Special correspondent of the "Daily
News"
January 1881
The secret of the matter
was that the Russians had by this time completed the investment of the Tekke
stronghold, and their agents were now perfectly indifferent to my arrival. I
started from Muhammedabad about January 16, and proceeded to Durangar. News had
come in of two sorties of the garrison of Geok- Tepe on the 9th and 10th. The
plans of the Tekkes had been betrayed to the enemy, and, in consequence, the
first sortie was repulsed with loss. On the 10th, almost the whole Tekke force
made a desperate attack on the advanced Russian works, and succeeded in
storming three of the four entrenchments which had been thrown up in front of
the gates of the town at about a thousand yards' distance. Two breech-loading
field pieces, and several prisoners, fell into the hands of the besieged, which
cut the throats of the unfortunate captives shortly afterwards. This partial
success, however, had no further results. Reinforcements were reported to be on
the way the front from Bami, where the bulk of the Russian forces were
stationed, and it was evident that the final struggle was close at hand. Before
the lines of investment were completed, a large body of cavalry had left the
town, and was hovering about between Geok Tepe and Askabad. This force was not
unoccupied in the meantime, owing to a characteristic event, The Khan of
Kuchan, thinking the moment a favorable one for doing a stroke of business on
his own account, while the Tekkes were occupied with the defense of their
stronghold, sent out a chappow of a hundred horsemen to seize whatever corn,
cattle, or horses they could find in the outlying Turcoman villages. The Tekke
warriors outside, however, got notice of the intended visit, and ambushed their
Kuchan invaders so successfully that not a man of them escaped, sixty being
killed and forty made prisoners. This affair, which took place two days after
the sortie from Geok Tepe. Early on the 24th we ascended the top of the Markov Mountain,
which towers some six thousand feet over the Tekke plain, and is not over
twelve miles from Geok Tepe. With my double field glass I could easily make out
the lines of the Turcoman fortress, and the general position of its besiegers,
but I was too far off to be able to make notes of details. I could plainly see,
by the smoke of the guns and the movements of the combatants, that the attack
had begun in earnest, and I watched its result with intense anxiety. The
Russian assault was directed against the southerly wall of the fortifications,
and, after what was apparently a desperate conflict there, it was evident that
they bad forced their way. A crowd of horsemen began to ride in confusion from
the other side of the town, and spread in flight over the plain. Immediately
afterwards, a mass of fugitives of every class showed that its inhabitants were
abandoning the town. The Turcoman fortress had fallen, and a war over with the
Akhal Tekkes. Though the discipline and superior weapons of the Russians had
thus at length secured victory over the wild courage of the nomads, the
struggle had been really a desperate one. From the fugitives whom I encountered
that evening and on the following days I gathered many particulars of the siege
and its conclusion. Geok Tepe, I should remark, is a misnomer, the true name Of
the place being Yengi Sheher, or the New Town, it having been called into
existence only in 1878, at the commencement of the military operations of the
Russians against the Akhal Tekke territory. Geok Tepe is a long- deserted
village lying about three or four miles to the North of the new town, and well
out into desert, which at this point approaches very close to the mountains. Almost
the entire population of the Akhal Tekke was concentrated at Yeagi Sheher,
between fifty and sixty thousands kibitkas covering the ground within the
walls. These latter, of the usual unbaked brick, enclosed a rectangular space,
some eight thousand paces in circuit, and furnished with nine gates. Of these,
three were in the western side, three in the northern, two in the eastern, and
one in the southern. In the northwestern portion of the town stands an ancient
earth-mound called the Dengil Tepe, a name sometimes also given to the town
itself. Along the western and eastern sides of the place, which are also the
longer, run two streams of water, having their sources in the mountains to the
South, and running northward into the desert, where they disappear. Along these
streams, which constituted the water supply of the population, were several
mills. Lest these watercourses should be diverted, many wells and reservoirs
had been constructed within the walls; opposite each gate was a large traverse,
to protect it from artillery fire. Within their entrenchments, solid enough to
resist any fire save that of a regular siege train, and sufficiently high to
make an assault a very hazardous affair the Tekkes confidently awaited the Russian
advance. That, however, they had certain misgivings, would seem to be indicated
by the fact that, instead of storing the produce of the harvest within the
walls, it was concealed in pits considerably to the East and north of the town,
provisions for but a week at a time being brought in. The Russians assumed the
aggressive by pushing forward a strong force to a place called Kareez Yagana
Bahadur, within seven miles of Yengi Sheher, and close to the foot of the
mountains. Thence they went forward to Urpagli, only two thousand paces from
the walls, and established some guns, shelled the town.
Owing, however, to the Turcomans having constructed blindages in connection
with their huts, this shelling appears to have done little or no harm. Desperate
sorties were made from time to time on or about January 11, troops were pushed
on between the South of the town and the mountains, and entrenched themselves
at Jolle Cakshall, about fifteen hundred yards eastward of the walls. From this
last- mentioned point, as well as from Urpagli, shells were thrown into the
town during twelve days, but without producing any effect upon the spirit of
the defenders, though they were now practically cut off from external aid. It
may be that this obstinacy on the part of the Turcomans, and a fear of some
serious attempt to succor the place from Merv, decided the Russians to attempt
an assault. On the 24th a heavy cannonade was opened from Urpagli against the
northwestern, and from Jolle Cakshall against the southeastern portion of the
town. The assaulting column started from the latter place and was directed
against the southerly gate on the eastern side of the town. This gate had to be
blown up by mining. The assault was desperately resisted, but was completely
successful. As soon as the Russians affected a lodgment within the walls the
Tekke cavalry sought safety in flight. The works opposite the northern gates
having been destroyed by the last sortie, retreat was open on that side, and
the garrison took advantage of that circumstance to effect their escape when
once resistance was hopeless. Crowds of the townspeople followed their example.
The Russians made little effort to pursue the fugitives, but the panic spread
rapidly through the plain. From my post on the summit of the mountain I could
see the commotion among the population. The villagers between Yengi Sheher and
Askabad, men, women, and children, with their cattle, were leaving their homes
and streaming towards the Persian frontier. It was impossible to tell how soon
the Cossacks would be down on us, so, seeing that the Akhal Tekke war was over,
we hastily turned our horses back to Kaltahenar. Crowds of fugitives from the
captured town were already streaming in as I arrived, full of details of the
struggle. Kaltachenar was evidently no safe place for me to stop in, nor was
anything to be gained by remaining there, so with all speed we made our way on
to Askabad of the following morning.