Goce Delchev as a student in Sofia High School with hist friend Goce Imov

Goce Delchev, right


Jane Sandanski



Dame Gruev

        From Solun Goce went back in Sersko, where the local bands were going to discuss the rebellion in a second congress which had to take place on St. George’s day (2^nd April/ 6^th May) in a forest near Lovcha village, east from Alibotush. The whole region from Solun to Pirin was full of Turkish troops, but Goce who had passed the first part of the road to Negovan alone, took his uniform and gun from Dutly village the place where he had left them, and reached his band unhurt. On the 19^th April (2^nd May) they arrive in Banica village – a village with approximately a hundred houses, situated in a valley at about 15-16 km north of Seres.

        From his appearance Goce seemed totally and even happy, but the traveling tension reflected in his dreams. In the following morning he told his friends: “With our life, I became a fatalist, too. Last might, I dreamed that Turks hit me in the heart. The Shtip’s band was destroyed in Karbitsi. Milan, my bother, is in this band and was probably killed.”

        The same night (20^th April/3^rd May), George Radev – Brodliata and Dimitar Gushtanov arrived in Banica with their bands. The two leaders and Dimo Hadjidimov who had also come in Banica to discuss the situation, settled together with Goce in the house of Trendafilov’s family and Mihail Chakov and a couple more were put up in another house on the opposite part of the narrow street. At about 3 a. m. Goce visited Chakov. Despite of the early hour, Goce was as usually happy and good greeted the newcomers: “Good evening, good day, boys. We mixed up days and nights.”

        After that he started lively telling them about the explosion of the Ottoman’s Bank, details about which he had learned: “Boys, we played the game well. We efface the Ottoman’s Bank. We are shake up this decay Ottoman Empire.”

        He was probably going to continue the conversation but noticed that in the room there were other people, too, interrupted himself and said: “After that turning to Chakov he playfully asked him whether he had Drama’s tobacco. Chakov really had saved a hundred grams tobacco, specially for Goce and them he took it out for Goce’s big surprise and pleasure. Each of the men smoked a cigarette, talked a little and after that separated in order to sleep during the short hours which separated them from the dawn. It was a beautiful, moonlit night which turned into a perfect May’ morning …

        A little before the dawn’s coming, one of the watcher near the village went to warn that there had been heard a shot. Radev had also heard it and had waken Goce. The last one didn’t give any significance to one single shot and as he said, it probably was a shepherd who shot with his gun and advised everybody to go to bed again and sleep.

        A little later they were waken by an old woman who was screaming: “Wake up bays. Asker surrounded the village and he’s searching in the house now.” It was true. With big abilities and carefulness the Turks managed to surround the village from a distance without being noticed by the organization’s watchers and now, hundreds of soldiers were coming against him, pressing Banica in an iron circle. They were led by Goce’s schoolmate – Husein Tefikov.

        This wasn’t a usual group looking for weapons or doing a sudden attack but mighty war forces which had obviously come with the attention to surprise the armed band.

        Probably, there was a betray but the identity of the traitor isn’t known even today. During the fierce fight which threw stains on the later history of the Macedonian movement, lots of names were discussed in the organization and different people in a national as well as in a local plan were accused for betraying Goce but no serious evidence were shown. The best description of the Turkish attack against Banica comes from a letter with a data 7^th May 1903, possessions of the French consular agent in Seres – Caratsas, addressed to the French consul in Solun – Steek. According to Karazas, a group of 40 Turks, who had been looking for rebels, crossed Banica and as they didn’t find anything suspicious, they continued their trip to Gorno Brodi. However, a peasant informed them that there were “individuals from the Bulgarian committee” and he even pointed the houses which these people were hidden in. the Turkish officer requested support immediately and when 400 people from Seres and Gorno Brodi arrived, he initialed the blockade of the village.

        So, when in the morning the peasants tried to take their animals for nourishment as usual, they saw that their way was blocked by soldiers who stood in 30 meter distance from each other and surrounded the whole village. After that the Turks started systematic quest of the village – yard by yard, house by house – and gathered all the citisens – the men in one place and the women and children in another. The men were asked whether they have weapons and where the people from the committee were. They knew that if they didn’t answer the village could be burned and they could be killed, but nobody spoke. The only person who was doubtful was pushed by those who was the local coordinator of the organization for interrogation. Their efforts were futile. The priest’s son was severely beaten and shot as a result of his attempt to escape.

        From the roof of his house, Dimo Hadjiev saw the people who were gathered in the open and surrounded by solders. When they understood that the Turks had began to search the village and had come close to the houses where the rebels were placed, Goce and his friends discussed their actions – whether they should hide until darkness falls or they should attempt to break the circle immediately. The houses were made of rocks and were surrounded by high and strong walls, which ensured their concealment, but Goce didn’t think about himself or even for his people. He was worried for the village. Knowing that the Turks burn the villages which gave shelter to rebels, Goce decided to take the risk and withdraw, trying to save Banica.

        Goce neglected the ordinance of the rebels, which said that the leader should not expose himself to unnecessary danger, and he walked ahead, leading his group of 14 people out of the house to the suburbs of the village. They reached a small meadow near the last house in the village on the back of which there was an unfinished barn. The meadow was sloppy and was surrounded by a low wall, which is 60-70 cm high. There was an open field behind it, where another barn had been build. A group of frightened children run from the barn towards the village, but when they saw the rebels they got even more scared and run away to some other barns nearby. Goce shouted after them: “Are there Turkish soldiers ahead?” However, the children were too frightened to answer. The group was situated approximately 20-30 steps from the low wall, which separated the two meadow. In the meantime, Chakov tried to replace Goce from the leading position, offering him to go in the back, while two or three of the rebels come forth. “As we walked, Goce looked at me, but with such pride, that I have never seen before. He put his cap on his left shoulder, his white hat white hat with blue scarf on the head and his gun on the left arm, and he told me “How Chakov? Go and it’ll be what God gives.” Suddenly, the wall in front of them shivered from the guns of the Turkish soldiers, who had been hidden in ambuscade behind it. Goce saw them and fired his gun first. All rebels instinctively laid … all except Goce, who calmly loaded his gun.

“Get down Goce!” – His friends’ desperate shouts were heard. He tried to lay, but it was late …

        Death treated him very gently. Showing mercy to the compassionate, it took it speedily and cleanly without humiliation or continuous suffering. Just an instant before that, he took in the morning sunshine utterly brave and in the next moment he laid on the bloody land with a bullet in his heart. That was his first and last fight.

        This very same day in Kukus Sultana had been preparing the five ritual round loaves, which she would have taken to the church for the celebration of her son’s name day – St. George’s day. She returned home with tears flushing from her eyes, because she had committed an ominous mistake: instead of speaking up the casual ritual words: “This year a gold coin and the following a wedding…”, she had said “This year a gold coin, the following a requiem…”.

        Gushtanov and several other rebels were also killed near the meadow, but eight of them, including Chakov and Dimo Hadjidimov managed to reach a barn, from where they fought the Turks during the whole day, hearing the desperate cries of the inhabitants, while the vicious Turks carried out their misdeeds, the bellowing of the cattle locked within the burning  walls of the barn and watched the dead bodies on the ground. “For fifteen hours – said Dimo Hadjidimov later in a conversation with Yavorov – frightened by our accurate bullets, the Turks did not dare to approach the dead bodies of our fellows. For fifteen hours we watched the dead Goce, leaning as if over the grave of Macedonia. And for fifteen hours this view tore our hearts.”

        For fear of capturing the farm by assault, the Turks forced an elderly woman to deliver straw near the walls in an attempt to set it on fire. Yet terrified by the thunder of the rebels’ guns, the woman returned and found the dead. Afterwards they sent a younger woman: she succeeded in setting the barn on fire, but she escaped. Driven away by the fire the revolutionaries successfully reached a nearby house, where they spent the night under a constant menace and dangerous position – the night was as bright as noon due to the moon light and the glitter of the fire. Early in the morning they managed to break through the Turks’ cordon by throwing bombs and broke loose so that they can retell this sad story.

“What happened to Goce?” – asked Ilia Kurchovaliata the survivors on their first meeting.

        “We left him beneath the ashes of Banica.”

        “The old fellow lowered his gaze, and heavy teardrops streamed down his cheeks and for half an hour he cried relentlessly as a child, speechless, motionless.”

        When the news spread like a dark cloud over the gloomy ground, over brimming with grief the whole Macedonia cried with him. As soon as the battles settled down, it was ordered the corpses of Goce and Gushtanov to be taken to Seres, but later they were returned in Banica and laid along the banks of the swiftly – flowing river, passing through the village. Waiting for the Turks to make sure that there are no more dead bodies among the smoking ruins, the women in Banica washed the dead bodies of the five revolutionaries and prepared them for the burial ceremony. They buried them under an elm-tree on a meadow named St. Nicolas.

        It was St. George’s eve – Goce’s name day. This year a gold coin, and the following year … Wedding or a requiem – it doesn’t matter for those who enter the sacred union with Macedonia.