The Press.
London, England, 1854-09-02 00:00:00

THE ARMY IN ASIA.

Authentic details have arrived of the engagement
at Kars on the sth ult., which the Russians at first
claimed as a complete victory, boasting to have an-
nihilated the Turkish army, and taken many thou-
sand prisoners. According to our law advices from
more trustworthy sources it appears that the battle
was fought at Injidere, situated between Kuruk and
Vely Kuey, and at ten miles distance from Kars.
The Turks attacked the Russian entrenchments, and
expected to encounter 10,000 or 12,000 men, whereas
the enemy had contentrated a force double that
number. The victory is disputed by both parties,
but, in reality, the Turks have been beaten, having
abandoned fifteen dismounted guns, which were
carried away in the night of the oth by two sotniaa of
Cossacks. The official loss of the Turks is 2,440
killed, and 1,009 wounded; that of the Russians is
5,000 hors de combat. Lieut.. General Vely Pacha,
Major-lieneral Hassan, and Mustapha Pacha were
killed. The Turkish cavalry did not take part in the
engagement. This act of cowardice is attributed to
Kerim Pacha. The force arrayed on both sides is
thus enumerated :
" Telma—Twenty thousand infantry, four regiments of
cavalry (of little use), four thousand five hundred irregular
and (bad) horsemen, one thousand artillery, and fifty-two
guns. In reserve at Kars—Five battalions of infantry and
twenty-four guns.
" Reasisss.—Twenty-five battalions of infantry, two
regiments of Don Cossacks, two regiments of Circassians,
two regiments of dragoons, two regiments of irregulars,
sixty fieldpieces, and two thousand artillery."
On the Bth the Turkish army at Kars was ready
to take the field again in an hour's notice, if ne-
cessary.
Afitecond and more modest Russian account of the
battle is given in a despatch from Prince liebutoff,
published by the Invalide Busse. After describing
very minutely the preliminaries and incidents of the
encounter, he adds :
" The trophies of the brilliant victory consist of 15 guns
with 10 ammunition chests, 2 flags, 3 standards, 20 pen-
nons, a considerable quantity of arms, musical instru-
ments, and of 2,018 prisoners, amongst whom are 2
superior officers, 84 subaltern officers, and 1,9:12 privates,
all of the regular infantry ( Nizam ). The loss of the
enemy is not yet known with certainty, but he left more
than 2,000 dead upon the field.
" So sanguinary a battle, in which 140 pieces of cannon
were thundering on both sides for four hours, could not
fail occasioning us also sensible losses, by so much the
more that the Turks displiqed a resistance that our oldest
soldiers had never yet met from them. We have had 4
superior officers, 17 subaltern officers, and 508 men slain ;
1 general. 4 superior officers, 70 subaltern officers, and
1.881 men wounded ; 1 general, 9 superior officers, 99
subaltern officers, and 444 men hurt with contusions; the
militia has had 10 killed and 61 wounded or contused."
He admits also that the Turks returned to their
entrenched camp, where he did not think it expedient
to attack them :
" The extreme fatigue of our troops, who had been up
all night and gained a victory over a numerona enemy, and
the indispensable care that had to be bestowed in succouring
the wounded, collecting the dead, and in bringing together
the guns captured from the enemy, did not permit me to
continue the pursuit, by so much the more, that the battle,
which had commenced at five in the morning, on ground
destitute of water, while the heat was excessive, had lasted
till one in the afternoon. Moreover, the enemy, beaten in
the open plain, could still oppose a strong resistance be-
hind the natural and artificial defences of his entrenched
*amp. In consequence, after allowing half an hour's re-

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