Title
Publisher
Date
Language
Identifier
Transcription
Land Department
Illinois Central R.R. Company.
Chicago, 21 June 1861
Sir
We take pleasure in recommending to you Mr. John B Tachan (Turchin) as a person in every way fitted to receive a military appointment to a grade equal to that of Colonel. He is a native of Southern Russia, about forty years of age and has received a very high military education, and his personal habits are unexceptionable.
At the age of fourteen he entered the artillery school at St Petersburg where he studied for five years. When he attained the age of twenty, he obtained the position of Sub Lieutenant in the Horse Artillery where he remained five years. At the expiration of this period and wishing to enter one "Etat Major", he entered the Military Academy of St Petersburg, the highest school of the Empire, where he devoted himself to a thorough course of Tactics, Administration, Geodesy, Strategics, and Artillery Engineering, graduating with the highest distinction.
The next year he devoted, proportionately, to the practical operations of every branch of military service, and we have
have the authority of Genl McClellan, that a person thus graduated must have superior attainments to one who has taken his degrees at West Point.
Thus qualified he entered the "Etat Major" with the rank of Captain.
During the Russian war he was detailed to prepare a plan for the defence of the Gulf of Finland, and the country around St Petersburg. His views with little or no modification were adopted-
In 1855 he obtained the rank of Colonel and was attached to the Staff in the active corps of Guards ordered for service in Poland
In 1856 he came to this Country where he has since remained, devoting his time to engineering pursuits, and for the past 2 years has been in the employment of the Illinois Central Rail Road Company.
In 1857 he filed his first papers to become a citizen of the United States, which step he proposes to perfect at the expiration of the required time
From our knowledge of his gentleman after
after a personal & official intercourse of two years, we do not hesitate to state that he possesses that practical information which our Country at this crisis so eminently demands, and in conclusion we beg to assure you it would give us unqualified satisfaction to see him assigned to a field of duty where his high attainments in military knowledge would find full scope.
With the highest respect
We remain, Sir
Your most obedient servants
J.W. Foster
J M Douglas
WR Arthur
To The Honorable
Richard Yates
Gov. etc. etc. etc.
Springfield Ill