The true Democrat., 1854-06-13
The Russian and Turkish War.
interesting Letter from an American in the
 Turkish Army.

The Russian and Turkish War. Interesting Letter from an American i'll the
 Turkish Army.
 The New York Courier and Enquirer pub- fishes the subioinnd letter from an American ing it, the Courier says:
 Our accounts from the war in the East come almost exclusively from British and French sources, and are consequently co porte in cha racter and, it must be expected, more or less colored by the partizan feelings ot the writers. A striking illustration of this may be found in the difference between the French dispatch of the bombardment of Odessa, published by us this morning. and the Russian dispatches rela- five to the same event, published on Tuesday morning. This same partiality colors the en- fire aspect of Eastern affairs as exhibited in the nress of France and England. This is, doubt less, in measure natural and unpremediated, and in q measure too is designed because of the exceeding importance of keeping the people of ooch country satisfied with the condition and ,,rosnects of a war which is burdening them so heavily with taxation. Americans should judge of these accounts with constant reference to their one-sded character, and also with the canse that one side is the golden side It is known that some of our young men have alrea- dv been betrayed by the romantic coloring oiven to the warike operations in the romantic land of the Paynim, to volunteer into the ser vice of the Turkish army, and that others are intending soon to follow. We commend to all such the following private letter from one of those volunteers, forwarded to us by friend of ours in Constantinople, to whom it was address sed:
 Kars (Asio Minor) April l4.
 ssI arrived here on Saturday last. My jour- nov from Eizeroum, although long, was tar from being unpleasant. But how disappointed Tornovi Would that could accurately con- ,,a,- +o vou my feelings But let me attempt doScr;ntion of matters perhaps you may then ;,,dno The town is built at the foot of emil Jorfoos which command iton all sides, and which +bo Turks never dreamed of fortlfylng until G. Inn Fnolish officer General, ln the Turkish ar Toy,> came here. The works are of the most n1lfrv description, and to determined enemy would offer no obstacle whatever. The troops numher at most 5000 men; they are badly clad, badly oficered and not paid at all. Should re- inducements not arrive before the opening of the spring campaign, ever thing is utterly lost. The foreign officers here are treated by the ge- nerals more like dogs than gentleman. * As to accommodations you can have no idea how villainous they are. l have large room in which. with my two servants, 1 am obliged to slaan and where I have my cooking. Itis en- tirelv naked. a part only being hOored; oil paper in three pigeon holes which serve as windows, and so cold that l can hardly hold my pen.- Add to thi, that with everything to be done there is no work going on; everything is scarce and dear. and no money to be had beyond our own ranidly diminishing private rcsQurces-you can indoe of our situation. Every day am shown more and mOre
 I came here full of enthusiasm, but have lostit entirely Apathetic indolent, and false, these people are undeserving of our sympa- fbies. The government has no credit here; the other day I took an order to the forage master from Gen. G. for forage for my horses but he would not accept it. The baker has also refus- ed further supplies of bread on credit. " Let the government pay me i2oooooo piastreS 6rst.s, Since the forgo- ing pages were written l have been very sick, and am now scarcely able to sit up, though on dutv all the time Our men are all sick and dvino- at the rate of sixteen and twenty every dav. Of seventeen thousand five hundred men in Kars and villages around it, fifteen hundred are in the hospital with typhus fever. Every +bipo seems that the army is doomed to destruc- ton, and everything that 1 can see proves that the Turks deserve to be destroyed. only re- qret that I ever embarked nay sympathies in fheir cause. I am charged with the reparation of a lexagonal fort. The whole could be done with twenty good men in two days. These fallows have been more than two months at 1t. To-day I went there and found not one of the men on the ground.
 It is plain l can be of nb use here, and shall sell my horses and return, for l cannot stay to die like dog. # That the cause of the Turks fs utterly hopeless indeed, they only de- serve to be beaten. blush to confess it, but hope the next mail may bring news of peace, otherwise we are hopelessly lost and should the Turks be defeated not christian will remain alive. for they now place so much confidence in them that defeat would be considered their fault and we should be massacred to a man, YOu wanted a true statement of affairs Ill the aTmv and here it is.
 "P. S.-News has arrived from an authentic source that we are to be attacked in about ten days Of course l shall not leave here now, though we shall be whipped like blazes. The Turks fight like devils behind walls, but We have no ammunition to hold cut. We have only about one hundred rounds for cannon, and three hundred for each man. *, When our General asked for 100000 men, and 2O cannon, and said with them he could conquer Georgia, and drive the Russians into the Gas plan. the Dvan laughed at what he called his textravagant demands It is clearly proven now that this force is requisite, and what, with our little wreathed force, we cannot keep the frontier against them.'
 Fugitive Slave Excitement and