Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1915-01-30
MICHAEL SKOBELEFF
Russia'a Greatest Soldier

lies the Russian army with its Rou-
manian allies. For two months the
Russian commanders have been throw
Ing their for les against the Turkish
~redoubts, only TO see the courageous
efforts Of their men defeated by the
merciless u kish fire. Plevna Is the
- only real obstacle that stand in the
way of the Russian army in its ad-
vance south On Constantinople. On
the Russian left wing, the fighting has
been especially severe. Since early
morning the gray-unformed Russian
troops have charged again and again
up the steep. rocky slope which leads
to the eastern redoubt of Plevna, a
quarter of a mile away. Again and
again, the .urdy Russian columns
have melted away like snow beneath
the fierce fire of Osman Pasha's guns.
The Russian commander on the left
wing is almo. t beside himself. Charge
once more, rIy children" he cries to
his troops, e; nd if you do not succeed
his time, 1 myself will lead you" Up
they go again, only to fall back once
more. Nothi lg can live on that rocky
slope which S swept from end 10 end
by the Turkish guns.
Nov, my children, follow me-"
cries the RI ssian general. He is a
magnificent figure, over six feet in
height, dress ed entirely in white, un-
like the other Russian officers, and
mounted on n splendid white horse,
so that he makes a conspicuous mark
for the ene'ny's fire. The Russian
band strikes up the national hymn,
the troops give a wild yell, and with
their general leading, sword in hand,
they rush up the slope. The Turkish
shot tears huge holes in the line, but
the Russians never falter. Now their
intrepid leader is down, but he is I'M
hurt. 1t is only his horse which has
been killed, ind he leaps up and starts
forward on loot. He brandishes his
sword and louts to his men to come
on. To Il spectators below it seems
as If he is Lifting his army after him
by the sheer strength of his will. Now
the redoubt is only 300 yards away,
now only 100, now the Russians are on
top of 1t, and have swept over it, and
are bayonettinS the Turkish artillery
men, and sweeping the infantrymen
before them. The impossible has been
Plevna has been captured.
The Russian general presents n ter
rible appearance. His white uniform
is covered with blood and mud, his
face is scoI ched and ~blackened by
powder, his Eyes are staring and blood
shot, his sw ord has been shot off at
the hilt, and he can speak only in a
hoarse whis per. He seems to be a
personficaticn of the spirit of war.
The Russian general is Michael Skobe-
left, the greatest soldier that Russia
has ever produced.
Skobeleff was born e Moscow in
1913. After winning frequent promo
ton for brilliant and distinguished
services in Turkestan, he returned to
Russia in 1877 at the outbreak of the
Russo-Turki III war, and was given an
important command, and after the
taking of i evna, he fairly swept his
army south On the floodtide of victory,
never hating until he reached the
walls of Cor stantinople.
1t can be safely said that no gen
eral, with he possible exception of
Napoleon, vas aver so loved by his
soldiers as was Skobeleff. His per
sonal magn' tism, his fearlessness, and
his fatalisri-all these qualities en-
deared him to the hearts of his men.
AS his soldiers put 1t, 1--WE had rather
some other general" He seemed to
bear n charmed life, and although his
white uniform made him a Conspicu-
figure. he was wounded only twice
in his Who'll life. His soldiers believ-
ed that the saints stood about him and
shielded hiIl from the bullets. Other
stories were told of men being wound
ed by bulle 8 which had already pass.
cd harmlessly through Skobeleff's
body.
1t was rot only his courage and
dash that made his men admire him.
Ills power u Ing HllllSell WIFI
every man under his command, his
custom of talking to his men, and call.
ing each one by name as he passed
them, were all qualities which aided
in making SkobeleT the national hero
of the Ru sian soldier. During the
Turkish war he spent every kopeck
of his sala y upon personal comforts
for his men, and many were the poor
soldiers WHO received money from
Skobclen's own private income to for
ward home to a starving family.
After the Russo.Turkish war SkobU-
left commanded an army in Turkcstan.
where he won several battles over tn
natives, so bloody in their Outcom"
that the n; me of Skobclen Is still rC
called with q SILVER of dread amOnr
the TurkOi lans. But SkObclcff's sue
cess prOvel to be his own undOing.
Dissipation undermined his health,
and he died near Moscow at the early