The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-19 00:00:00

THE WAR IN THE CAUCASUS.

The Invalide Busse publishes the following un-
der the head of " News from the Eastern Shores of
the Black Sea :"
"From the 21st to the 25th of Nov. (3d to the 7th of
Dec.) the Turks continued to advance slowly from the
river Tdkhour towards that of TsklAnis-Tskhale, throw-
ing bridges over the etreams, and having to surmount
the greatest. obstacles, owing to the mud accumulated
by the torrents of rain.
" On the 23d and 24th of Nov. (sth and 6th of Dec.)
the enemy made a reconnaissance with cavalry and rifle-
men along the whole right bank of the Tslakenis-Tskhale,
from Oust•Tekhenis-Tskhale to Khoni. On this occasion
a fusillade was exchanged at different points across the
river.

"On the 25th of Nov. (7th of Doc.) the Commander-
in-Chief suddenly changed his plan of operations, and
commenced a retreat, having probably received the offi-
cial news of the fall of Kars, and having learnt from a
hard experience the immense difficulties attending
a winter campaign in the insurmountable mud of Min-
grelia. It is asserted that Omer Paella flattered himself
that on hi approach front the Tskhenis-Tskhale our
troops would fall back behind Kutais ; but, on finding
the whole Gouriel detachment assembled and ready to
give battle, he dared not accept it, foreseeing his total
loss if he failed.

" This movement without an object on the Tskhenis-
Tskhale, and the precipitate retreat which followed,
considerably disorganised all the means of transport of
the Turkish army, the men of which suffered immensely
from want of proviions, warm clothing, and shoes.
" As soon as the retreat of the Turks commenced the
Commander of the Gouriel detachment, taking advan-
tage of a cessation in the rain on the 24th, and a fall in
the waters of the river, crossed the T-elikenis-Tskhale
with some flying detachments to support the general
rising of the inhabitants of Mingrelia.
" The first example was given by the Prince Pagava,
who on the 11th and 12th of November (23d and 24th)
attacked near ()atop°, a Turkish Pacha, who with a
small detachment of cavalry had made a reconnaissance
on the right bank of the Takhenis-Tskhale, and was re-
turning to his camp. Prince Alexander Pagava, having
been informed of this, resolved to set an ambuscade, con-
sisting of 59 volunteers belonging chiefly to the Princes
Pa4ava. and Tehikovani. At nightfall the Turkish de-
tachment, on approaching the ambuscade, was received
with a round of musketry and charged sword in hand.
This sudden attack threw the Turks into the greatest
disorder ; some of them defended themselves, but the
majority took to flight. The body of Prince Tchoua, of
the Oubykhes tribe, and two other corpses remained on
the ground. On the Mingrelian aside Bourdzou-Pagava
was wounded. _ _

"On the 26th November (December 8) Major-Ge-
ner Prince Dadian crossed the Tskhenis-Tskliale with
the Mingi volunteers, who bad joined him opposite
Khoni, and followed in pursuit of the rear guard of the
retreating Turkish army, taking the direction of the vil-
lage of BitTiZa. Col. Prince Schervaschidze, with the
Cossa,ks of the Line, and the escort company, com-
manded by Prince Gouriel, Captain of the Horse Guards,
crossed the river at Ghanyri and advanced on Abascha ;
Prince Alikeladze, leaving Ghazati (on the right bank of
the Tskhenis-Tskhale) with the sotuias of the Imeritia
Riflemen, pursued the enemy by the high road of
Ontopo.
" These movements led to a series of suocessful engage.
ments with isolated detachments of the enemy.
" On the 27th of November (December 9), towards
evening, Colonel Prince Schervaschidz3, having received
information that a portion of the enemy's cavalry had
arrived at the village of Serpieti to collect forage, re-
solved to prevent it. The appearance of the Cossacks
and militiamen put the foragers to flight; but a battalion
of Turkish infantry, which supported them, opened a
well-sustained fire ; the fusillade was kept up for two
hours. Finally the enemy withdrew upon the main body
on the Abascba, after carrying off their dead and
wounded ; our total loss consisted of 2 men killed and 6

woutried.
" On his side, on the evening cf the same day Prince
Mikeladze, second captain, who hai taken up a position
in a thicket, opened a fusillade on a portion of the Turkish
rear-guard, which was preparing to encamp on the lett
bsnk of the Abascha. The Turks were so much alarmed
at this attack that they folded their tents and crossed
to the right bank, under the protection of their rifle-
men.

" On the 28th November (10th Decambersi, Colonel
Prince Schervaschidze, having been informed that
Skender Pasha had arrived at the village of Se6ki, with
cavalry and infantry, to collect provisions and arrest an
inhabitant who had killed a Turk, sent to the village the
imeritian cavalry, which hal joined him under Major
Princa Simon Tsouloukidze ; the Cossacks and the mi-
litiamen of the escort formed the reserve. On the ap•
pear...uce of our men at Senaki, Skender Pasha fled with
his cavalry. As regards the detachment of Turkish rifle-
men who_were in the bazaar, taken by surprise, they
were in part saLred on the spot, and the remainder fled
into the woods ; one man was taken prisoner. Our ca-
valry their adv,,nced against a country house, to which
the enemy had retreated.- They were received by a can-
non shot, and Prince Sch .rvaschidze then thought it
more prudent to retire to the heights of Ek. In this
affair one militiaman was killed, and the enemy left about
20 dead on the field.

"On the same day at daybreak the Mingrellan volun-
teers, under the orders of Prince Alexis Tchikovani,
second captain, and Lieutenant Prince Alexander Pegava
(of the detachment of Major-General Prince Dadian),
attacked a picket of the enemy established on the river
Tohoutch • three of the four Turks of which it consisted
were kiiled on the spot, and the fourth was wounded,
but escaped. In the night between the 28th and 29th
the inhabitants of Sakharbedi destroyed the bridge over
the Skouria, which was in the line of retreat of the
Turks. On the following day they sent a whole batta-
lion to rebuild it.
"Oa the 29 of November (11th of December), not-
withstanding that the Tskhenis-Tskhale was consider-
ably swollen (nom continual rains, Major-General Prince
Bagration-Moukhrausky, commander of the Gouriel de-
tachment, ordered a combined corps of Riflemen, Cos-
sacks, and Itneritian Yeomanry to cross the river. To-
wards the evening Prince Bagration-Moukhrausk y ar-
rived at Nikolakevi.
" On the 30th the Cossacks, having made a reconnais-
sance of the left bank of the Tekhour, discovered that
the Turks were retiring on the river Tsiva.
" On the Ist (13th) of December our Cossacks attacked
a portien of the enemy's rearguard, which had rema;med
oe the left bank of the Tsiva. The Turks, protested by
their riflemen, crossed the river, and then destroyed the
communication, after losing two or three men in killed
and wounded ; one Cossack was wounded in the skir-
mish. Meantime our riflemen, by order of Prince Bagra-
tion-Moukhrausky, occupied a wooden eminence near
the high road followed by the enemy ; and when some
of their men fell, struck by the bullets of our riflemen,
the Turks abandoned their road, and continued their re-
treat across a swampy forest. Towards evening the whole
of the enemy's army took up its quarters on the Khoo n
heights.
" On the 2d (14th) of December Major-General Prince
Dadian, having been informed that a small detachment
Turkish infantry was at Sugdidi, resolved to surprise it.
With this intention a party of 260 Mingrelians, having
made a forced march of 75 versts during the night, took
up towards morning a position at the river Djourna, at
four versts from Sugdidi. On the following day, at half-
past 5 in the morning, the Mingrelians, having ap-
proached the town in profound silence, attacked it sud-
denly at four different points at the same time. The
Turks in the streets were immediately sabred or made
prisoners, but our militiamen were received by a shower
of balls from the house windows. Encouraged by suc-
cess, they attacked the houses with great intrepidity ;
but in some of them they met a most determined resis-
tance. The most desperate fight took place in a cafe,
two storeys high, where the Princes Anakidzeff, having
fired away all their cartridges, only succeeded in carry-
ing the upper story by a vigorous attack sword in hand.
" After a combat of three hours and a half the whole
place was cleared of the Turks, with the exception of
one house, which was occupied by a whole company.
Having allowed half an hour's rest to his men. Major-
General Prince Dadian advanced on the river Tskhenis-
Tskhale, and halted for the night at the village of
Kartskhe. In this hot affair we had 3 men killed, 26
wounded, and 36 who received contusions ; 15 horses
were killed and 6 wounded. The loss'of the enemy was
Tv ebrrye e
considerable;
officers a
nd 32 men w
the killed
er
were
made
e a
dees tpi
rat:
saotne
edr a; t
mlosroe..
horses, and effects fell
over, a great quantity of arms,
into the hands of the Mit:grelians Anakidzeff,
. Inhisand
report
Prince Dadian particularly alludes to the courage dis-
played by Princes Pagava, Tchikovani,
the Sieurs Tschikovani.
" On the 6th (18th) of December, Major-General
Prince Bagration-Moukhrausky, with the combined de-
tachment of riflemen and cavalry, under Colonel Prince
Schervaschidze, of the Guards, occupied the heights
which stretch towards the north, leaving the high road
between Kholon and Khopi. The object of this move-
ment was to prevent the enemy getting provisions in the
neighbourhood. According to the statement of all the
inhabitants, the Turkish army is in a sad condition. Its
only line of communication is the road of Redout Saleh,

on the left bankof&llhopi,Vihorgi. If this road
is guaranteed from all attack on both sides, by unap-
proachable swamps, it is itself very muddy. The Turks
receive their provisions by boats, which ascend the
Rhopi as far as the church of Khorghi, whence they
are conveyed on the backs of the men. The destruction
of the embarkations and tke difficulty of getting the
troops on board the ships, owing to the continual heavy
swell of the sea, have hitherto kept Omer Pasha in Min-
grelia, but it is said that he intends leaving the country
as soon as he is enabled to do so."

CRICKET ON THE ICE.—OXFORD.—A novel and some-
what exciting game of cricket on the ice came off on the
field known as Aston's Eyte, Long Meadows, Oxford,
between two sides chosen by Messrs. W. Bacon and T.
Turner, two well-known cricketers. The match, which
was very evenly contested, was witnessed by so em hun-
dreds of spectators, who took great interest in the
strange proceedings. The falls were not so numerous as
was, anticipated, which may be attributed to the fact
that every player was expert in the art of skating.