Notes of the Don Army, Lieutenant General Yakov Petrovich Baklanov, written by his own hand.
1
I was born in 1809 from poor parents, I was the only son. My father entered the service as a Cossack, rose to the rank of colonel; he was constantly in the regiment, so he could not take care of my upbringing. My mother is a simple woman, without funds, she thought little about teaching me to read and write, but my dear grandmother one day announced to me that I should go to study with Kudinovna, a literate old woman who took children to her school.
She, for two years, in the church alphabet, crammed az - an angel - an angelic, from her transferred to the parish sacristan: he memorized the "Chapel", then transferred to the sexton, where the psalter was held.
In 1816, my father, with the rank of Esaul, returned from the Patriotic War, and in 1817 he was dressed up in Bessarabia in Gorbikov's regiment: he took me with him.
Upon arrival at the place of service, I was entrusted with literacy to the centennial clerk for further science: a year later I transferred to the regimental clerk.
In 1823 the regiment was sent to the Don.
From 1823 to 1825 lived in the house, did the farming, plowed the land, mowed hay and grazed domestic animals, but my literacy was out of the question. Father, himself a little literate, did not consider it necessary to test my knowledge, but was convinced that his son, having gone through such famous institutions, under the guidance of the aforementioned healers, was the dock to read and write. In reality, however, it turned out differently: I could not sign my surname, and I read books with great difficulty, which happened because my mentors - clerks did little to me, and I had no desire to learn, and I turned around all day and night in the barracks among the Cossacks, eagerly listened to stories about the courage of our ancestors in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea, about the Azov sitting, and about various episodes in subsequent wars rendered by new generations, and under this gamonia he often fell asleep with a sweet dream.
In 1825, my father, in Popov's regiment, was sent to Crimea; He took me with him with enrollment in the regiment's kit. Being promoted to the sergeant, in the queue, during the campaign, on duty for a hundred, I should have written reports and signed them in the morning report, but I could neither one nor the other. This unexpected illiteracy of mine greatly impressed my father.
Upon arrival in Crimea, he considered it his first duty to send me to the city of Feodosia, where there was a district school, and to the former superintendent of this institution, Fyodor Filippovich Burdunov, he gave me to study at the agreed price. Thanks to this honest man, during my year with him, I went through all the wisdom that is taught in the district school and was the first of the students; Perhaps I would have stayed with Burdunov for a long time, but my mother, who was left alone in the house, insistently demanded in her letters that my father come with me on vacation and marry me.
My father fulfilled her request, and together with the marriage, my further studies ceased.
2
In 1828, the Turkish war broke out. Our regiment, by order of the authorities, will be moved to European Turkey. Before the campaign, the former Novorossiysk governor-general, Prince Vorontsov, came to the Crimea; he demanded an officer from the regiment to send dispatches to Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich in Brailov.
Father, after the death of the regiment commander, took him into command, but I was that officer in the regiment.
I was assigned to this business trip.
Having received everything necessary for departure, through Moldavia and Wallachia, he arrived in Brailov, having handed over the dispatches, waiting for ten days for an order to return to the regiment.
One day, before the evening, I hear the hunters call to go to the assault. Without reasoning about what the consequences might be, I declared myself wishing to be in their midst. At midnight, the entire detachment of hunters, reinforced by dense columns of infantry, moved forward; at dawn we quietly approached the main battery, and with a cry "Hurray" rushed to the assault …
What happened next, I cannot say for the following reason: when we ran to the moat, we were lifted up into the air; many were covered with earth, some were carried away from the battery, and it seems to me that I had to fly several fathoms through the air, like a feathery bird.
The next day I came to myself, lying in a tent between the wounded.
The assault was unsuccessful; the losses are enormous. Five days later, I was discharged from the hospital as having recovered, and I was ordered to return to the regiment, which was marching to the Riina town, at the confluence of the Prut River into the Danube. Having waited for the regiment there, I considered it my first duty to tell my courage to my father, hoping to receive praise; but alas, instead of praise, my father kicked me off with a whip, saying: "do not stick your head in the pool when you are far from your unit, but go with it into fire and water."
The regiment crossed the Danube at Isakchi; On October 22, 1828 he arrived at the Kostenzhi fortress; took from it an observation line along the Troyanov shaft to the Chernovodami, above Girsov on the Danube; here he remained in the continuation of the winter because our troops, who were near Shumla and Silistria, returned for the winter to Moldavia and Wallachia, leaving strong garrisons in the fortresses we occupied.
The winter was very harsh, and therefore passed peacefully. With the opening of the spring of 1829, the troops wintering on the left side of the Danube moved under Shumla and Silistria. Our regiment joined the main forces marching towards Shumla and throughout the year participated in many battles; at the same time, I can mention the following case, which concerns me personally. In July, the army from Shumla moved through the Balkans. On the 7th, among the hunters, I dashed by swimming on a horse across the Kamchik River. Its breadth does not exceed ten fathoms; under the buckshot shots of twelve Turkish guns, standing on the right side of the river, we rushed into the water; many hunters were killed and drowned, but 4/5, in the amount of 2 tons, crossed safely, knocked down the Turks from their position and thus gave the opportunity to move our columns to the crossing.
For such courage, I received an encouraging award from my father: a few whips in my back, as if for the fact that I allowed myself to set off on a black horse - not a white one, this one was stronger and more reliable, but with a crow I could drown; in fact, it turned out like this: my father did not want me to throw myself headlong into all the difficult things. Having understood him at last and cherishing my back, he no longer allowed himself to take any courage.
We moved forward from Kamchik. Having crossed the Balkans, on July 11, 1829, they occupied the cities of Misevria and Achiol in battle. July 12, father's regiment was sent on reconnaissance to the fortified city of Burgas; near his regiment was met by a Turkish cavalry of 700 people, entering into battle with it, overturning it and rushing into the city with it: they drove them into the garrison, took possession of the city with a slight loss: the trophies consisted of several fortress guns and mortars. For such courage, my father received George 4 degrees, a horse was killed under me and I was the last to enter the fortress.
On August 8, the army, without a fight, occupied the second capital Turkish city of Adrianople, and upon the conclusion of peace, on January 8, 1830, the regiment set out for winter quarters in Rumilia. April 21 - set out on a campaign in the Bessarabian region, to occupy border guards along the river Prut. On August 14, 1831, the regiment was sent to the Don.
From 1831 to 1834, I lived in the house.
3
In the spring of 1834, he was sent to the right flank of the Caucasian line, to the Zhirov regiment, where he was until his performance in 1837 on the Don. When I was in the Caucasus, I participated in many affairs with the mountaineers; there were no special differences on my part, coming out of the ranks of ordinary Cossacks, except perhaps the following: the regiment was located along the Kuban River; in the spring of 1830, at the order of the chief of the Kuban line, Major General Zass, the regiment was moved in full force beyond the Kuban, to the Chamlyk River. Having arrived at the place, they began to build a fortification; in a month it was ready. The regiment is located in it. During construction, his horses grazed over the river, under the cover of one hundred; the mountaineers saw this oversight and set out, by all means, to recapture the entire herd from the covering hundreds; for this, the mountaineers gathered more than 360 people, the most selected riders from the princes and bridles. On the night of July 4, this gang, crossing the Laba River, secretly crossing to Chamlyk, stopped below the fortress a mile and a half in the forest, with the intention, when the horses were released to graze, to whine from an ambush and hijack all the prey with impunity, because there was no one to pursue them. The regiment remained, according to their calculation, all on foot, except for the hundreds of cavalry covering them; but they were bitterly mistaken: with the entry of the regiment into the fortress, the horses were no longer allowed to graze.
According to the established order, the squadron commanders on duty in the regiment were supposed to send patrols up and down the river three versts at sunrise, and if, after a survey of the area, there was nothing doubtful, the commanders of the patrols left pickets at the agreed places, and with the rest of the people returned to fortress. On the 4th I was on duty; my hundred had horses saddled, people in ammunition. The sun rose. The patrols are sent. Having gone out to the battery, I followed them; sent down, crossing the Gryaznushku stream, ascended to the heights, descended to Chamlyk; beyond the forest I could not see what kind of catastrophe is happening with the siding; a quarter of an hour later, a galloping horseman appeared, surviving from fifteen traveling: the remaining 14 were beaten. Behind him a huge line of cavalry. I immediately ordered my squadron to mount their horses and set out to meet the mountaineers; half a mile from the fortress I met with them, but did not enter the battle, considering myself too weak in terms of the number of people: there are no more than a hundred people in a hundred, and therefore I retreated to the walls of the fortress, waiting for the regiment to appear. The highlanders, seeing their failure, turned and walked back. There was a terrible disorder in the fortress: everyone ran back and forth, not finding what to do. -The regimental adjutant comes to me, gives the order to follow the party; I followed in her footsteps, but at a noble distance, choosing an advantageous position at every step in order to dismount in case of an attack, to become a defensive position - this saving method is accepted throughout the Caucasus. The highlanders crossed Chamlyk, moved to the Labe: - between these rivers, about 25 miles, there is no forest, an open field - and in view of the fortress they rushed at me with checkers; being ready for such an occasion, the hundred dismounted, met the mountaineers with battle fire; for more than half an hour I withstood the attack: I had no killed or wounded; people retained the spirit of firmness, while the highlanders left 20 bodies. The party retreated. And I followed her at a respectful distance. Walked a mile; the fortress was no longer visible to me. On a space of ten miles, I withstood twelve attacks: I lost up to 20 people.
After the seventh attack, I sent the sergeant Nikredin to the regiment commander to ask for reinforcements and to say that there were no cartridges in a hundred.
After the tenth attack Nikredin appears, transmits in a low voice the commander's answer: "Tell the thug, if he has no cartridges, that is, spikes, but let him not rely on me."
To my question, is it far from us - is the regiment far from us? Answer: "Also, your honor, I did not come out of the fortress."
I was amazed at this news. It was pouring rain. The eleventh attack followed. After the first shots, the guns were locked, the critical moment came; fortunately, the attack lasted for about five minutes. The party retreated. I followed her. Calling a subaltern - officer Polyakov (later killed), told him our position, adding that both I and he have good horses and we could gallop away, but in this case, the smaller brothers will remain for the sacrifice, and therefore: Does he give me my word of honor to die together with the brethren in glory, not seeing shame?
Answer: "I want to die honestly, but I do not want to survive the shame."
Having thanked him, I conveyed my following order: the mountaineers are still attacking us and if they meet our steadfastness, they will immediately retreat; you need to use the moment: "Listen, the second fifty remains at your disposal, with the first, I will throw myself into the spades and, if you see that the mountaineers will be at least a little pressed, reinforce them with your peaks that minute; but if they turn me around, be in time, on foot build, become in a defensive position, and I will join you, and we will be cut on the spot while we are alive. " I was not wrong. The twelfth attack followed. Having met unshakable resistance, the mountaineers turned away from us and walked at a pace. The hundred mounted their horses. Thunder rumbled in the distance and its sound was much like the rumble of cannon wheels. I turned to a hundred with the following words: "Comrades! Hear the hum of the cannon wheels? This is a regiment hurrying to us; the mountaineers are powerless; their guns and pistols are as dry as yours; the regiment will come and strangle them like chickens; but that would be nothing, but He will ascribe all the glory to himself. You have been exposing your mighty chest all day and you will have nothing to do with it!
The first fifty crashed into the middle; each Cossack pierced his victim with a lance. This unexpected courageous trick of ours amazed the highlanders; instead of repelling us, no one grabbed the checker. Polyakov did not lose the moment: with his fifty he backed me up. The overturned mountaineers fled in disarray; in an area of 15 miles, we pursued them to the Laba River. Up to 300 bodies remained, no more than 60 people left.
Returning to the regiment, I took the horses scattered in the field, and removed the weapons from the dead; none of the mountaineers was taken prisoner because it was difficult to demand from the Cossacks, people angry as lions, mercy to the enemies.
Approaching the fortress, about five miles away we met a regiment approaching us with two field guns. What was the reason on the part of the regiment commander to leave me with a hundred to perish - I cannot explain.
For this deed I received Vladimir, 4th degree; Polyakov - Anna 3rd degree.
4
In the period from 1837 to 1854. I was in a training regiment in Novocherkassk, and for three years in Poland, in the Rodionov regiment. In 1845, I was urgently sent to the left flank of the Caucasian line in the Shramkov regiment, from which, on the personal order of the governor of the Caucasian prince Mikhail Semyonovich Vorontsov, I took command of 20 regiment, former major. In 1850 the regiment was sent down to the Don, but I, at the request of Vorontsov, remained in the Caucasus, took command of the 17th regiment, which replaced the 20th.
He commanded the 17th regiment until 1853, and handed it over to Lieutenant Colonel Polyakov (namesake with my former subaltern - an officer in Zhirov's regiment); I myself was assigned to be the commander of all cavalry on the left flank, which is why I moved to the Groznaya fortress.
In the month of April 1855, by order of the commander-in-chief Muravyov, he was demanded to Turkey, near Kars.
On the service and affairs on the left flank, as numerous, I will dwell on the description, and I will point out some more curious cases. From 1845 to 1853, I and my regiment recaptured up to 12 thousand cattle and up to 40 thousand sheep from the mountaineers; not a single party that descended from the mountains to the Kumyk Plane returned with impunity, but was always destroyed and few of them managed to return in good health. Having the most faithful scouts and paying them good money, I was always in time to warn about the movement of the mountaineers; attacked with my regiment and destroyed so that the highlanders by the end of 1853 stopped their raids into our borders. The highlanders called me-dajal, in translation into Russian the devil, or apostate from God.
In December 1851, the former commander of the left flank, Prince Baryatinsky, summoned me to Groznaya, where I received an order from him, starting from January to start finishing the clearing that had begun from the fortification of Kura to the Michuku River, and by all means cross it and clear the forest on the left side as much as possible. At the same time, I must rush to carry out these tasks because he, Prince. Baryatinsky, will set out from Groznaya to Shalinskaya Polyana, will continue the glade to Avtury, from where Major-Tup will move to Kurinsk through Greater Chechnya, and will let me know in advance about the combat movement so that I will come out to meet with my forces.
On January 5, 1852, I concentrated three infantry battalions from the fortresses of the Kumyk Plane: my No. 17 regiment, a combined Cossack line and eight field guns; started cutting wood; within a month reached Michuk and after a battle that lasted two hours, crossed over to the left side; having cleared the forest by the 16th of February 1852 from the coast by 100, and by the river by 300 fathoms. On the 17th, I let the troops go through the fortresses for four days to rest, and at noon of the same day, they let me know from the tower standing a mile away from the fortification: beyond Michik, in the direction of Avtury, not only cannon shots were heard, but even battle rifle fire. Taking four hundred of my regiment, I drove along the clearing to the Kochkolykovsky ridge, and I heard a heavy firefight in Major-Tupe. I realized that Baryatinsky was going to Kurinsk, and as Major-Tup is 15 versts from Kurinsk, I’ll probably get a note with the spy to go to the connection at night. At that moment, after the disbanding of the troops, I had three infantry companies, four hundred Cossacks and one gun, and therefore from the heights of those I wrote a note in pencil to the Gerzel-Aul fortification, 15 versts away, to Colonel Ktitorev: leave one in the fortress company, and with two at the gun, come to me; I sent another note to the Karagan post, 17 versts away; from him demanded two hundred Cossacks.
Each note was handed over to three Cossacks on good horses, tested in courage, with the order to deliver, according to their belongings, no matter what.
The requested portions arrived by midnight. Following them came a spy from Baryatinsky with a note; it says: at dawn to stand between the rivers Michuk and another river, and wait for his detachment. About ten minutes later my spy appeared and reported that Shamil with all his crowd, up to 25,000, had stood behind Michuk, opposite my clearing, and strengthened the guard line. The imam was convinced that I would go to join the detachment, and he would have time to obstruct my movement in time.
A local naib with honorable old men - as I learned about this through my scout - came to Shamil with the following words: “Imam! in vain do you guard the old fox along the way; she is not as stupid as you think of her; it will not get into your mouth, but will go around in such ways where it is difficult for a mouse to climb! But Shamil rejected their advice, and did not take any precautions in the side paths.
At two o'clock in the morning, with four companies, six hundred Cossacks, with two guns, I moved across the Kochkolykovsky ridge much to the right of the glade, without a road, through a dense forest, so that the guns and ammunition boxes were carried over the stumps and logs on my hands. Having overcome all obstacles, with the rising of the sun, I stood at the indicated place; joining with the detachment, with my regiment went in the vanguard. Reinforced by four battalions and eight guns, he captured the rubble in battle. Having settled in them, he let the whole detachment pass, the last to retreat through Michuk, and only at midnight he came to Kurinsk.
For the occupation of the rubble, I was awarded Georgy, 4th degree; but this reward was bought at the price of my brothers' blood stream; I left my regiment killed: the bravest Major Bannikov, up to 70 Cossacks, two officers and up to 50 Cossacks were wounded; three horses have been killed under me.
During the felling of the forest, from January 5 to February 17, 1852, there was the following incident: one evening battalion commanders and officers gathered to me to drink tea. Among these is my famous spy, Alibey. When he entered, I greeted him in native language:
"Marshud" (Hello)
Answer: "Marshi Hilley" (Thank you for your health)
My question is: "not swag? Mot Ali" (What's new? Tell me!)
Suddenly, the whole honest company asked me to ask the scout not by me, who understood the native language, but through an interpreter, because they were interested in his news, which I could conceal from them. Not suspecting what Alibey came to tell me, I ordered the translator to transmit in Russian: “I came to tell you: Shamil sent a shooter from the mountains who, 50 yards, throwing an egg to the top, breaks it with a bullet from a rifle; Tomorrow you are going to cut wood, you have a habit of constantly driving out to the mound, opposite the battery we left behind Michuk, this very shooter will sit in it, and as soon as you leave the mound, he will kill you. I considered it necessary to warn about this and advise not to go to that mound."
Thanking my Alibey, I gave him a beshkesh and let him go. As the sun rose, the troops stood in a gun. I moved them to Michuk. I must say that every soldier already knew about Alibey's habar; my position was disgusting: not to go to the mound - obviously I must show myself to be cowardly, but to go and stand on the mound - to be killed. Some kind of boast appeared in me: I decided to go to the mound. Not reaching 300 fathoms, he stopped the column; with five messengers went to the place of execution; stopped them under the mound; took my fitting from the messenger; drove to the mound; turned to face the battery. I can not hide what was happening to me: the heat, then the cold washed over me, and behind myriad goosebumps crawled. A rifle flashed on the parapet. A shot followed. The bullet flew to the left without hitting me. The smoke parted. The shooter, seeing me sitting on a horse, sank into the battery. A wave of the hand is visible - it hits the charge; the rifle appeared a second time; a shot followed: the bullet took to the right, pierced the coat. Stunned by the infidelity of the shots, the shooter jumped onto the parapet and looked at me in surprise. At that moment I took my left leg out of the stirrup and laid it on the horse's mane; Leaning his left hand on his leg, kissed the fitting, fired a shot, and my opponent flew backwards into the battery: the bullet hit the forehead, went into flight. The troops, who stood silently, burst out “Hurray”, and the Chechens across the river jumped out from behind the rubble, broken Russian, mixed with their own, began clapping their hands “Yakshi (good) Boklu! Well done Boklu!"
I owe the wrong shots of the shooter to the non-peaceful Chechens: when the shooter came to them and began to brag that he would “kill Bokla” (Bokla - Lev), they told him the following: “We heard about you: you are breaking an egg with a bullet on the fly from a rifle, and you know, the one whom you boast to kill is such a shooter, we ourselves have seen - he kills a fly from a rifle on the fly! and besides, they must tell you: the bullet does not take him, he gets to know the shaitans. Know that if you miss, he will certainly kill you."
- “Well, okay, said the shooter, I’ll pump a copper bullet; the shaitans will not save him from her!
That is the whole reason why the shots were not correct; the one aiming at me, with upset nerves, the pupils of the eyes widened and the shooter's accuracy was lost.
On January 29, 1853, Prince Baryatinsky with troops from Grozny came to Kurinsk, and began cutting wood on the Khobi-Shavdon heights, in order to build a fortification. From 6th to 17th February, the forest at the heights and along the slope to Michuk was cut down. Crossing through Michuk is required; but its banks, at the confluence of the Ganzovka River, are steep on both sides by eight fathoms; on the left side, Shamil with 40,000 people, with ten guns, stood above the shore in batteries built of fascines. An open passage was inconceivable because the loss in the troops could be half the detachment, and the success is doubtful. A detour covert movement was required.
On February 16, Baryatinsky, in the evening, called me to his tent and said: “Grandfather (as he always called me), crossing Michuk open will entail terrible losses; you know the whole area, can you not flank Shamil?"
I asked him for a two-day delay in order to find a place above or below that was not occupied by the enemy through the scaffolds of my regiment. The answer says: “time is impatient; find out that very night, and at dawn you, grandfather, finally have to go!"
Returning to my headquarters, I summoned the famous head of the plastun team, the sergeant Skopin (now esaul), ordered him to inspect the area “about eight miles up the river, by dawn and say: is the crossing convenient, and are they guarding are there Chechens?
Skopin returned and said: "The crossing is satisfactory, there are no guards."
At that very moment I went to Baryatinsky, woke him up and conveyed the good news.
"How old do you need troops, grandfather?" asked the prince.
I said: "Let me take the Kurinsky regiment, three battalions, my regiment, a division of dragoons, Nizhny Novgorod residents, a combined linear Cossack regiment and eight guns."
- "Take it and go with God: I hope for you, you will be able to fulfill my order, but I will now move to Michuk, open artillery fire and this will mask your movement."
Leaving the book. Baryatinsky, I asked that if, beyond my hopes, I would be an enemy open and start a business with me, then not send a single person to my rescue, because it would be wasted work, no auxiliary forces would save my detachment, but will only increase the loss.
At dawn, a thick fog covered the entire area, at the same time hiding my movement. My detachment moved along the northern slope of the Koch-Kolykovsky ridge; passing the Kura fortification, turned sharply with his left shoulder and through dense forests and ravines reached Michuk: he crossed, unnoticed, and headed down Michuk. By one in the afternoon the fog had cleared; Shamil saw me approaching his right flank. Stunned by such an unexpected guest, the imam retreated from Michuk, and Baryatinsky with all his forces, under my cover, moved across the river. The loss, instead of several thousand, was limited to ten or fifteen killed and wounded lower ranks.
By the way, I will note. The commander of the Kabardian infantry regiment, Colonel Baron Nikolai, received Georgy of the 4th degree, for his courageous courage: he was the first to descend along the rope to Michuk by the side of my column. There is a saying among the people that is truly true: do not be born beautiful, but be born happy.
And here is a real, real example - not only courage, but also complete selflessness: on February 25, 1853, in a strong battle during the extermination of the villages of Dengi-Yurt and Ali-Yurt, being a column commander and managing the troops, I did not pay attention to Shavdonka, a swampy stream: through it without a bridge, the passage is unthinkable; its breadth is seven fathoms. On the left side there were stumps from a felled forest and a log, from under them several dozen rifles were aimed at me. My famous plast player Skopin, being behind, saw a terrible storm for me: he jumped forward and stopped in front of me; shots followed: a bullet pierced his right shoulder; Drenched in blood, Skopin did not fall from his horse, and turning to me, said: Your Excellency, this was being prepared for you, but out of envy I took it upon myself: I hope you will not be hard on me for this.” The whole detachment was amazed by such a case.
Skopin has three insignia of St. George.
In 1857, I was appointed a marching chieftain of the Don regiments, which were with the Caucasian army: at the end of 1859 I was sent to the Don army, where, according to the elections of the nobility, in 1861 I was voted out by the district general of the second military district.
Note: There are many stories about Baklanov's numerous exploits during his Caucasian military life. Old Caucasian warriors pass them on with special love. Of the many episodes we have heard, we allow ourselves to bring from a notebook one, in which the typical feature of a Caucasian veteran stands out especially vividly: it is his devotion to duty to complete selflessness. On December 19, 1853, Baklanov set out from the Grozny fortress with a column for cutting wood at the nearby heights. From here, Yakov Petrovich heard a strong gunfire, which was carried out ten miles away, between the Sunzha and Argun rivers, at the Chortugaevskaya crossing. Leaving the infantry to continue working, Baklanov with a cavalry consisting of 2,500 Cossack regiments, two Don regiments, one line and a division of the Danube army, went through the woods in a half-pit; Having passed six miles on the left side of the Argun, the detachment met the mountaineers: they went, in the amount of up to 4 tons of horsemen, to Argun from Sunzha. There was a fight. After a short resistance, the whole mass of enemies was overturned and rushed to run, covering the ground with corpses. At the first moment of the fight, the eldest son of Baklanov, Nikolai Yakovlevich, was severely wounded by a bullet in his left leg. When the son fell, the father did not see this: he was in the distance, at the head of the reserve, who followed the Cossacks who rushed into the lances and checkers, ready to support the daring men every minute. Suddenly Father Baklanov came across the commander of the Don regiment - the bravest of the brave - Colonel (now Major General) Yezhov. The colonel stood on foot and wept. Baklanov reproachfully asked: "What does this mean?"
"Don't you see your brave son in the blood." - answered Yezhov.
The old warrior, without glancing at his son, turned with fervor to Colonel Yezhov, “Well, the young Cossack fell down - he was in front, but you, Mr. eight hundred sons of your regiment? On a horse! To your brave sons! Otherwise I will chop it into pieces!"
Stunned Yezhov jumped on his horse and, like an arrow, rushed forward. The wounded young Baklanov was left unconscious on the spot. The father had no time for his son; the general feared that ahead, in the forests, there might be still fresh forces of the mountaineers, who would strike at the Cossacks, upset by the race, and victory would be replaced by defeat. In order to prevent such an accident, General Baklanov rushed forward with a reserve and not only did not stop over his son for a minute, but did not even consider it possible to leave the Cossack with him.
The highlanders were finally defeated. On the return journey of the Cossacks, the wounded man was taken on a stretcher arranged from the peak and taken to the Groznaya fortress. From this wound, young Baklanov lay motionless for almost a year.
