The Sun.
London, England, 1827-11-26 00:00:00

WAR IN- PERSIA.

(FRONT A CORRESPONDENT OF-THE TI)MES.)

Sir,—ln one of your late numbers you express
your doubts as to the existence of any real advan-
tage'gained lately by the Russian troops in Persia,
and hold it even questionable whether they have
obtained any solid success, or advanced their ob-
jects with regard to•that country at all, during the
present campaign. Nay; you appear •to think it
probable that if the Persian edition of the story could
be heard,' the situation of their invaders would ap_
pear still more hazardous and perplexing than is even
to be gathered from their own accounts. ' The fol-
lowing extracts from the letter of a gentleman re-
siding near the scene of action, and in every . way
well qualified to judge upon the subject, may serve
to show how just are the doubts you entertained,
and 'to point out the true condition of the contend-
ing parties :

" SEPT. 7.—You will he astonished to find that the
Russians have absolutely done nothing as yet, and I have
tittle doubt this campaign will end to their loss and dis-
grace—that is, if it be possible to found any judgment frOm
the preient state of affairs. Their operations seem to be
conducted without any settled plan or object : trusting
iolely to the weakness of their enemy, they have neglected
all precautions ,to ensure success, and hitherto have de-
cidedly had the worst of the war. In fact, had not the
fortress of Abbassabad been delivered up by the Surhungs
of the Nuckehiwan, and 2d Tabreez regiments (Eshau
Khan and Mahomed Reza Khan), they would by this
time have been obliged to retire with loss and disgrace.—
General Benkendorff invested Erivan late in April, with
5,000 or 6,000 men and after some unimportant skir-
mishes, in one of which he defeated Hassan Khan, the
Sirdar, and in another lost the flower of his cavalry, and
had above 250 men killed, the command was assumed on
the 12th of June by General Paskewitch, who only then
was able to get the principal part of the army in mo-
tion. Every one now expected that he would have
brought a battering train, and commenced the siege of
Erivan in earnest, as from its well-furnished magazine and
strong garrison, he could entertain no reasonable hope of
getting possession of it in any other way; and the un-
healthiness of the climate would occasion greater loss to an
army before it, in the months of July and August, than the
most bloody siege; while, on the other hand, if his inter•
tion had been to leave the place behind, and advance to
the attack of Tabreez, lie should have made his approaches
from Karabaug. He came, however, quite unprovided for
any such proceeding; and as his army was rapidly suffer-
ing front sickness, he raised the siege 'with more precipita-
tion than was necessary, 'which occasioned him a heavy
loss in stores, &c.

," It appears that he bad entered into a secret correspon •
lence with the Surhungs of the Nuckchiwan and Ist Ta-
reez regiments, both in garrison:at Abbassabad, which im-
mrtant fortress was commanded by Alahomed Amine Khan,
wother-in-laW to Abbas Mirza, with a garrison composed

of the two above-named battalions, 3,000 Buckliaree toffun-
chees, 28 guns, and one company of artillery. It is, in all
respects, a much stronger fortress than Erivan, so that the
Russian army could have made no impression on it by
torce. Abbas Mirza having advanced with his cavalry
and 12 guns. as well to attack some posts which hail been
pushed across the river, as to ascertain the intentions of the
Russians, was defeated, and narrowly escaped being taken;
and two days after this, the place was surrendered, the Rus-
sians, either by neglect or design, permitting the greater
part of the garrison to make their escape. This took
place on the 26th of July, and we naturally expected that
the Russians would advance towards Khoey, where the
King and Prince with nearly the whole force of Persia
were encamped, and a successful action would have termi-
nated the war. In fact, the King was just ready to take to
his heels, and the people were waiting impatiently for an
opportunity of revenging themselves for all the injuries they
had suffered from the Royal troops. But we were mis-
taken : some unsuccessful attempts at negociation were
I made, but were broken off from the extravagance of the
Russian General's demands, who insisted upon the cession
of Erivan, Nuckchivan, and of surrendering all claim to
Talish and Mogaum, besides' the payment of 700,000
tomanns for the expenses of the war. These overtures
having failed, the General retired with his army, in conse-
quence, it is said, of sickness, to a 'place called Kara Baba,
five fursungs higher up the Nuekchivan river, on the road
to Karabaug.
" The Prince, in order to retrieve his character, deter-
mined to march to Erivan; and the King fell back to the
plains of Sir-ab, 60 miles east of Tahreez. On the 23d of
August the Prince invested Eutch-Kilissia (or Etch-
Miazin, the residence of the Armenian Pontiff, near Eri-
van), where the Russians had left their sick, with 1,000
men ; and on the 29th 4,000 Russian troops, who formued
part of a force of 6,000 men stationed at Abaran, made
their appearance on the hills 14 miles from the convent of
Eutch-Kilissia. They maintained an action with the Per-
sian army till near evening, when the Regiment, and
the Prince's regiment of Guards charged the Russians with i
the bayonet, who broke, with a loss of 1,200 men killed
and prisoners. It is said, too, that they lost seven gluts ;
but this is not yet certain. The remainder, with the loss
of their baggage, convoy, &c., got, into Eutch-Kilissia,
where they are now surrounded. A force has marched to
attack the rest at Abaran, who are said to be guarding the
batteries designed for the attack of Erivan. What General
Paskewitch will now do I cannot conjecture unless some
fortunate chance shall deliver him from the scrape in which
he now is, (a thing not at ail unlikely to happen when his
opponents are Persian troops, and commanded by such a
one as Abbas Mirza), this campaign will be a disastrous
one for Russia. She has, it is true, taken Abbassahad, but
I do not think her army has the means or the power to
take Eris-an. The country is entirely exhausted of pro-
visions, and they have not the means to move extensive
magazines. This is all the news we have at present. All
the difficulties of the Russian army may be attributed to
General Yermoloff's not advancing to repulse the attack of
Persia last year, and having neglected during the peace to
establish some fortified posts on the frontier, where stores
and magazines might have been collected.
"P, S. The heads and prisoners come here on the 9tl►.
The Persians, as usual, savagely murdered all the wounded,"

MADAME PASTA.—This celebrated Vocalist
gave a Concert, as she passed through Newcastle-upon-
Tyne, on her return from Edinburgh, last Thursday even-
ing. Though the notice was extremely short, the As-
sembly Rooms, where the Concert was held, were thronged
with upwards of 300 visitants, who were all highly de-
lighted with the performances of this highly accomplished
singer and actress. Signora Ra.astaxt.L.p. and M. SPAGNO-
LETT', assisted at the Concert, and gave very great satis-
faction.

DUET,.—A meeting took place on Friday
morning in a meadow near Hounslow, between Captain
F n--N and Mr. The Captain was wounded
in the thigh, in the first tire; the seconds here•interfered,
and the parties left the field. The dispute, it is said, ori-
ginated in consequence of a lady, well known in the cir-
cles of haut ton, to whom both gentlemen were much at-
tached. The ball has been extracted, and the Captain is
doing well.---Bucks Gazette.

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FATAL COACH A CClD.gliT.—The True
Blue, which runs daily between Leeds and Wakefield, left
the latter place at four o'clock on Thursday evening, Lav-
ing four outside passengers, and four inside. The coach
proceeded at the usual pace until
it arrived at the top of
Belle-hill; in descending the hill, in which the precaution
of locking the wheel had not been observed, the horses got
into a gallop, and at the bottom, the coach being on the
wrong side of the road, came into violent contact with A
coal-cart. The coachman was thrown from the box, and
pitched with his head upon the ground ; his skull was
dreadfully fractured, and he died instantly. The coach
went forward on the three wheels for 10 yards, and then
fell over. Mr. COPE, of Park-square, in this town, artist,
one of the' outside passengers, received a severe internal in-
jury. He was taken up in a state of insensibility, and re-
moved to a neighbouring cottage, where he remained all
night, and from whence' be was removed in the forenoon of
yesterday, to his own house, in a litter ; and last evening
very faint hopes were entertained of his recovery. Mr. J.
Bunnur., overseer of Arkendale, near Knaresborough,
another of the outside passengers, was thrown under the
coach, and had his thigh broken in two places. lit was
conveyed to the Led_ General Infirmary, and suffered the
amputation of his limb, but died in the course of the night.
The other outside passengers were not materially
hurt, and
those inside escaped without injury. An inquest was held
by Mr. JEwrsoN yesterday afternoon, at the Coach and
Horses public-house, on Bothwell Haigh, on the body of
WILLIAIt lIERFIELn, the coachman. The Jury returned
a verdict to the following effect That the deceased was
driving down Belle-hill at great speed, at the bottom of
which the coach accidentally came in contact with the
wheel of a cart, and the said WM. IlEaratn was, by the
shock, thrown from the coach and instantly killed.,,_.._
Leeds Mercury.