The Press.
London, England, 1855-10-20 00:00:00

THE WAR IN ASIA.

Kars has for the present been saved by the bravery
of the garrison, who, on the 29th of September, sus-
tained and repulsed a vigorous assault from the
Russian besieging army. The heavy loss of the
Russians in this attack, and the near approach of
winter, it is believed will compel them to raise the
siege. The following telegraphic despatch was re
ceived at the Turkish Embassy on Sunday last from
Constantinople :
Constantinople, Oct. 13.
An official report from the Commander•in-Chief at Kars
communicates the following intelligence :
On the 29th of September the Russians had attacked
Kars ; the assault lasted eight hours, and during the
conflict, which was fierce and obstinate, the enemy several
times gained an entrance into some of the batteries with all
their force, but were again driven back with considerable
loss. _ _ .

After having made the greatest efforts, the Russians
were compelled to yield before the courage of our brave
troops, and to retire, completely routed. Besides the dead
and wounded carried away during the action, they left in
and around the trenches of the fortress 4,000 men killed,
100 prisoners, and one gun.
Our loss is from 700 to 800 men, among whom we have
to regret the death of several superior officers.
The Russians are preparing to retreat and abandon the
siege.

No further official intelligence has been received.
but a private despatch to Hamburg on the 15th gave
a few details of the assault :
rhe battle lasted for more than eight hours, and was
carried on with the greatest desperation on both sides ; the
Russians appearing determined to take the place, and the
Turks manfully resolved to keep possession of it. At one
time the Russians succeeded in taking two batteries; but
before they had time to turn the guns round, or even to
spike them, the Turks rushed upon them with such vigour
as not only to regain possession of the batteries, but, this
movement being effected suddenly, to decide the fortune
of the day. Being repulsed with such fury, the Russians
were quite taken by surprise, and fell back upon their com-
rades, who were thrown into confusion. The Turks then
rushed out of the fortress, and massacred an enormous
number of the enemy, before they had time to form their
ranks and recover from their surprise. The despatch
(which is from a Russian source) adds that although a
great number of killed and wounded were carried off the
field of battle during the action, more than four thousand
were left dead under the walls of the fortress. A couple
of hundred Russians were made prisoners, and some pieces
of ordnance fell into the hands of the Turks. In conse-
quence of this disaster, adds the despatch, the Russians
determined to raise the siege, and when the courier left
they were making preparations to carry this resolution
into effect. —D. Newr Cor.

The Russians, in a further despatch from St. Peters-
burgh, attribute their defeat to the loss of many
generals and officers at the first attack. A corre-
spondent of the Times, writing from Soukbam-Kaleh
on the 24th ult., gives a summary of the state of

THE PRESS.

affairs in Circassia and Asia Minor. After alluding
to the impossibility of Omar Pacha, under thq most
favorable circumstances, commencing an advance
before November, he writes that the Russian army
is at present quite sufficient to hold the Turkish
commander in check and to continue operations in
Asia Minor :
The Russian troops at present quartered in Georgia,
Mingrelia, and Imeritia would suffice to hold the pass of
Suramin against the Turkish army, and check their progress
until the Russian commander-iu•chief found it expedient to
conclude the operations in which he is at present engaged.
The pass of Suramin crosses the range of mountains which
divides the plains of Imeritia from the highlands of
Georgia. The Russian force at present upon the plains is
estimated at only 0,0(X) men. The army of Mouravieff
numbers :15,000 effective soldiers, and the troops in gar-
rison throughout the fortresses and frontier posts of these
provinces amount to about 30,(X)0 more; from which it will
appear that the total strength of the Muscovite army in
Transcaucasia somewhat exceeds 60,000 men. The
country thus garrisoned Omer Pacha is about to invade
with an army of 30,000 men.
He insists, in conclusion, upon the importance of
affording prompt and efficient support to Omer
Pacha, and advises that the reinforcements should
consist of Christian troops, as likely to be much
more acceptable to the native population than Turk-
ish soldiers.
A letter previous to the attack of the Russians,
dated Erzeroum, 20th of Sept., does not give a very
favorable account of the bravery of the Turks in the
field :

Ali Pacha, with 3,000 cavalry, composed of regulars and
irregulars, determined to make a dash into Kars, in order
to relieve the garrison with a quantity of barley. When,
however, he and his troops arrived at Panina, they were
encountered by 1,500 of the enemy, which dispirited the
Turks; and though the Pacha used every means to induce
his soldiers to repel the attack they one and all took to
flight, abandoning to the Russians the grain, and several
pieces of artillery. The gallant Pacha, and two British
officers who were with him, by the cowardly conduct of the
Turkish troops, narrowly escaped falling into the hands of
the enemy.

AT THE FETE OF THE KING OF PRUSSIA, In Paris,
this week, the banquet was presided over by M. de
Rosenberg, the Prussian Charge d'Affaires, in the
absence of M. de Hatzfeld. Among the toasts given
were those of the Ring of Prussia and the Royal
Family, but it is reported that that of the Emperor
of the French was forgotten.
THE KING OF PRUSSIA is causing the castle of
Hohenzollern, in the district of Hechingen, to be
magnificently restored and decorated. In Lddition
to a royal residence, it is to serve as a small fortres-,
and accommodation is provided in it for a strong mili-
tary force.
THE EMPEROR or RUSSIA has nominated, in a late
order of the day, Generals Vassilichikoff 11., and de
Todtleben, aides-de-camps attached to his person.
COUNT COLLOREDO WALSEE, Austrian Ambassador
at London, is at present on leave at his seat in Upper
Austria. It is reported that he returns shortly to
his post. Count Colloredo, it is said, will be fur-
nished with instructions which may facilitate a
peace.
PRINCE RICHARD DE METTERNICH, Austrian Secre-
tary of Legation at the Embassy of Paris, will be
appointed Ambassador at Madrid in the place of
Count Esterhazy, who has been transferred to
Berlin.

THE VALUABLE LIBRARY of the late Duke of
Genoa is to be thrown open to the public at Turin on
the Ist of January, 1856. The library contains many
rare and valuable MSS.
THE SUBMARINE TELEGRAPHIC CABLE intended to
he carried from Sardinia to Algeria has broken in
the attempt. Out of 100 miles, eighty have been
left at the bottom of the sea quite worthless, and
eighty miles are coming home. This is a loss of
over 100,0001. to the company, and justifies the views
of many telegraphic engineers, that the heavy class
of cable they adopted was unsuited to deep water.
NICOLAIEFF, THE RUSSIAN DOCKYARD Which attracts
so much attention at present, is situated about'
seventy five miles from Odessa, and about thirty-
five miles up the left bank of the ingul, in
an uncultivated plairit crossed only here and there
by small hills, and at a short distance from the
spot at which the Ingul, which is both narrow
and shallow, flows into the Bug. There are in the
town six Greek churches, one Catholic, and, one
Lutheran, as well as two synagogues, one Jewish,
and the other Karaitic. Among the number of its
fine buildings are the Admiralty, several large bar-
racks capable of containing 25,000 men, the Depot
of Hydrographic Charts, the Astronomical Observa-
tory, the clubhouse of the nobles, and three public
libraries. The arsenal of Nicolaieff still contains an
immense quantity of military stores, though having
supplied a great quantity for the defence of Sebas-
topol. A handsome boulevard has been formed along
the banks of the Ingul, and at about half a mile
from the town, on the banks of the Bug, is a public
promenade called Suhoi Fontan, surrounded with
gardens, and where there is a spring which supplies
the town with excellent water.

SATURDAY,

THE BALTIC FLEET.
(From our Own Correspondent.)
NAROEN, Oct. 9.
ORDERS have arrived from England to send the gun-
boats home immediately; their 95-cwt. guns are to
be taken out, and they will be divided into squadron,
of four. The admiral has returned from his cruise,
to the eastward in his flag-ship : he paid a visit *
the fleet's old anchorage near Cronstadt, and haw
doubtless formed in his own mind the plan he re-
commends for next year's campaign. Whether he is
to command the fleet or not remains to be seen. At
Seskar, Admiral Seymour keeps his division for the.
present; under his orders are the Exmouth (flag),
Orion, Majestic, Colossus, James Watt, Nile, Cesar,
Impericuse, Euryalus, Arrogant, Pylades, Geyser,,
and Centaur. His ships form a cordon from the,
anchorage of Seskar eastward to Cronstadt, round by
the north shore to Biorko Sound. Two or three gun-
boats, anchored within signal distance of each other,
up to this time have been attached to his division, so
that all trade, coasting or otherwise, is most effec-
tually put a stop to in those wak-ra. Our ships
steam daily almost within range of the forts that pro-
tect Cronstadt, hut the enemy shows no inclination
to take the bait our captains are so anxious for him
to swallow. No—there they lay, and however small
the allied force which "beards them in their den'
may be, they will not stir an inch. Be it so. Next
year, perhaps, we may find a way of making a shindy
amongst them. The English and French comman-
ders-in.chief are at present at Nargen, with their
flag-ships the Duke and Tourrille, having with them,
the Duguesclin (French), Royal George, Cressy,Edin-
burgh (the only block now in the Baltic), Amphiora.
Mayicienne,Vulture,Bulldog,Lightning, and Volcano,
with several gun-boats preparing for going home_
Admiral Baynes, in the Gulf Bothnia, has with hint
the Retribution (flag), Harrier, Esk, Tartar, Aniel,
Locust, and Firefly ; and in the Gulf of Riga. are
Archer, Amason, and Conflict. I have not named
the block-ships, as they are either on their way or
start immediately homewards. The Cossack is at
Wormroe Island, near Dago Ort, protecting Captain,
Sullivan in the Merlin, who is laying down buoys for'
the fleet. All the above-named ships, in fact, all the-
Baltic fleet except the Bothnia squadron, will gra.
dually retire as the winter sets in to Wormroe, from
which position a most effective blockade can be'
maintained until the ice sets in ; so it is hoped that
we shall not be this season subjected to those jeers
of Yankees and others, who throw in our teeth the
remarks regarding the numbers of vessels that es-
caped our small blockading squadron last year, while
the fleet lay quietly at Kiel.
The Belleisle, hospitabship, which has been laying
at Farosund since the bombardment of Sweaborg, is
ordered home in a fortnight. By the way, there is a.
small amount of Balaklava going on in the arrange-
ments at that useful port. It was considered neces.
sary to have a vessel of considerable tonnage laying,
there, as a receptacle for provisions, stores, ezc. The,
wiseacres at home—instead lof taking one of the,
many old frigates or line-of-battle ships that may be.
seen laying in abundance in, or in the neighbour.
hood of, the mud in our naval seaports, and sending
twenty or thirty men from the ordinary, with a war-
rant officer in charge, many of whom (with. leen
and officers) are idle, though receiving full pay, at
the present inoment=have hired, at the cost of
eight hundred pounds a month, one of Green's splen-
did frigates. Surely the cost of this Naris a suffi-
cient burden on the country, without such unneces-
sary extravagance as this being practised. This fact
is a matter of ridicule even to the most untutored
youngster in the fleet.
The winter season, in spite of the threatening.
appearance of the weather some weeks since, ap-
pears inclined to hold back. Strong westerly winds-
are prevalent, but no cold has as yet set in.
We are given to understand that no end of vessels:
at the neutral ports in the Baltic are watching their
opportunity to make a run; so our cruisers are all
anxiety for prize money, which seems all in the'
shape of reward that we are likely to get for our
services up here. I think the applications for ap..
appointments to the Black Sea fleet will be rather a
nuisance to the Admiralty on the fleet's return.
There, burn a haystack, and the commander-m-
-chief makes a despatch recommending the energy
displayed ; here—but it's no use grumbling
about it ; we are all bound to do our duty cheerfally
and take our chance of justice being done.
The French mortar and gun boats have all. left us,
so that now we have only two line-of-battle ships
belonging to our allies with us. lam happy bo say
that the good feeling that exists between Navies so
long deadly rivals is most remarkable, English and
French officers being quite en frtre. No longer is it
necessaty to drink bucketfuls of champagne, and
make 1311 g speeches. A good, wholesome "cigar
and glass of grog " feeling exists, and formalities are•
quite at an end.

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1111

OCTOBER 20, 1855.

Numerous deserters continue to arrive from the
neighbourhood of Sweaborg, where we have a vessel
or two always ready to receive them. It appears
that all the gun-boats which were laying in the
arsenal were burnt during the bombardment.
1 am glad to have to conclude this note by saying
that no more vessels have been on shore in these
dangerous waters, and that the squadron is perfectly
free from all epidemic diseases. Bulldog is just off
with the mails.