The British Expedition to the CrimeaRussell, William Howard, Sir
History
The British Expedition to the Crimea
Russell, William Howard, Sir
Crimean War, 1853-1856
turned out, but the few hussars of the escort were stout,
soldierlike-looking fellows. One of them led a strong chestnut Arab,
which was the Pasha's battle charger.
As he rode by the troops presented arms, and when he had reached the end
of the line they broke into column, advanced and performed some simple
field-day manoeuvres, to the great delight of the Pasha. As the men
moved off after exercising for about three-quarters of an hour, the
cavalry came up at full trot, and at once riveted the attention of the
Pasha. There were one and a half squadron of the 17th Lancers, a troop
of the 8th, and a troop of the 11th Hussars. The artillery horses and
dragoon horses were out at water. About six o'clock, after reviewing the
Turks in the plain, he drove on to Varna. Sir George Brown returned soon
after from a forty-mile ride through the rain, and rode over to see the
Brigadier. He was much disappointed at not being in time to receive Omar
Pasha.
For some days 3,000 Bashi-Bazouks and Militia were encamped close to our
cavalry camp, and every day performed irregular evolutions in the plains
below, and made the night hideous with their yells and challenges. On
Wednesday, the 5th of July, to the great relief of all their neighbours,
our friends moved off to Varna, with great flourishing of lances,
swords, and trumpets, headed by ragged red banners, there to be placed
under the mild rule of General Yusuf, the famous Algerine commander, who
had tamed so many of the wild tribes of the desert to the French yoke.
In all the villages about tales were told of the violence of these
ruffians--they were true types of the Mussulman "soldiery" as they are
yet to be found in Asia, and as they would have been, perhaps, even in
the camp, if the eye of Europe had not been upon them. A common practice
among them during their march through this very district was to take
away the sons and young children of the miserable Bulgarians, and demand
a ransom. A poor widow's only son was carried off by them. They put a
price on his head she could not pay. She told the chief of the party
so, and offered all she had to give to the scoundrel, but he would not
accept the sum; and she had never seen her son since. One would have
thought that General Yusuf was the very man to get these gentry into
order; but the result proved that he was unable to subdue their settled
habits of irregularity. Omar Pasha did great good by a little wholesome
severity. He seized on whole hordes of them, took their horses and
accoutrements, and sent them off to be enlisted by compulsory levy into
the armies of the faithful as foot soldiers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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