'The Russians in Akhal' [‎34v] (20/68)

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20
mendacious, explanation reproduced by the official
Russian Invalid :—
“ The constant raids of the Turcomans across the
Attrek, to the right bank, and the losses con
sequently sustained by our nomads compelled
Colonel Markozof to give the tons-Attrek wbhers
a more severe punishment, which should lake h ^
them all inclination to break into our territones.
Moreover, the appearance beyond the Attrek. o
Khivan agents produced agitation among the
Chorva (the nomadising clans as distinguished from
Chomur, the semi-sedentary tribes) who depastured
to Khiva, in order to take part at the Khan s invi
tation, in the hostilities against Russia.
“ Jt was necessary to prevent this as much as
possible, in order to obviate the complication of the
difficulties attending the march of our expeditionary
forces.”
It was very essential that, for the camel remouni
of the troops destined for Khiva, none of the tribes
should evade Markozofs detachment, therefore,
bavin 0, (C divided his force into three colomns,
« Colonel Markozof crossed the Attrek at dawn on
“ the 28th of February (12th March), intending to
“ chastise the Turcomans camping between that
« river and the Gurgan. The extreme left column
“ was ordered to guard the extent of country
t£ between the head waters of the Attrek, and
“ Gurgan rivers, so as to intercept the nomads in that
“ direction.”!
Here between these tw r o rivers “ masses of Tur-
“ coman horsemen ” were accordingly encountered,
who, as it was reported, attacked the centre column.
A discharge of artillery and musketry drove the
tribes across the Gurgan, and the Yomuds were pur
sued by the Russian detachment of foot, cavalry and
artillery. The fact of the crossing of the Gurgan
by the Russian force (noticed at the time in the
Abstract quoted in the margin) has been quite over
looked. “ It was reported from Astrabad, in March
“ 1873, that a Russian detachment of 200 soldiers
“ and 50 Cossacks, with two guns, had crossed the
“ Attrek,” without stating in terms that the Gur
gan had been crossed, although in the same report
it was mentioned that the Russian detachment
“ had marched into the Gurgan districts, occupied
“ by the Zaffarbaee tribes, to the encampment of
“ Kurreem-Khan, the Chief of the Attabae Yomud
“ Turcomans, situated within eight miles of the
“ town of Astrabad.Colonel Markozof thus
“ cleared the country between the Attrek and the
“ Gurgan,” and “ inflicted a very material loss on
“ the Turcomans.”
In the report above quoted it was stated that
“ Kurreem-Khan and some of the elders of his
“ tribe were taken prisoners by the Russians, while
“ the officer in command of the detachment was
“ said to have seized the opportunity to secure and
carry off with him a large
1873.
Abstract, No. XLIIL, 25th April 18/3.
* Ou all other occasions it was insisted
upon that these Yomuds professed Russian
allegiance and were regarded as Russian sub
jects, and it was shown by all Russian
authorities that these Yomuds were in the
habit of migrating at certain seasons to
the Russian territories North ot the Attrek.
f It has no where been explicitly stated, ex
cept in Abstract XLIII. for 18/3, that the
Russian force actually crossed the Gurgan,
and marched some distance in the direction
of Astrabad, recrossiug at the Ak-Kala ford
over that river, where there is a Persian fort,
with a garrison.
&
J “ The Gurgan, or Jorjan, is 3 farsakhs
(12 miles or more) distant from Astrabad.”
Henvey’s Precis, 1872-75, p. 74.