The Washington herald., 1919-05-07

though the light was dawning on their
minds. The awakening could not long
be postponed.
had a safe and comfortable journey
to Petrograd. Nobody molested me.
nobody threatened my life. ! arrived
OF the capital on the 18th of January.
The station was not as beieaguered as
two months previous Red Guards
were not in such evidence in the
streets. which appeared more normal.
] went TO one OF my former patron
esses and learned of the terror in
which the capital lived.
The following day I called on Gen.
X, who greeted me cordially. KieN.
he told me. had just been cap
tured by the Germans. They were
threatening Petrograd and the oppo-
sition Of the Red Guards would not
capture IL the Germans were bent
upon 1t.
Red Terror was rampant in the city.
The river was full Of corpses OF slain
and lynched officers. Those who were
alive were in awful condition. in fear
of showing themselves in public be-
cause of the mob spirit. and there
fore on the verge of death from star
situation of the country. 1t was fall
ing into the hands of the enemy so
rapidly that some kind OF immediate
action was imperative.
A secret meeting of officers and SYM
pathizers had been held at which it
was decided to get in touch with Gen.
Kornilov, who was reported as oper-
ating in the Don region. There were
SO many conflicting reports concerning
Kornilov that 1t had been suggested
that a courier be sent to him to find
out definitely his plans and condition.
After a thorough canvass. Gen. X
proposed that i, as a woman. was tire
only person that could possibly get
through the BolsheYik lines and reach
Kornilov. Would 1 go?
II would not join the officers here or
Kornilov in the south to wage warfare
against my own people" replied. Il
can't do ii. because every Russian is
dear to my heart. whether he be
Bolshevik. an Menshevfk. or Red
Guard. But I will take it upon myself
to get to Kornilov, for your as well as
for my own information"
1t was agreed that / was to dress as
a Sister of Mercy. A costume was OBJ
tanned for me, and put IL on over my
uniform. Ny soldiers cap 1 tucked
away in a back pocket and put on the
sisters regulation head-piece. which
showed only my eyes. nose, mouth and
cheeks and made me look like a ma
tron OF about -.
A passport. bearing the name Of Al
exandra Leontievna Smirnova, was
furnished to me and this was to be
my name on the way. AS / wore army
boots there was no danger of my trou
sers showing under the skirt. ] took
with me a letter from Princess Tatu-
yeva, in which she invited me to visit
her in her Caucasus home. A direct
ticket from Petrograd to kislovodsk.
a Caucasion resort, within several
hundred versts of Kornilov's where
abouts, was given me TO be used only
in an emergency. 1t was agreed that
in case of danger / should discard my
garb of a Sister of Mercy. appear as
my real SELF and claim. with the aid
of the emergency ticket TO Kislovodsx
and the letter from Princess Tatuyeva.
that I was on my way to take a cure
at the resort. In addition, / was. of
course. provided with money for ex-
penses.
1t was great fun suddenly to lose
ones identity and appear as a COM
plete stranger. 1 was no longer Nara
Botchkareva, but Alexandra Smirnova-
And as / glanced at myself in the mir
ror 1t seemed even to my own eyes
that / had been reincarnated from a
soldier into a Sister of Mercy.
Upon leaving Petrograd my destina
ton was NikItaino, a station which
one would ordinarily pass on the way
to Kislovodsk. Nobody recognized me
on the train. Sometimes a soldier
asked:
Where are you going. little sister,"
Home, to Kislovodsk." was my
usual answer.
The next question would be about
the service l had seen at the front,
and the sectors at which l had worked.
would reply with facts from my ac-
tual experience as a soldier. There
was nothing strange about a Sister of
Mercy returning home, and as l pre-
ferred silence and seclusion to CONVEX
sation, 1 reached Nlkitino. at the end
of several days, without any trouble.
From Nikitno all trains were switch
ed by the authorities to other lines and
sent to their destination by round
about routes. The road running direct
south from there was used for mill
tary purposes exclusively by the Boil
shevik forces fighting Kornilov. Thirty
versts beyond. at Zverevo. the So
called front began. Private passengers
were therefore not allowed to go 10
Zverevo.
One could see that vast preparations
were being made for a campaign
against Gen. Kornilov. There were
many ammunition trains and large
numbers OF men concentrated there
awaiting transportation. There was
apparently no lack of money. The dis
cipl.ne was one OF iron. reminding one
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS