The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-04-27
GREAT RUSSIAN generals
Captain Kouropatkin Who
Became Hero of the Army.
MANY BLOODY BATTLES
Right-Hand Man Of SkobeieH All
Through the Russo-Turkish War.
He Is a Great Leader Of Men,
Task Of Lifetime Finished In .
Few Weeks.

Iond or telling how he met Skobeleff.
the greatest of Russian generals. af.
ter one Of the fiercest of the many
desperate fights before Pelvina.
Il was sitting in my tent writing
a dispatch" said Forbes, when the
nap was suddenly drawn aside and in
stalked the most terrible and awe-in-
spring object | have ever seen in my
life. 1t was Skobeleff, whom | knew
well. but had to look twice before I
recognized him.
His smart generals uniform was
torn into shreds and stained with
blood and gunpowder from head to
FOOT. His sword, which he held in his
hand, was simply smothered in blood,
and great drops Of it fell on the floor
of the tent as he greeted me. There
was terrible cash across the top Of
his forehead. and his eyes still blazed
with the fierce excitement of the
handto-hand fight which he had just
had with hundreds of Turks.
while he stood there telling me
about the battle his favorite captain.
Kouropatkin, came up and called him
away TO decide about the disposition
Of some Of the prisoners. Kouropat-
kin looked even more like a god Of
war fresh from the scene Of carnage.
He was bleeding from half dozen
wounds. but he stood as steady as a
rock when he saluted Skobeleff. The
latter suggested that he had better go
into the hospital, but he curtly re-
piled: mo, general. There is work
to be DONE"
Il heard afterwards that Skobeleff
and Kouropatkin had fought side by
side throughout that bloody day and
had slain Turks literally by the
dozens. Their exploits formed the
theme of many a story told beside the
camp fires Of both armies throughout
the campaign"
Capt. Kouropatkin, who was the
right-hand man Of Skobeleff all
through the Rus usso-Turkish war, as
we'll as in the fight at Plevna, is now
Gen. Kouropatkin, the Cars minister
OF war, and the most noted of all the
Russian fighting men. He was train
ed in harder school than most mod
ern generals, and went through
enough perils TO satisfy the biggest
glutton for adventure.
Kouropatkin became the hero OF
the Russian army, second only to his
leader Skobeleff, by his bravery ard
hne generalship at the capture OF
Cock Tepe in 1882.
When the Russians, baked of thcir
dreams Of winning Constantinople by
the Berlin congress, were making
their great swoop through Central
Asia to the gates of Herat Lord Sails
bury told the British public not to be
alarmed for the safety OF India.
"They will not be able to conquer
the Turcomans." he declared THE
Turcoman barrier will last for our
lifetime, at least"
Gen. Tergoukasoff, the Russian
commander in Central Asia, disagreed
with Lord Salisbury. He told the
Gar that Turcomans might be con-
quered by three years hard fighting.
THAT is too long" said the Gear. He
recalled Tergoukasoff and sent Skobe-
left to command the troops. Skobe-
left promptly secured Kouropatkin for
his chief lieutenant and together they
performed in a few weeks the task
which the British premier declared
would take lifetime.
Geek Tepe, the great stronghold of
the Turcomans, was carried by assault
after months siege. The brunt Of
the attack fell on Kouropatkin, who
commanded a contingent of light
troops from Turkestan. 1t was a great
victory. but 1t sullied the reputation
Of both the Russian leaders. They
ordered their troops to give no quarter
to the Turcomans of either sex and
all the horrors usual when such Or
ders are given were perpetrated.
Spectators say that even when he
Turcomans fled in a disorderly mob
across the desert, men, women and
children mingled together, no mercy
was shown to them. Artillery and
cavalry followed in their rear and
moved them down, until darkness
put thh phb w thN pun ouits III tiiut
few hours chase 900 pursuing Rus
SLAMS slaughtered 5000 fugitives.
while over 5000 were massncred in
the fortified camp Of Cock Tepe,
Gen. Kouropatkin is great leader
of men. The march of his Turkestan
contingent across the almost unknown
dessrts Of central Asia, in order to
join Skobeleff for the siege of GeolJ
Tepe, was as fine an achievement
as Lord Roberts famous march to
Kandahar.
An English newspaper correspond
ent, who attended the funeral of sl;o.
belief at Tsarskoe Selo in 1882, was
there thrown into company with many
of the dead generals favorite off.
GERS"
More than once" he said, ~ heard
a controversy among them as to
whether Kouropatkin was not almost
as good a leader as their lost gen