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Plevna

Plevna image
Parent Issue
Day
11
Month
January
Year
1878
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

A long, louu Hiiouu weut up iroiu iiu Luseian army when tho white flag was oen and its signilieauce was uuderstood - a joyous sliout that swept over that reary plain, and was enhoed back onorously by the sullen, rugged IüYk ovorhanging tho sccno. The hrill of gladness in the shout howed how dcoply the Russian Roldiers had dreaded the long, wcaiy waiting through tht; winter ïnonths among snow and mud round this impregnable stronghold. It was clear that a load had been lifted from every henrt. A moment later a Turkish officcr was seen riding over tlie biidge with a white fliig in his hand. He rode iorwnrd to Gen. Ganetsky, in cemniand of theGrenar diera, kalted a moment, and then rode back. As it turned out, he was an officer of inferior rank, and returned becanse Gen. Ganetsky instructod liim to send an officer with the rank of Pasha to negotiate tho terms of capitulation. Then thirty or forty of ns, headed by Gen. Skobelcff, whs had been this moming placed on the Sophia road, rode down the road toward the bridge, within point-bknk range of the Tnrkish riflea, if the Turkish soldiere, grouped in miwses on the road behind the bridge on the cliffs overlookiug the Vid, had choson to open on ns. About fifty yards f rom the bridge, and seventy-live from some raasses of Turks on tho other side, we halted. Gen. Skobeleff and two or three otLer officers waved white handkerchiefs. This signal of amity was answered by tho waving of a pieoe of white mnslin, about two yards square, attac'ied to a fiag-staff. Then two horsemen carne forward, each carrying a white flag. They rode aorogs the bridge and approached us. There was a moment's eonversatiou with Gcd. Skobeleff's interprt ter, and then it was announced that Osman himself was coming out, and the two horsemen galloped back. "Osman himself coming out! exclaimed all of ns with surprise. This was indeed an uulooked-for incident. " At any rite we will giyo liim a respectl'ul reception," exclaimed one Russian officer, in the gallant spirit of true chiva] ry. "That wewill,"said anotlier. "We must all Balute bim, and tlie soldiers must present aims. " " He is cortainly a great soldier," exclaimcd another, " and lie lias made a heroic defense." "He is the greatest General of the ngo," said Gen. Skobeleff, " for he saved the honor of bis country. I will proffer bim my hand and teil him so." All were unanimous in liis praise, and the butcherics of Eussian wounded cominitted by the Turkish army of Plevna were forgotten. All aroxxnd me the gronnd was covered with grim relies of battle. Here and there tlie earth was uptorn bv the horse groaning and etraggling in death; close by, an ox, silectiy bloeding to death ; bis great, round, patiënt eyes looking mournf ully at us. Just bofore me was a oart with a dead horse lying in yoke as he had fallen, and a Turkish soldier lyiug alongside whose head had been carried away. Another man was lying under tlie wagon, and around weiv íour woundfid men, lying gazing up at the murky sky, or covcred up with tho hooíl of their ragged gray overcoat drawn over th ir faces. Not one of them otteied a sound. They lay there and boro their sufferiug with a calm, stolid fortihule woicll brought tears to my oyes. Just behind tho wngon the grouud was ripped to pieces by shell firo, tellicg how these unfortunates had met their fate. The road and its edgtsweredotted here and there with dead and wounded Turkish soldiers, oxen, horses aud shattered oartd, and, a lew hundred yards north of the road, the ground overwhich Osman Pasha's sallying column had made that heroic charge was literally covered with dead and wounded. Kussian doctors were already going about on the field looking after tlie woiuided, and giving them temporary dressing, wliile waiting for the ambulanoes to come up. All these things I observed during the pause which was broken at last by shouts of "There he in ! He is coming," and I rode forwai-d ngain to the point of main interest. Two horsemen were agaiu proaehing with a white flag, the bearèr of whieh was apparently merely a eonimon soldier. Ho wore a fez, a long, dirty brown cloak, and very ragged footgear. The other horseman wore a brigbt red fez, whieh set off the olfieer's blue cloak. He was clean and natty, and had ou fresh glovea. He was comparatively young, with a round, rosy face ; clean shaved, light mustache, straight nose, and bluo eyes. He did not seem over 35 yoars old. "This cannot be Osman Pashn," was tlie general exolamation. In fact it was not he, bnt Tefik Bey, bis Cbiof of Staff. Was it possible that tbis boyish-looking face belongcd to Osman's right-harid man, wlio must have played so great a part in the orgnnizatiou and niaintenance of Osman's mighty def en se ? It seems strange, hut it was trne. The Turks havo the merit at least of not being afraid of young men. I saw no tottering graybeanled officers in this captive host. Everyone on our eide saluted as Tafik Bey rode up. He halted for a moment and was silent. Ho then spoke in French with good accent, but slowly, as if ehoc8Ïng liis words. He saiJ, " Osman Paalia - " then stopped fully ten seconds before he proceedcd - " is wouuded." This was the first intimation we had had of this occurrcnce. All expiessed "Not Beveroly, we all hope," exclaimed Gen. Skobeleff. "I do not kuow," was the auswer, with a pause of a second between every worJ. " Where is his Exellency ?" was the next question "There," was Tefik Bey's reply, as he pointed to a small honio overlooking the road just beyond tho bridge. Then there was a pauso whilo wo sorutinizcd our strange visitor, and he surveycd us, as it seemed to me, with the most perfect calmness, but obvious curiosity. Tlie pause became embarrassing. The Turk ahowed no hurry to speak, and the ttussiaus evidently feit delicacy in askiug if he had come to surrender; besides wbioh there was rcally no oflïoer fcheie who had the right to treat with him. The sitnation was eritical, and if it posaessed an amusiug clement was also embarrising. Both armieB were watchinp; us not more tlian 500 yards apart, with arms in thoir hnnds, fov the Russianiiifimtry iinil gradaally moved down townrd the bridge. Finally Gen. Skobeleff stam mered out, "Is thero auyyody you would like to see ?- [pause ] - Witli whcm did you wish to speak V - ! pause -Is there anythiiig- ? - tpaiise - Whax the ilovil iti the matter witli the m.in? Why don't he speak ?" blurted out tlie General, in EDgliah, turning to me. Ttfiik Boy rcmaine.l impassive. I have ssenmnre of him sinoe, and I fiud he is aicgularly and habjtuaily taciturn, bnt I bclif ve Ms extreme taoiturnity, on this ojca8ion, waa partly owing to nota, iu Spité of tito stcady, inflexible frontín' mniubúued. " (r. ïi. Qaneteky is in command hero. H wili be here presently, in case you would likft to sp?nk to him," Gen. Ökobeleff fiaally observed. Teük Bey simiily uodded. ' Osmun Ohazi has mude a most glorious tlefcuKo," asiel an offioir. "Weesteembigbly bis soldierly okawcter." The Tuik gazed sileutly before him, nud gave no Kign Duit lie had lieard. " We look upon liim asa very great General," snid another. No answer. The Turk's cyes were benf m tbc ti on of Sophin, as tliougli looking for Mehemet Ali Pasha. There was evidently no use trying to converso with tbis obstinately silent man, and they gave it up. FortunuteJy Gen. Strukoff, of the Eknperor'e Btaff, soon arrived, ■witli powers to trent. He atked Tefik if he hud autliority irom O&nan Paslia to negótdate. It appfared uot. I did not catch all thtit w&b eaid; btit the final result was ♦lint Teñk bowed to us and glloped away back aeróse the bridge. Tue terras of capitulation wero easily arranged. The surrender is unconditional. Osman consented at once. If surprise be expressed thnt he should bave so suddenly agreed, it is only necessary to state that hecould do noUiing else. We tunied back and over the bvirlff and Osiimn PiihIki ernt into a riage and drove to Pierna. The Grand Duke Nicholas with bis staff arrived a few minutes afterward, and passed the troops in review. He was reoeived with cheers. Halting, he spoke a few words to the Grenndiors, whieh was greeted with tlie wildest aeclamation. The Grand Duke lias certainly the soldierly quality of knowing how to speak to soldiors. Then we pass again Blowly aoross the bridge. The scène had now ehanged. No more armed Tnrka were to bc seen. The interview with Osman Pasha had taken place about 2 o'cloek. It was now 3, and the Turks had all laid down their arms. They liad obeyed the irijuiiotion literally, nnd each man had simply laid his rifle down in the mud where he was standing when tlie order reaehed him. The gronnd wa littered with arms, the sarae Peabody-Martiuisthathad wrought such destruction in the Russian ranks in July and September. The road lay thick with them, and we rode over them, trampling them under our horses' feet and spoiling hundreds of them. Osmau's army was not, however, all armed with Peabodys. I observed eome Sniders and a good many Krankas, evidently taken f rom the battle-fiekis of July und September. Osman Pasha was eacorted by fifty Cossacks, and tuero followed lnm twentyflvo or thirty Turkish offieers on ponies. They were all, or uearly all, young men. Scarcely one among them seenied over 80. Most had the faces of mere boy students. "Ars these the lads," I inwardly exclaimed, "with whom Osman Tasha has accomplished such -wonders?" The Grand Duke rode up to the carriagp, and for some secouds tho two chiefs gazed into cach ofher's faces without the utterance of a word. Then the Grand Duke stretolied out liis hand and shook the liand of Osmnn Pasha heartily. I rode through the Turkish troops after the surrender, wheu I had time to examine them closely. There were bad, vile faces among tho horde, but there were also mauy bright faces, in whose eyes there was no murderous glare. I shall never forget the face of one young officer, who, with folded arme, stood a prisoner among his men, gnzing at us with a look of fieroe, defiant bate tliat was softined by profouud despair. The men nll wore dirty brown clouks, with hoods pulled down over their heads, and very ragged foot-gear. They seoraed ill fed, and were, mostly, miserably bedraggled and tattered ; yet withal each man was a hero in our eyes when we thought of the suwjessive episodes of the long-protracted defeuse of Plevna, f rom the repulse of Sclirider Schuldner to the final desperate struggle to break the iron band of enviroiiment.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus