Democratic Sentinel, Volume 1, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 October 1877 — How the Czar’s Soldiers Obey. [ARTICLE]

How the Czar’s Soldiers Obey.

Of the Russian peasant’s military discipline and unquestioning submission to his superiors, says the Examiner, a characteristic proof was afforded to some correspondents with Col. Yolschine’s troops on their way to Warsaw after the rout of the Poles under Lelewel, at Batorsch, in August, 1864. One of the officers was especially loud in his praises of the discipline of the Russian soldier; and, to prove the truth of his assertion, he called one of the men out of the ranks, and saying, “Ivan, it is my pleasure to punish thee,” dealt him a sounding box on the ear and sent him back again. The man simply saluted and obeyed. At the remark that it would not be surprising if the officer were to be shot in the back at the first engagement, he laughed, and called Ivan forth again, and said to him, “Ivan, why did I punish thee just now?” “I don’t know,” was the reply. “But you know I must have had a reason for it.” “Of course,” the man answered, you must have had an excellent reason *3 j -1 x * es >” observed the officer, “I did it to prove to these gentlemen here, our old enemies of Sebastopol, that the Russian soldier is unapproachable for discipline by any other nation Was I not right?” “By God! master, you were,” replied the man, with a broad grin of triumph. There is no exaggeration in these incidents. The endurance —a sort of submissive fatalism—of the

common Russian is most remarkable. It is, in fact, more or less a special feature of Tartar and Sclav; and, being thus indifferent to suffering themselves, they are indifferent to it in others. END OF THE NEZ PERCES WAR. Details of the Defeat and Surrender of Chief Joseph’s Band—The Savages Surrounded and Compelled to Lay Down Their Arms. The special correspondent of the Chicago Times sends from Fort Benton, Mont., the following particulars of the surrender of Chief Joseph’s band of Nez Perces savages: ‘ ‘ The capitulation occurred at 2 o’clock on the afternoon of the sth. The savages gave up' their guns and ammunition, passing in silent review before Gen. Miles, and accepting an unconditional surrender. The troops at once occupied the Indians’ intrenchments and the first victory over the redskins during the past two years was signalized. In the charge upon the Indian camp on the first day sixty-four officers and men were killed and wounded. After the camp had been surrounded, and the soldiers had secured defensive positions, only four casualties occurred. The soldiers closed in upon the savages slowly but surely, after the first day all the time extending their line of rifle-pits. It was the purpose of Gen. Miles to lose no more men in the attack. How admirably the plan succeeded is already known. On the last day of the fight the troops had succeeded in securing a position which commanded the stream which flowed in front of the rifle-pits occupied by the enemy, and had the battle lasted another day their supply of water would have been exhausted and a surrender have become imperative. On the fourth day of the fight Joseph raised the white flag for the third time, and, through an interpreter who advanced toward the camp, offered to surrender, provided they Were allowed to keep their guns. Miles sent word back that he must surrender without any reserve, and the battle was taken up again. The white flag was displayed again on the fifth and last day of the engagement, when Joseph appeared in front of his lines and advanced to meet Gen. Miles, to whom he tendered his gun. He was followed by sixty warriors who also turned over their arms and shook hands with Miles as they passed. When the troops entered the'rifle-pits forty warriors were discovered disabled by wounds. They were removed to the camp hospital, and received all the attention which was given to the troops. The number of Indians killed is not known, as they had already buried their dead. It is supposed that they lost an equal number with the Sioux. Gen. Miles left at noon yesterday for Tongue river, taking with him his dead and wounded and the surrendered band. Gen. Sturgis did not arrive in time to take a hand in the fight, and the glory of the magnificent attack rests with Miles. “ Gen. Howard with an escort of seventeen men arrived on the field on the morning of the surrender. His presence there was not understood, and he made no attempt to assume command. He left his small force of infantry at the Missouri river, and with his small escort of cavalry proceeded to the scene of battle. The intrenchments occupied by the Indians were admirably constructed for a defense. They occupied iu all over 160 rifle-pits, which communicated with each other, so that assistance would be rendered if necessary. The squaws fought by the warriors, took care of the wounded, and buried the dead. When the history of the unparalleled march of the Nez Perces is written they will be accredited with great gallantry in the field and a wonderful humanity. Their defense could not have been excelled by any body of men, nor their generosity. Seven wounded men lying under the intrenchments during the entire battle live to corroborate this. They took away the guns and ammunition from the disabled troops, but did not offer to molest them. ”

Enormous Timber Thefts. The Land Commissioner has, during the last year, made a thorough investigation into the timber depredations upon public lands. These thefts have taken place almost without punishment ever since the abolition of the timber agencies in 1855, and up to last year there has been no practical attempt to put an end to the wide-spread abuse. The in-, vestigations of last year have resulted in 200 criminal indictments in Minnesota, the most important of which was a test case decided on yesterday in which the Government recovers a judgment of half a million of dollars in one case, and in others sums amounting to nearly a million. Reports from the special agents show that depredations of this character have been committed on the Pacific coast to the extent of fifty or sixty millions of dollars. This report bears the date of San Francisco, Sept. 29, and merely gives a general outline of the results already obtained by this special investigation. The agent in his report says : “ The depredations in and around Puget sound, Washington Territory, will aggregate $40,000,000 since 1855. Those at the mouth of the Mendocino, Noyo, and Little rivers and at Coffey’s cove, all pointe on the coast north of Point Arenas, will sum up not less than $20,000,000 in the same period.— Washington Cor. Chicago Times. Death of a Noted Man. The announcement is made that Henry Meiggs died at Lima, Peru, Sept. 29. He had been sick for some three months, having had two strokes of paralysis, and his final malady is said to have been softening of the brain. Mr. Meiggs was born in 1811, at Catskill, N. Y. He made a fortune in the lumber business in New York city, but lost it in the panic of 1837. In 1848 he went to San Francisco and engaged in the same trade, employing a large number of men. His immense business was prostrated by the panic in that State in 1854, and to save himself he resorted to questionable proceedings which obliged him to secretly leave the State. He next turned up in Chili, South America, where he took an enormous railroad contract, making a profit in two years of $1,326,000. Subsequent enterprises connected with railroad building in Peru increased his fortune, and he settled his indebtedness in California. The Legislature of that State, by special act, restored him to citizenship, and invited him to return. His South American railway contracts were on a stupendous scale, exceeding the most famous builders of Europe or America. In 1870 he contracted with Peru to build six railways for $125,000,000, and was engaged in completing the last of them when prostrated by sickness. His demise may increase the financial difficulties under which Peru is now laboring.