South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-01-12


opportunity 10
himself for which ne had longed.
80 may her, be remarked that,
contrary tc the general opinion
abroad. the Cossacks are more OF
nationality than an army. They
have special privileges of which
they are very Jealous and they vol
uutccr their services TO the Russian
Government. out are not obliged TO
give them TO IT, Alexander III. in
troduced iu the constitution of the
Cossacs populations certain reforms
which compelled them 10 accept
Russians as superior officers. and "A
C0sSack born could no longer rise
to "a rank higher than that of major
In the regiment I'm which ne had
begun his military service. The
Cossac1s. though they receive a reg
ular pay from Russia. must provide
their own horses and ornaments.
They are divided into several dis
tinct natonalities, among which are
the Don Cossacks, the Caucasian
Cossacks divided into the Kouban
and Terek COssacksJ. and the Oural
and siberian Cossacks. The last
named are descendants OF Don Cos
sacks who settled i'm Siberia some
800 years ago
All Cossacks are extremely proud
of the neutrality-suspicious. which they
enjoy. and 90 the last man would
neht for it's maintenance. In cases
where their chiefs happen 20 be-
Cossack born. they would follow
them 90 the end OF the earth, and
:his one fact alOne-that he was Il
Cossack by origin-would have been
sufficient 20 insure for kOrnilOff con-
sidera bile popularity among the diff
ferent regiments actually at the
front even If ne had not been per
sonally a man endowed with extra
ordinary courage and determination.
A place OF honor must be awarded
TO Kornuos. for during the Russo
japanese war ne maintained himself
with a mere handful of men, COM
posing the rear guard Of KOuropat-
k!ue's army, during the retreat
which followed upon the disaster of
Moukhden. For four days ne fought
acairst overwhelming numbers of
Jauanese. and while covering the
retiring army. succeeded in fighting
his own way out. in the very face OF
the enemy. 1t is related that while
leading his troops through the soli-
rude of the Manchurian plains he
recornIzed a wounded soldier lying
ON the ground. KoruilOm picked
him up. and for more than six hours
he carried him across his saddle
amin at last "a field ambulance could
Ic reached This incident made him
Immensely popular among his own
PEOPLE, and upon his return 20 his
aa-ive stanitsa. or village. after the
,sar with Japan was over, he was
hailed a hero by his fellow citizens.
The adventures of Kornilom dur
tne the present war are still fresh
in the public mind. and the story
of his escape from Austrian captiv-
Isv has found its way into the for
eien press; but there is one detail
connected with the adventure which,
80 far as ! know, has rot been pub
Fshed in America. When korniloff,
after days of wandering. at last
reached an advanced Russian post
his first act was 10 call n priest ard
arrange a religious celebration OK
thanksgiviug 10 God for mis- almost
miraculous escape. Then he telc-
e-rapbed 10 his aged mother I'm the
following eloquent terms.
Your son is able once more 10
...bt f,r prussia and the holy crtho-
Ion faith
When tho new government decided
-, -frest tho former car and car.
ma. KorniIofr was asked To accom-
oarv the IDENTITIES sent by the duma
take Nicholas H. into custody.
But ne refused. saying that the tas's
xoffid be- TOO painful. i'm view of the
inc. that the emperor. before hrs
,rcession 10 the throne had served
,rar., wears as Atamau 81 all the
-osSack troops. This had given
Nicholas 3D. an individuality sacred
% I'm CossacSs.