Ivan Turchin – “the Russian Thunderbolt”. Czar’s Colonel, Lincoln’s Brigadier General

By Al Palladin – speech at the Seattle Olympic Club, October 21, 2021. From the upcoming book “America’s arch ally: Russia’s forgotten role in the founding, development and defense of the United States”.

Ivan Vasilyevich Turchaninov, better known by his Americanized name of John Basil Turchin, in many ways followed the life path chosen by John Paul Jones. Ivan was born in the region where the American Revolutionary hero and founder of the U.S. Navy fought his last celebrated battles – in the South of Russia.

Jones enjoyed the company and the famed combative spirit of Cossacks. Famously, the American Captain, who became a Russian Admiral, was invited to join their brotherhood. After rounds of drinks to commemorate the occasion, Jones joined two Cossack scouts to sneak up in the middle of the night to the flagship of the Turkish admiral Hasan-pasha, who was nicknamed the “Brave Crocodile”. “Burn it. Paul Jones” wrote the American Russian naval commander on the side of the Turkish vessel. The next day, on June 17, 1788, Jones courageously led his ships into battle – the Turks outnumbered the Russians five to one. Tremendous combat ensued and the opposing Ottoman fleet was destroyed, with the “Brave Crocodile” barely escaping by lifeboat.

Were Ivan’s relatives among Jones’ comrades in arms? While that is not clear, what is known is that the son of a Don Cossack went on to be a war hero – for both Russia and the United States. And just like Jones being the only known American officer to become a Russian admiral, Turchin enjoys the distinction of being the only known officer in the Union forces to originate from what was then Imperial Russia—and to reach the rank of general in the U.S. Army.

Ivan was born on January 30, 1822, the son of Vasily Turchaninov, a retired major. Two of his uncles had served in multiple wars that involved the Russian Empire, and rose to the ranks of Lieutenant-Generals. Ivan followed in their footsteps. After graduating from the Mikhailov Artillery Academy, Turchaninov was sent to fight in Hungary in 1848 and was awarded the Saint George’s Cross for his distinction in that campaign. His valor and abilities were noticed, and the Russian Military command sent him to the Academy of the General Staff, which trained officers with top potential. In 1853, as the Crimean War broke out, Ivan was assigned command of a field artillery unit – with a young Leo Tolstoy, who would go on to worldwide fame for his “War and Peace” and other literary accomplishments, serving under Turchaninov’s command.

After Crimea, Ivan was posted to the staff of the elite Imperial Guards in St. Petersburg - where the eldest son of Czar Nicholas I, who was only four years older than Turchaninov, became friendly with the son of the Don Cossack. Alexander II ascended to the throne in 1855, and would go on to be known for implementing the most challenging reforms undertaken in Russia since the reign of?Peter the Great. In May of 1856 Ivan made the faithful decision to marry Nadezhda Lvov. The daughter of his commanding officer, she was raised as what in the U.S. is referred to as a “military brat”. Unbeknownst to the happy couple at that time was that her upbringing would play a key role, in the near future, in a land far, far away.

Why would a 30 year-young Colonel, with fantastic career and social opportunities right in front of him, uproot his family and venture into the unknown – to a foreign country, where he would literally have to start life anew? The yearning for Liberty.

Ivan had become convinced in the virtues of a Republic, with a burning desire for people to have freedoms, including the ability to decide one’s own fate. In 1853 he began a secret correspondence with the Russian revolutionary thinker Alexander Herzen. Ivan’s eyes were opened to opportunities to live life differently.?In his acclaimed writings, many composed while exiled in London, Herzen attempted to influence the situation in Russia, contributing to a political climate that eventually led to the?emancipation of the serfs?in 1861.

But back in 1856 such thoughts, if expressed openly in Russia, at best could have led to forced banishment from the country, if not being stripped of all rank and wealth and forcefully relocated to remote regions of Siberia. Instead of waiting for that outcome, Ivan decided to take matters into his own hands and to immigrate to America. Under the made-up excuse of needing specialized medical treatment, the officer was given permission to take leave in Germany, and eventually he and his wife crossed the Atlantic by ship, and landed on Long Island.

After an unsuccessful attempt at farming in New York, the couple tried living in Washington. In Philadelphia Ivan attended Engineering School. In 1859 he wrote to Herzen:

“I thank America for one thing, it helped me get rid of my aristocratic prejudices, and it reduced me to the rank of a mere mortal. I have been reborn. I fear no work; no sphere of business scares me away, and no social position will put me down; it makes no difference whether I plow and cart manure or sit in a richly decorated room and discuss astronomy with the great scholars of the New World. I want to earn the right to call myself a citizen of the United States of America.”

Ivan and Nadezhda Americanized their names to John and Nadine Turchin by the time of their arrival in Chicago. They had a fateful encounter in the city that was known as the “Heart of America” - for being one of the largest transportation centers in the United States. Rail lines were transforming the country – and a man, whom Turchin encountered during the Crimean War, was the Chief Engineer and Vice President of the Illinois Central Railroad.

George Brinton McClellan was one of the youngest ever to be admitted to West Point, at the age of 15. He graduated second in his class and went on to see combat during the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848. Thanks to his political connections and command of the French language, McClellan was sent to act as a an official observer on behalf of the European Armies in Crimea in 1855. He witnessed the Siege of Sebastopol, and wrote a manual that was adopted by the U.S. Army, which was based on the American officer’s understanding of Russian cavalry regulations.

McClellan recognized Turchin, and his abilities, and offered him the job of engineer on the rail road that he was running. Ivan/John continued to be politically active and decided to join the Republican Party. In good part this was a result of his disdain for aristocracy, and of the Southern type in particular, due to their “firm determination to hold millions of blacks in bondage.” It is said that during this time in Chicago Turchin first met with Abraham Lincoln.

At the outbreak of the American Civil War McClellan was persuaded to contribute to the efforts of the Union, eventually serving between November 1861 and March 1862 as?the Commanding General of the United States Army. Turchin was asked to serve as a military commander once again as well.

Two events happened two days apart in June of 1861 – future U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant accepted appointment as Colonel of the 21st Illinois Volunteer Infantry on the 15th. And on the 17th of June Colonel John Basil Turchin led the march to the South of the 19th Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry. The former Colonel of the Russian Imperial Guards focused on the drill and discipline of his North American regiment. Turchin as commander was successful in making the 19th Illinois one of the finest regiments in the Western armies. Skilled soldiers have a higher chance of victory – and survival. During the whole Civil War, a most bloody conflict, only 4 officers and 60 enlisted men of Turchin’s Regiment were killed in action or died of their wounds (almost two times less than what, unfortunately, the loss tally was for the 21st Illinois).

Turchin’s command abilities were noticed as he drove his unit through Missouri and Kentucky. Major General Don Carlos Buell promoted the Russian American and entrusted him to command a?brigade?in the Army of the Ohio's Third Division. The importance of moving swiftly and decisively was instilled upon Turchin through Russian military schooling – this was a major emphasis based on the successes of such greats as Field Marshal Suvorov. A deep understanding of the power of railroads also came in handy. Turchin advocated to his superiors for tactics to cut the Confederates’ rail lines. He led attacks to capture bridges and depots, and created an armored train, which had cannons on the carriage in front of the locomotive. Turchin led his men to capture Hunstville, Alabama, thereby severing the supply lines of the Confederate troops. It was a major victory that cut the rail communications of the Confederacy from East to West, and earned the Russian American even more support.

In April of 1862 Turchin’s troops were fighting in Northern Alabama. There they faced combined attacks by Confederate cavalry – and partisans. The guerilla warfare was particularly brutal. In the middle of the 19th century there were certain codes of conduct and rules of engagement – designed for an organized army facing another regulated adversary. Partisans resort to any sabotage tactics they can find handy, and aim to inflict damage against their enemy by any means at their disposal. This was the case around the town of Athens.

Turchin knew the lessons of the War of 1812 – where Russian partisans were a key force that attacked Napoleon’s armies constantly, brutally, from the rear, killing, wounding, disrupting supply lines, even burning down whole cities, like Moscow, and destroying the morale of the regular soldiers. Guerillas were instrumental in defeating the mightiest army in the world. Turchin could not allow that to happen to his forces – and he was particularly focused on a show of force against insurgency.

Frustration was mounting among Union soldiers. On the one hand, there was General Buell's clearly stated conciliatory policy of protecting the rights and property of Southerners. On the other hand, Turchin’s troops had faced weeks of incessant surprise attacks by the partisans. Potshots were made from houses in Athens, and it was reported that the Rebels had executed prisoners. According to University of New Mexico School of Law professor Joshua E. Kastenberg, Southern civilians had fired on Turchin's men. Apparently “the last straw” was a brutal incident - Southern “noncombatants” prevented several blacks from rescuing a Union soldier from being roasted alive between the engine and coal-car of a destroyed train.

?“I close my eyes for two hours. I see nothing” – were Turchin’s words to his troops, before leaving town for the remainder of the day. What ensued would go down in history as the “Rape of Athens”. His regiment went on a rampage, looting businesses, stealing or destroying merchandise. Homes and living areas were also raided, one pregnant woman was so terrified that unfortunately she suffered a miscarriage, and later died herself.

The Democratic press labeled Turchin the “Mad Cossack”. ?The Lost Cause supporters vilified him, and the folk-song “Turchin’s got your mule”, which was probably created by one of his soldiers, certainly did not help with the Colonel’s image.

His superior, General Buell, called for a court-martial, which was chaired by the future U.S. President James A. Garfield. During the trial, which received nation-wide interest, Turchin argued that his superiors had been treating the rebels too softly, stating that “the more lenient we become to secessionists the bolder they become”. While apparently this did win Garfield and many others to his side, Turchin was still found guilty “of conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline.” ?At the same time there were many who viewed Buell’s concern over protecting those, who were actively aiding and abetting the rebellion (including the return of their runaway slaves), to be far too lenient treatment.

Another key factor that Buell underestimated was John’s wife Nadine. She had accompanied her husband during the military campaigns, nursed the wounded and was always close to the battlefield. One of the accusations during the court martial was that, during her husband's brief illness in 1862, Turchin’s spouse allegedly "took his place as regimental commander."

Nadine was a fierce believer in democracy. She described the virtues of the American soldier writing that: “Only a free man can endure hunger, cold, and injustice with such boundless patience.” She had a keen sense for what was right, and what was wrong. “The…owner of Negro slaves, resembles very closely the (Russian) Imperial gentleman, owner of white serfs. Social conditions created by these two dominating classes are quite similar. Negligence, arbitrary ignorance, primitive instincts given free rein, …even racial mixture, having one father for an unlimited number of servile mothers.” Nadine pointed to the fact that many black women were raped by their white “masters” as the greatest indication of the moral degeneracy of Southern aristocrats.

Her courage and conviction got her an audience with President Lincoln, to whom Nadine pleaded on behalf of her accused husband. Lincoln’s decision: not only re-instate Turchin, but also promote him to Brigadier General. On August 8, 1862,?the Chicago Times?wrote, "truly in the lottery matrimonial Turchin had the good fortune to draft an invaluable prize." The President’s act not only signaled Turchin’s rising military career, it also marked the decline of Buell’s influence in the eyes of the Lincoln administration.

Upon his brief return to Chicago, Turchin received a hero's welcome. Prominent figures called for the removal of Buell, and for more aggressive conduct of the war, in order to bring it to a swifter end. ?The?Chicago Tribune?praised Turchin, stating that he “has had, from the beginning, the wisest and clearest ideas of any man in the field about the way in which the war should be conducted” and further, that he is one “who comprehends the malignant character of the rebellion and who is ready and willing to use all means at his command to put it down.”?Turchin was put in charge of a new brigade.

The General further distinguished himself during the battles of?Chickamauga?and?Chattanooga, and in the?Atlanta Campaign. Nadine, who was known in the army as Madame Turchin, started a regular diary in 1863, that included her impressions of her husband's fellow officers, and commentary on battles that she participated in, including?Chickamauga. She climbed up onto the eastern hills to observe events during the?Battle of Missionary Ridge. Nadine left detailed accounts of both clashes, in effect being the only Union female diarist to cover them.

In September of 1863 at Chickamauga, Union soldiers found themselves on the verge of a defeat, and began to retreat in disarray. General Turchin personally led his brigade in a counterattack. His soldiers managed to break through the line of the Southerners, but realized that they wound up in the rear of the advancing enemy. The assertive Turchin ordered his soldiers to turn around and fight in order to rejoin their main forces. Turchin's soldiers again broke through the lines of the Confederates. During this battle, Turchin's men captured about 300 enemy fighters and several cannons. The “Turchin attack behind enemy lines” is a key feat in the historiography of the American Civil War.

During the Battle of Chattanooga in November, 1863, Northern troops drove the Southerners out of their positions near Missionary Ridge, but came under heavy fire from the top of the mountain range. John Turchin personally led his men in the uphill battle. Under the enemy barrage, Union soldiers managed to get close to the Confederate positions. In despair, the gunners of the Southerners lit the wicks of bombs, and dropped them by hand on their enemy, but the bravery of the General and his men prevailed. Turchin's brigade was the first to break onto the top of Missionary Ridge, and capture 3 artillery positions. The victory at Chattanooga contributed to the changing of the momentum in the Civil War – from then on, the strategic initiative was finally in the hands of the Northerners.

After these displays of finest military leadership, a contemporary suggested that Turchin was one of the highest-educated and most knowledgeable soldiers in the United States.

In the spring of 1864, General Sherman's army began the famous "March to the Sea", during which it conducted the strategically important battle for Atlanta - the largest military-industrial center of the South. General Turchin and his men played an active part in this campaign.

Ыhortly after the end of the Atlanta Campaign in September of 1864, the General, who had suffered a heatstroke, was forced to resign from military service. For the remainder of his life John Turchin worked in number of capacities, including patent solicitor, civil engineer, and eventually in real estate, where in southern Illinois he helped find land for immigrants like him.

John passed away in 1901, Nadine – in 1904. They are buried together at the Mound City National Cemetery, in Illinois, where in recognition of the “Russian Thunderbolt” and the courageous Madame Turchin, their monument stands out in a soldiers’ field.?