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province; a head of police, who has much to do in a town where exiles abound;
and, lastly, a mayor, chief of the merchants, and a person of some importance,
from his immense fortune and the influence which he exercises over the people.
The garrison of Irkutsk was at that time composed of an infantry regiment
of Cossacks, consisting of two thousand men, and a body of police wearing
helmets and blue uniforms laced with silver. Besides, as has been said, in
consequence of the events which had occurred, the brother of the Czar had been
shut up in the town since the beginning of the invasion.
A journey of political importance had taken the Grand Duke to these
distant provinces of Central Asia. After passing through the principal
Siberian cities, the Grand Duke, who traveled en militaire rather than en
prince, without any parade, accompanied by his officers, and escorted by a
regiment of Cossacks, arrived in the Trans-Baikalcine provinces. Nikolaevsk,
the last Russian town situated on the shore of the Sea of Okhotsk, had been
honored by a visit from him. Arrived on the confines of the immense Muscovite
Empire, the Grand Duke was returning towards Irkutsk, from which place he
intended to retake the road to Moscow, when, sudden as a thunder clap, came
the news of the invasion.
He hastened to the capital, but only reached it just before communication
with Russia had been interrupted. There was time to receive only a few
telegrams from St. Petersburg and Moscow, and with difficulty to answer them
before the wire was cut. Irkutsk was isolated from the rest of the world.
The Grand Duke had now only to prepare for resistance, and this he did
with that determination and coolness of which, under other circumstances, he
had given incontestable proofs. The news of the taking of Ichim, Omsk, and
Tomsk, successively reached Irkutsk. It was necessary at any price to save the
capital of Siberia. Reinforcements could not be expected for some time. The
few troops scattered about in the provinces of Siberia could not arrive in
sufficiently large numbers to arrest the progress of the Tartar columns. Since
therefore it was impossible for Irkutsk to escape attack, the most important
thing to be done was to put the town in a state to sustain a siege of some
duration.
The preparations were begun on the day Tomsk fell into the hands of the
Tartars. At the same time with this last news, the Grand Duke heard that the
Emir of Bokhara and the allied Khans were directing the invasion in person,
but what he did not know was, that the lieutenant of these barbarous chiefs
was Ivan Ogareff, a Russian officer whom he had himself reduced to the ranks,
but with whose person he was not acquainted.
First of all, as we have seen, the inhabitants of the province of Irkutsk
were compelled to abandon the towns and villages. Those who did not take
refuge in the capital had to retire beyond Lake Baikal, a district to which
the invasion would probably not extend its ravages. The harvests of corn and
fodder were collected and stored up in the town, and Irkutsk, the last bulwark
of the Muscovite power in the Far East, was put in a condition to resist the
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enemy for a lengthened period.
Irkutsk, founded in 1611, is situated at the confluence of the Irkut and
the Angara, on the right bank of the latter river. Two wooden draw-bridges,
built on piles, connected the town with its suburbs on the left bank. On this
side, defence was easy. The suburbs were abandoned, the bridges destroyed. The
Angara being here very wide, it would not be possible to pass it under the
fire of the besieged.
But the river might be crossed both above and below the town, and
consequently, Irkutsk ran a risk of being attacked on its east side, on which
there was no wall to protect it.
The whole population were immediately set to work on the fortifications.
They labored day and night. The Grand Duke observed with satisfaction the zeal
exhibited by the people in the work, whom ere long he would find equally
courageous in the defense. Soldiers, merchants, exiles, peasants, all devoted
themselves to the common safety. A week before the Tartars appeared on the
Angara, earth-works had been raised. A fosse, flooded by the waters of the
Angara, was dug between the scarp and counterscarp. The town could not now be
taken by a coup de main. It must be invested and besieged.
The third Tartar column--the one which came up the valley of the Yenisei
on the 24th of September--appeared in sight of Irkutsk. It immediately
occupied the deserted suburbs, every building in which had been destroyed so
as not to impede the fire of the Grand Duke's guns, unfortunately but few in
number and of small caliber. The Tartar troops as they arrived organized a
camp on the bank of the Angara, whilst waiting the arrival of the two other
columns, commanded by the Emir and his allies.
The junction of these different bodies was effected on the 25th of
September, in the Angara camp, and the whole of the invading army, except the
garrisons left in the principal conquered towns, was concentrated under the
command of Feofar-Khan.
The passage of the Angara in front of Irkutsk having been regarded by
Ogareff as impracticable, a strong body of troops crossed, several versts up
the river, by means of bridges formed with boats. The Grand Duke did not
attempt to oppose the enemy in their passage. He could only impede, not
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