The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-04
A DISASTROUS ROUT.
11,oOO Greeks, with Forty Guns, Fly
Before 5000 Turks

nSs
Before 5000 Turks.
LONDON, May IA dispatch to the
Daily News from Patras, on the west coast
of Greece, dated Sunday gives a most
graphic account of the battle between the
Greeks and the Turks at pentepigadia.
Epirus and of the retreat of the former
from that place. 1t shows that the rout
and panic of the Greeks at Pentepigadia
was as complete as the stampede which fol-
lowed the fighting at Tyrnavo and the re-
treat on Larissa and Phersala in Thessaly
The correspondent says: "The net effect Of
the Greek retreat to Arta is that each army
is now in the position which it occupied
before war was declared, but with all pres
tige gone from the Greeks. The Greeks
mad held the hill near Pentepigadia on
wednesday evening against fierce Turkish
attacks. The Greeks obviously needed to be
reinforced, but although considerable forces
were near, no help was sent. On Thursday
morning the Turkish fire was brisker and
our guns on the crest of the hill for some
reason were silent The fury of the firing
eliminated at $3.50 p. m. The Turkish fire
was easily distinguishable by reason of the
sharper crack of the Martini rifle, and it
developed in the space of a quarter of an
hour into the most terrific roar ever heard
IN any battle, subsiding to a fusilade in
three-quarters of an hour. The Turks, in
the meanwhile We're massing upon the slope
and on our right front preparatory to rush
ing the hill Yet our guns on the central
hill We're silent after twenty minutes, and
were withdrawn. I asked a sergeant where
the guns were going, and he replied: To
better position AS a matter of fact, they
were romped back to Honaopoulo as fast
as the mules could take them.
THE Evzones on the crest of the hill
made a gallant reply to the murderous fire,
and held out manfully, losing 100 men, until
O'Clock, when cheers began to mngle
with the rattle of the Martins. A moment
later the Evzones tumbled over the crest,
3 Turks following
and firing at the men flying down the hill
side 1t only remained to make good our
retreat. The Turks continued to pour a
smart fire at the Evzones. The latter eager
ly responded; but it was obviously use
less. Then some one gave an order, and
the Evzones. with groan of disgust, left
their position, moving sullenly though in
perfect order"
The correspondent of the Daily News then
describes the flight of the Greeks before the
Turks, numbering about 5000 men, who
scaled the mountain. which is covered with
bushes and rocks. They fired continuously
and rapidly. driving the Evzones and in
habitants before them, the latter carrying
off such of their property as was portable.
The correspondent then says: when left
Arta on Friday morning the Greeks had
not man left on the Turkish side of the
River Arachthos. 1 have never seen men so
demoralized for so small a cause Indeed
it was a. case of almost no cause whatever.
They had neither seen the enemy nor felt
his fire, yet eleven thousand men and forty
guns melted away. Had the Turks pur-
sued the fugitives much further, accom-
panied as they were by the peasantry,
women and children, and thirty thousand
sheep. besides cattle, the massacre would
have been awful"
The correspondent of the Daily Mail at
Arta will say tomorrow: "One of the
worst mistakes the Greeks have made has
been the casual and intermittent character
of the attack upon Prevesa. It's capture
was essential if the Greeks meant business
in Epirus. To capture so strong a place
by the means adopted was quite impossible
and now the opportunity is lost altogether.
Instead which
as it was done, the town should have been
attacked with determination by the COM
bined naval and military forces. Arta is
now deserted. its wretched inhabitants liv-
ing in the fields behind the town, many of
them on the verge of starvation. Nothing
is procurable in the way of food, except
scanty and uncertain supply of bread.
Women and children are suffering pitiably
with cold and hunger and to those tortures
is added the dread of Turkish attack at