Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President, Transmitted to Congress December 2, 1895, Part II
Mr. Terrell to Mr. Olney.
Constantinople, December 18, 1895. (Received Jan. 4.)
Sir: I have the honor to inclose the copy of a letter written by —— from Cæsarea descriptive of events connected with the massacre there on the 30th ultimo and the 1st and 2d instant. It is from a trustworthy source, whose name our countrymen at the Bible House prefer should be withheld.
I have, etc.,
At last the storm has struck us, and the horror of the past three days is beyond description. I have hardly the heart to attempt it, and yet something must be written. On Saturday afternoon at 9.30 o’clock a la Turk (or about 2 p.m.) one of our schoolboys rushed into my room crying, “The destruction has begun!” I hastened to our roof and saw the scene which has so often been enacted of late—Turks beating and killing every Armenian on whom they could lay their hands. Much of the fiendish work was carried on from the roofs of the houses, for here in Cæsarea a large portion of the houses have flat mud roofs, and one can go nearly everywhere on the roofs, they being practically continuous. Our own roof is, fortunately, a little higher than the others about us, and from my position I was able to see what occurred at some distance away. Turks swarmed over the houses, breaking in doors and windows, stoning, beating, cutting, and shooting whoever opposed them and many who did not. I succeeded several times in turning back the crowd from the roofs immediately adjoining our house, but beyond that I could do nothing. They evidently had strict orders to let us alone, for but one attack was made on us, that being by a reckless fellow with an ax at our street door. He got scared, however, and soon ran for his life.
[Page 1406]No special guard was sent to our house, hut by calling upon passing soldiers I got temporary men stationed near our door, hut they would stay hut a few minutes, then were off to have their share in the business. However, we suffered no harm, but, on the contrary, succeeded in protecting many whose houses were attacked. They came rushing over the roofs and up the ladder which I placed for them, until we had over 60 people under our narrow roof. The strain was terrible for three hours, but after sundown it gradually quieted. During those three hours the city was patrolled by soldiers, who cleared the streets temporarily, but they really did very little to stop the pillage, I can not accuse the soldiers of killing anyone, but I saw in several instances soldiers carrying off some of the plunder. The first two men who were stationed at my door told me plainly that they expected to be well paid for being thus deprived of their share of the fun. Notwithstanding the fact that I assured them that this would be all right, they deserted after about ten minutes; this in spite of the fact that their commanding officer had told them to remain there. When a company of soldiers was notified from our roof that a certain house near was being destroyed, they formed with the utmost delay and slowly marched in that direction, being pretty sure to allow ample time for the rascals to escape. * * * From sunset on, however, I give the Government credit for making honest attempts to restore quiet.
On Sunday morning there was considerable disturbance, but by noon comparative order was restored. I then succeeded in getting two soldiers to accompany me to see the moutessarif, of whom I asked a permanent guard. He gave me six men at once and made a semiapology for former neglect by saying that he supposed we Americans were altogether at Talas. He must have known better, for I have called on him repeatedly and specially requested a guard to be sent at once to our house in case of disturbance. He has been told repeatedly of our presence here. By Sunday night we had over 100 refugees under our roof, and I had to exert my authority pretty vigorously to keep them from getting into a panic and from doing foolish things. Sunday night things were pretty quiet, but for an hour or two this morning there was considerable disturbance and firing; the latter probably in most cases blank firing by the soldiers, although not entirely so, for I saw considerable firing by the rioters from the roof of a mosque near our house. This morning they attacked a house near by, but my men scared them away. Quiet was restored before noon. At this moment, 8.30 Frank time, I hear some firing, but it does not count for much. The worst is in all probability past, but the barbarity of what has been passes description. To-day I have been looking up some persons and seeing some of the wounded. Men and women were literally hacked to pieces. I hoped that the death rate would not prove to be great, but what I have seen to-day convinces me that Cæsarea has been no exception to the rule. Certainly several hundred, and some Turks say 1,000, persons were killed on that Saturday afternoon. This is, of course, an estimate, but I do not think it very wild. I also hoped that women would escape, but so far as I have seen women as well as men were most fearfully handled, several that I have seen having fearful wounds on every part of their bodies.
Several thousand fierce fellows came from neighboring Turkish villages to help on the diabolical work, and many women (certainly some that I know of) were carried away. This morning I was told that a bride and a young girl had been taken from a neighbor’s house to the house of a Turk near by. The husband, who was in market at the time, came and begged me to help him get them back. On going to the Turkish house with two of my soldiers, I found that the girls had not been ill-treated while there, and the house owner very readily gave them up. It turned out that they; in order to save their lives, had said, “We are Moslems whereupon they were hustled into the nearest Turkish house, whose inmates proved to be merciful and in a sense Christian. The bride had received a bad wound on the head, but will recover. I know of no other Turkish families where Christians were sheltered. These are about the only bright spots in a very dark picture. To add to the horror many houses were burned, and some perished in the flames. Dr. Avedis, who has been preaching here independently for so many years, was killed, together with his wife and oldest son. Two daughters are missing. The other members of the family are safe. His house also was burned. At Talas there has thus far been no disturbance, and I was glad that Mrs. Win gate and our little girl were there and not here. Miss Burrage and I were and are here alone, although Dr. Dodd came in this afternoon to see how we are getting along. We sent a telegram stating that we are well and asking help for our villages, which are stripped of everything.
Our city is in bad shape, but reports from villages are even worse so far as poverty is concerned. * * *
We are so powerless to aid and to comfort. Our schoolboys are all safe. We were anxious about one, but he turned up this afternoon, haying found shelter in a Turkish house. Our 109 guests are as quiet as can be expected under the circumstances. I hope that by to-morrow I can safely send some of them back to their houses, for the presence of such a crowd in a small house, with no yard except a narrow stone [Page 1407] court, has decided disadvantages. Some have already gone to the house adjoining ours. They are practically as safe there as here, for our men will guard both places.
December 3.
All apparently very quiet this morning. Gradually the people are venturing out of their houses and peddlers are beginning to go about. We breathe easier, but I can not feel sure that all danger is past. The method taken with the women was to demand that they proclaim themselves Moslems. If they refused, as many did, even young girls from 12 to 15 years of age, they were cut down mercilessly. This is not intended to be a sensational account; it is cruel facts which can be substantiated with the utmost ease. I am perfectly willing to take the responsibility for this report, and it may be used wherever and however it can do any good. One thing more. Our safety here now depends upon the continued presence of the troops. Should any great number of troops be withdrawn from the city worse destruction is sure to follow. I therefore urge that our legation use its influence to secure the continued presence of the troops here. The Turkish population is overwhelming, so far as numbers are concerned, and nothing but a strong force can hold them down now that they have had their appetite whetted. Will you please present this to our legation. Many thanks to Minister Terrell for his inquiry by telegram as to our condition. I wish, however, that the blunder of the moutessarif in failing to send us a guard at once be not overlooked. It might have ended sadly for us, for while soldiers patroled the streets the real danger was from the roofs.
A great portion of the markets prove to be gutted. They are apparently shut and guarded, but the work was going on secretly inside, practically protected by the soldiers.
Several men have come from Gemerek and Boorhan—two wounded. One is a Moslem of a family that fifty years ago held the feudal supremacy of the Gemerek region. Now they have been true to their former position, and have taken active part in defending the Armenians there, although reviled for it by the Turks. This man was wounded in the leg by a bullet in this defense of Gemerek. He was taken into the hospital. The story that these Boorhan people bring is that the village has been swept clean. The Circassian horsemen first took what they wanted, then the horde of common Turks from the neighboring villages came and took what they wanted, and then another crowd, and so on. Five times were they thus plundered, until not a thing was left there. Even the clothes were taken from their backs—men, women, and children alike. They are sleeping in the straw, with no coverings. What the plunderers could not carry away of flour and wheat and food stuffs they destroyed absolutely. These destitute men have come to beg for help. The physicians, almost all of them, are Armenians, and can not go around at all. Many that now are wounded will certainly die. From many other villages outside of Cæsarea the tidings come of massacre and plunder. The people have been stripped.