OBITUARY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1510, 7 February 1901, Page 58

OBITUARY.

FIELD-MARSHAL GOURKO

LONDON, January 29. The death is announced of Field-Mar-shal Gourko, aged seventy-three years.

This distinguished soldier entered the Russian Army in '1846 as an ensign, in the Hussars of the Imperial Body Guard, gaining his captaincy in 1857. Three years later he was appointed adjutant to the Emperor, and the following year he attained his colonelcy. After filling posts of minor importance on the Emperor’s staff, he rose to the command of the Imperial Grenadier Guards, and; in 1873 to command the First Brigade of the second division of the Cavalleri© de la Garde. He had previously served through the Crimean war, but gained his chief distinction by his conduct m the Russo-Turkish campaign of 1877-78. His first great- achievement was the storming of the town of Tirnovo, in June of 1877; with a detachment of Cavalry and a single battery. Two months later he was expelled by the Turks from the province of Roumelia, and retreated to the Schipka Pass, which he held with great tenacity in the face of desperate and continued attack, until reinforced by General Radetzky. The two generals maintained a stubborn defence against Strlieman Pasha and Raeuf Pasha for more than two months, and on the 24th October General Gourko gained a victory ever the Turks near Plevna. The two generals then traversed the Balkans in the depth of winter, a feat now regarded! as a splendid triumph of arms, and led the Russian Army in a general advance on 'Sofia., Philippopolis and Adrian ople. This was the final phase of the war, and Gourko was made a Count, and promoted to Adjutant-General, besides receiving several decorations for his services. He was successively Gov-ernor-General of St. Petersburg and ill Poland, with which latter province he has been connected! ever since, 'being in. 1892 re-appoibted Commander-m-Ohief of all the troops in Poland and Lithuania. General Gourko was married to a French ladv. 1