Message #452

[Mod_1]

This incident compelled me to sign reconciliation with the Deputy
Commander of the 7th Caucasus Mountain Artillery Battalion.
We agreed to help each other considering the possibility of their
coercing the Russian artillery officers physically in order to have us,
or our officers, work for the Armenian cause. This reconciliation was
evidently secret. The material power we had was consisted of the
artillery guns, machine guns, and Russian officers.
The Deputy Commander of the Artillery Battalion gathered his officers
near our houses in groups. I had already gathered everybody in the
regiment around the Artillery Command located in the Muslim district
of the town, since the formation of the regiment and the entrance of
the Russian units into Erzurum.
Following Antranik’s arrival in Erzurum, a wide spread fear of a
possible uprising of the prominent people of the town dominated
Colonel Morel’s headquarters. This fear multiplied everyday.
I received orders from Colonel Morel about three days after Antranik’s
coming to town. The orders stated that I should appoint experienced
officers at the Mecidiye15 fortifications to open artillery fire on the
Muslim district of the town to prevent an uprising during the arresting
of the possible leaders. We were ordered to leave the Muslim district
and to settle in the Armenian district of the town.
We, the Russian officers who have been living together with those
people for about two years, did not believe in the threat of an
uprising. We were laughing at the Armenian cowardice openly.
Artillery officers clearly stated that they would not open artillery fire
on the town. They asserted that they were there to fight an enemy
honorably rather than opening fire on the civilian people, women,
and children. Under the prevailing circumstances we inferred that the
Armenians would demand opening of artillery fire on the town either
out of fear or out of a certain drive, without any reason at all.
We did not leave the Muslim district. Firstly, it was physically
impossible to move out in the given period of time. Secondly, our
moving out from this part of the town would give the Armenians the
chance to commit massacres freely, as it was the case in Erzincan.


15 Mecidiye Fortification – over looking the Gürcüboğazı to the north and the Vank
Creek to the northwest – is located on the Topdağı (2042 m.) to the west of
Erzurum.