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 19, 1895. (Received Jan. 6, 1896.)
Sir: I have the honor to inclose herewith delayed dispatches from Consul Jewett, Nos. 150 and 152, dated at Sivas on the 23d ultimo and 10th instant, which relate to the fearful condition of affairs in Asia Minor.
I have, etc.,
Mr. Jewett to Mr. Short.
Sivas, November 23, 1895.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of Hon. Minister Terrell’s telegram of the 20th instant, directing me to confine my efforts to the protection of Americans and foreigners.
Having no cipher to use in telegraphing to the British embassy, I have sent some reports to Minister Terrell which were unnecessary from the standpoint of purely restricted American interests, but not without interest to the British foreign service, with which I have been charged at Sivas, nor beyond the scope of humanity.
Yesterday I received a brief statement of the disorders at Harpoot from one of the missionaries there and telegraphed to Minister Terrell about it. The statement is that the attack was made on Monday, the 11th instant. There were Koords in it, but the chief work was done by Turks, under the protection of the soldiers, who joined in the looting. Many shots were fired by soldiers, but not a Koord was wounded. Some of the soldiers guarding the mission said they had no permission to fire on the Koords. A considerable portion of the city was destroyed. The number of persons killed is not estimated. Eight buildings belonging to Americans and occupied by them were ruined (burned, 1 suppose). The Americans escaped, although some were fired at at short range.
The colonel in charge of the soldiers said to some of the Americans before the trouble that until he was cut to pieces that not a Koord should enter the city, but he stood calmly by and did not interfere while the American buildings were being attacked and plundered. Cannon were fired a few times and apparently aimed at the quarter of the city occupied by the mission. Part of a bombshell entered Mr. Barnum’s house, and Mr. Gate’s house also seems to have been struck by a cannon ball. It is said that orders came Monday night to stop the massacre and it stopped. The next day the Koords renewed the attack on the city. The soldiers fired on them and killed some of them. When they saw the soldiers were in earnest they retreated. The writer says that so far as he knows every Christian village, except Mazuela and one other, from Diarbekir to Malatia is in ruins and multitudes have been killed. There were quite a number of naturalized Armenians in the Harpoot district. I am requested to call attention to a matter of very great interest and importance to the American missionaries at Harpoot.
Some of the middle-class Turks of Harpoot are collecting signatures to a petition to request by telegraph that the Americans be removed.
Probably there is not a respectable Armenian there who does not very strongly desire to have the American missionaries remain, but no Armenian dares to refuse to sign the petition when the Turks demand it, and in some cases the names of the Armenians are signed to the petition without consulting them.
It is not in accordance with the spirit of the Americans to surrender an important work and the extensive interests which they hold in trust for hundreds of churches in America because of the difficulties and dangers.
It is of great importance that the missionaries remain at Harpoot to save what is left of their own work, and in the interests of humanity to remain and administer relief to the suffering people.
[Page 1412]November 26, 1895.
To-day I received a telegram from the American missionaries at Marsovan, saying that they trust that I will come there, although for the present they are safe. I have no other information from them as to the desirability of my going there. Will you send me instructions as to whether I had better go or not? According to common report there was a very great massacre at Marsovan.
Affairs are quiet here, but no one has been arrested on account of the massacre and looting, and Armenians are still in very great fear.
I am, etc.,
United States Consul.
Mr. Jewett to Mr. Short.
Sivas, December 10, 1895.
Sir: Your dispatch of November 5, acknowledging mine of October 23, was the last one received.
A report from the American mission at Cesarea says that about 500 Armenians were killed in the massacre of November 30. * * *
Mr. Wingate stated that no guard was placed at his house until during the afternoon of December 1, although previous to the massacre he had asked the moutessarif for a guard in case of danger, and during the massacre he repeatedly demanded a guard from officers who were passing the house with troops. Several times he was told that it was forbidden to station any guards at any private house. One officer, however, told two of his men to remain at the door of his house. They told Mr. Wingate that they expected to be well paid for being thus deprived of their share of the plunder. He assured them that he would not forget it, but in less than two minutes they ran away. A rioter attacked the door of his house with an ax in the presence of soldiers, who made no attempt to arrest the rioter.
It seems to me that the moutessarif should be surely punished for his gross negligence and utter disregard of the orders sent out for the protection of American citizens. The safety of Americans depends upon such orders being respected.
At Marsovan the missionaries were well protected and escaped without injury, although some shots were fired at the college buildings. Less than 150 Armenians and no Turks were killed there.
At Gurun the number killed is variously estimated at from 1,200 to 3,000. About 1,000 houses were burned. Three Protestant chapels and schools were burned. They were built largely by American money, but only one of them was owned by the American board. The Gregorian and Catholic Armenian churches were protected by the soldiers.
It is reported that at Harpoot the following naturalized Americans suffered as follows: Mardiros Enfiagian, shot by soldiers; Krikor Harajanian, killed; his daughter, killed; his son, Avidis, received eight wounds; his son, Jack H., lost 700 Lt. g.; Haizag Hinthian, [Page 1413] robbed; Hagop Ekizian, lost 5,000 Lt. g. There are doubtless many more in and about Harpoot who have suffered in the same manner.
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I am, etc.,
United States Consul.