The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-07-01
THE CAPTURE OF vEDENO, sCHAMyL,s
STRONGHOLD

~.
From the NeU York Tribune y,,pe Of
We find in lie Nord a letter fl ON a Russian off.
Ger giving, an account of the capture of Vedeno
the stronghold of Schamyl. The fortress is snr'
rounded by such wild mountain country that The
Russian battalions occupied twelve hours in march
! ing the last eight miles They were not opnoscd.
Schamyl appearing to be waiting to attack them
! where there would be no retreat. They encamnnd
a mile from Vedeno, ten battalions with ten sn al
mountain howitzers. Another column of five bat
! tailons brought two mountain howtzers to the sum
mt OF the mountain range behind Vedeno, but
nndlng the mountain declivitOus that they could
not descend it, were obliged to retrace their stems
! The Russians now found themselves thirty miles
from their supplies by terrible road and before
strong fortress well supplied with artillery They
had provisions for but few days and no siege quns
There was no attack during the night but next
morning all the heights around their camp we're
covered with masses of Circassians who seemed to
look upon the Russians as an easy prev Fire was
opened upon their camp from battery of two puns
Before them was Nedeno surrounded by strong in
trenchments, and defended by six redoubts. whose
ramparts were decorated by a thousand banners of
lively colors, while the great black banner with
the silver crescent of Schamyl, hoatcd above all
Int up by magnificent winter sun, sparkling in a
thousand reflections the icy snow A mapni-
6cent picture. In an hour Russian battalion were
in possession Of the height from which the battery
had been playing upon the camp But notbing
could be done for month, except to secure their
communications, to make practicable road to the
open country, ana to bring up siege guns. Even
then 1t took four battaiOns three DAYS to bring up
four l2-pounders and to repel the attacks which
were made on the working parties. The Russians
could see the munitions which were brought into
Nedeno, but they could not get at them they could
not attack the place from the upper side.
On the 10th Of March they got up some mortars
and several batteries of l2-pounders; on the 30tb
the trenches We're opened three sides and ON
the 18th OF April the first and largest of the re
doubts, Andi, was bombarded. After lombard
ment of twelve hours the assault was piyen and II
IN less han balf bnp
held out bravely all day. and in spite of the crush
ing superiority of the Russian fire. his al tillerv and
rifemen had responded. There was one strange
incident in the assault; at the same lime above all
its roar, the national hymn of Russia was heard in
the redoubt, and half mile away, toward Vedeno
the feeble and dying sounds of the Nebus the eve
ming prayer, sung bv the warriors in the midst of
grape and ball. Towards o'clock all became
calm, and the Russian troops bivOuaced in the re.
doubt they had taken; but at midnight they we're
startled at seeing the great house Of Scharnvl in
names, kinded by the faithful. who would not have
1t proianed by the hands of unbelievers At dawn
there was sign of the enemy in Vedeno; thew
had fled. The Russians were astonished at the
misery, poverty and filth revealed by the condi-
tion of the houses. They must have been very
filthy. Corpses were lying everywhere. Pools of
blood human limbs earth recently moved sinking
beneath the tread and exposing human feet and
arms broken weapons, bloody and torn garments,
houses in ruins, made up picture OF misery and
desolation. The works of defence were immense:
what was lacking in art made up in mass. To
Judge by the bodies lying all about, and the fact
that the Circassians rarely abandon their dead,
they must have suffered very severely. The system
of defence of the place bad that no portion
af it tenable after this redOubt, Audi had been
taken. Several battaliOns were occupied for three
days in razng the fortress and destroying the town.
and fortress was built which is to be the head |
quarters of the infantry regiment of Kournsk All
Chechna was taken with Vedeno; thousands of its |
inhabitants have given in their adhesion to the Rus
sian government, and they still coming in The |
religious superstition which was SchamyPs chief
strength with the people appears to have been |
was, indeed, the Mecca of the prophet cheftain. |
His power is broken with his people Hencefor- !
ward he and his Murids must lurk in the noun |
tains.