The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-06 00:00:00

THE WAR IN ASIA.

The following is an interesting account of the
battle of Kuruk-Dere

KARS, Aug. 7.—The defeat of the Ottoman
division at Bayazid, and the fear that the victorious
Russian troops would reinforce the enemy's force
on the Kars-tschai, led the Muchir, or field-marshal,
Zarif Mustapha Pacha, mith the advice of the
foreign generals present, to attack the latter with-
out delay. It was determined to march the troops
at night before the enemy's position, which wat-
t.° be attacked by daybreak. The night of the
4th instant was fixed upon.' On the afternoon
of that day the Muchir rode through the camp
exhorting the soldiers to do their duty, and t‘.
die if necessary for their beloved Padisha.
The men answered with acclamations, and ap-
peared rejoiced at the prospect of meeting the
enemy. The evening drew on, and with it
arose a tremendous storm, which threatened to
arrest the march of the army: The rain soon
ceased, and to the awful storm of thunder and
lightning succeeded the most perfect calm. The
moon presently appeared, and her melancholy
beams shone on the plain beyond, which on the
morrow was to be the scene of so much carnage.
At 1 o'clock on the morning of the 6th the army
started. General Guyon mounted, and followed
by the staff, rode ahead to lead the way. The moon
had now retired, but the stars gave sufficient light
to show the position of the enemy. Unfortunately,
the general was accompanied by a lantern, which
more than once misled him. It would have been
better to have trusted alone to the stars. The
'army commenced its march in deep silence ; nothing
was heard but the slow tramp of the infantry, and
the heavy rumbling of the artillery. The ground
was unequal, and intercepted by small ravines, which
caused some confusion, and forced the artillery
to deviate from the strict line. A night march
must be characterised by some little confusion, but
then proper time should, be allowed to make up for
the delay which necessarily must occur. On the
present occasion this was hardly done, and owing
to numerous halts, caused by the uncertainty* of
the way, more than two hours were lost. Day-
break discovered the right wing in position before
the enemy; whilst the left wing was five miles be-
hind. The enemy had been apprised by his spies,
,or by treachery, of the Turks' intentions, and had
taken up a strong position. His baggage and
camp had been packed and sent across the Kars-
tschai, and thus he was enabled to move freely.
The first glance caught at dawn was the Turkish
right drawn up on some heights opposite the
enemy's position, and awaiting the arrival of
the left wing to commence the action. The
Russians had already perceived the forlorn posi-
tion of the Turkish right wing, and calculated
rightly that two hours must elapse before the left
wing could engage. They therefore changed their
position, and, leaving, the defensive one they had
adopted, concentrated their •whole strength and
bore down upon the Turkish right wing. This was
composed of 9,810 men of the three arms, viz.

18 battalions of infantry, 7,750 men ; 1 battalion
of rifles, 300 ; 14 squadrons of cavalry, 1,260 ; ands
(33 pieces), 500 ; making a total of
9;810 men.

The Rimsian force. was 21,400 strong, ireudirg,
twenty battalions of infantry, twenty-six
squad-
rons of dragoons, twenty squadrons of Cossacks')
and sixty-four pieces of cannon. Owing to the,
want of punctuality on the part of the Turkish'
left wing, the whole Russian force was enabled to
advance against the Turkish right. At five`
o'clock the cannonade began, and orders were
given to the left wing to hasten forward.
The cannonade was conducted with stubborn
energy on both sides, but the superior number of
the enemy's pieces rendered the contest hopeless.
The ground here was covered with flying cavalry,
who had cowardly given way before the Russian
dragoons. Abdul-Kerim Pacha, the reis,. or se-
cond in command of the army of Anatolia, cora'
manded this wing. How the soldiers could haye
fled, with the example of this glorious old warri"
before them, is beyond our understanding In the.
hottest fire the figure of Kerim Pacha, hardly bentby age, with his flowing white beard and snowy
hair, was seen. In his hand he held an Arab spear
with which he cheered on his men to the fight. All
hope was now past. The Turkish artillery was
slackening its fire, the cavalry had fled, and the Bus"
sian guns were committingsad havoc onthe Turkish
rank and file. At every successive discharge of grape
the Turkish battalions would waver and open!
The Russian batteries opened a tremendous fire
upon the retreating Turks with murderous effecit'
A perfect scene of carnage ensued. The coward;
redifs, who had already fled, suffered greatly.
flank battery poured in on them. , Fortunately, a':;
this moment, the left Turkish wing appeared, all;
covered the retreat of the flying right. The grouna,
was covered with wounded and dead, and riderles!
horses galloping wildly about. The Turkish l°l`
wing had now engaged the enemy, and driven him
back. The dragoons soon re-established the balance
in Russian favour, and after a short conflict, the
left wing, in its turn attacked by the Wii°°
Russian force, gave way and fled. The Or •
my- soon gave up the pursuit, evidently err
pled and fatigued. Had he continued it 01.
one honr more, the whole army, with baggage
and cannon, would have fallen into his hair/
together to our former camp. The flooo.
fugitives poured over the whole country. 'Cavairt)rb.
-were mixed up with infantry, and artillery v 71,0
the carriages containing the wounded ; efficesor
were mingled with the privates—all bound
Kars. Many of the poor soldiers, tired to death,
threw themselves on the grass, and forgot in s.ineePd
the disasters of the day. The number of
and wounded about 1,500, the prisoners 21°_S,
and the fugitives, who have fled to their hc'ale
past Kars, was 5,000. Fifteen cannon ,whe,
left on the field, not five, as thought at first. 'll-14:a.
were lost owing to the absencct, of reserve horse
Hassan Pacha, of the Arabistany division, was le
only general who fell. General Bebutoff, the iLd.
sian commander-in-chief, it is said, was .wounded.
The Russian loss is estimated here to be au°ve
2,000 killed. To-day several Cossack horses,
Rus-
sian epaulettes, helmets, and other military troph;
have been brought in by enterprising Bashi-bazVii,
who have ventured on the scene of battle. -1-4
Russians have not advanced. The anarchy rot,
disorganisation here can be understood. The .
tifications of Kars are to be enlarged and strenc,it'h
ened. Every measure will be taken to resist with
success any attack, but, as we have before observed'
the the enemy will not advance. His troops are t00.,i
be
in number to occupy Kars and Erzerouni,
would expose his flank and rear to the Batoum sin;
by an advance. The campaign here must be cu'
sidered virtually at an end.

BULGARIA.
RIITSCHIJK, AUG. 12.—Three-fourths of the inha:
bitants of Giurgevo are still absent, and the greater
part of the houses have been sacked.
General Prim and seven aides-de-camp have left:,
via Vienna, for Spain ; the three others took tii's
route of Bucharest, which city was triumphautV
entered by Iskender Bey a few days since.
The Austrian General Popovich arrived here thi°
morning by the Danube steamer, and had a c°l3,l*.
ference with the Turkish marshal, which 'age'
ly
four hours, about the occupation of the principal
ties by Austrian troops. M. Bourre, -French ageo4
has been here for the last week, and leaves t°-
morrow for Vienna by the steamer. Yesterday
another steamer came down the Danube, with VW°
Austrian officers, Lowenthal and Colonel Kalick!
who proceed to Varna, to confer with Marshal Obi
Arnaud and Lord Raglan.

THE BALTIC FLEET.

. REVEL, Augu,t 27.—0 n the 22d instant Rear
Admiral Plutoridge hoisted his flag on board tie ;
Neptune, 120, and assumed the command of `fie •
squadron blockading the enemy's ports in the GT:,
of Finland. Captain G. R. Mundy, appointed '-
the command of the Nile, 91, having arrived fief
Aland, and joined his ship, Rear-Admiral Marti„
transferred his flag to the Leopard, 16, and sailc-
for the Gulf of Bothnia, to take under his ordet
the flying squadron of steamers. The Hon. A. 44te.
Cochrane has been appointed Aide-de-CaruP c,
General Baraguay d'Hilliers, and has been- Fret.
ceeded in the Driver by Acting-Commander Sober
The crews of the various ships on the fora.D,e°,
of the 23d, were exercised in making, shortnPliV
reefing, and furling sails, shifting top-gallant nrlii;
&c.. The Magicienne, Rosamond, and Eurr:fla
came within signal distance of the flag-shigi
then returned to their cruising ground off PW
borg. via
The French screw-steamer Phlecrethon,
on board Vice-Admiral Parseval-Deschenes, Geucielf
Baraguay d'Hilliers, General Jones, to., arrive, nt,
Nargen on the 24th, accompanied by the Arrldlo
46, Captain Yelverton, and Lightning, ,Plietir.
steamer, Captain Sullivan, and remain with,
Plumridge's squadron. . 4.110
Prior to dropping anchor in the Phlegethon, the
French. Admiral went close into Revel, to asce, roe
personally the strength of the fortifications- ,1011
Lightning was employed taking soundings en-opfel
island, which commands the western 'side of P"'
Bight. d the
The anchorage off Nargen being
expose ooci,
holding-ground in many places being far from asters
and many rocks and shoals existing, the rer„rs of
and second-masters of the ships under the urra to
Rear-Admiral Pluniridge have been instructs 01
make themselves acquainted by soundingssitiou
w
personal observation with the exact P°aloog
of the dangers which are to be met 'ith so iu
the eastern coast of the island--especial
the "middle ground," the "shoal at t,"e Little
eastern end of Nargen," "Nargen Skar, nether
Ground," and shoats adjacent thereto, to of its
with the marks denoting them, in the evelludepar
being necessary for the squadron to take • daily
Lure suddenly from stress of weather (vihie' is
looked forward to), or from other causes. tintleu"
A gale of wind set in on the 25th, and lecineet
during the following day, accompanied hY rvioosli
heavy showers of rain. For several days Preand or
the atmosphere had been unusually stiltrl ,ted
pressive, although the temperature, as inc"e. je the
Fahrenheit's thermometer, was only 74 deg Clang
shade. The air is now cool and agreeable, theature to
in the weather having reduced the terePe,,re tu torM.t
64 deg. The hot season is now at an end, uh
nation of the summer season is approachilti aceuv
three weeks from the present date frosts w
mence and ice form in-shore. g sargeu
The Gladiator steam-frigate arrived ° for the
on the 26th, with a supply of live bulloeife io the
squadrons. She proceeded to Ledsulla, f. The
afternoon to join the Commander-in-Chle ing
French Admiral proceeded in the Lig
take a survey of the fortresses at Sweaber%
Since the squadron of eight line-of-battel
rs'oTo
three steam-frigates and four small stea bays se°
been at anchor off .1;1-argen, the Russians yroto
large reinforcements of troops to that tovilt_tosta
good authority, I have every reason t°, sioce
their present number at 40,000. few Viebolag'
they were reviewed by the Emperor Aistsnee
Their encampment on shore is visible ate :ised
in
of several miles, and they are daily e
various military evolutions.

RUSSIA. terit)r
Two Jews, who had penetrated into the in
of Russia with Prussian passports, were arresteod
tie
spies, and sentenced, one to be hanged, an
other to serve in the army as a private soldier
the
The Russians have abandoned the forts oil liey
coast, all except Anapa and SoujakkahS ; but the
are still on the Sagonachen, on Labs, on
Kuban.

AUSTRIA.
VIENN A, Sept. 2.—As the Emperor raturtle:, s
yesterday from Ischl to Schttenbrunn, Princeal)rhi
ohakoisf will at once be able to COmmunieata 13.
Majesty the opinions of the Emperor Nix to °-4° on
the
subjecton
of the conditions forwarded 4, no
Petersburg t
the 9th of last month. It is, tor
yet known whether the Czar has addressed a' 10.
tol the Emperor, or whether the Russia
11
at ISt is simply charged to make an oral cool
n or
nication ; but this is, in fact, a matter of littl°
portance. The Emperor Francis Joseph know
of
full well that the future welfare and prosPeP:iii of
his country depend on the satisfactory solar
theh present question, and therefore no fear be
e entertained that his resolution w"
shaken. The day before yesterday, durifigioff
interview with Count Buol, Prince Gortsch3t the
gave explanations relative to the movements oh