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 15, 1895. (Received Dec. 31.)
Sir: I have the honor to inclose for your further information the copy of a letter dated at Harpoot, November 26, furnished me from the Bible house here. It is from a missionary whose trustworthiness is vouched for by Rev. Dr. H. O. Dwight. It is an interesting addition to the history of massacres in Asiatic Turkey. * * * This statement leaves no doubt regarding the fact that soldiers cooperated in the work of destroying American property and in the effort to murder the missionaries. I am now prepared with all data on which to base my demand for indemnity for losses both at Harpoot and Marash, and only await the telegraphic instruction requested in my 698, of the 30th ultimo.
I have, etc.,
Mr. Gates and Dr. Barnum have written quite fully of our situation here to Mr. Terrell, but we have not full confidence that letters will reach him. Telegrams have been sent from which you will get some idea of our critical situation, but unless you get letters you will not be able to fully understand the serious nature of the situation. Another idea which induces me to write is that where one letter fails to get through another may reach you. If those who are interested and have influence and power could once understand in what condition we are, and in what a deplorable condition the people of hundreds of villages and cities are, they would surely be moved to prompt action to save the people from denying their faith, as many have already done to save their lives and to save their wives and children from being torn from them. Large numbers of the men have been killed who would not deny their faith, and in many instances their wives and children are taken and compelled by force and fear of death to accept the other faith.
We know that this is true in many instances, and have every reason to believe that this pressure is brought to bear in every place attacked. We know that this must be true from what has occurred in this city where not a few, when confronted with the alternative of denying their faith or death, have boldly declared their faith and been instantly shot down or butchered in cold blood. In this city two Protestant preachers and one Syrian priest were thus brutally murdered, and we do not know yet how many more. At Ichme a large number of people were crowded into the Gregorian church, with them the aged pastor of the Protestant church. They were taken out, one by one, and whoever would not renounce his faith and accept the other was shot down or butchered. Filty two were killed, many of them true martyrs. Good Pastor Krikor was one of the first killed. We hear that the Gregorian church is turned into a mosque and the Protestant church is used for a stable. At Oozoonova, [Page 1396] two hours beyond Ichme across the Euphrates, some were killed and a large number were being taken to a neighboring Turkish village to be compelled to change their faith. While on the way the road came near the river, and 55 of the number, in their desperation, rushed into the river and were drowned rather than deny their faith and meet a fate to them worse than death. At Hoh many more were killed and wives and girls taken into houses of the other faith. In scores of villages, plundered and burned, the people have met with a like fate.
I can give only these two or three instances as examples of what has transpired throughout the length and breadth of the country east of Sivas. The others doubtless have written to you in regard to the defense of Harpoot City against the attack of the Koords. I wish to say a word, if only to emphasize what they have said, with regard to that affair. The attack was to have been made on Sunday, November 10. The rabble of the city began a demonstration on the hill above our houses and schools, but they were driven away by soldiers. The Koords and others with them were not ready to come in from the other side of the city. Monday, November 11, two cannon were brought from Mezere—one taken into the city, the other placed on a hill below the city commanding the road. A little past noon a body of men on horseback—the Koords and those who were dressed as Koords—came up the hill and, dismounting, formed into a body not a hundred yards from the soldiers with the cannon. Several men came from the city, and after a parley with the crowd went back to the city. It is reported and supposed that in this parley an agreement was made that they should not touch the market, but only the houses in the quarter where our houses and schools, chapel, Armenian church and schools, and large numbers of Protestants as well as Gregorian houses. How nearly correct that supposition was appears from the course taken.
Soon after the negotiators turned back to the city, the soldiers’ bugle sounded, and the soldiers retired from the hill and, coming nearer to the city, posted their cannon at a point commanding the approach to the market and also commanding our premises. Soon the tiring of guns commenced. Hundreds of shots were fired, both by the soldiers and Koords and so-called “relief.” The firing at first seemed to be between the Koords and soldiers. Then we saw numbers of Koords and so-called Koords running across a ravine to a stone quarry near the Armenian houses on the extreme west. From this a fusilade was kept up for some time. Then parties of Koords and pseudo-Koords entered the Armenian quarter, apparently from every side. When quite a number of them appeared in the street on which our houses are situated, several soldiers seemed to be pursuing them and firing upon them. But what shall we infer of the character of this defense when we know that not a Koord or soldier received a wound or a scratch during all this firing. There is not a shadow of a doubt that it was all a sham, a well-understood arrangement on both sides to give an appearance of defending the city.
Then the Koords and pseudos swarmed everywhere, breaking in doors and plundering houses, setting fire to a good many, and shooting and slaughtering the unresisting people. Over 30 were killed in this quarter of the city. All this was done without any attempt on the part of the military to stop it. Some soldiers, or at least those who had been called out ostensibly for defending the city, joined in plundering. Others exhorted those carrying off plunder to hurry away with their booty. But worse than all, the soldiers or redifs stationed by the cannon fired at our houses. One large company, fleeing for their lives from my house, were crowding through a narrow passage between Mr. Gates’s house and the girls’ school yard, when a shower of bullets fell around them and four persons were wounded. It seems like a miracle that numbers did not fall dead under the rain of bullets. A cannon ball also passed through the same narrow passage and buried itself in a wall. A number of bullet marks on the walls give the exact direction from which the shots came. One pierced a post in a stairway of Mr. Gates’s house, passed through a window sash, pierced a door standing open and a board partition, and buried itself in the opposite wall. These five points give the exact direction from which the bullet came—the spot where soldiers were stationed with the cannon. There are quite a number (I should say at least 20) on Mr. Gates’s house and adjoining walls. Several cannon shots also struck other houses below us. Then, at the same time, cannon were brought from Mezere to some point between Mezere and the city, and bombshells were fired from there. One was so accurately aimed that it entered Dr. Barnum’s study window, bending a strong bar, plowed through the side of a bookcase, and burst within 5 feet of its entrance, striking the walls in more than 20 places. But a little before Dr. Barnum and family and others were in the room. Another bombshell was found in another house.
Will it be said that all these things were done to drive away the Koords? No doubt that will be said, but to us, before whose eyes these things were done, it is as plain as anything can possibly be that there was a well-understood plan which was to be carried out. The buildings burned are Browne and Allen houses, book depository, Misses Bush and Seymour’s rooms, and the large building belonging to the [Page 1397] girls’ college (all these buildings are connected), Mr. Wheeler’s house, and theological seminary dormitories beside it; chapel and connected dormitories, primary school and college kitchen, and dining and storerooms. Dr. Barnum’s house was set on tire in two or three places. The high school building, except for our new fire engine, supplied from our large reservoir near the boys’ college building, would have been burned. It was fortunate that when we were fleeing for our lives we took refuge with over 400 people in the stone three-story building of the boys’ college. This was a move which the managers of this diabolical outrage had not calculated upon. After we were safely in this stronghold we were repeatedly urged to leave it. They represented that we could not be safe there, as the building would be set on fire. Even the next morning the officer in command advised leaving the building, as he could not protect us there. Dr. Barnum replied, “If you wish to protect us, you can protect us better here than anywhere else;” and added, “the time has come to talk plainly, I saw you standing on the hill there, looking on, while our houses were being plundered and set on fire.” The officer said, “What could I do against 15,000 Koords?” He had said two days before that he would be cut in pieces before he would allow a Koord to enter the city. There were, it is estimated, not more than 800 Koords who came into the city, probably not more than 200 in this west quarter. These, however, were joined by large numbers of pseudo-Koords from the city and neighboring places.
I think there is not the slightest doubt in any person’s mind here, American or Armenian, that the whole thing was deliberately planned. When the official made his last appeal to Dr. Barnum to leave the college building, Dr. Barnum replied, “We are here and shall remain here; if the building is burned, we will die in it.” At last it seemed to be the best policy for the authorities to protect us, as Mr. Terrell has told us they were ordered to do a month before. * * * The preacher from the town of Peri, in theDersim region, has just arrived. His report is that the town of Peri and 70 villages have been plundered. Palu Plain villages, 10 or 12, stripped of everything. Palu also plundered; many killed. Geghi and Temran district, about 25 villages, plundered. Under threat of instant death many have become Moslems to save their lives. There seems to be a general effort in this direction. Many stand firm. I hope comparatively few deny their faith, but help must come soon or we can not predict what will be the result of this terrible pressure brought to bear on the poor people.
The outlook here is very dark, but we try to look up. * * * In some localities near us people are starving already, we hear. The 50 liras ($220) which you sent us will only be “a drop in the bucket.” It looks as though there will be little left of the Armenians by spring. There is still great fear on the part of the people that these scenes are to be renewed.