Magyar Egyház, 1987 (66. évfolyam, 2. szám)

1987-04-01 / 2. szám

CALVIN SYNOD HERALD

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REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA

CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH (1580-1631):

THE HISTORICAL LINK BETWEEN HUNGARY AND THE FIRST ENGLISH-COLONY IN AMERICA

(The occurrrence of unbelievable coincidences in real life as well as in fiction is, perhaps, nowhere more eloquently illustrated than in the following account of several adventures of Captain John Smith, English mercenary of the late 16th and early 17th Centuries; military commander of Jamestown in the Virginia Colony, and hero of one of the Hungarian campaigns against the Turks.)

(Alexander Boloni Farkas, from whose book JOURNEY IN NORTH AMERICA this account is taken, wrote:

“This short journey in Virginia brought to mind that one of the founders of the state distinguished himself in Hungarian history as well. ”)

Here is the story as told by Farkas:

Smith was bom in England around 1578. After many voyages on the seas and in various parts of Europe, he landed in Naples, and from there through Albania and Dalmatia he came to Gratz, where he made the acquaintance of Baron' Kiesel and entered the Austrian service. At Kolumbach he distinguished himself so well in the battle against the Turks that Colonel Meldrich promoted him to captain of the cavalry. At that time the German emperor sent an army of 30,000 to Hungary under the command of Archduke Ferdinand and Prince Merceur, to recapture Szekesfehervar which for sixty years had been in Turkish hands. Smith joined this force which, under General Russwurm, after a long siege, stormed the city and captured the pasha in command. In the meantime, however, Mohammed sent 60,000 troops under Hassan Pasha to relieve the besieged city. The two armies clashed and after a battle lasting one

hour Hassan was routed. The Turks lost 6,000 men, among them the Pasha of Buda. They had also lost nine cannons, but the Christians suffered heavy losses also. Meldrich’s regiment was almost annihilated and Smith was wounded.

With the advent of the winter, the opposing forces withdrew from their trenches. To relieve the boredom during the lull in the battle, a famous Turkish warrior, Tur Pasha, challenged the bravest of the Christians to a duel to entertain the women. The challenge was accepted with alacrity and many Hungarian and German knights volunteered. The choice was made by lottery which was won by Smith. The battlements of Szekesfehervar were crowded with spectators. In his shining armor the haughty Turk emerged from the bastion, his helmet adorned with gold and silver. His splendid steed was led by two Jannisaries, preceded by a third one carrying his lance. Smith greeted him with simple amiability. The trumpet sounded and the two combatants rushed at each other. Smith

aimed the thrust of his lance so skillfully that it crushed the head of the Turk through his helmet, whereupon Smith jumped off his horse and cut off the Turk’s head which he then offered to his commander amidst the joyous acclaim of the populace. Witnessing this humiliation Grualgo Pasha, a friend of Tur Pasha, challenged Smith to a duel the next day which Smith accepted. At their first joust both battlers broke their lances, but Grualgo fell off his horse and Smith cut his head off also, and presented it with his precious Fringián sword to his general.

At this point Smith thought it was fitting to stand up for Christian honor, and that it was his turn to challenge a Turk. Bonny Mulgro presented himself. At the appointed hour the contestants appeared at the bar before a huge audience. First they exchanged pistol shots and both missed; then they rushed at each other with their heavy battle-axes. Mulgro handled his with such skill that he quickly knocked Smith’s ax out of his hand, whereupon Smith suddenly drew his sword and killed Mulgro and with his opponent’s head and arms returned to his camp. His commander embraced him and presented him with a fine horse and sword. Colonel Meldrich promoted him to major and Sigmund, Prince of Transylvania, honored him with five hundred pieces of gold, his portrait, and a patent of nobility. On his coatof-arms there is a shield and the heads of three Turks and around it the inscription: Vincére est vivere.

Ultimately they took Szekesfehervar in 1601. All the Turks were put to the sword and their heads impaled on stakes in the trenches because that is the way the Turks had treated