New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-12-10
THE RUSSIAN DEFEATAT KARS.

| we nave q, last received . co0Pfoso CVtsoo1
Of d camenss upon the battle Of Kars. On the
Turkish sis We have, beside Gen Williams report
the letters If sevsral newspaper crrespoadsnts ct
either Kars or Erzeroum, but what they add to the
Official account is 90 confused aud contradictory
nature Il at il must count for pext to nothing The
Russian side is represented BY few letters from o.
fcers more inieat describing she obstinate char
scter of the fight than in gviog sccarats details q
position, which those actually engaged mast have
very soon lost all faculty and opportunity OF o.
serving, ard BY General Muraviefs report, filing
thirteen columns in the Ervsiids Rus,s. This was
"a her difficult to procure IN erteHso, ~ neither
the British nor the French press have eeignea to
give more than extracts from it; socss Geroaa
papers however have it in full, and thus We are ale
10 compare the two official accounts with each
other.
The total absenos of accurate maps and plans Il
the ground renders it, of course impossible to pass
a decided opinion apcn most Of the tact cal details
of the engagement There are wanting, Decides.
other details necessary to forms correct Judgment
upon many of its episodes. But what We have 10
sufficient ~ give pretty clear idea Of the sceoe
and Of the main features of the action and TO the
honor of the Turks be it sad, their defence dsee
not lose its glorious character under close exania-
svon.
The town Of Rars is situated on the right, or
south eastern bank of the Kars-chai, 10 . bead Of
that river To the south east Of it, on the vsme
bspk OF toe river, is plain but on the nsy sheru
SIDE ION the left thank range Of lights spProsches
tie river closely, aud is continued on the other
side of the ra,ine through which tho river runs
below the tows, by another range, the Karsdagh.
| These nights completely command hhe town, and
from here the Russians, ia 152S, pushed their
trenches 0ganst is. But these same higats, too
form an admirable position for defense. Encir-
cling the whole of tie bend Of the river before
mentioned, they stretch out on the western side
and above Ears as far as another of it's bends, BY
which good portion of the southern font Of de-
| sansa coules inaccessible. From this upper bend
/ A. 18th western front Of Do
! Of the river begins the uv..- -
Tense, called by Gen Williams the Tahmas- front.
Il is guarded by three large works called. from
the bend upward, or from left to right: |. Tab
mas Tabia (redoubt). 2. Yaksh Tabia 8 Ken
nson Lines The former two are closed redoubts,
the third is large irregular work, open at the
gorge All these works flank each other aud are
more or less connected by detached parspeta
thrown up further back In the Intervals aISaag
are fully p miles from Kars. Next to tho
Rentison Lines comes the largest and most io-
pOrtant work on this side, Fort Lake, q sort Of
citadel erected on the most commanding point Of
the whole range, and capable of holding several
battaliOns. From Fort Lake to where, lower
tha hreh Ks oh he aofr hi
runs the northeastern front of defense here
four small lupettes, open at the gorge, had been
constructed, AID were called the English works
Qnpliz Tabias). They, too, hal lines Of para
pets behind their intervals. Gen. Williams, faA-
ing that these constructions were on toe smat
scale 20 offer serious resistance. caused closed
work Of larger dime nsons to be thrown up 10 their
rear, which WAS callfd Willisms's Tabia. Oa tho
ether side Of the river, the nearest point Of the
Ksradasb, were built two works, Arab aud Kara
dsgh TAbiss, either Of which could take in hsak a
assault GU the nearest OF the English works. III
nal., on the southeastern side Of the town, the
plain closed b, triple range of intre nchments
the most important Of which were Hafz pasha
Tabia on tie eastern or Left, and KAny Tabs on
tho western or right flank the latter nesr the
point where the line again joins the river above
Ksrs. Thus, the whole line of defelss was divided
BY Me river into two great divisions, from Tshmss
b the English works on the left FROM Karsdssh
to KAbly Iabis on the right bank. ..r
After menscing this southeastern front for some
time, tho Russians mad gone southwest toward the
village Of KaDly, where the, encamped. Toward the
middle Of september they prepared for passing with
the main body to the let bank of the river and
attaching the north western or Tahmas front with
the 18th and 2lst divisions Of infantry, while tho
18th division WAS concentrated ct the village Of
Cbakmak, northeast Of tae town, for the attack
VI the I'm. lish frost Thus the whole of the lines
west Of the river were to be assaulted at oacc.
To judge from the state Of the ground, this per.
ton Of the lines was naturally By far the strongest
but it's artificial defenses appear to have been
rather neglected in the beginning. II seems that
Gen. Williams for long while thought Fort Lake
sufficient to cover the town on this side although
the artillery Of that work could not be expected
to command range of hills extending three miles
to the right and Is much to the Left. He admits
himself that the three works Of the Tahmss 'front.'.
win tkei. connecting brsastworks, were only cos
structed when the movement of the Russians To-
ward KaDly took place, viz: In July. These ~osss
at fret were mere lunettes open ut the gorge but
the Russians delaying their attack, the Tssmah
and Yuk.a works we're changed into closed 70
daubts. Az TO the time the English Tsbias were
constructed, Gen. VI illisms does not give us any
information bat be gives distinctly 10 understood
49,, .be only rsslly ifopoYtsDt work Of that arouO