The Sun.
London, England, 1855-11-10 00:00:00

THE RUSSIAN ATTACK ON KARS.

General Williams's Despatch.
(Front a Supp!enzent to Friday'B Gazette.)
FOREIGN-OFFICE, Nov. 10.

The Earl of Clarendon has received a despatch from
Major• General Williams, her Majesty's Commissioner
with the Turkish Army in Asia, of which the following
is a copy :

Kars, October 3, 1855.
My Lord,—l bad the honour to announce to your
Lordship, on the evening of the 29th ultimo, the glorious
victory gained on the morning of that day by the Sul-
tan's troops on the heights above Kars, over the Russian
army commanded by General Muravieff, and I now beg
to furnish your Lordship with the principal incidents of
that sanguinary battle.
Your lordship will perhaps recollect that, in my de-
spatch No. 123 of the 28th June, I stated that the Rus-
sian General, after his second demonstration against the
southern face of our entrenchments, which is flanked by
Hafiz Pasba Tabia and Kanli Tabia, marched south, and
established his camp at Bugah Mine, a village situated
about four miles from Kars. Knowing that General
Muravieff served in the army which t.ok Kar3 in 1828,
I conceived his last manoeuvre to be preparatory either
to a reconnaisance, or an attack upon the heigdits of
Tahmasb, from whence the Russians successfully pushed
their approaches in the year above cited.
Whilst, therefore, the enemy's columns were in march
towards Bugah Tikmd,l I visited those heights with
Lieut.-Colonel Lake, and after studying the ground de-
cided upon the nature of the works to be thrown up ;
these were planned and executed by Lieut.-Colonel
Lake with great skill and energy. I enclose for your
lordship's information a plan made by that officer of the
town and its neighbouring heights, which are situated
on the opposite side of the river of Kass Chai, over
which three temporary bridges had been thrown to keep
up our communications. As all verbal descriptions, or
bird's-eye views, of ground convey but an imperfect
idea of any locality, I beg to enclose a sketch made
by Mr. Churchill, which will, I trust, tend to elms:date
my description.

Your lordship will observe that whilst our camp and
magazines in the town were rendered as safe as circum-
stances would allow, the hills above Kars commanded
all, and were, therefore, the keys of our position,
The intrenchments of Tahmasb, being those nearest
the enemy's camp, demanded the greatest vigilance from
all entrusted in their defence. General Kmety, a gal-
lant Hungarian officer, commanded the division which
occupied this eminence ; he was assisted by Major-
General Hussein Pacha and my aide-decamp, Major
Teesdale, who has acted as his Chief of the Staff.

...-
Throughout the investment, which has now lasted
four months, the troops in all the redoubts and intrench-
merits have kept a vigilant lookout during the night,
and, at their appointed stations, stood to their arms long
before day-dawn. In my despatch, No. 155, of the 29th
ult , I informed your lordship of the arrival of the news
of the fall of Sebastopol, mad of the landing of Omer
Pacha at Batoom. I also acquainted your lordship with
the fact that the Russian General was engaged in send-
ing off immense trains of heavy baggage into Georgia,
and showing every indication of a speedy retreat ; this
in nowise threw us off our gaurd, and Lieutenant-Colo-
nel Lake was directed to strengthen many points in our
extensive and undermanned lines, and amongst other
works the tabia bearing my name was constructed.
At four o'clock on the eventful morning of the 29th
the enemy's columns were reported to be advancing on
the Tahmasb front. They were three in number, sup-
ported by 24 guns ; the first or right column being di-
rected on Tahmasb Tabia, the second on Yukseh Tabia,
and the third on the breastwork called Rennison Lines.
As soon as the first guns announced the approach of the
enemy the reserves were put under arms in a central
position, from which succours could be despatched either
to Tahmasb or the English lines. ' '
The mist and imperfect light of the dawning day in-
duced the enemy to believe that he was about to sur-
prise us ; he advanced with hia usual steadiness and
intrepedity ; but on getting within range he was saluted
with a crushing fire of artillery from all points of the
line. This unexpected reception, however, only drew
forth loud hurrahs from the Russian infantry as it
rushed up the hill on the redoubts and breastworks.
These works poured forth a fire of musketry and rifles,
which told with fearful effects on the close columns of
attack, more especially on the left one, which, being
opposed by a battalion of 450 Chasseurs, armed with
Minie rifles, was, after long and desperate fighting, com-
pletely broken, and sent headlong down the hill, leaving
850 dead.:on the field, besides those carried off by their
comrades.

The central column precipitated itself on the redoubts
of Tahmab and Yuksek Tabias, where desperate fighting
occurred and lasted for several hours, the enemy being
repulsed in all his attempts to enter the closed redoubts,
which mutually flanked each other with their artillery
and musketry, and made terrible havoc in the ranks of
the assailants ; and it was here that Generals Kmety
and Hussein Pacha, together with Major Teesdale, so
conspicuously displayed their courage and conduct.
Lieut. General Kereen Paviaa also repaired to the scene
of desperato strife to encourage the troops, and was
wounded in the shoulder, and bad two horses killed un•
der him.

The right column of the Russian infantry, supported
by a battery, eventually turned the left flank of the in•
trenched wing of the Tabmasb defences, and whilst the
Russian battery opened in the rear of the closed re-
doubt at its sa.liant angle, their infantry penetrated con-
siderably behind our position.
Observing the commencement of this movement,
and anticipating its consequences, Lieutenant-Colonel
Lake, who hal taken the direction of affairs in the
English Tablas, was instructed to send a battalion
from Foit Lake to the assistance of the defenders of
Tahmasb, and at the same time two battalions of
the reserves were moved across the fl) inn bridge
and upon the rocky height of Laz Tepp6 Tabia.
These three reinforcing columns met each other at
that point, and being hid,len by the enemy by the
rocky nature of the ground, confronted hint at a most
opportune moment ; they deployed, opened their fire,
which stopped and soon drove back the enemy's reserves,
which were then vigorously charged with the bayonet,
at the same moment when General Kmety and Major
Teesdale issued from the redoubts at Tahtnaela and
charged the assailants. The whole of that portion of
the enemy's infantry and artillery now broke and fled
down the heights under a murderous fire of musketry ;
this occured at half-past eleven, after a combat of seven
hours.

In this part of the field the enemy bad, including his
reserves, 22 battalions of infantry, a large force otdra-
goons and coKacks, together with 32 guns.
Whilst this struggle, which I have attempted to
describe, was occurring at Tahmasb, a most severe
combat was going on at the eastern position of the line,
called the English Tabiae.
About half-past five o'clock, A.M., a Russian column,
consisting of 8 battalions of infantry, 3 regiments of ca-
valry, and 16 guns, advanced from the valley of Tehak-
mak, and assaulted those small redoubts, which after as
stout a resistance as their unavoidably feeble garrisons
could oppose, fell into their hands, together with the
connecting breastworks, defended by townsmen and
mountaineers from Lazntan, whose clannish flags ac•
cording to their custom, were planted before them
on the epaulmenss, and, consequently fell into the
enemy s hands ; but ere the firing bad begun Lin
this portion of the field, Captain Thompson had re-
ceived orders to send. a battalion of infantry from
each of the heights of Karadagh and Arap Tabia
to reinforce the English lines. This reinforcement
descended the deep gully through which flows the
Kars River, passed a bridge, recently thrown across it,
and ascended the opposite precipitous bank by a zigzag
path which led into the line of works, named by the
Turks, Ingliz Tabias (the English Batteries). Their
arrival was as opportene as that of the reserves directed
towards Tahmasb, which I have had the honour to de-
scribe in the former part of this despatch ; these batta-
lions, joined to those directed by Lieutenant-Colonel
Lake, gallantly attackethrnd drove the Russiane out of
the redoubts at the point of the bayonet, after the artil-
lery of the enemy had been driven from those lines by
the cross fire directed from Fort Lake and from Arab
Tabia and Karadagh, by Captain Thompson. This
officer deserves my best thanks for having seized a
favourable moment to remove a heavy gun from the
eastern to the western extremity of Karadagh, and with
it inflicted severe loss on the enemy.
After the Russian infantry was driven from the Eng-
lish redoubts, the whole of their attacking force of ca-
valry, artillery, and infantry retreated with precipita-
tion, plied with round shot from all the batteries bearing
on their columns. During their temporary success, how-
ever, the enemy captured two of our light guns, which
the mortality amongst our horses from famine prevented
our withdrawing from their advanced positions. He also
carried off his wounded, and many of his dead • yet he
left 363 of the latter within and in front of these en-
trenchments ; and his retreat occurred at least an hour
before the assailants of Tahmasb were put to flight.
During this combat, which lasted nearly seven hours,
the Turkish infantry, as well as artillery fought
with the most determined courage ; and when it is
recollected that they bad worked on their intrench-
ments, and guarded them by night throughout
a period extending to nearly four months, I think your
Lordship will admit that they have proved themselves
worthy of the admiration of Europe, and established an
undoubted claim to be placed amongst the 3nost dis-
tinguished of its troops.
With regard to the enemy, as long as there was a
chance of success he persevered with undaunted cour-
age, and the Russian officers displayed the greatest gal-
lantry. Their loss was immense ; they left on the field
more than 5,000 dead, which it took the Turkish infan-
try four days to bury. Their wounded and prisoners in
our possession amount to 160, whilst those who were
carried off are said to be upwards of 7,600.
As the garrison was afflicted with cholera, and I was

apprehensive of a great increase of tho malady, should
this melancholy duty of the burial of the dead be not
pushed forward with every possible vigour by our fa-
tigued and jaded soldiers, I daily visited the scene of
strife to encourage them in their alMost endless task ;
and I can assure your lordship that the whole battle-
field presented a scene which is more easy to conceive
than to describe, being literally covered with the ene-
my's dead and dying.
The Turkish dead and wounded were removed on the
night of the battle. The dead numbered $62, the

LAW INTELLIGENCE—(This Day.)

COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEAL.

;Before Chief Justice Jervis, Mr. Baron Parke, Mr.
Justice Erie, Mr. Justice Crompton, and Mr. Justice
Willes.)