A Glimpse of History Revealed

A Glimpse of History Revealed

After the return of the surviving Kessabtsis from the deportations during the 1915 Meds Yeghern (Mahajelek) around late 1918 and early 1919, Kessab was sort of self-governed up till 1921. The following story most probably happened during that time and is told by Jrayr Garboushian of Toronto. He has heard it from Hagop Sarkissian (Zoobents Hagop).

A French army detachment of about forty soldiers with a high ranking French officer visits Kessab and during a meeting with political leadership of Kessab he asks to meet the legendary hero of Kesab, Ovsia Saghdejian (Kara Dayee) who was the leader of the Kessab defense forces.

Kara Dayee has joined the Armenian Volunteer Legion (Gamavoragan qoond) from America and after the war of Arara in Palestine had escaped to Kessab and with other Kessabtsi volunteers had organized the Kessab defense force.

After the leadership was convinced that there was no danger to arrest him, they have asked two members of Trutsig Khoomp Joseph Garboushian (Hajaghbeents Joseph) and Hagop Sarkissian (Zoobeents Hagop) who knew his whereabouts to go and call him.

When Kara Dayee arrives with Missak Giragossian (Misaqo) and Zeron Garboushian (Hajaghbeents zeron) the high ranking French officer stood up gave a military salute and shook the hand of Kara Dayee saying "It is an honor for me to meet and shake the hand of a great hero".

(Trutsig Khoomp picture is printed in "Kessab and the Kessabtsis, 100th Anniversary of K.E.A." and in the latest book edited by Richard Hovanissian titled "Armenian Communities of Northern Mediterranean. Musa Dagh - Dort Yol - Kessab" published  in 2016).