Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-11-01
Mistsllaasuas Readins.
MARCO BoZZARIS.
An Old Acquaintance Of Boyhood Be-
comes e Interest.

turkey H6lQ out dli sorls VI ihouSS'
ments to Greece not to join in the war
against the Porte. The now tottering
Ottoman empire may have been think
ing Of our school day friend, Marco
Bozzaris, and Of the time when:
At midnight, in his guarded tent,
The Turk was dreaming Of the hour
When Greece, her knee in suppliance
bent,
Should tremble at his power
only to awake and find that the dream
he had had was a bad dream. For the
Greeks fought for independence from
Turkey with such valor that the ad-
miration and sympathy of the Euro
pean powers q. was aroused and Greece
emerged from that struggle free and
has since remained free.
The War Lasted Nine Years.
Whatever the Greeks lacked in sci
entific knowledge of warfare in their
fight for liberty they made up for by
their valor and patriotism. The strug-
gle began in 1920 and was concluded
nine years later when Turkey entered
into a treaty at the insitence Of Eng
land, France and Russia, by which the
independence of Greece was establish
ed.
The commanding figure Of the Gre
clan revolt against Turkish authority
was Marco Bozzaris He was one Of
those patriots who, little known be-
fore, rose up in the struggle and show
ed his ability to lead against the in
vading Mohammedans. For years be-
fore the Greeks made a move against
Turkey there was formed throughout
the land the Hetaeria or Society Of
Friends. In order not to excite the
suspicious of the Turkish authorities
In Athens and other cities Of Greece,
these organizations were formed as
literary societies. They had a secret
ritual of initiation, secret passwords
and countersigns and so stealthily
were plans made that the organization
which was in fact for revolutionary
purposes had grown to great strength
was apparent. A number Of its officers
were Russians, for Greece looked to
Russia for aid in its struggle for free
dom.
Napoleon Saw tho Mistake.
Greece was thus by its secret organi-
cations and by the common cause Of
its compact Christian population pre-
pared to give Turkey trouble. Napol-
con. even at st. Helena, had once made
the remark that Turkey had commit
ted a serious blunder in permitting
Greece to retain so great a Christian
population, for he predicted that soon
er or later this fault would bring a
fall to the Ottomans."
Immediately after the commence
ment Of the struggle Turkey carried
the land fighting into the western part
of Greece. The Greek leaders were
divided among themselves and had
made no special preparation to meet
the enemy. But there was one man
among them that realized the danger
and the need of striking a blow for
Greece before the Turks gained too
strong a foothold upon the country.
This was Marco Bozzaris. He took
matters into his own hands and for a
time, at least, saved the honor Of
Greece.
Bozzaris was a native Of the noun
tains of Epirus. He was born at Suli
about 1888 and passed his youth in
fighting for his native land. He was
one of those who in 1903 escaped to the
Ionian Isles. At the outbreak of the
revolution Bozzaris brought with him
to Epirus about eight hundred Suliot
refugees. He fought bravely at the
siege Of Misolonghi and Joined other
bands Of Greek patriots in the skir-
mishing that followed.
A division Of the Ottoman troops
numbering about four thousand men
were encamped in the valley Of the
Karpenisi, near a fountain that fur
nished them with an abundant supply
Of water. Bozzaris had by now in
creased his band Of Suliots to 1900.
When he learned Of the encampment
of the Turkish command, Bozzaris de-
termined upon bold decisive stroke.
At midnight on August 21, 1923, Boz
zaris, at the head Of picked body of
$50 of his men, broke into the midst Of
the Turkish camp.
The Greeks rushed forward, intent
upon Staying the Turkish commander,
Djelaleddin Bey. The surprise was so
complete that the Turks fled in haste,
leaving their arms and stores behind
them. The whole force of Turks might
have been destroyed had the Greeks all
Joined in the assault on the camp. In
stead some Of the Greek leaders and
the militia which they commanded re-
manned on the heights above the camp,
looking down with interest upon the
brave attack of Bozzaris and his little
band, but not giving any aid.
How Bozzaris Died.
The Turkish hey had pitched his tent
inside a walled inclosure built up by
herdsmen to protect lambs from the
wolves at night. Bozarris, leading his
men and seeking out the tent Of the
Turkish commander, came upon this
walled inclosure in the dark. Finding
no entrance, he raised his head to peer
over the wall. The veteran guards
surrounding the tent of Djelaleddin
were accustomed to night attacks and
were on the alert. When the head Of
Bozzaris showed clearly above the
wall and against the dark gray back
ground Of the sky they fired. Bozzaris
fell back dead, a bullet having pierced
his skull.
That was the end of Bozzaris, who
doubtless would have developed into
the moving figure Of the Greek war Of
independence had he been spared a
little while to Greece. But his untime-
ly death did have the effect of further
uniting and inspiring Greece to the
bloody struggle that followed. The loss
of Bozzaris was mourned throughout