the country. But when General Lomakin was ordered there during the years between 1873 and '79, he found that beyond Kizil-Arvat were the Tekke Turcomans, who seemed determined to make a decided opposition to the Muscovite designs. A regular campaign was required, and General Lazareff was ordered to push back the Turcomans and occupy as a base of operations the first cultivated oasis east of Kizil-Arvat. Lazareff, early in the campaign died, and the command fell upon General Lomakin, who undertook to execute the order. This general, who had so easily conquered, if conquering it may be called where no opposition is offered, the Yomut Turcomans along the borders of the Caspian, mistakenly thought he might deal in the same way with the Tekkes. He advanced with 4,000 men and reached Geok Tepe without resistance, but no sooner was he in front of it than the Turcomans fell upon him. He was severely defeated and made a hasty retreat to Krasnovodsk with the remnant of his army.
General Tergukasoff was next appointed to the command, but when he saw the difficulties confronting him he resigned. He was succeeded by General Petrussovitch under the chief command of Skobeleff. Thus from Stolietoff to Skobeleff there were no fewer than seven generals who had tried to conquer the Tekke Turcomans.
Skobeleff, seeing the vast difficulties of the situation, matured a skilful and scientific plan of operations, for which he obtained the imperial sanction by making a personal visit to Livadia, where the Emperor was then sojourning. His next step was to telegraph to General Kuropatkin, who was then on the Kuldja frontier, to join him with a detachment of troops from Turkestan. Kuropatkin marched from Tashkend to Khiva and thence to Bami, where he was to join Skobeleff; in spite of the difficulties of the route across the desert, he brought his troops through in fine condition
