I WITNESSED and LIVED THROUGH

Nobody regarded those artillery units as Armenian
units for the command echelons and the artillery regiment
commander were Russian. None of the orders issued stated that
those artillery units were Armenian. Those units continued keep their
former Russian names. We all served in those units affiliated to the
Russian artillery forces. We received our salaries from the Russian
treasury; and worked under the command of the Russian Army
Commander, and the Russian Commander-in-Chief. There was a
Russian Church and a Russian priest in the regiment. There was no
Armenian church.
Two months had passed after the withdrawal of the Russian army.
There were no new reinforcement troops coming. There were no
troops coming from the other nations. Discipline could not have been
maintained in the regiment. The soldiers were continuously deserting
the army, and looting civilians, threatening the officers, performing
disobedience openly.
Colonel Torkom, whom I heard was a Bulgarian Armenian, was
appointed to the Central Command of Erzurum.
In mid-January, several Armenian soldiers from the infantry units,
massacred one of the notable people in Erzurum at his home, and
pillaged his house. I do not remember the name of the massacred
person.
The Supreme Commander Odichelitzé summoned all the unit
commanders, and ordered the finding of the murderer within three
days’ time forcefully. He especially told the Armenian officers that
such behavior of the Armenian troops caused the libeling of all the
Armenians and said that the Armenian people’s honor demanded the
finding of the murderers. In his speech he also added the necessity
of putting a decisive end to the atrocities and the violation committed
by the Armenians on the townspeople. He, moreover, said, he would
have to give firearms to the Muslim people in the town to protect
themselves.
Colonel Torkom, in an offended and reproachful manner said that the
Armenian people would never do such a thing; that the atrocities and
the pillaging committed by a couple of bandits could not be ascribed
to the whole Armenian nation; that all those should not serve the
libeling of a nation.