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

KALAFAT.

The special military correspondent of the Morn-
ing Chronicle gives, in a letter from Kalafat of
Jan. 15, some further particulars respecting the
battle of Citate, as well as some interesting infor-
mation as to the state of things in and about Kala-
fat

"The accounts of the battle of Citate sent to you on
the 7th and 9th, it is to be regretted, were incomplete
in one particular, viz., that the Turks lost two guns on
that occasion. This fact is much to be deplored by their
well-wishers ; for though. in all truth, the victory was
theirs, yet the fact above-mentioned—added to that of
the redoubt being held still by the Russians till after the
Turks retired, and that the Turks did not sleep on the
field of battle—will fully persuade numbers that they
were beaten.
" The case is shortly this. Achmet Pacha, thought
to surprise a small detachment, and was in a fair
way of exterminating or making prisoners of the
whole of it, when a very large force of Russians
came to its assistance. This latter force was beaten
back in great confusion, and with great loss, by
about half its number of combatants. The Turks
had bivouacked without food during the preceding night
And had fought for eight hours, when the Russian rein-
forcements were sent to the right-about. Both parties
had suffered severely. Under these circumstances, it
can be easily imagined that they were in no position to
storm the redoubt. It was to be feared, too, that a
night march would give rise to confusion ; they there-
fore returned to Kalafat in search of food and repose.
"The loss of the guns was owing to the misconduct of
the officer who commanded a portion of the cavalry in
the rear of the village, and to that of the officer com-
manding the battery to which they belonged. The
ground was deep in mud, and the gunners, seeing the
three Russian battalions making for the redoubt, has-
tened to go out of their way. A part of the Russian
infantry advanced against them, and the drivers started.
off before the,guns were limbered up, leaving them to
he quietly taken possession of, and to be transported.
into the redoubt. The officer commanding the cavalry
might have charged them in flank, but he did not.
Hinc ince lacrhymce.
" That the loss on the Russian side must have been
great, and that they retired in hot haste, is fully proved
by what they left behind them. In the accounts pre-
viously sent it was mentioned that Russian firelocks
were a drug in the market at 25 piastres, and that quan-
tities of them might be seen carried about the streets ;
the guns had returned laden with them. Since then
two of the Russian ambulances (waggons for the
wounded) were brought into Kalafat, filled with fire-
locks, of which the writer saw 350 in the pacha's ante-
room; probably 1,500 were taken in all. Every officer,
high and low, had a collection of arms of different
natures. Decorations similar to those taken at Oltenitza
and those of officers for long service, of the order of St.
George or St. Michael, are plentiful. A large nunaber
of capital camp-kettles were likewise collected anti
brought it.
"It should have been stated that the Russian force
evacuated the redoubt at Citate on the evening of
the battle, after having hastily buried their dead—
so hastily, that the Wallaohs had to do it over again
—and that it is now occupied by three squadrons of
Turkish cavalry ; so that, but for the unfortunate loss
of the two guns—a loss at the time unknown to xxine-
tenths of the Turkish force—the Russian bulletin ma nu-
facturers would require all their proverbial ingenuity to
make out a good story in their favour.
" Instances of the heroic conduct on the part of the
Russian officers are current among the Turks, particra-
cularly that of one old officer who wore a decoration( fox
long service. He is described as having struck his sol-
diers with his sword and pushed them with his
shoulders, &c., and to have made himself very con-
spicuous. The Turks, seeing that things would go 'bs:dly
with them if he was allowed to remain in comma nd,
levelled at him, and brought him down, and sho. rtly
afterwards that part of the Russian force retired. Che
Turks, too, describe what is not easy to nndersta nd,
how the Russian officers, being frequently seen simila rl)'
employed at the head of their men, had pulled their caps:
down over their eyes, not, as some of the Turks have.
asserted, that they did so to hide the danger befo re
them, but more probably to prevent their caps from:
falling off while making a rush or fighting in a male..
"Since the 6th all has been perfectly quiet, both par--
ties refitting and tending their wounded. Reinf or ce-
ments to Kalafat, from Sofia and other places, h aye,
been said for the last week or two to have been daily
expected One regiment of regular cavalry has actia.ally
arrived from Lom Palanka, a post a few hours down: the
Danube.

" A thaw which commenced about a week or so back
has altered the Turkish position at Kalafat for the: 'bet
ter. The branch of the river between the island and.
the mainland of the left bank is no longer frozen, so. -that.
the island, in case of a reverse in the entrench! nr mt,
inight be well defended against any number of Rus si;
But Achrnet Pacha is more inclined to fight it on t t')
the last in the entrenchment, and therefore takes nis
particular care of securing a retreat. This is certai ink",
against all the rules of war, and would be consiele red'-
bad generalship in civilised Europe ; but, perhaps, iit is.
not totally unsuited to the peculiar situation of the Tra rk;st.
The position at Oltenitza was precisely the same ; ha d
they been beaten out of it, every man must hare bee a
lost. It was, perhaps, this feeling that made thei n stic' is
so stoutly to their parapets, and which gained thi sm th
victory ; and in case of an attack on Ralafat, a gains. k
whatever odds, there can be no doubt that the, y will I
defend the ground to the last inch.
"A stupid report has got about, the manufacture of
some professional inventor of canards, that the fore( 3s at
Kalafat are to be increased to some 50,000 or 6,0, 000, ,
and that the Turks intend taking possession of K To jowea
iiraecgteednerbaylt and Little
an operation This is too albsura
clear-headed a gonerail
as Omer Pacha. The idea of sending an army acroses
the Danube at the extreme end of the line, and in archin
leWtoalblaecdh
at right angles to the base of operations, having ; nece 5-
Barfly denuded it of a considerable force, appeal a to ol
it
sense of the ridiculous. It would be giving th e enen
iy
all the advantages of concentration, and lendir
ig
one's-self to be beaten in detail. Besides, r aumbe rs
are decidedly in favour of the Russians, now t hat tl
ie
3d corps de armee has entered into Wallachi a und,
sr
General Osten-Sacken—the great reason for co: soentr: '-
trims on the pa; t of the Turks.
"Out of the 600 wounded men at Widdin then, hav a
been seven deaths. This appears rather surprisiinf r, con-
sidering the manner in which the medical deparent is.
recruited.tm
" Mere is a peculiarity about the wounds of the Vurks
that is remarkable. The greater part, in a very large pro-'
portion, are wounded low—from the hip downwaxds-
Again, it is stated upon good authority that the Russians
killed were struck high up, numbers being hit on the
head. Attempts have been made to account for these
facts which are by no means satisfactory. The Rus-
sians, it is said, in taking aim, use the method taught to
English riflemen, namely, to point the piece downwards,.
gradusily raising it up until the object is covered,
and then to pull the trigger ; and firing on this method,
while in a state of great excitement, would throw the ballet low, from the soldier pulling the trigger too soon.
The Turks, on the other hand, bring up the piece to a
horizontal position at once, and fire. Now, it is well
knEwa that all soldiers under excitement fire too high,
and that, consequently, the system adopted by the Rus-
sians is the best to insure hitting under any circum-
-Bt-inces, more particularly when firing at a line of smoke,.
Which is about all they saw of their enemies ;titer the.

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