no guns and
no supports. And as n result of the news the
Turks, who were concealed in the rocks lin nm
adjacent ravinc, / believed. dashed forward and
at once surrounded the Greek forces. Major
Coumondouro and his men did their utmost;
they fought for ten hours, from Z A. NJ.
TIL 7 p. NJ. by which time their
ammunition was exhausted. They had
lost many Of their number-at least $50. II not
more-and the men, who had no food or water
all day, were utterly worn out. During the day
they had three times repulsed the Turks with
the bayonct, and there is no doubt they had in
fictcd severe loss on them. But now, despair
ing Of relief and having no more cartridges, 1t
only remained to them to fight their way
through tho Turks and get out of the mess as
best they could. 1t was during this retreat that
one officer. who was holding the Turks in check
Ibis name has been given to me as Capt. Solomo
finding himself surrounded by Turks. fought as
long as he was able, and then. seeing that no
must be taken. blew his brains out. preferring a
merciful death at his own hands to the fate he
would DO certain to meet II captured"
Ihave included in previous letters full descrlp-
tons OF the retreat. which quickly degenerated
into a panic and a stampede of the Greeks, that
did not abate until the whole army was back
again in Arta. An interesting insight into the
situation in that town is given by a correspondent
OF the Daily Chronicle in q letter, from which
the following is taken:
Meantime the condition Of the town and the
country round 1t grows daily worse. There is
plenty of meat, 1t is true. for the shepherds have
driven hundreds OF thousands Of sheep and goats
over the bridge since last Thursday, and are pas
turing them on the hills south of the town. You
can buy a large lamb for the value Of an English
shilling and a hen for s%ixpence. But bread is
already very scarce, and large crowds wait
shouting outside the bakers shops or ovens.
There is still vino of q sort. but salt has run out,
and there is no fruit or vegetable of any kind.
THE few who could afford to leave the town
have gone. trailing off southwark on any kind
Of wheels that would go round. Only the SOL
oilers and the poor are left. A funeral has Just
fought its way through the crowded bowling
street. AS usual in Greece. the poor body was
fully exposed. dressed in the common garments
Of its life. only that the hands and feet were
firmly tied with cords. as though for fear the
thing should walk One would suppose it was
not Q cheerful town, just now. But it is. l
cheerful. That is their way. Perhaps they
have not the grave severity Of determination
deep enough. It is a loss. but for the moment
they gain, and II is really an encouraging sight
s 20 w15sh o an 9St fSs r faR,l Sr s Sndep S dSW oIiv in tr the
the babies, and lambs and goats and mother and
father all huddled up in an misunderstanding
they can escape the Turk, get a bit Of bread in
exchange for a lamb. and keep together"
There was one battle. one genuine hard-fought
engagement. in which the Greeks were the vic
tors; but it came SO late in the campaign and
after SO many defeats and retreats that 1t
availed little or nothing. This was the first
fight near Velestino, when the Turks were re-
pulsed and compelled to fall back on Gerli. 1t
was q battle fought under most trying con-
ditions for both sides. and the common enemies
heat and t~hirst-were more dreaded than
bullets and bayonets, II we may believe Mr..
Stevens. who thus describes 1t In his own
unique way:
Yesterday we were beaten by the Greeks
You may call 1t rcpulsed, or reiterated, or con
eentrated in rear; but beaten is the plain Eng
hsh OF 1t. True, 1t was not q serious beating
and certainly not a discrcditable one. The
brigade under Naim Pasha attempted to take O
strong position held by an infinitely superior
force of Greeks. After fighting all day 1t drew
In. and retreated here in good order and unpur
sued. There is nothing very much In that, and
the only curiosity about the operation is that Il
was ever allowed to take place at all. But In M
mind the battle. apart from Its result, will stitch
% the battle OF thirst.
Never have / seen such thirst. Men, horses
asses, the heavens above, and tho earth beneath
all were parchod and caked and burned ant
split with a raging thirst. Not a breath Of all
came over the hills, where the Greek smoke
hung heavily. AS the sun climbed up the hard
blue sky TO midday 1t became more thar
could be borne. even by the Turk, the best beare
~ofthings unbearable in the whole world. TIL,
horses seemed dazed and stupid in the pitilesl
glare, the troopers lay down. each behind hi
horse. in the little patches of shadow. and wen
TO sleep with their dry mouths open. In thu
little trenches they had thrown up the %infantr,