Under the Red Crescent: Adventures of an English Surgeon with the Turkish Army at Plevna and Erzeroum 1877-1878

In Short

This memoir records the experiences of Charles Snodgrass Ryan, a twenty-two-year-old surgeon who volunteered with the Ottoman Army during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878. Ryan witnesses the defense of Plevna and the siege of Erzeroum, treating severe trauma while navigating military politics, harsh weather, and disease. Written two decades later with assistance from a journalist friend, the narrative endures due to its frank, unvarnished portrait of field medicine, military blunders, and the day-to-day existence of a young medical officer serving under fire.

The Story

The chronicle opens with Ryan, a newly qualified surgeon, immersing himself in the vibrant atmosphere of Constantinople. Before being deployed to the front lines, he observes the contrasts of Ottoman life, balancing the modern energy of daytime Stamboul with its dark, dog-infested night streets. Soon after, he joins the British medical staff stationed in Nish. Here, amidst discussions on the Eastern Question and social gatherings, Ryan joins his comrades in preparing for the impending conflict. At a lavish pre-war ball, the young doctor dances through the evening, fully aware that many of his companions will soon fall in battle.

As hostilities break out, Ryan is dispatched to the front and finds himself attached to the staff of Osman Pasha at Plevna. Operating with an unusual degree of independence due to the flexible structure of the Ottoman medical service, Ryan manages makeshift field hospitals near the front lines. He observes the tactical maneuvers and missed opportunities of the campaign, including Osman Pasha's unexecuted offensive plans. During the battles around Plevna, Ryan treats a relentless stream of casualties, working through bayonet thrusts, shell fragment injuries, and bullet wounds, all while the sound of artillery echoes outside his quarters.

Between major engagements, Ryan navigates local life in Bulgarian villages, securing milk from a young neighbor and dodging insects in his front-door-less house. He travels with cavalry reconnaissance columns, witnessing the grim aftermath of clashes around Lovtcha, where hundreds of fallen soldiers lie mutilated in the fields. As the siege tightens and conditions worsen, hospital work degenerates into a grim fight against filth, lack of supplies, and fatal infections.

Following his service at Plevna, Ryan moves on to Erzeroum, a mountain-ringed city lacking timber, where fuel consists largely of dried camel's dung. In Erzeroum, Ryan contracts typhus and endures severe delirium. He misinterprets the visit of two kindly French nuns as a threat, driving them off until an elderly Capuchin monk takes over his care. After recovering, Ryan navigates the final stages of the war and the arrival of Russian forces. He interacts hospitably with Russian officers, attending dinner parties where heavy drinking and military camaraderie prevail. Finally, Ryan undertakes a difficult winter trek across snowbound mountain passes accompanied by his medical colleagues, a dragoman, and a Spanish widow who repeatedly falls off her pack-horse into the snow, bringing his military adventures to a close.

How It Unfolds

Constantinople and the road to the front Ryan arrives in Stamboul, taking in the daytime bazaars and the dark, dog-patrolled night streets. He joins the British medical staff in Nish, buying a pony and participating in late-night debates over the war's outcome.

Dancing on the eve of war At a half-barbaric ball in the Balkan theatre, Ryan spends lavishly on refreshments and dances with local hostesses. The festive gathering mirrors the famous ball before Waterloo, with every attendee conscious of impending combat.

The siege and defense of Plevna Ryan establishes hospitals in Plevna while Osman Pasha defends the town against heavy Russian assaults. He treats non-stop bayonet and artillery wounds, observes local tactical movements, and lives in a doorless Bulgarian house on the banks of the Tutchenitza.

Reconnaissance and the horrors of Lovtcha Accompanying Circassian cavalry on a sweep near Lovtcha, Ryan views hundreds of fallen Turkish soldiers left mutilated on the plain. The sight underscores the unrestrained ferocity of the regional skirmishes.

Desperate hospital work and departure As winter approaches, medical supplies dwindle, and Ryan’s work becomes a single-handed battle against disease and wound infections. Selling his horse, Ryan leaves Plevna in an ambulance wagon after a rowdy send-off from his fellow surgeons.

Sickness and recovery in Erzeroum Arriving in the timber-scarce city of Erzeroum, Ryan falls dangerously ill with typhus. In his delirium, he chases away two French volunteer nuns before recovering under the care of a Capuchin monk.

Fraternization and the final retreat Following the cessation of hostilities, Ryan dines with Russian officers including General Komaroff, surviving heavy toasts and Cossack-escorted horse rides. He then completes a challenging trek through deep snow over the Kop Pass alongside his medical party.

The People

• Charles Snodgrass Ryan: A young Australian surgeon who seeks field experience with the Ottoman army. He wants to practice his surgical profession independently in a battle setting, facing combat dangers, severe exhaustion, and a life-threatening bout of typhus. Through his experiences, he transforms from an adventurous youth into a battle-hardened military surgeon.
• Osman Pasha: The resolute Turkish commander at Plevna. He seeks to defend his positions and mount strategic counter-offensives against the Russian forces. Restricted by military bureaucracy and supply shortages, he nevertheless earns the deep respect of his men and staff through his defensive leadership.
• Tewfik Bey (later Pasha): A Turkish officer and close friend of Ryan. He wants to secure the Ottoman lines by constructing intricate redoubt and trench systems. He displays exceptional bravery, leading the assault on the Krishin redoubts and winning promotion to the rank of Pasha.
• Dr. Robert: A eccentric, polyglot medical colleague of Ryan at Plevna. He wants to maintain high spirits among his fellow doctors despite the horrors around them. He hosts a raucous farewell dinner, drinking heavily and playing patriotic songs before remaining behind in the war zone.
• Father Basilio: A kind Capuchin monk in Erzeroum. He wants to comfort the sick and dying in a city ravaged by typhus. He steps in to tend to Ryan during his night fever watches after Ryan's delirium frightens away the volunteer nuns.
• The Spanish Widow: A middle-aged civilian traveler stranded in the snow-covered mountains during the final retreat. She wants only to complete the journey safely, but her complete lack of riding skill results in her sliding off her wooden pack-saddle continuously into the deep drifts.

In Its Own Voice

"By night, with those dogs about, it is like one of those deserted cities of a long forgotten civilization, in which Briton Rivière shows us the panther and the tiger that have taken the place of man." — Ryan reflects on the eerie atmosphere of Stamboul's unlit streets after dark.

"A man is not inclined to be economical when he knows that before long he may have no mouth to put champagne in and no head left to get dizzy with it." — Ryan explains his lavish spending at the officers' ball on the eve of the campaign.

"It was at this period that my hospital work, which had previously proceeded on regulated lines, with a hopeful measure of success attending my efforts, began to degenerate into a desperate, single-handed struggle against wounds, want, filth, disease, and death." — Ryan describes the collapse of medical conditions as the siege of Plevna drags on.

What It's Really About

Beneath its adventurous tone, the memoir examines the stark reality of 19th-century battlefield medicine and the catastrophic human cost of imperial warfare. Ryan's account contrasts the grand strategy debated by military staffs with the chaotic, unhygienic conditions inside field hospitals. It illustrates how institutional inefficiency, supply failures, and disease often prove far more deadly than enemy fire. The narrative also captures the strange camaraderie that develops among international volunteers, medical officers, and soldiers on opposing sides, showing how personal relationships and professional duty persist amidst widespread destruction and political upheaval.

Why Read It Today

Under the Red Crescent offers a direct, unpretentious view into a pivotal 19th-century conflict through the eyes of a young medical professional. Readers interested in military history and historical medicine will appreciate the candid descriptions of field surgery, camp life, and siege conditions. Ryan writes with a dry, observational humor that balances the grim details of gangrene, typhus, and trauma. While modern readers must navigate period attitudes toward regional populations, outdated cultural terms, and occasional Victorian sentence structures, the narrative moves at a brisk pace. Ryan's unglamorized focus on the physical reality of war ensures that the memoir remains an engaging, human document.