Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-03-12
BAGDAD HELD
Continued from Page One)

| Our forces engaged with the Turks
On the Diala line the night OF the Sth,
succeeded, despite the bright moonlight
| in effecting a surprise crossing OF the
Diala and establishing a strong post on
the right bank thereof. Meantime, on
the morning of the Sth the Tigris hav-
! ing been bridged at some distance down
stream. a British detachment marched
I'D the right bank and found the enc
my holding position about six miles
southwest of Bagdad.
The enemy was driven from this
position to another position two miles
! in the rear. During the night of the
9Th a passage of the Diala was forced
and our troops advanced some four
miles toward Bagdad.
During the Sth, our forces on the
right bank CTieris) drove the enemy
| from his second position, bivouacing
on the ground gained. This advantage,
despite a binding dust storm and
violent gale, was pressed on the morn
| ing Of the 10th, the Turks being forced
to within three miles west and south
| west Of Bagdad
Basdad's History
| Bagdads capture marks the climax
to one of the most dramatic and pic
turesque phases of the world war. The
city which has fallen to British arms,
links the present to past so distant
that it is semi-fabulous. The known
history Of Bagdad reaches back for
more than 1000 years to the shadowy
| times OF King Nebuchadnezzar Of
Babylon, quay built by the Scriptual
monarch still existing submerged In
the Tigris Within its precincts also
still stand the tombs of the Jewish
prophets Joshua, Ezra and Ezekiel, and
the well Of Daniel.
Long after the Babylonian dynasty
ceased to be more than memory Bag
dad rose to splendor as the artistic,
literary, scientific and religious capital
of the world The heart of the great
Islamic Empire of the Caliphs for hun
dreds Of years, it was known through
out the world as 1.-The glorious city"
and was the scene of the fantastic ex-
ploits Of Harln AL Raspid, the poten-
tate whose magnificence is immortal
lied in the Arabian Nights.
Decline Begins
In 1900 b. G. Bagdad was credited
with a population of 100000 and was
easily the first city in the world in
wealth and commerce. With the fall
of the Caliphs before the Turkish sui
tans, the decline of Bagdad commenced
1t was successfully the prey of Turks.
Mongols, Tartars, and Persians, but 1t
was not until 1888 that the city became
definitely a part Of the Turkish Empire
Its ancient Importance was largely due
to the fact that it stood at the center
of the lines of communication between
India and Persia and the West, but the
opening of new routes by way of Trebi-
zond and through Armenia diverted its
trade and was a vital factor in it's de-
cline.
The British campaign against Bag
dad was opened early In 1915. when an
Anglo-Indian force under Maj. Gen.
Charles We're Farrers Townshend was
landed at the head of the Persian gulf
and moved rapidly up the Tigris. The
primary object of the expedition was to
secure the valuable oil wells in the
region at the mouth of the Tigris. but
the ultimate and far greater object
was the SCATTERING of the great German
dream of dominion in the Near East
The realization of this dream was based
on the construction OF the Berlin-Con-
stantinople-B gdad Railway, and by the
seizure Of Bagdad the British hoped to
prevent the completion Of this road, at
least by German hands.
General Townshend commanded a /
force Of about 400 600 men and at first
he rushed forward with amazing speed |
Early In June. 1915. he captured Kut-
El-Amara, about $50 miles from the !
muoth of the Tigris and about 100 miles
from Bagdad. On the 22nd of the fol- |
lowing November he reached Ctesiphon, |
20 miles from his goal, where he was |
attacked by an overwhelming force of |
Ottoman troops. His water supply gave |
out and he was forced to retreat
Fighting a continuous rear guard |
action. the British expedition regained !
Kut-El -Amara on December 5. Here !
Gen. Townhsend determined to make a |
stand with a portion of hi sforces and
entrenched with about 10000 men while |
the remainder of his troops continued
to fall back along the Tigris in order
to join hands with the relief army |
which was hurriedly dispatched from
France and India after the defeat at
Ctesiphon
Thirty thousand Indian troops and two |
Anglo-Indian divisions. which had been
fighting in France, formed the relief |
corps which joined the remnants Of the
Townshend expedition and made a des-
perate effort to rescue the beleaguered |
garrison at Kut-El-Amara.
For three months Gen. Sir Percy Lake,
the relief commander. fought his way up
the Tigris and was within eight miles
of his hesieged comrades when on April
~ 1915. Gen, Townshend. his food supply
exhausted. was compelled to surrender.
In the meantime additional reinforce
rnents had been sent from Egypt. includ- J.