The Sun.
London, England, 1856-11-24 00:00:00

DR. SAND WITII, 011 _KARS, IN LEEDS.

STORY OF THE SIEGE.
On Thursday evening last, Dr. H. Sandwith C. 8.,
D.C.L., one of the heroes of Kars, read a paper at the
Leeds Music-hall, on "The Siege of Kars, and the Cam-
paign in Asia Minor," before the members of the Leeds
Philosophical and Literary Society, and the Leeds Li-
brary.
The Music-hall was crowded by one of the most nume-
rous and influential assemblages we have seen on such an
occasion for a long period. The council of each society and
their families occupied the orchestra, and the body of the
Hall and gallery were filled by the members and friends of
both institutions. Nearly half of the audience consisted
of ladies.
Dr. SANDWITI (who on entering the hall was greeted
with loud and repeated plaudits) commenced his paper by
saying that the campaigns of Asia Minor, although at one
time but little heard of when the faint reports of their dis-
tant artillery were drowned in the deeper and nearer con-
flicts on the Danube, bad nevertheless always claimed from
the far-seeing mind of the statesman and diplomatist an
interest second only to the mightier struggle of the Crimea.
In England the popular mind was interested (and justly so)
in the gallant feat of arms at Kalafat and the memorable
defence of Silistria ; but while Omer Pacha was holding in
check the whole force of European Russia on the Danube,
and Butler and Nasmyth at Sili stria were earnin,g for them -
selvesthe warm applause of a grateful country, other events
were passing in Asia of which the English public were but
ill-informed, and cared not to inquire ; and yet that struggle
on the steppes of Armenia and in the passes of Lazistan,
between the Transcaucasian army of Russia on the one side
and the Anatolian army of Turkey on the other, was of no
small importance to the cause of th • Allies. But most of
all did it concern England, who, though not at this epoch
(ere she and France had drawn the sword) fully engaged in
the strife, was yet morally understood to be so by all the
Oriental nations. Each blew struck at Turkey was aimed
at our Oriental prestige—each shock felt by that Mussul.
man power (the cause of which England was known to have
espoused) vibrated to the foundatiOns of our Indian empire.
Nor could Englishmen cease to regret that a war which
ended gloriously in the west,
should have left Russia tri-
umphant in the east, and so have encouraged that ill-in-
I formed power, Persia, as to have bequeathed to us, if not
1 a new and inglorious war, at least millions of expenditure
in warlike preparations. Dr. Sandwith rapidly sketched
the occurrences in Asia Minor, prior to the arrival there of
General Williams. The first collision between the Turks
and Russians was at Byandir, where a small body of
Russians was surprised and routed by the Turks, under
Abdi Pacha, rlo ;e second in command, Ahmed Paella,
subsequently marched against a Russian force at Akiska,
and was not only routed but afterwards thoroughly cut up
by the Russians, whom he allowed to surprise him. Ahmed
Pacha, by the most disgraceful means, procured the chief
command, in Jan., 1854. The winter of that year saw the
ruin of the line army assembled before Kars to protect Asia
Minor; and that ruin was achieved, not by a Russian, but
by a Turkish general. Tho men were plundered of their
rations and clothing, mulcted of their pay, and crowded
into unwholesome hovels, until 20,0e0 died of typhus and
scurvy. (Sensation.) Such an immense loss, although it
earichse I the general who pocketed the pay and rations of
the dead men, at last roused the authorities of Constanti-
nople. He was recalled, and Zarif Pacha, a man of infamous
antecedents, was despatched to take command of the army.
Zarif Pacha initiated his advent by advancing upon the
Russians posted at Kurodire in comparatively small force ;
but he met with se terrible a defeat that his army retreated,
a mere rabble, into Kars, on the 7th of August. Comipg
to the events of which he had himself been an eye-witness,
Dr. Sandwith proceeded to defend the military tactics of
General Williams, and maintained that to have abandoned
Kars and defended the Soghanli passes, and afterwards, if
necessary, fallen back upon Erzeroum, would have theinsured
success of the Russian army under the circumstances.
and given Russia the possession of a vast country instead
of an outlying frontier town. (Hear, hear.) He first isained
General Wil isms at Erzeroum in the autumn of PA, who
at that time had begun his work as Commissiejner of the
Anatolian army by carefully inspecting the leospitals, bar-
racks, and appointments of the troops stationed there, with
the view of preparing the city for an eventuality. The
mixed character of the population Psi Erzeroum, and the
known disloyalty of the Mussulm'en population, presented
many difficulties, but these w ere more or less overcome.
After a short stay at Erzerorana they proceeded forward to
Kars, and were struck With the desolate appearance of the
intervening country. The distance between the two towns
was about t 25 miles„ and the roads, or tracks rather, were
only practicable fcr the purposes of an army in summer
time, whilst at a distance of 20 miles from Kars was the
important pass of Soghanli Degh, a range of rugged hills,
which were easily defended by an army in possession.
They entered Kars about the 24th September, 1854, and
General Williams commenced his cork in good earnest.
The army, consisting of 15,000 or 17,000 men, was at that
time encamped on the plain to the south of the city, under
the command of Zarif Mustafa Pasha, who was busy mak-
ing his fortune by false muster rolls, and the consequence
was, that the men, though stout, hardy peasants, were in
anything but the state they ought to have been with an
active and intelligent enemy within 30 miles of them.
General Williams, on his arrival, waited on the com-
mander-in-chief, arif Mustafa Pasha, who expressed him-
self delighted tosee the British Commissioner. The Mushir's
military Career was not very distinguished, and his cha-
racter -was disgraced by dishonesty. A short time before,
his army had been defeated on three successive occasions,
the last time being about a month before their arrival,
when 20,003 Turks had been beaten by 10,000 Russians at
Kurekdere, and returned to Kars a mere rabble. Besides
these defeats, the men had gone through great suffering,
and were greatly reduced by mortality. The infantry
were, however, of good material, and the artillery de-
cidedly good, but the cavalry was so bad as to bo of no
use. The horses were ill fed and starved by exposure to
the cold, and the accoutrements of the troopers were
altogether unsuited to active service. After the depar-
ture of Zarif Pacha, Gen. Williams succeeded in placing
the soldiers in good winter quarters, and then returned to
Erzeroum, leaving his young aide-de-camp, Lieut. Tees-
dale, to work out his reforms during the winter. How that
officer performed his arduous task was recorded in the blue
books, but not a tithe of the difficulties he had to encoun-
ter, of the energy, discretion, and courage he displayed,
was generally kuown. He was, in truth, a worthy haute.
nant of a worthy chief. In the spring the staff was increased
by the arrival of Col. Lake, Capt. Thompson, and Major
Alpherta, of whom the two former remained until the end
of the siege. Capt. Thompson, though suffering from a
wound received in the Burmese war, had his heart in his
profession, and longed for new fields of action ; whilst Col.
Lake might well be termed the Todleben of Kars. (Hear.)
It would-be impossible for him to lead them step by step
throughthe history of Gon. Williams's labours in Erze-
roum. The winter was spent in fighting with pashas and
peculators, which wore almost convertible terms,
and in the
spring in exciting the population to work at the fortifica-
tions. He was also busily engaged collecting supplies to
meet the exigencies of the coming campaign. After encoun-
tering many difficulties, and when Gen. Williams was be-
ginning to see some results in the steps he had taken, a
courier arrived from Kars, with despatches from Colonel
Lake, announcing that the Russian army, to the number of
30,000 or 40,000, with an immense transport service, was
assembled at Gumri, and that the Mushir wished to aban-
don Kars, and fall back upon Erzeroum. Gen. Williams
wrote to remonstrate against this step, and on the follow-
ing morning they left Erzeroum for Kars, where they ar t
rived on the 7th of June. They were met at some dis-
tance from the city by Colonel Lake and Captain Thomp-
son, who appeared highly elated at the near prospect of
active service. He was much struck with the entire
change which the camp of Kars now presented. The whole
enciente, comprising the city and a mile to the south and
north of it, was enclosed by breastworks, connectinglit..
teries, which were placed on each commanding poirl- o
redoubts were observed at every corner.
_no men, too,
'serruidable
whole aspect of the camp was changed, and
wore a more material air and appeared,checrtul and full of
courage ; but in spite of all this they
doubt and misgiving, for they hs..ci only
15,000 regular
troops of all arms, and of thee- Dad great cause for
J the cavalry were utterly
worthless. True, their arrjacry
was excellent, but he
soon learned, as a great sexmt, that they could only fight
their big guns for three, lays, as after that their ammuni-
tion would be ex
to the Russian Pereded. .Had that secret found its way
camp, no doubt Mouravieff would have
commenced a siege by app °aches, instead of a block-
ade, and ira three days they would have been at his
mercy• rflie amount of -their provisions, too, was not
generariy known. General "Williams, however, began
meth the utmost forethought to prepare either for a
o, a blockade, or an a.ssault. The fortifications were
leahed forward by Colonel Lake, and moans were
Laken to secure what provisions wore available, the
cattle in the city being counted, and watched to pre-
vent their removal. The general made a strong but
unfortunately vain attempt to get rid of the women and
children, but the population were opposed to his plans, and
he only partially succeeded. . The town was apportioned
into districts, and returns made of the poor, and the amount
of food in the possession of the comparatively rich, the sur-
. Thorn-
plusk being given to the poor ; the vegetable gardens were
sufferingu
from scurvy; and health officers were appointed.
Cap pson wits
daeh anti . • permanently quartered on the Kara-
was posted on the Tahmaf hill. On the 9th Juno
_e , 'Major Teesdale, as the chief of the staff of Gen.
tbabnedi
rmaandeee 3no
oor
s, an(i
w hi
tlinuenety,
ir scouts brought intelligence that the Russian army was
in full march towards Kars. This was what was expected,
alterationsebinthei.r plans.
.The townspeopleb
egan to show the warlike spirit which they inherited from
border town. Shortly
, d offered the services of himself and arrival, Osman .Agha, awas in some measure created 3'
the position of Kars as a
had been refused by the Turkish Governor,
Williams an fine old man, waited upon Gen.
Karelia, which were accepted
Ismailasf.ot
oepraarmedeha their.
and fell, shot in the leg, butu when
the
(lay
most readily, though they
The old man fought like a lion
eventually recovered. Two
days afterwards he againof battle carne,
called upon Go W lliams and
which a council of war was hel-Ldn
informed him that Ismail le, h 1" 1 '
tr„ a was, in an underhand
way, creating a dislike to the'
nounced Ishrnail Pacha as all int: glish commander, upon
and. Gee. Williams de-
li:Lill:demi:, a esv anse
ver speaking
theally Goof vtehrenoernesinudydenlWy dhiislastppGeeanr.errel. and
mischievous
eoen,f,lanr-SY:ilfwfr
wards heard of in Kars. At this
after-
his best for the safety of the garriso h while
to Constantinople to urge on a despatchliams wrote
He also wrote to the Pacha, of Erzeroum for more
of irregular cavalry, and to Mustafa Pacha of Bat
ore levies
troops. No reinforcements, however,
presentedwe
quarter. On 16th Juno they learnt from theirem either
that the Russian fumy was in full march toward: theirvielette
po-
sition. It was the day of the Mussulman feast of 14' und whilst the troops were at their posts the citizenSuain'
dressed in their gayest apparel. The town
most picturesque and exciting scene. The citizens in theira
bright Asiatic garments, with their silver mounted wea-
pons, sallied out of their houses, horse and foot, young
and old, while the women stood on the house tops rno
:tn.
ing words of encouragement to their natural defenders.
Many a fond mother, with trembling halide and tearful
eyhile es, buc
shekled dead father's sword on her young stripling
w bade him go and do battle for his holm; and
kindred. Crowds of armed men slimed the rocky heights