Rensselaer Republican, Volume 19, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 February 1887 — SKOBELEFF'S SWIMMING FEAT. [ARTICLE]

SKOBELEFF'S SWIMMING FEAT.

*>*M«ta* tB«- Danubw oni Horrabaok and* Calling on. Other*. to> Follow.? The versatile Russian, painter Vereschagin, in his entertaining sketches of adventure during the Russo-Turkish war of 1877, gives a pleasant account of one of the many dare-devil episodes of adventure in the career of the younger Gen. Skobeleff This- was the swimming of the Danube on horseback. Let M. Vereschagin be his own narrator “I was-seated in my tent late one afternoon, when I observed several Ossetes passing at a gallop. Inquiring what thia meant, I was told that the younger Gen. Skobeleff had proposed, to Touloumino that he should, try to swim, the Danube with hia whole brigade. The General alleged that it was eminently necessary to have cavalry on the other side of the stream, and that it was impossible to- wait until the pontoon bridge was constructed to get the men over there. And inasmuch as Touloumino and Levis had frankly declined to make the attempt, for the excellent reason that the entire brigade would most likely be drowned, the Danube being at the proposed point more than four kilometers wide, Skobeleff had begged them to scare up a few volunteers and send them to him. The Ossetes whom I had seen passing were tho volunteers in question.. “I had my horse saddled and galloped off in the direction of the river. Presently I found assembled on the bank nearly all the officers of tho brigade., “A little in advance of tho groups the elder Skobeleff stood between Levis and Touloumine, watching his son, stripped to his shirt and trousers, with his cross of commander of the Order of St. George around his neck. Michael Dmitrievitch Skobeleff leaped on horseback and urged the huge brownish bay steed into the stream. At first the animal resisted, shook his ears, neighed, then bravely struck out swimming. For a short time Skobelefl remained in the saddle, because we could see his shoulders above the water, but soon we saw nothing but his head. I learned afterward that in order not to fatigue his horse he had stepped into the river, and keeping hold of the animal’s tail, swam along behind him. The father began to tremble for him, and to cry after him in his nasal tones: “ ‘Mieha, my little Michael, come back! Mieha, M-i-i-cha, you will be drowned!’ “The old man’s anxiety was pitiful to witness. “But little Michael continued to swim without looking back, making steady progress. A few Ossetes had thrown themselves into the stream, following the General, and one of them, swimming out a long distance, would certainly have been drowned and his horse with him if a boat had not been sent to hiS relief. “As for myself, as soon as I arrived on the shore my first movement was to undress. In less than two minutes I was in the water with my horse. The creature swam a few moments, then turned around and made for shore in spite of all the blows I could bestow on his back. The Commandant of the Second Squadron, Astakhy, had no better luck than I did. Skobeleff was no longer anything but a black dot a long way off. To ease our consciences, we started after him in a boat, drawing horses after us by the bridles, and we made our way toward a small island. It was only after reaching this point and gazing at the enormous distance that had to be crossed before reaching . the Turkish shore—that I understood how wisely my horse had acted in disobeying me. There was not the shadow of a doubt that I should have been drowned. But how happened it that, not knowing how to swim, I had thrown myself into the water behind the General ? I only know that when I saw Skobeleff go in I said, ‘ Drown rather than abandon him.’ “The elder Skobeleff remained motionless on the bank, following the little black point, scarcely perceptible on the surface of the stream. “Later on we learned that Gen. Michael, after narrowly escaping death by drowning a hundred times had reached the opposite bank. And Skobeleff was a prince of swimmers with a matchless horse. Think what would have become of the .brigade if Touloumine, accepting SkobelefTs proposition, had launched his squadron forth into the Danube, How many would have reached the Turkish shore ?”