BillMilhomme Posted April 26, 2006 Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 Greetings, My name is Bill Milhomme. I live in Foxboro, Massachusetts, USA. I am researching the early life of Alma (Sakaian) Shahabian. She was born in 1902 in Argun village, Khulp Province. Her family was killed during April-June 1915 while on a forced march. She recalls being beaten by a horseman with a chain and left for dead. She was later revived and sold to a wealthy family. She escaped to Constantinople. Her uncle Samuel Sakaian came to Constantinople and after several years, in 1923, he secured her passage to Foxboro, Massachusetts. She married a Shahabian in 1924. She recalls many villagers being burned alive in after being herded in farm barns located on the Plains of Mush. I am very interested to learn as much as possible regarding what heppened to the Armenians who lived in the village of Argun during 1915-1923. Thank you. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DominO123 Posted April 26, 2006 Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 Greetings, My name is Bill Milhomme. I live in Foxboro, Massachusetts, USA. I am researching the early life of Alma (Sakaian) Shahabian. She was born in 1902 in Argun village, Khulp Province. Her family was killed during April-June 1915 while on a forced march. She recalls being beaten by a horseman with a chain and left for dead. She was later revived and sold to a wealthy family. She escaped to Constantinople. Her uncle Samuel Sakaian came to Constantinople and after several years, in 1923, he secured her passage to Foxboro, Massachusetts. She married a Shahabian in 1924. She recalls many villagers being burned alive in after being herded in farm barns located on the Plains of Mush. I am very interested to learn as much as possible regarding what heppened to the Armenians who lived in the village of Argun during 1915-1923. Thank you. Bill Thanks for sharing this story with us. Mush was from the materials I have read the worst burning place. People were sent there in a location to be burned one group after the other. There are pictures taken of the bones left after the fire. The commander of the Ottoman third army also relate to this event. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Posted May 3, 2006 Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 Strange... I have the concise Dictionary of Toponimy of Armenia and Adjasent Areas - a 5 volume, over 5 thousand pages edition. There is no village called Argun, either in Taron-Mush, or any other part of Armenia. Maybe there is another name for the village. I tried all versions of Argun (Arkun, Arrgun, Arrkun), to no avail. How about some other version of its name? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillMilhomme Posted May 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 Hi, Thank you. Thank you for the detailed information regarding Samual aand Alma Sakaian. I located new material yesterday. Samuel Sakaian came to the United States in 1890. By the end of 1891 he was living in Foxboro, Massachusetts. He was employed as a carpenter in a local hat manufacture. The hat industry attracted Armenian laborers to the factory. It is clear now that Samuel made three trips back to Armenia/Turkey. He left in 1895 after hearing that his family was in danger and returned in 1896. He travelled again in 1900 returning in 1910 and in 1919 returning in 1923. The 1910 passenger manifest list Samuel Sakaian last residence as Aghene, Turkey. I hope this helps? Strange... I have the concise Dictionary of Toponimy of Armenia and Adjasent Areas - a 5 volume, over 5 thousand pages edition. There is no village called Argun, either in Taron-Mush, or any other part of Armenia. Maybe there is another name for the village. I tried all versions of Argun (Arkun, Arrgun, Arrkun), to no avail. How about some other version of its name? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Posted May 3, 2006 Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 Stay in touch. I promise, I will find more details. Hopefully, military topographic map that I have will help. I will considere Argun-Arghene (and their variations) in and around Khulp area in historic Sassoun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Posted May 3, 2006 Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 (edited) The close spelling version you get to Aghene is either Egin (former Akn), or Arguvan, or Arghana-Maden. The first two being in Kharbert (Kharput) villayet at all times, the last being sometimes administratively subjugated to Kharbert, but most of the time - to Diarbekir villayet. All three are towns, not villages, far away from Mush plain. So, if we discard these locations, than we really need to look closer to Khulp in Mush-Sassoun area. It might be found somewhere there. Can the account of Khulp district be trusted? Where did you get it from? Edited May 3, 2006 by Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillMilhomme Posted May 5, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2006 The close spelling version you get to Aghene is either Egin (former Akn), or Arguvan, or Arghana-Maden. The first two being in Kharbert (Kharput) villayet at all times, the last being sometimes administratively subjugated to Kharbert, but most of the time - to Diarbekir villayet. All three are towns, not villages, far away from Mush plain. So, if we discard these locations, than we really need to look closer to Khulp in Mush-Sassoun area. It might be found somewhere there. Can the account of Khulp district be trusted? Where did you get it from? Hi. In a 1978 interview with Alma (Sakaian) Shahabian, the author wrote, "Lagging behind the caravan of refugees because she was attending to her younger brother, Alma was beaten by a Turkish soldier with a ball and chain, as was her brother. The beating was so severe that the two were left for dead, even though she was still alive. What Alma witnessed next, however, was worse than the beating: 10,000 to 15,000 Armenian refugees, including her mother and brother were being burned in their shelters while soldiers stood guard ready to shoot any person trying to escape. All remaining members of her family were killed in the blaze save her two older sisters, who had married and moved to Russia before the purges began. If not for the soldier's beating, Alma would have also perished in the fire." I presumed that the fire was related to the Mush-Sassoun area. But I now realize that such burnings may have occurred more frequently. I am now leaning more to the Kharput connection. Does Alma's reference to the burning, and the number killed lead to anywhere? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vava Posted May 5, 2006 Report Share Posted May 5, 2006 I presumed that the fire was related to the Mush-Sassoun area. But I now realize that such burnings may have occurred more frequently. I am now leaning more to the Kharput connection. Does Alma's reference to the burning, and the number killed lead to anywhere? Thanks. There were many burnings - and figures are very hard to substantiate, especially considering that even the best of witnesses would gather their information by "eyeballing" a number. I'm not sure if search with this kind of data will be fruitful. If you have other information to share, anything would be helpful.... Neverthless I wish you luck in your search Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Posted May 6, 2006 Report Share Posted May 6, 2006 As mentioned above, burnings did occur all over the place, but hardly en-rout in the desert or mid-way in south Turkey north Syria. Customarily, turks would pull numbers of people together from the surrounding villages and burn them in their own barns in Western Armenia, away from major roads. So, if there is some solid evidence of Khulp district, which is in Mush-Sassoun area, I would translate Argun as Arghene (Arghana-Maden). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dzovasar Posted August 26, 2006 Report Share Posted August 26, 2006 (edited) Hi my friend; I was born in a village name called Argun, Arxun, or maybe Arghun... the is village is beetween Kulp and Sassoun. if you want I cant sent you the picture too... I know here in istanbul many armenians from both kulp and Sassoun region and also Mush... I ll ask them if there is a willage name Argun Khulp... becouse I know the village name as "Arghun". I know they are armenians from Arhun in Armenia, Taline region and in Tavtashen village. I think first you should confirm if the village name is Argun is Arhun (Arhntsi), The village has also turkish and kurdish name too. Consider about that there are may be more than one village name in different region. if you want more information please sent me your e-mail or msn adres... best regards Edited August 26, 2006 by dzovasar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dzovasar Posted August 27, 2006 Report Share Posted August 27, 2006 Hi my friend; I was born in a village name called Argun, Arxun, or maybe Arghun... the is village is beetween Kulp and Sassoun. if you want I cant sent you the picture too... I know here in istanbul many armenians from both kulp and Sassoun region and also Mush... I ll ask them if there is a willage name Argun Khulp... becouse I know the village name as "Arghun". I know they are armenians from Arhun in Armenia, Taline region and in Tavtashen village. I think first you should confirm if the village name is Argun is Arhun (Arhntsi), The village has also turkish and kurdish name too. Consider about that there are may be more than one village name in different region. if you want more information please sent me your e-mail or msn adres... best regards Khiank Bölgesi Berm/Perm/Parmis: 1025 Ermeni (110 hane), 2 kilise, bir okul (25 öğrenci), Patsi (Pats): 195 Ermeni (23 hane), Surp Astvadzadzin Kilisesi, Arkhund: 438 Ermeni (36 hane), Surp Astvadzadzin Kilisesi, bir okul (22 öğrenci), Bahamda (Baamde): 200 Ermeni (28 hane), Surp Giragos Kilisesi ve bir okul (14 öğrenci), Rabad (Rebinat): 112 Ermeni (3 hane), Parga (Pura): 482 Ermeni (50 hane), Surp Giragos Kilisesi ve bir okul (20 öğrenci), Ardgunk/Ardkhonk/Khartko: 368 Ermeni (40 hane), Surp Hagop Kilisesi ve bir okul (20 öğrenci), Inguznag: 324 Ermeni (35 hane), Surp Astvadzadzin Kilisesi, Sevit: 100 Ermeni (11 hane), Surp Minas Kilisesi, Arsef/Birebiya: 118 Ermeni (13 hane), bir kilise, Sağdur/Sindia: 369 Ermeni (43 hane), Surp Astvadzadzin Kilisesi, Heğin (Herindi): 416 Ermeni (45 hane), Surp Astvadzadzin Kilisesi, işkhantsor (Akhçesur): 495 Ermeni (55 hane), Surp Astvadzadzin Kilisesi. Khiank is place name, between Khulp and sassoun region. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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