The Express.
London, England, 1853-12-22 00:00:00

FROM TER TERRIER FRONTIER AND TER

THANIII•CAUCASIAN 11.1010 N.

1 A brilliant affair of M,for•Oeoeral Von Brunner near
Atakhour oa the Bth of November, was only the prelude of
greateueems attending the Russian arms.

His Majesty the Emperor has to-day received the report
from the Aide-de-Camp General Prince Woronsoff, of
• decisive victory gained on the 14th of November, near
Akal-Taiebe, by 74 battalions of the 13th division of infantry
with 14 field pieces, 9 sotniu of Cossacks, and 17 softiies of
militia over the Turkish corps-d'ermie of Ferik Puha,
18,000 strong. In this memorable battle the Russian troops
were commanded by Lieutenant-General Prince Andros-
nikoff, whose original report, transmitted to his Majesty
the Emperor by Prince Woronoff, is here brought to the
knowledge of the public:
. _

" Copy of the Report of
Andronnikoff, the common
the Caucasus, dated Nov. 15, 1853.
" Raving arrived on the 12th of November at Akal-
Taiche, I proceeded to reconoitre the enemy's position, and
ascertained that he occupied an inaccessible terrain, extesd-
ing from the town of Ab as far as to flouplise. Moreover,
the position was fortified by • great number of epoideaserste
and batteries.

•fieeenl Prince
of the corps of

" The situation of the town and district of Akel-Tsiche
rendered it necessary to act in a decisive manner, the
more so u I Marred that the enemy was receiving rein-
forcements, and expected more from Ardsgsn, Adjar, and
Kan. Oa the 14th, before the dawn, I caused a column of
four battalions of infantry, with 14 guns, to file off, to
attack the front of the enemy near Lower Soupliss ; and
another column of three battalions and a half, with three
pieces of artillery, nine amnia' of Cossacks, twelve sotnias
of the militia of Tiflis and Gori, three &maim of Guide
and volunteers, and a detachment of noble volunteers, was
directed towards the enemy's left flank along the river
Poskhofi-Tchai.

" The combat was commenced by the artillery, the fire
of which wee kept up without interruption, and with the
same vivacity at all points until half-past ll in the morn-
ing. The obstinacy with which the enemy defended his
posit:on demonstrated the necessity of a.saulting it, and
terminating the combat with the bayonet, although it was
strengthened both by nature and art, and notwithstanding
the depth of the Poskoff4stitsi. iThe enemy defended
himeell most desperately in his entrenchments, in the
houses, in the gardens, and on every point offering the lust
chance of making resistance. Under the Are of the enemy's
grapeshot and the discharge of his musketry, our infantry
tressed the river, the water reaching up to their armpits,
end spring to the assault, with such impetuosity and so
much compactness, that notwithstanding all his obstinacy
the nosy was obliged to give way. The first backward
step was the commencement both of the defeat of the Turks
and of their total rout. At Soupliss we took from the
enemy WIN guns, and near the hamlet of Pamateh, three
other pieces. The streets, the gardens, and the road from
Soupliss to Pamatch, were strewed with the enemy's slain,
" While the principal position war the scenes of a hand-
to-hand conflict on the right beak of the Poskoft-Tsithai,
another combat took place on the left bank.

" On this side of the river about ten in the morcing •
strong corps of the enemy composed of infantry and cavalry
was seen haateaing to the succour of the Turks by the
heights of Abas-Touman. Six utilise of Cossacks were
sent to oppose this detachment, and at two o'clock in the
afternoon an engagement took place. In order to support
the Cossacks a platoon from the mountain battery No 1, and
two field pieces taken from the Turks were posted on the
right bank of the I'oskoff•Tachai, to play upon the Turkish
auxiliary detachment. These six sotnias of Cossacks were
reinforced by a detachment of noble volunteers, sent from
Soupliss, precipitated themselves upon the enemy, defeated
and completely overthrew them. More than 200 killed of
the enemy remained on the field ; the rest fled, bat were
unable to join the principal corps. The combat ended at
sunset ; the enemy had entirely disappeared.
I cannot help considering this combat as one of the
most extraordinary, and, I might say, unprecedented feat
of arms. A strong cannonade of five hours' duration, •
violent fire of grape and musketry, lasting two hours, and
finally. combat, with sword and bayonet, for four hours,
and during a pursuit on the mountains, and over broken
ground, could not be sustained with honour, but by the
valour and iso..efstigable intrepidity of Russian troops, and
prove that there exists no obstacle for warrior animated by
the Orthodox Faith, who at the voice of the august
monarch have taken arms for religion, sovereign, and
country. Nur can there be obs sales for an army which
repeats the words of its monarch, ' /n ie Doesine speravi ;
non confunsiar in etc:woes

" I shall have the honour to transmit to your Highness
details of the brilliant exploits of the troops which were
entrusted to me as soon as tame shall permit.
" So far as I have been able to ascertain at present, our
lose in this combat, so hot, so embittered, which was pro
longed from the riving to the settii.g sun, consists of one
°filar and 39 soldiers killed, and 179 soldiers, with six
officers of all grades wounded. Among our wounded are
Major.Gelieral Freitag (slightly), Lieutenant-Colonel of
the Staff Freigang, and Lieutenant Colonel Vieskoff, of
he 21st Regiment ot Dvn Cossacks. At pr. sent the loss of
he Cowlicks, the artiatry, sad of the militia has not been
ascertained.

" The loss to the enemy mast have been very consider•
able. They left more than a thousand bodies on the field,
20 men of the regular infantry, cavalry, and artillery hive
been taken prisoner., awl are now in the for ress. Among
others are a Noll,h, a Karmader. During the battle ten
pieces of field artillery, two parks of artillery, several flags
and standards, and an immense store of provisions, with
the enemy's awn, have falba into our hands.
" I cannot sufficiently express to your highness my grati-
tude to the generals who commanded under my orders, to
the officers of all gr.d,a, And to all the troops who have
participated in this affair."

For this brilliant victory his Majesty has deigned to con•
fer on Lient.-Gensral Prince Maim:ikon" the order of

St. George, of the third class, sad TlTiolli recomposes to
all the puerile. Five decorations of the military order
for every company of infantry, and a proportionate amber
of the same decorations for the notnias of Cossacks and
militia, and to the artillery.

The following is the text of Menchikoff's despatch,
as given inthe Journal of St. Petersburg :
.._

Hier, 28 Nevtosbre, dens la soirée, 8. 14. l'Empereur a
Teo le rapport snivent de l'aide de camp Weird Prises
Menehikeff :

" Les ordres de Vote NOME Imperial. ont ite int-cute.
de la maniere la phis brillante par la Botts de la Mer Noire.
La premiire escadre tarsus, qui a oei a. presenter sit com-
bat, a ite de trait., le 18 de re mob, pule Vice-Anita Nab-
binsoff. L'Arairal Tun, Osman Paella, qui la commandait,
a iti Masi, fait prison/fain et amine u Sibastopol.
" L'ennemi itait dams la rade de Sinop., oa, soutenu par
les batteries de tern, it a accepti la bataille. Nous lui
evens ditruit 7 frigates, 1 sloop, 2 corvette., on steamer et
pluaieun biltiments de transport. ll ne lid est rate qu'un
steamer, qui is vitas. de ea march. a souse.
" Grits escsdre a qu'il paralt, cells qui aysit ite
armee pour s'emparer de Soukhoum et dormer la main our
Montagnards (du Caucase).
" NOW aeons perdu tio °Meier subaltern. et 33 matelots
Uri. et 230 blesses.

.. Je n'ai pu encore de &tails ecrits ; mw mon aide de
camp le lieutenant•colonel /Wolkoff, portent de ce rapport,

palms en dormer beattoonp de vice you x."

Pour ee brillitat fait Warm's, 8. M. l'Emperent a daigne
waterer las distinctions at rilaoutpenaes

Au Vim-Amiral Nakhimoff, chef de la 5 division de la
Sous, l'Ordre de Saint-Georges de la 2 clue'.
A raid. de camp general Korniloff, la grand. molt de 2
Blame de l'Ordre de Saint-Vladimir.

Au contra-amiral Novossilsky, c►arg6 du cornsaandement
de la 4 division de la flotte, l'Ordre de Saint• George; de la
3 clues.

At contra-amiral Pamphdoff, l'ordrs de Saint Vladimir
de la troitaraii dam.

Ana eapitaines de Valenti de premier rang Istomine,
commandant du enemas le Paris, et Kouznetsoff, eom•
mandant du vainest' le Rotialaff, le grade de coot»-amiral•

Aux capitainea de vaisseau de second rang Baranovsky,
commandant du "simian l'lmperatrice Marie, m Yiromys-
chaff, commandant du valises's' le Grand-Duo Constantin
le grade de capitaine de vaiseeau de premier rang.
Lax

Boudistelleff, commandant de
la frigate la Koulevtchs, Spitsyne, commandant de la
Witte le }Lagoa!, de Kern, commandant du .tamer
l'Odessa, et de Stoffregen, commandant du steamer la
Chersonese, le grade de capitaine de vaisseau de 2 rang.
Au Lieutenant oMreno, premier adjudint de la.Aclivision
de la Botta, le grade de capitaine•lieutenant.
Au ospitaine de VlliSlelln de 1 rang du 32 equipage de
Sotto Koutroff, commandant du 'simian le Tri Bviatitalia,
l'ordre de Saint• Vladimir de la 3 clam'.

An capitaino de ?Mama de 2 rang Protopopoff, com-
mandant dr steamer la Crimie, VOrdro do Saint• Anne de
la 2 claw.

Au lieutenant-colonel !Wolkoff, aide di camp as cite!
d'itat major gen6ral de la marine, le grade de colonel et le
titre Weide de camp de l'Empereur.
Ass offleiers euperieure de ebaqur vainest% l'Ordre de
Saiet.Vladimir de la 4 Ouse avec la rosette, et au: &jai-
pages : 10 decorations de l'Ordre militaire par compagnie,
et rum mate de sold. 3 tom lee matelots qui oat prim part au
combat.

THE WAR.

RUSSIA AND TURKEY.

The Russian bulletins published in another column
supply the dates which were needed to distinguish
the battle delivered by General Andronnikoff, at
Akal-Taiche (or Akiska), from previous engagements
in the same vicinity, accounts of which have been
received via Constantinople. These latter, which come
down to the 19th ult., left the town of Akal-Tsiche
in possession of a Turkish corps, which invested the
citadel held by • Russian force. The Russian de-
spatches, which we now publish, relate to a battle
which was fought on the 26th of November (or the
14th November, according to the Russian calendar)
M■king allowance for the proverbial exaggeration op
Russian bulletins, it would appear that General An.
dronnikoff was able to relieve the fortress of AkaL
Tsiche, after a conflict which must have been severe. The
loss of the Turkish general in killed amounted, ac-i
cording to the report of his enemy, to 1,000, and not
to 4,000, u was first stated by a contemporary.
What the Russian loss was we may probably
never know, for General Andronnikoff's return of
39 killed, when brought into comparison with his
description of the formidable position and murderous
fire of the Turks, becomes preposterous. The mail
from Constantinople will probably place us in pos-
session of another and very different account of the
battle of Akal-Tsiche. It will not be forgotten, that
according to the St. Petersburg accounts of the affair
at Oltenitza, the Turks were on that occasion de.
tested and driven into the Danube.

Another battle, as Russian despatches again say,
has been fought at Ougusli, in Asia. The date
assigned is the 2nd of December (20th of Novem-
ber, Russian calendar.) The report reads very much
like that from Akal-Teiche. It is alleged that
Prince Rebutoff defeated the Turkish Seraskier on
the Turkish territory, taking twenty-four cannon,
the whole Turkish camp and material of war. The
Seraskier retreated in great disorder to Kars.

Advices from Bu charest of the 17th announce that
an action had taken place at Matechin (opposite
Ibnila ) It comes out that the Russians could not

succeed. They made a reconnoissoce with two
steamers, five gun-boats, and four battalions of rifle-
men, and it is said destroyed the Turkish batteries
below Matschin. The firing was sharp. The Rus-
sians lost ten killed and several cart-loads of
wounded.

It is reasserted, we cannot say confirmed, that
Persia has declared war with Turkey. Indeed, adviccs
from Bucharest of the 17th, state that Persia has
offered, through Prince Woronzoff, 30,000 troops to
Russia, and demanded a Russian general.
Letters from Constantinople, of the Bth instant
state that the Porte has refused to accede to an ar-
mistice, but was willing to join the conference. It
is also ilffirmed that the British and French squadrons
muld enter the Black Sea on or about the 10th.
After the declarat ions which have transpired engaging
the two governments to conform their policy to that
of Austria, the entry of the fleets would be an event
of secondary importance. There is, however, every
reason to believe that the announcement is prema-
ture.

The Austrian ambassador at Constantineple has
picked another quarrel with the Divan. The Journal
de C'onelanlinople published a note alleging, what
was already notorious, that Russia permitted the
Lloyd's steamboats to run from Constantinople to
Odessa in order to take advantage of them to obtain
secret information of what is passing in Turkey. M.
de Bruck, who is personally interested in the Aus-
trian Lloyd Company, was offended at this article.
He demanded explanations of the Divan, and not
findiu•g them satisfactory, he gave orders to the com-
pany to suspend their voyages between Constanti-
nople and Odessa. He demanded, at the same time,
immediate payment of all that the government owed
for the transport of troops and stores by those boats.
The European merchants at Constantinople have re-
quested that the boats shall resume their service for
the conveyance of provisions from Odessa to Con-
stantinople. M. de Bruck casts all the blame on the
Divan, for having, under existing circumstances,
suffered the government journal to describe the
Austrian Lloyd Company as acting tho part of a
Russian spy.
The Pohe Anyt Gazelle of Frankfort, under date
of 16th, says :—" According to the last accounts from
Bucharest, General Anrep is appointed commander-
in-chief in Lesser Wallachia. He has brought con-
siderable reinforcements from Krajowa, but it does
not appear that he has receiviol any orders to attack
the Turks near Kalafat, as had been stated, although
it is true that the Russians have latterly made con-
siderable preparations for offensive operations. The
corps of General Osten Sicken is concentrated at
Frigourit. The Russian garrisons of Oalatz and
lbrail have been considerably increased. Two thou-

sand men and 12 pieces of artillery belonging to :hei
above corps remain at Jassy. The main body of the
army of General Luders is, it is said, at Hirsova."
The Dresden Journal contains a letter from Vienna
of the 14th, wkich says :—" The Turks have made
from Kalafet an excursion within three leagues of
Krajowa, and took away the forage which the Rus-
sians had in store there. They returned home with
the Russians in their custody who had been placed as
guards over the forage. It was only two days after
that Gen. Fischback heard of the matter."

The Wanderer of Vienna has the following letter
from the frontier of Turkey, 9th:—" Everything
announces the approach of serious events. All the
commercial relations between the capital and the
towns, in the south and west, are interrupted, and in
tke villages of Lesser Wallachia the peasants are for-
bidden to leave their dwellings under pain of death.
General Danneberg arrived at Bucharest on the god.
There aro constant skirmishes along the line of the
Danube. The Turks fight with enthusiasm. Not a
single Turkish prisoner has yet been seen at Bucha-
rest."

The Journal de Franefort, in a letter from Con-
stantinople, says:—" M. Baltazzi, who some time
since made an advance to the Porte of 33 millions of
piastres on the tribute to be received from Egypt, has
also furnished 10,000 pieces of cloth, and all the wives
of the employes in the war department have been set
to work to convert it into cloaks for the troops. A
large building has been converted into a workshop
for the purpose. The females of the harems are
similarly occupied, although they are not very ex-
pert at needlework."
Letters from Constantinople, received via Vienna,
state that on the 13th November Achmet Pasha,'
chief of the general staff of the Turkish army in
Asia, advanced against Alezandropel, and took pos-
session of the village of Baindir, which is a little to
the south of the fortress. On the 14th, at 1 o'clock,
the Russians made • sally, and attacked the Turks
with great vigour. The battle lasted until three
hours after sunset, but, notwithstanding the despe-
rate efforts of the Russians, they were repulsed, and
obliged to return to the fortress. During the night
the Russians were busily engaged in carrying off
their slain ; but still the Turks found 200 dead
bodies, 20 chests and waggons, and many dead
horses in the morning. Soon after this battle Abdi
Pacha arrived with reinforcements and a large train
of artillery, and the siege of Alexandropol began in
due form. Ali Mu Pacha, who is in the neigh-
bourhood of Achalzich, has taken possession of six
of the neighbouring districts, in which, at the request
of the people, Turkish governors have been appointed.
On the 19th Nov. a Russian squadron, consisting of
four steamers and four frigates, landed troops and
attacked St. Nichols& The affair lasted from 10
o'clock till 2, when the Russians retreated. A steamer
and a frigate were much damaged by the guns of the
fort, and the latter were obliged to be taken in tow.
In order to lighten her, the troops which she had on
board got into a large boat, which was hit by a shot
and sunk, with all the men, as she was about to put
off to another vessel.

Letters from Bucharest, under date of the 12th
inst., state that the latest dispositions of the Russians
warrant the supposition that a grand coup is intended
to be executed on the Greek festival day of St.
Nicholas (18th inst.), for the purpose of dislodging
the Turks at Kalafat. According to Russian ac-
counts from Bucharest, of the Bth inst., we learn that
the number of Russian troops at Krajova, Slatina,
and the villages between Kalafat and Krajova, now
amount to 30,000 men, chiefly belonging to General
Dasnenberg's corps.
The Pairie states that all foreign merchant vessels
in the Black Sea going to ports of the Ottoman em-
pire are, by order of the Russian government, to be
subjected to search. This follows immediately and
necessarily from the government order which we
yesterday reported from St. Petersburg. No sane
Czar could issue such an order until he had satisfied
himself that the Black Sea was a Russian lake. Very
recently, the Phoebe, an iron merchant vessel, which
was on her way from Constautinople to Samsoun and
Trebizond, was hailed by some Russian vessels, but
three shots were fired at her before she could be
induced to bring to. After she had been overhauled
she was allowed to proceed on her voyage.