The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-04-27

Dut li-iot- bOu Ut Will JOu al uhAAA
we meet again. 81 thank my God up
on every remembrance of you
Feb. 10th.
The French General in response to
our earnest entreaty has granted a de-
lay Of "a hours before leaving the city.
We are hoping to bring about an I'M
Outstanding with the Turks that will
prevent further m~assacres. The
French took most of their wounded out
of the city last night, but left20 IN the
emergency hospital, The Armenians
in the compounds are frantic and des-
perate. They are determined to- leave
the city with the French as they fear
massacre If they remain. The scenes
are indescribably pathetic and tragic.
Our greatest concern Is for Miss Buck
ley in Bethshalom ~orphanage. We
have not heard from her during the
siege. We trust she 81 safe. We fear
the Armenians in other compounds
have not been notified of the French
withdrawal. We have been fitting out
the refugees for the Journey, giving
them food and clothes to the extent
of our supplies. Many of the older or
phan boys and girls will leave with
the exiles. DR.. and Mrs. Wilson will
remain, DR.. Elliott, Miss Schultz, Mrs.
Powers and Miss Doherty will leave
with the troops. ! have decided TO
stay but as two or three thousand
are going as sheep without a shepherd
DR.. Wilson thinks | had better go to
take charge OF them and find them food
and shelter at their destination. II Is
a long, hard trip of nearly rs miles
through mountain and plain, and I fear
many of them vii not be equal to 1t.
1t is winter and God help them If the
weather IL severe. We are trying to
arrange peace terms and II the French
forces would remain only a few more
days in the city, | believe the Turks
would lick their hands in AFFECT sur.
render. We have just had an inter-
view with DR.. Moustapha the leader
of the Turkish forces, and he has
agreed to call the notables of the city
together tomorrow for the purpose of
considering terms Of surrender. But
the fact is he IS OF the posi-
tive withdrawal Of the French troops
to night. The troops and refugees left
the city between the hours of six and
nine. The French General and his
staff left about 1920. accompanied
them. 1t was a bitterly cold night.
The city was in flames. Guns were
booming from the hills covering our
retreat. After three or four hours we
arrived at the camp on the plain. And
two o'clock on Wednesday morning the
long column moved from the plain on
to its three days journey to Islahiyeh.
AS the column moved away from the
city, it was a blaze of %splendor. The
great barracks just evacuated by the
French was on fire, silhouetted against
i. the sky. Through the long moonlight
night the column marched until noo
When we reached the village of Eulo-
glou we rested for the remainder Of the
day.
At lix O'Clock a. m, the column
started III its long march to Bell
; Bournar. The weather was severely
| cod and many of the weak one drop
/. ped by the wayside to freeze or to
starve. At noon the column rested
5 for two hours and reached Bell Pounar
at five p. m. Turkish villages were
! burnt by the soldiers after the column
2 had passed through. There were very
5 meagre accommodations in the village
]. and multitudes were encamped In the
open to suffer seriously from hunger
{ and exposure.
, Feb. 18th (Friday.)
. During the night a now storm
| ragged and at six o'clock the column
i prepared to move forward while it was
/. yet dark. The snow storm Increased
during the early morning hours to a
r blizzard and continued all through the
> long dreary march. From II TO IS
| hours the soldiers and civilians plod-
ded their way through the snow drifts.
t All along the line the weak and in
firm dropped out from sheer exhaust
ion. 1t Is estimated that before the
! co.umn reached ~Islahiyeh more than
( a thousand refugees had persisted in
The snow besides many of the soldiers.
Q 1t was a tragic ending Of a tragic exc
Z dus.
: Feb. 14th.
y We did our best to care for the
poor refugees in Islahiyeh. Many died
after reaching their destination, No
. accommodations were available in the
/ village and very little food, inter
. viewed the Turkish governor and the
J French Commandment, and secured
. their cooperation in doing something
for the refugees.
A bakery was secured to furnish
, bread and a mill to grind the flour. |
: left with the French wounded on the
evening train for Adana TO confer with
: DR., Dodd Of the A. c. r. N. e. and DR..
Chambers Of the American Mission
y to see what could be done to help these
unfortunates in their distress Mink
! and blankets were dispatched imme.
: diately and further supplies prepared
= to meet the urgent necessity of the
situation. All the American forces
, in the city have put themselves to the
/, service of these stranded Armenians.
. 1t Is hoped that eventually they will be
brought to Adana where the pastors
of the city are preparing to receive
; them and house them In their churches
and other institutions in the city. |
am now trying to return to my station
g at Aintab by way Of Beirut and Aleppo.
i DR.. Chambers who is on his way to
Constantinople to plead the cause Of
I the Armenians before the representa-
| tives of the Entente Powers widd car
: ny this message with him as a record
of the events that transpired in Mar
ash during those crucial weeks.
THE ENn