The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-25

evolution was to turn one nank a1ter an
other of the hostile divisions without
disuniting she turning forces from the
main body of Tartars
The second movement of the battle of
Angora consisted of the method of attack
thus described. So successfully were all
these matters of detail executed that
about noon Timour retired to superb
pavilion erected for him in the rear of
his army and sought to while away the
hours which must elapse before his vic
tory was complete in playing at chess
with his mobiles.
Devotees of the royal game may be in
terested to know that the ordinary game
of chess was not considered by Timour
worthy of his gigantic intellect. In con-
sequence, he himself, enlarged the scope
and difficulties of chess by constructing
board of IA squares and by augmepting
the chessmen to forty-eight pieces. This
new form of the game, in order to distin-
gMsh ID from that ordinarily played.
Timour designated as Great Chess" and
it was with this game that he amused
himself for several hours, while his lieu
tenants were conducting the Tartar army
to victory.
All through the day of Angora it seems
clear that the Turkish Emperor Bajazet
displayed the qualities of a soldier ard
a great captain. His defeat seems to have
been due to the fact that his army, as
with the Tartar troops.
His initial plan of attack, and there Is
no doubt that he had a plan of this kind,
seems to have been so badly executed
that no impression is left as to what
was his original idea for attacking the
position of Timour. 1t further seems that
so futile were the efforts of his troops
that the Tartars had little difficulty, not
only in repelllng the assault of the Turks
but also themselves assumed with ease
a systematic and decisive attack. Before
this attack 1t appears that the Turkish
rank and file showed symptoms of that
decentralization consequent upon the as
sembling together of large masses of i'm
properly disciplined troops. There is no
reason to doubt the loyalty of the Turk
! ish troops or of the Turkish command
ers, although treason is insinuated on
their part by many historians, who pre-
| fer to defame the Turk rather than to
give glory to the military talents and the
| military system of an Asiatic barbarian.
| It is quite clear that Tlmour's choice of
| position in the open field, supplemented by
the skill of his officers and the discipline
and valor of his troops was proposition
| which the army of Bajazet was not just-
! fed in attempting. 1t would seem that
| the grand mistake made by Bajazet and
the mistake which caused the loss of the
battle was his attempt to combat in the
| open field against an army superior to
his own in number valor and skill.
In the early afternoon the victory prac
tically was decided. The Turkish line Of
battle was broken in many places and the
Turkish troops attacked in front and as
sailed obliquely in flank were greatly de-
moralized. AS is common in such i'm
| mense masses this demora lization spread
rapidly AS the result of this the Turkish
! chiefs began to forsake the royal standard
and to retire from the field in all direc-
| TQajn G oil poar hai -
the throne, partook of the common panic
| and fed from the field followed by his
| troops. A large body of Tartars, who
years before were oppressed by Timour,
and had taken refuge with the Ottomans.
passed over to the Tartar lines and SUBJ
mitted to the great Mogul. Finally the
rout of the Turkish army became indis-
cribable, and the victorious Tartars pur-
| sued until the going down Of the sun
vast hordes of fleeing men intent only on
escaping their enemies.
! BY nightfall all that remained on tho
field Of Bajazets army save the dead and
| wounded were the janizaries and the cui-
ressiers of Europe. The latter were ire
| sistible to anything like equal forces, but
| surrounded by dense masses of light cav
| airy, which assailed them on all sides
with missile weapons, their horses cell
by scores, and it Is related that not one
of them escaped alive.
Ilc JdHlZdIltSs lelI dlOne ana elClrcteI
by countless thousands of Tartars en-
deavored to escort Bajazet from the field
in safety by fighting their way through
| the Tartar hordes. This was found i'm
possible, and as darkness fell Bajazet
with little party, mounted upon the
| feetest Arabin horses, departed from the
great square and endeavored to escape
by flight. Upon this the Tartar light
cavalry sped away in pursuit, leaving the
| janizaries to be destroyed by the cannon
| and elephants and Greek fire.
| Bajazets capture was as ignominious as
was his flight. His choice Arabon barbs
were speedily overtaken by the Tartars.
end he was brought back in chains by the
Khan of Zagatai and thrown bodily at
the feet of Timour.
| An example of quick movements by the
victorious commander is the march OF
Sultan Mira, the favorite grandson of
| Timour who started for the city of Bour-
"a with 10000 cavalry. He arrived and
| took possession of the Ottoman CAN'T Al
with 1900 horse after performing In FIVE
days march of 230 miles. Fear had SUD-
piled the son of Bajazet with equal en-
| ergy. and Soiiman, after fleeing from the
| battlefield, escaped to Europe with the
royal treasure. The inhabitants OF Bour-
"a had fed, and the city, for the most
part of wood, was reduced TO ashes.
| Modern historians affect to smile at
what they call the popular credulity, AMI
to treat as fable the story that Tinour
carried Bejazet until his death about in
an iron cage, from which he took him
only to use his neck as a step from which
to mount his horse That such is the fact
Is asserted by contemporary historians.