The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1904-06-10
CARS SOLDIERS BRAVE.
Contrary to Popular Belief the Rus
slams Are Courageous and .
Devoted.

People who should know declare that
the Russian soldier is not ill-treated by
his superior officers, in spite of popular
notions on the subject. While a wide
gulf separates the nobleman and the
peasant, the officer and the private SOL
der, warm friendships are formed be-
tween them sometimes which often last
for life.
Thus, relates the New York Sun, Gen.
Skobeleff had a favorite sergeant who
had been with him from the days when
he was a sub-lieutenant. The sergeant
was killed at the storming of Cock Tepe
when Skobeleff won his great victory
over the Turcomans.
"Skobeleff was inconsolable," said an
officer who was there at the time. HE
had won a magnificent victory where
other generals had failed. The Turco-
mans had been utterly routed after a
months terrible fighting.
"Yet the victor wept like a child when
the news Of the death of his humble
friend was brought to him. He was
melancholy for days and could take no
interest in anything"
Many people imagine that the Russian
soldier is not required to think for him
self. This is called another popular
error.
Skobeleff used to do all in his powerto
stimulate the intelligence of his soldiers.
Any man who hit on a bright idea dur
ing a campaign could take it direct to
Skobeleff, and if it seemed good to him
he would adopt 1t, even though it might
involve radical changes in his plans.
At the siege Of Cock Tepe, Skobeleff
would sit all day long at the mouth of
one OF other of the mines, watching the
progress Of the sappers who were tun-
neling underground in the direction of
the fortress. If he noticed a sapper who
worked with intelligence as well as
muscle, and who thought out ways to
lessen the toll and increase the result.
he would kiss and caress that sapper, and
perhaps treat him to champagne or
vodka. But he would roundly abuse the
men who worked faithfully but stupidity.
This is said to be typical of the attitude
of the Russian officers toward their men,
because every Russian officer to-day
tries to model himself on Skobeleff.
An enlisted man is not expected to
obey all orders blindly. He is supposed
to use his intelligence.
The courage of the man behind the
Russian gun has been amply proved time
and again. No nation can point to
heroic deeds Of it's fighting men which
cannot be paralleled from the annals of
the Russian service.
Englishmen are justly proud of the
Doyle's drunken private of the Buffs,'
who, having fallen into the hands of the
Chinese during the opium war, was or
dered, on pain of death, to perform the
kotow to a mandarin. He refused, say
ing that he would not PROSTATE himself
before any Chinaman alive, whereupon
he was Immediately knocked on the head
and his body thrown on a dunghill.
That incident has an almost exact
parallel in the behavior of a soldier of
the Pereslaff dragons who was cap
tured during the Khivan campaign in
1873 and ordered to kneel before the
khan, to whose kibitka, or audience tent,
he was taken.
II only kneelto God and the emperor"
said the Russian.
Take him outside and fog him with
leather whips" commanded the khan.
It was done. After over 100 strokes
the man tainted. He was revived and
taken back to the kibitka, but again he
refused to kneel or pay any kind OF
reverence to the enemy.
Then the khan, mad with rage, sub
jected him to a favorite Turcoman pun
ishment. "a sword was plunged into a
brazier until it was white hot and then
passed in front Of his eyes, at the dis
lance OF about two inches, burning away
his sight forever.
Still the blind hero, in his agony, adj
hered to his resolution, Until at last the
khan drew a dagger and stabbed him to
the heart.
This story is told to recruits in the
Russian army as Al example OF the man
ner in which they should uphold the
honor of Russia among her enemies.
Ne6E uYnrxv Ap;raI IL HAS