GENERAL TODLEBEN.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2778, 9 January 1878, Page 2

GENERAL TODLEBEN.

. "ATtA.9," in the World, writes:—" A contemporary avers that General Todle* ben's arriral cannot be regarded uu unmixed blessing to the Russian arms, seeing that he 'has long been degomme,' and that he is a ' helpless and hopeless' victim to the rice of drunkenness. I onlj hope, should it please Providence to preserve me alive to the age of 65, and inflict me with fourteen wounds, that I may be ' degomme' to the same tune as tho defender of Sevastopol. When Todleben came to Bucharest the other day, on his way--to Bulgaria,: he wanted to buy some chargers. A friend of mine, an English war correspondent, had a big stallion—a noble horse indeed —but so unruly as to be nearly useless. My friend is a good horseman, but the grey stallion took a deal of riding, even |in the streets of Bucharest, and with troops there was the deril to pay with ; him. Todleben saw the horse and fancied him; he was. showy, and up to the. General's weight. He was warned that the animal carried too many guns for most young men; but he mounted him, rode him for an hour's trial through the streets of Bucharest, stiakSg to him throughout a serifs of complicated antics in *h manner anything but 'help* less and hopeless ;' and finally bought him for a charger, with /the re« . mark tuafc he was the style of hone.-he liked, because there was no risk of be* coining ennuye* when riding him. Later, after joining the army, Todleben rode, in one day the circuit of the Hussian positions around Plevna, a distance of over 40 miles. This is certainly a singular phase of' dlgommage*.