The conquest of Turkey = or, The decline and fall of the Ottoman empire, 1877-8 : A complete history of the late war between Russia and Turkey ... to which is added biographical sketches of the leading actors in this great drama

Front matter

OR,

THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE

1877-8.

Preface

Deeming no apology necessary in offering the present volume to the public, either in respect to its subject or our method of presenting it, our preface is designed simply to invite attention to some facts and features of the work.

Early last summer, Dr. L. P. Brockett published an interesting work, “ The Cross and the Crescent,” as an introduction to a history of the war then but just begun. When the time came for writing the history, however, that gentleman, for reasons of health and the pressure of other engagements, relinquished his purpose. Believing that a concise and reliable history would prove of value and interest to Americans, we have undertaken to compile and write one. It will be observed that we have prefixed the substance of Dr. Brockett’s work to our history, omitting only those passages which did not appear strictly germane to an introduction. The first eight chapters and the biographies are abridged from the former work, the succeeding chapters are ours.

We do not claim that the work is original in the same sense or to the same extent that we should make a treatise or an essay original ; for instance, inasmuch as we were not an eye-witness of the battles or historic events narrated, we have necessarily obtained our facts at second¬ hand. But, on the other hand, we have not blindly copied or heed¬ lessly followed the accounts of any one authority , but have critically examined every accessible newspaper, magazine, pamphlet and book, in which information was to be obtained, comparing one with the others, and, when possible, discriminating between the several correspondents and other writers, and between the stated facts and the opinions and suppositions of each. The daily press of London has been our chief source of information ; the leading newspapers of '}2ri0U‘-eity vied with

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VI

PREFACE.

each other in maintaining correspondents at the different and various military head-quarters, both in European and Asiatic Turkey, through¬ out the war ; of these, the Daily News was exceptionally well served. We have carefully gathered our facts from the columns of the London press generally, and in many instances have given the graphic accounts of important battles and movements in the words of the correspondents who, it must he recollected, were eye-witnesses ; in each instance, when we have known the writer’s name, we have been careful to mention it.

We have hereby publicly to tender our thanks to Lloyd P. Smith, Esq., of the Philadelphia Library, for his courtesy and kindly interest in our labors, evinced by placing the treasures of that library at our disposal, permitting us ready access to every file or volume that could be of service to us. We also acknowledge our indebtedness to J. Harned Morris, Ph. D., of this city, for assistance in the preparation of our “ copy ” for the press.

In conclusion, we would ask the reader to note that we have brought our history actually down to date, giving in our letter-press the latest news in reference to the complications that have arisen since the war, and that threaten to demand another war for their unravelling.

PORTER C. BLISS.

Philadelphia, April 10th, 1878.

Introduction

The original entrance of the Osmanli Turks into Europe — They overrun the Danubian region — Their conquest of Hungary — The wars between Scla¬ vonic tribes in Russia — Raids of the Tartar Khans — Polish hatred of Russia — The Polish wars with Turkey — Cossack and Tartar power and influence of Turkey in the beginning of the Seventeenth Century — Rus¬ sia its most formidable, and, at times, its only foe — Five wars between Russia and Turkey in the Eighteenth Century — The wars of 1806-12, of 1828-29, and of 1*853-56 — War the normal condition of the Ottoman Porte — The character of the Turk portrayed — His barbarism and deceit — Mr. N. W. Senior’s description of the results of Turkish rule — Mr. Cobden’s opinions of their demerits . Pages 21-30.

CHAPTER I. History of Russia

Origin of the Sclavonians, Scythians, and Sarmatians — The Finns — Sclavonian Colonies or Communes — The lex l,.Aonis — Weregeld or vera — Barbarity of early Sclavonians — Founding of Novgorod and Kief — King Rurik, the Norman — Introduction of Christianity — The reigns of Vladimir and "Yaroslav — Burning of Kief — Famine in Novgorod — Irruption of the Tartar Khans — Destruction of the capital, Vladimir — The victory of Alexander Nevski — Constant wars for a hundred years— Moscow, the cap¬ ital-invasion of Timiir — His retreat — The first Mint— ‘Earthquake at Novgorod — The vigorous reign of Ivan III. — Destruction of Achmet’s Golden Horde — The Russian standard, the two-headed Black Eagle, adopted by Ivan III. — Karamsin’s description of him — Ivan IV., the first Russian Czar — Organization of the Streltsi — “ Ivan the Terrible” — De¬ feat of Gustavus Wasa — Ivan’s Code — Karamsin’s estimate of his char¬ acter — His death — Theodore I., the last of the dynasty of Rurik — Boris Godunof, a Russian Richard III.— Murder of Dmitri — the false Dmitri, Otrepief — His brief reign and death — Terri"le famine in 1600 ; half a million people perish in Moscow — Serfage instit uted in 1597 — Occupation of Moscow by the Poles, 1610— Their expulsion — Michael Romanoff elected Czar ; the founder of the Romanoff dynasty — The States General first summoned — Sophia as Empress-regent — Her downfall — Peter the Great — His wars with Sweden and Turkey — His reverses — His achieve¬ ments and death — His adventures in London — His reforms — Anne of Courland — The Constitution — She destroys it — Cruelty of her favorite, Biron, Duke of Courland — Reign of Elizabeth — Her hypocrisy — Peter III., his short reign and violent death . Pages 31-67.

CHAPTER II. History of Russia continued

Reign of Catherine TI. — War with Turkev — Subjugation of Poland — Capture and annexation of the Crimea — The combination against England — Another war with Turkey (1788-1790) — 660,000 men slain on all sides — The fall of Warsaw — Catherine’s death — Her remarkable abilities and great achievements — Her reforms — Her personal appearance — Adminis-

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tration and assassination of Paul — Accession of Alexander I. — He joins the Northern Powers against France — Makes peace with Napoleon — Again breaks with France — Napoleon’s Russian campaign — Battle of Bo¬ rodino — Capture and burning of Moscow — Scenes of terror — The retreat from Moscow and its horrors — The allies enter Paris — The judicious measures of Alexander I. — His religious character — “ The Holy Alliance ” Madame Krudener — Alexander’s death — Trouble in regard to the suc¬ cession — Constantine declines — Nicholas crowned — The insurrection — Severity with which it was repressed — War with Turkey in 1828-9 — In¬ surrection in Poland — Its cruel suppression — The Czar Nicholas the ally and protector of Turkey in 1833 — The Protectorate of the Five Powers over Turkey — Russia assists Austria in suppressing the Hungarian re¬ volt in 1849 — The Crimean War in 1853 — England, France, Sardinia, and Turkey against. Russia — Early incidents of the war — The battle of the Alma — Defeat of the Russians — The Light Cavalry charge at Balaklava — Battle of Inkermann — The Russians again defeated — Operations around Sevastopol — Storming the fortress — Its capture — Death of Nicholas I., March 2d, 1855 — Peace — Treaty of Paris, March 30, 18GG — Its provisions — Coronation of Alexander II. — His reforms — Emancipation of the Serfs — Provisions of the Act — The new courts of law — Abolition of cruel pun¬ ishments — Educational reform — The clerical reforms — Distribution of the Scriptures — Suppression of Polish insurrection — War in Central Asia — The^appreliensions of the British Government unfounded.

CHAPTER III. Russia — Its Geography, Existing Races, Religion, and Social Life

Geographical extent of Russia — Its northern lands and races — The Finns and Lapps — The White Sea region — The Northern Sclaves — Archangel — The holy tombs of Solovetsk — Religious character of the Russian — Great number of churches in Russia — Russian devotion— Social instincts of the Russians — Manufactures of the towns— Three classes — Merchants, burgh¬ ers and artisans — Character of each — The Annual Fair, or Yarmark, at Nijni Novgorod — The Traffic of Novgorod — Tartar Tribes of Turkestan — Chase for a Bride . Pages 104-122.

CHAPTER IV. Turkey — Its History

Origin of the name Turk — Several theories — Their early home at the foot of the Altai range— Their progress westward — They demand that Justinian shall drive out the Avars — Their conversion to Mahometanism — These Turkomans not Turks— Their descent into Asia Minor — The Seljuk Turks — These overrun Asia Minor — Extent of their empire— Divided among the descendants of Malek Shah— Origin of the Osmanli Turks — Ertogrul — He finds two armies fighting, and joins one — It proves to be that of a Seljukian Sultan — Ertogrul receives territory for his assist¬ ance— Otliman, son of Ertogrul, founder of the Osmanli Turks — Otliman’s wise and good reign of thirty-eight years— Orclian, his son, succeeds him— Organization of the Janissaries — Division of the. territory into Sandjaks and Vilayets — Murad I.,Bajazet I., Mohammed I., Murad II., all made conquests in Europe, occupying all of European Turkey (except Constantinople and its immediate vicinity), Greece, Moldavia, Wallachia, Servia, and most of Hungary — Condition of European powers at this time— Terrible discords and hatreds of each other— The Turk-bell of Calixtus III. — Fall of Constantinople in 1453 — Servia and Belgrade — Its great fortress subjugated in 1459— Wallachia and Bosnia become Turk¬ ish provinces in 1462— Albania and the Herzegovina in 1467— Venice de¬ feated and made to surrender her great possessions in 1475, and Mol-

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davia and the Crim Tartars in 1476 — Ba jazet II. first fouglit Russia in 1495 — Selim I., a cruel, bad man, subdued Egypt and Syria.

Soliman I., surnamed tlie Magnificent, extended his dominions in all directions, in Asia and Africa ; and all Europe, except Russia, were either his allies or his tributaries — His great civil reforms — The decline of the Ottoman empire from his death — Corruption introduced during his reign - — Weak and vicious sovereigns that followed Soliman — Koprili, Grand Vizier of Mohammed IV. — Miserable death of Mohammed IV. in 1692 — Mustapha II. obliged to surrender Hungary, Transylvania, etc., and dethroned and imprisoned — Ahmed III. the involuntary host of Charles XII. of Sweden — He is forced to surrender Croatia, part of Bosnia and the principalities, and is deposed by the Janissaries, who claim to be the real rulers — Four more weak and incapable Sultans (1780-1789)

- — Selim III. and Mustapha IV. both strangled by the Janissaries — An era of great changes — Mahmoud II. (1808-1889) — A man of great ability, but fallen upon an evil time — Substantial independence of Servia — Re¬ volt of the Wahabis — Revolution in, and independence of Greece — Ali Pasha of Janina — Murder of the Greek Patriarch — Atrocities in Greece . — Destructive war with Russia — The slaughter of the Janissaries — “ The Sandjak Sheriffe ” — Mahmoud’s reforms — In his army — In dress — Revolt of Meliemet Ali — Russian aid sought to subdue him — A new civil organ¬ ization initiated — Character of Mahmoud — His intemperance — Abd-ul Medjid (1889-1861) — Mehemet Ali put down by the aid of European powers — Good influence of Lord Stratford de RedclifFe — Weakness of Abd-ul Medjid — His apathy — Loth to commence reforms — The Syrian massacres — Reception of Hungarian refugees — The Crimean War — The European powers urge reforms and they are decreed — on paper — The Hatti Humayoum — Extravagance of Abd-ul Medjid’s later years — Abdul Aziz (1861-1876) — Weak, inefficient, and extravagant — The Candian insurrection — Insurrection in Bosnia and the Herzegovina — Massa¬ cres in Bulgaria — Fearful extravagance of the Sultan, and destruction of the credit of the Turkish Government — His dethronement and sui¬ cide — Murad V. deposed after a reign of three months — Abd-ul Hamid II.

CHAPTER V. The Religion, Manners and Customs of the Osmanlis AND OF THE ASIATIC AND SCLAVONIC PROVINCES OF TURKEV

The organization of every Mahometan State based upon the Koran as its supreme law — Mahometanism defined and described — No connection between morality and faitli among the Moslems — Kindness to animals a meritorious act, but not to Christians — Impossibility of real civilization in a nation composed of the believers of such doctrines — Changes in Turkish life within fifty years — Present moral and religious condition of the Turk — Abandonment cf Mahometanish by Turks — The Sacred City — -• Mohammedan Sects of Syria — Condition of the Christians of Turkey — The effect of four hundred years of oppression — Hospitality of all classes in Turkey — Kindness to animals — This commanded by the Koran; but cruelty is also practiced upon animals, and the cruelty of the Turk to his fellow-man is notorious.

Roumania. — Surface of the country — Crops and fruits — Scenery of Moldavia — Pasturage lands of Wallachia — Cattle, sheep, and swine raised in great numbers — Abundance of game — All European wild animals found there — Climate — Minerals in the Carpathians — Fruits very abun¬ dant and of excellent quality — Rearing of bees a large industry — Rou¬ manians a mixed race — The people inclined to be indolent, but large and finely formed, in the cities having a Greek type of physiogomy, in the country, Roman — Upper classes very haughty — Two universities, eight theological seminaries, nearly 5,000 schools, but instruction is exceedingly meager.

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Servia. — The Servians a purely Sclavonian race — Constitution ot' Servia — The Senate — The Skoupschina — Provisions of Constitution — The sessions of the Skoupschina annual — The Grand Skoupschina — - Commerce of Servia — Her trade almost exclusively with Austria, Turkey, and Roumania — Exports, mostly swine — Imports — The Servian branch of the Greek Church — Independent since A. D. 1220 — Mr. Denton’s descrip¬ tion — The service essentially Jewish — The administration of the Lord’s Supper — Imposing ceremonies.

Constitution of Servia — The Senate — The Skoupschina — Provisions of Constitution — The sessions of the Skoupschina annual — The Grand Skoupschina — Commerce of Servia — Her trade almost exclusively with Austria, Turkey, and Roumania — Exports, mostly swine — Imports — The Servian branch of the Greek Church — Independent since A. D. 1220-^*

Montenegro — Meaning of the various names given to Montenegro — Area and population — Montenegro destitute of sea-coast — Its inhabitants Serbs — Their character — Surface of the country — The M untaineers a nation of warriors — Four hundred years of chronic war — “One Monte¬ negrin equal to ten Turks” — Ferocious character of the warfare — Behead¬ ing foes — Slicing off no^es and ears — Turkish cruelties — Impaling alive — Cutting of!' hands and feet — The Montenegrins never guilty of disrespect lo a woman, or outrage to a child — The Montenegrins men of fine physique, industrious, hospitable, patient of fatigue, frank, open-hearted, and generous.

Bosnia and the Herzegovina — The inhabitants of these provinces Serbs and Croats — Mountainous character of the two provinces — Serajevo, its fine siturtion and beautiful gardens — Population of Bosnia and the Herzegovina classes — The refugees in Austria — English ministrations to the sufferers.

Mostar, its antiquity and fine situition on the Narenta — Its bridge built by Trajan — Traditions respecting it, probably repaired by Solunan the Mngnifijpnt — The views of Mostar and Coinica — The Sclavonic Mahome¬ tans of Bosnia, an additional complication of the Eastern question — What shall be done with them ? . Pages 161-200.

CHAPTER VI. Bulgaria, the Bulgarian Church and Atrocities

The Bulgarians Sclavonians only in language and religion — The original Bulgarians, Finns or Ugrian Tartars, but have intermarried and coalesced with the Sclavonians till they have become essentially Sclavonian in language, religion, and to some extent in race — The Bulgarians Pagans till the ninth century — Methodius — His painting of the Last Judgment — Conversion of King Bogaris and his people in 853— The Bulgarian Church — Its independence of both the Eastern and Western Churches — The monk Simeon becomes king, and finally Czar Simeon — His conquests and extensive dominions — The telegraph of Leo, Arch¬ bishop of Salonica — Bulgaria one of the leading powers of Europe — Successors of Simeon — -Wars with the Greek emperors — Adverse for¬ tune of the Bulgarian kings — Their enemies, Servian, Croat, Magyar, Greek, and Turk, by turns — Their fighting under the Czars Stephen Duslian, and Lazar — Bulgaria subjugated by the Turks, at the battle of Nikopolis, A.I). 1396 — The same course pursued by the Turks as in Bosnia — A few become Mahometans, aside from the youth who were made cadets of the Janissaries — The Bulgarian Church struggle to keep itself from the control of the Patriarch of Constantinople — Why the Greeks were not forced to become Mahometans — Turkish estimate of their character — Their willingness to do anything for money and power — The Greek Patriarchs assiduous and persistent in their efforts to gain con¬ trol of the Bulgarian Church — Their plausible arguments to the Sultan

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— Tlieir crafty attempts to fasten suspicion on the Bulgarians — They bribe Orsenius Dolis, Patriarch of Bulgaria in 1767, to resign — -His letter of abdication — The bribery so evident that the Bulgarian people refuse to be bound by it — The Patriarch of Constantinople assumes power, and sends the basest of men to be bishops and priests — The noble, pass¬ ive resistance of the Bulgarians — Their protests unheeded or answered by persecutions — The uprising of the nobles — Their first movement in the direction of education — They procure books, Bibles, etc., in Bulgarian, from abroad, and distribute them among the people, and establish schools, at their own expense, for instruction in the Bulgarian language and literature — Efforts of the Patriarch of Constantinople to confiscate these books — His want of success — Permission obtained for the estab¬ lishment of schools in the provincial towns in 1850— Growth of these schools after the Crimean war — Number of scholars in them in Janu-* ary, 1876 — Movement of the leaders in 1860 to make these schools a charge upon t He ecclesiastical funds — Its success — They renounce their allegiance to the Greek Patriarch, and place the diocesan revenues in the hands of a commission, to be distributed in part for educational purposes — Valuable assistance of Lord Stratford de Redcliffe — Other schools established by dissenters — The effort for the re-instatement of the Bulgarian National Church — The difficulties gradually removed, and the object accomplished in 1870 — The advantages of this change to the Bulgarians — Operations of Russian adventurers and revolutionists in Bulgaria in the past — The selfish purposes of Russia in 1828-29 — Russia opposed to the Bulgarian Educational Movement — The operations of the Bucharest Committee in 1867 — Their purposes — Their failure — This due to the prompt and efficient action of MidhaJ Paslia — A different state of things in 1876 — The corruptions and outrages of the last years of Abd-ul Aziz’s reign — The constantly increasing exactions of the tax-farmers — Quartering of Turkish troops on the ray alls and landholders — - The constant outrages against female virtue.

Atrocities. — The condition of affairs in Bulgaria prior to May, 1876 — The Andrassy note — Motives cf the Powers in its presentation— Hostility of the fanatical Turks of Constantinoj) e to these remonstrances — Progress which had been made by the Bulgarians in the previous ten years — Beginning of the insurrection — The Turkish measures for putting it down — Bashi-Bazouks — Mr. Schuyler’s Report — Not heretofore pub¬ lished, except by the government — Circumstances attending Mr. Schuy¬ ler’s investigation — His opportunities for obtaining correct information — Previous movements and disaffection in Bulgaria — The re establish¬ ment of the Bulgarian Church — The Eski-Zagra affair — Demands of the people — The insurrection of May, 1876 — Plans and outbreaks — Measures taken by authorities — Arming of Bashi-Bazouks — The re¬ pression of the insurrection — Peruslititsa — Klissura — Panagurislita — Petritch — Bello va — Bratzigovo — Koprivtchitsa — Batak — The insurrec¬ tion in the Sandjak of Sliven — Sliven — Boyadjik — Insurrection in the Sandjak of Tirno’-a — The monastery near Drenova — Gabrovo — Kravenik — Trevno — Novo-Malialle — List of towns and villages destroyed — Sum¬ ming up : ten thousand houses burned, seventy thousand or eighty thousand persons homeless, fifteen thousand murdered, and out¬ rages without number — All these villages pillaged — One hundred and fifteen to one hundred and sixty Mussulmans killed — But no outrages — The leaders in this infamy rewarded by the Turkish Government — Unwillingness of the English Government to admit these facts — Mr. Baring’s testimony confirms Mr. Schuyler’s — Progress of events at Constantinople in May to September, 1876 — Abd-ul Aziz deposed and commits suicide — Murad V. succeeds — Two of the ministers assassinated June 15, by Hassan Bey — Abdul Hamid II. succeeds Murad V., August 31 . Pages 201-252.

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CHAPTER YIL Military and Financial Condition of the Contending Nations at the Declaration of War.

Brief review of previous wars of tlie last twenty years — The great armies of the leading Powers, one cause of war — France and Russia most in fault for this — Position of Turkey, Austria, Hungary, Italy, Greece, and the Principalities, as affected by the great armies of the leading Powers.

Russia. — Population — Its army.

Turkey. — Its area and probable population — Great diversity of races in Turkey — Their hostility to each other — The Mahometan element a minority in European Turkey — Military condition of Turkey not satis¬ fy cory — Finances of Turkey — Their deplorable condition — The national debt . Pages 253-268.

CHAPTER VIII. Diplomatic Efforts to avert war

Frequency of war between Russia and Turkey- The causes of this chronic hostility on the side of Turkey and Russia — Neither they nor any other of the European Powers desirous of war in 1876 — The reasons why — The first diplomatic step — Count Andrassv ’s note — The sub¬ stance of that note — Its demands — Its reception by the Grand Vizier — Midhat Pasha’s projected constitution — The failure of the constituGon — The Bulgarian massacres — The Berlin Memorandum — Its purpose — Great Britain declines to sign it — Encouragement given to Turkey by the action of the British Ministry — Great Britain’s proposition for an armistice — Disagreement on the time f r which it should he conceded — The Emperor Alexander’s interview with the British Minister — The conference at Constantinople of December 11, 1876 — The sta'ement of the motives and results of this conference by the Marquis of Salisbury — The parties to the conference — Russia the motive power of the conference — Prince GortschakofPs declaration — The Ru Han protocol — Its terms — Its moder¬ ation — The declaration of the Russian Ambassador — The counter declaration of Turkey — Its curt and harsh tone — The manifesto of the Czar — Declaration of war . Pages 269-278.

CHAPTER IX. Montenegro and Servia in 1876

The insurrection in Bosnia and the Herzegovina — The attitude and designs of Russia, Servia and Montenegro — Russia determined to fight, but careful to conceal the determination — Servia tries to imitate Russia- -Montene¬ gro wants to fight and does not care who knows it — The insurrection breaks out in Bosnia and the Herzegovina in 1875 — Uprising in Bulgaria in May, 1876 — Monteneero and Servia declare war, July 1st, 1876 — Russia, April 24th, 1877 — Servia’s mistake — Servia’s army and iis com¬ manders — Army assumes the offensive and crosses the border — Tcherrayeff’s plan of campaign excellent — Early successes — General von Zich’s success and disaster — Terrible mistake of fdling back into the defensive — Turkish delay in taking the offensive — Subsequent disasters of Servia — Belgrade in imminent peril — Russia’s timely intervention.

Montenegro. — Prince Nicholas Commander-in-Chief of the Montene¬ grin warriors — Armv divided into two corps— The Prince leads the first in person, General Viskotit’ch the second — Bath corps cross the frontier, the first into the Herzegovina, the second into Albania — Marvelous ce’erity of movement — Montenegrin Prince and his army nbiquitousy — Viskotitich and his corps equally active — 4lmost unbroken series of victories of the Montenegrins— Muktar Pasha’s army almost annihilated at Verbitza — Medun surrendered unconditionally — Podgoritza saved from the Montenegrins by the armistice of October 31st, which virtually clones the war.

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CHAPTER X. The Outbreak of Hostilities

Russia’s declaration of war a relief to all Christendom — Along the Pruth — Mr. MacGahan’s vivid picture of the opening scene at KischentfF, April 24th — Review of the Russian Army — The Czar in tears — Across the Pruth — Reni, Galatz, Braila and the bridge of Barbosch occupied — Atti¬ tude of Roumania — England’s responsibility for the war by e> couraging Turkey — Serdar Ekrem, Abdul-Kerim, inspects the quadrilateral — Mis¬ calculations— Turkish flotilla and Russian torpedo-boats — Turkish troops, how distributed for defense along the Danube line — Black Sea — Turkish fleet, one of the finest in the world — Russian navy inferior — J orts of the Dardanelles and of the Bosphorus — Defense of Batum — Bulgarian fortresses — War actually begun — Mr. Forbes describes the blowing up of the turret-ship Lutfi Djelil — A second monitor destroyed by means of torpedoes . Pages 299-330.

. CHAPTER XT. Across the Danube.

Russian troops on the Roumanian frontier — Corps and corps-commanders — Organization— Popularity of the war in Ru-sia — Roumanian neutrality — Prince Charles a genuine Hohenzolltrn — Di-position of the R Ruma¬ nian Army — Prince Charles makes a tour of in;- peetion— His staff — in¬ cidents of the journey — A variety e uteri a’ n men t — At Kalafat — Delay in crossing the Danube — Londin Daily Neivs correspondents — Rm tchuk, strengthening of its defense — Rus.-ians J< aving nothing to chance — Method of attack — “Quaker” guns of straw at Giurgevo — “All quiet on the Danube!”— First Russian bridge on the Danube — The first crossing —Toe first battle— Russians in possession of the Dobrudseha — Russian regard for the Moslem “ churches ’ — “On to the Balkans !” — The Turks mystified— Across the Danube in earmst — Topography of the scene of the crossing — Battle of Sistova — A batch of prisoners — Feints above and below — An episode on the Danube . Pages 331-385.

CHAPTER XII. Across the Balkans

Unaccountable tardiness of the Russian advance — The bridge at Siranitza- S’stova “continually giving way” — “ Russia owes her success less to the good generalship of her commanders, ihan lo the worse generalship of the Turks” — Organization and disposition of the Army of Operations — Gourko’s Division — Recklessness in the enemy’s country — A venerable subaltern with a historic name — Criticisms of the Russian and Turkish generalship — Grand Duke Nicholas at Tirnova — His reception — Bul¬ garian welcome of the Russians warm and enthusiastic — Exemplary conduct of the Russian soldierv — Surrender of Nicopolis — “A sudden alarm”— Gourko’s famous raid— Pnrce Tsertelefif and his discoveries — A pa-s “in the clouds” — Across the Bdkans by the Hankoi Pass — Prince T serteleff the first Russian south of the Balkans — A slight encounter — G-mrko’s brilliant successes an 1 snh equent reverses — Shipka Pass taken Turkish perfidy — Disasters at E ki-Ztgraand elsewhere, their cause — Succr-ssoil retreat in face of overwhelming numbers— Fearful outrages by the Turks after Gourko’s retreat — “bskiZagra a name to call up memories more horrible than those of Batak.” . Pages 386-416.

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CHAPER XIII. The First Armenian Campaign.

Topographical sketch of the region of Ararat — Kars — Relative importance of the Asiatic campaign — Army of the Caucasus — Its commanders — Army of the R'*on — First battle of the war — Repulse of the Russians — Ahmed Muktar Pasha — Siege and capture of Ardahan — Investment of Kars — Operations of the Turkish squadron — Sukhum Kaleh captured and burned — Miserable generalship of the Russians at this time— Their op¬ portunities neglected — Criminal disregard of the most ordinary pre¬ cautions — Bayazid, with a garrison of only 1,500 Cossacks, attacked by 22 000 men, including a large number of Kurds — The garrison surrenders — Half of the number brutally murdered by the Kurds, the remainder close the gates of the citadel and refuse to comply with the surrender — Battle in the Pass of Tahir — -Russians victorious — Battle of Delibaba or Helias — Turks victorious — Retreat of Tergukassoff — Battle of Zevin — A gallant attack and terrible repulse — Kars relieved — Tne Russians on the defensive — The plain of Subatan — Aladja Dagh — Brutality of the Turks — Cowardice of the Kurds — Victory of Tergukassoff...Pdges 417-436.