02/13/2026
On Friday, February 13, 1920, a blizzard hit the French troops and Armenian refugees who left Marash after weeks of battle with Turkish soldiers, who had killed thousands of Armenians in the city. They were in search of Islahiyé, a town with a rail connection to Adana.
Dr. Elliott wrote:
"We got off to bed and up at 5:30 and started out to find a frightful blizzard holding forth. Hell will have no terror for me after that day. It started out a tragedy and it ended a hell. The snow was so thick one could see only but with difficulty and then only a couple of yards."
They could not find the town. Just when they were ready to give up hope, this:
"What was that? My God, a train whistle and Islahiyé. A train whistle under ordinary circumstances would be exciting enough for I hadn’t heard one in four months, but a train whistle when you are beginning to think that you were stranded in the snow was a miracle."
She had guided her Armenian staff and her American nurses to safety, along with helping as many Armenian refugees as she could along the way. Her bravery and self-sacrifice in Marash has forever placed her among those who service to humanity will never be forgotten.
The photo, taken by Stanley Kerr, shows the Armenians fleeing Marash. Many would freeze to death on the 75 mile march.
Dr. Elliott's biography, her memoir and her original siege diary from Marash are available at: https://www.palmango.com/books/
