The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1854-02-27

Quite military city.
The Battle of Citaic-Slaughter of the
Russians.
The CANADIANS mails arrived at New York
yesterday week We make the following ex.
tract from private letter in the London
Times, brought by the Canada:
On Friday, the 9th of January, the Turkish
troops, under the orders of Ismail Pacha and
Ahmed Facha, marched to attack the Rus
slams, who had fortified themselves in the VIII
lage of Citale, which is about five hours
march from Kalefat. The force of Ismail
Pacha was composed of three regiments of
regular cavelry and one regiment of Bash
Bozouhs. with six guns. Ahamed Lacha was
stationed at some distance from the village,
with some reserve troops, consisting of five
battalons, and also six guns.
The Russians forced consisting of FIVE bat.
talions, and also six guns.
The Russians forced consisted of three bat
talions of infantry, commanded by Col Bon
negarde, three squadrons of hussars, and tw O
squadrons OF Cossacks, with six guns.
The Turkish troops were, ms will be seen,
superior in number; but the position of the
Russians, who were distributed i'm all the
houses OF the village, which is of great extent
and which is surrounded by double ditch,
rendered the attack extremely periloss, as
the enemy well she ltered, were enabledito d.
rect a murderous fire upon the Turks, with
out the latter being able to reply to it.
In spite of this evident disadva ia 20, Ism
all Pasha gave orders for the attack, and
threw himself into the village under shower
OF balls fired from all the windows. At first
the Turks received every serious injury: but,
although this circumstance somewhat disor.
glnized their attack, there imputuosty was
by no means checked. The greater portion
OF the soldiers, who had ever before been ex-
posed to musketry, nevertheless displyed in.
domitable courage.
After, desperate struggle they attacked
the house, and fought hand to hand with sword
and bayonet. The massacre was frighlful.
The Russians in vain begged for quarter. In
the fever of the fight the Turks listened to
nothing, and slaughtered without pity all who
fell under their hands. The Mussumans of
the Crimea, incorporated with the Russian
army, in vain appealed to their character of
Mussulmans. No quarter was given to them.
Guttors of blood ran down the streets from
this wholesale human slaughter. To add to
the horrors OF the scene, it may be stated th at
number ofpigs which had been let loose
were seen eating the dead bodies.
All who could escape the slaughter took
refuge in redoubt at the head of the village,
and thence recommended murderous fire
upon the Turks who returned it vigorously,
but not without receiving considerable injury
from the Russian guns.
AT last the enemy, incapable of any further
struggling, decided OIL abandoning the en-
trenchments. A number of Russian troops
had already evacuated the place, when COL
onel of Turkish cavalry conceived the unfor-
tunate idea OF endeavoring to oppose their
passage.
The Russians, finding themselves surrour-
ded, and havin no outlet for escape, and no
resource but the terrible energy derived from
despair, no other alternative but to conquer
or die, recommended the fight with despera.
ton, and in vigorous sortie they succeeded
In capturing two guns. 1t should be stated
that the Turks, upon the first success in the
entertainments, committed the increditable
fault OF not destroying the enemy's guns.
While the battle was thus going on in |
the village, twelve bat,alions of infantry of
the sixteen pieces of cannon, were brought
to the assistance OF the besieged, and attempt
ed to place the Turks between two fires. In. |
formation of this was given to Ahmed, Pacha,
who, by skillful Vancouver, directed his
soldiers to the point, in order to prevent the |
junction with he besieged troops. For this
movement he made use OF three of his resery-
ed battalons,
The advantages Of the position was now on
the side of the Turks, who were OH ground
which sloped toward the Russians, but the
latter were three times greater in number
than the Turks. In spirit Of this inequality
however, the Russians were entirely beaten
and hed in the greatest disorder. They were
routed, feat constituting a feat
Of arms on the part of the Turks which does
great honor to them, and establishes another
important truth-that the Russians canno {
cope with Turkish troops in equal numbers
20 themselves in open field, and that they can
only hope Ter any success when they have I
much more powerful force than their enemy.
Their losses in these two simultaneous affairs {
amount to nearly 1000 men among whom
ire included 30 superior officers. The Turks !
lad about 300 killed and 396 wounded who
we're sent to the hospitals of Widdin, and of
'hom it is hoped the greater part may be
aved. :
According to the opinion of some European