The New York herald., 1877-12-10


General At Aladja Dagh which has yet been pub
lshod:-
ERzERoUx, Oct "a, 1877.
The tide OF fortune has turned, and I Gnd myself
here part OF the crowd that 1ed disorder before tho
Russian attack OF the lilh and 18th inst. IL was "a
terrible disaster tor tho Turkish arms all tho
that sanguine expectations entertained to tho
powers OF resistance oil the Ottoman army acting on
the defensive
SIDE. except from one large position gun which tho
Russians had established K.slepe ana from winch
they threw occasional shells against the rcdoubt
Lakirdgitepe, conical hill on our extreme right.
Large masses OF Russian troops moved the plain
by Kapaxtope. ultimately occupying the greater Yasni
hill, and long columns were dehllng toward
right, marching In the direction OF the city Of
AMI, on the banks OF tho Arpalscha RIVER These lat
ter subsequently disappeared and at a 10
account Tor their destination. In tho afternoon tho
Marshal and his stan rode to the summit OF Aauja TO
reconnotre, but hing couli DO made out The 1lth
passed without Incident save the cont ued shelhng
OF Lakrldgitepe ny the heavy gun on Kistep6 On
the 18th The Russians made u onnossance tow
ard kars, and some heavy firing TOOK place in that
direction. Tho enemy was evidently trying how far
he could venture without drawing Us from posi-
tons and the knowledge ol this they gained proved
fatal in the end. Moukhtar Pacha was evidently re-
solved, coutequi-cole to stand the defensive low
ably surprised by the range OF two siege guns placed
in position near Subatan. The headquarters were
concealed rom view behind rocky ledge. from
the crest OF which the Marshal was in the habit
Of observing the plain with large tec
scope was sitting at my tont door, Tor by
this timo had managed hnd loni
loud wLirring noise attracted my attention, aud
next moment sixteen cenlmetre snell burst with .
crash twenty yaras from General aud his staIi
The range enormous. From the flash OF the gun
till tho arrival OF tho shell seventeen seconds elapsed
Tue cncmy's guns were at distance or 900 yards,
and besues, our position wus some eight hundred i0et
above tho plain. As a first shot at unknown dis
tAnce tho correctness Of tho ann remarkable In
the extreme Shell utter shell followed IN rapid sue
cession, somc directed agnst headquarters the posi-
tion OF which must have been indicated by spies, as
tho tents hidden behind rocks aud against
fortified hill OF Evlatepessi our extreme lofl
All night long this sneilng continued; and tor my
personal safety was Obliged to pack up and move TO
the ambulance, situated, as nave said before, some
three miles to the left. This was q fortunate move
Tor me, as II gave me an opportunity OF witnessing
the turning movement OF the enemy which resulted
In our toial defeat Dr. Carson's ambulance was
pitched IN narrow gorge close by the Turkish one.
A troop oil Arab horse watched tho plain below and
night as established myself IN the tont kindly given
me by the Doctor. Ho seemed very uneasy about
his wounded. Tue ambulance hags lying beside tho
tents were about Us big ordinary pockethandker
chet, and there was every reason to lear that they
decided TO move from this dangerous spot higher up
tho hill; and, accordingly next morning the change
The long slope Of Aiadja strelcn,ng toward Kars.
Thence we commanded a view OF both plains, north
and SOUTH
THE SCENE or THE srRuGGLg.
To explain the battles which took place on the 14th
and 10th inst. = slight description oil the ground
Is necessary. Aadja is a mountain $500 leet IN
height, It's base OF an elongated oval FORM run ming
west. The summit Of a conicai torn il tow.
ard the southeastern extremity OF the oval Al tho
same point u throws out Large spur TO the south
ward. Both the summit and this spar were strongly
ontrsnched and occupied ny eight or ten battaiions
some batteries OF hcld artillery. The bulk tho
Turkish forces occupied the lower portions OF tho
northern slope and numbered from So O00 TO 40 900
regular lroopa On the extreme right (eastl IL tat
topped hill, named Lakirdgitepe, and on the leit
similar one, Evliatoposs, which, as viii be
seen later On, played an important part in tho
fighting To the north OF AladJa IL IN immense plain,
the mouth oil the kars Valley. To the east OF TINS
plan are Tue isolated nils OF Karaya, Kisiilcp6 and
Utchtepc all lhree tho possession the enemy at
the commencement Of tne hgntlng. Toward Kars-
that is. westward-the PLAN bounded by Two hills
the greater and lesser YagnL The greater Yagui IS
midway between Eviatepcssi ana tho lesser Yagni,
and, as have already stated, was occupied by the
Russians alter our ietrogradc movement OF tho stu
INST. The other Two nils were III our hands aud
strongly intrenched. Continuing the line formed by
these his the south OF tho western extremity
oil Aladja are tnree imilar isolated hills one exactly
opposite iong OF The Aladja oval Then comes
u large pain.lIke valley, and beyond, at some OF ghl
miles distance, chain Of mountains, gradually less.
ening In height toward kars aud slightly oDQuo 70
AlauJa
THE TURKISH RIGHT TURNED
II was halfpast two the afternoon AZ, 1od glass
In hand, stroed eisurely on tho hill crest above tho
ambulance. Tho eye ranged lar and WIDE q
OF plain on either side Il would be long days
70 traverse. The boom OF gun from one of the
Ions To the south VI Aadja attracted my attention.
Somo stray Cossacks,n said 10 myself and turned
another, and then the long ratio OF muskciry This
time my accustomed eye perceived the iong white
pracl,ce could dislingusn from inc mist lines
OF these lofty hills Another look, and
slender slender creeping lines were VISIBLE on tho
the disappearance OF the Rusi reinforcemcnts Tho
enemy, naviag made u long detour from tho camp OF
karayaI, turning our right aank by AMI and Match.
ivan, had marched parallel to the OF position
and wero actually attacking the rear OF lott flank.
Tue Marshal ana mis- stat wore already on the hllI
whence proceeded the cannonadc. he Russians had
occupied lofty h TO the northwest, whero they had
placed couple OF batteries Some Turkish Dattaous
despatched across tho valley we're iuriousy assaug
the flank Of tho snemys line oi march, the latter
were replying from their upper POSITIONS IL was
usual Piled thor MartniH Henry rifles zeal that
strcaked tho hii with ono snowy line OF papItating
smoke. The Russians, as usual fred with eUoration
| could almost count the nno shots on their side,
though tho orce tney dcployed fully equal 10 that
Of the attack rhe encmys artillery was principally
engaged Smelling Turkish forces further on toward
what turned out to DO the objective point TIN near
sunset tho comUat continued, the Russian colum MS
still streaming onward, apparently needless Of mo
serried voeys and Tile nring OF their advcrsaes Tho
Turks, who u soemed numbered eight Dattalions to-
gctber with soven despatched IRON Bay aud three
worsted, commenced retiring toward tho extremity Of
the hill range next kars The sun really beyond
tho distant SUBMITS and with its rays the fc OF
conDatants diod out
THE TERMINAL HILL cArTURKp.
The Russians had advanced hall way from tho
higher hill whence they had commenced TO the nnal
conica h which terminated ABRUPTLY IN the nat VAL
Icy. Moukhtar Pacbn, dccmng The aay's nshting
over turned rem and rode with MS stan over the long
slopes ieading TO MS headquartcrA Too, was tired.
turned my uorse 10 Craze, aud, lying down ON tho
scant yellow gsass gazed on the scene OF conflict
seen Issuing from the point To which tho Russians
had advanced could not make u out Al hrst. Little
by litto these streaks Increased In number and tho
nal hill seemed all abaze with bursting projcc-
tiles But there was no sound OF artillery. Tue
enemy was bombaring the position with Congrrvc
rockets. Tho IRE was so rapid that tho sky all
ablazc. Al least sixty per msnuto wero discharged
To mo they seemed 10 burst much too high do any
execution uniess the heads were charged with
bullets Then l saw long lines OF 1lckcrlng nro
40 up the MIL parallel TO the crest OF nano that
crowned the crest Hall dozen times these merry
lines approached aud rccoiled Then they mingled !:
tncn came a pause. Rocket aud musgetry IRE ceased
Judged that the Russians had taken tho hill Turk.
isb officers laughed at mo; told me the position
inpregnabIe but rotircd to my tent with sad Is.
gvinga ordered everything to DO packed and tho
horses saddled ready for any contingency. said TO
myself, III tho enemy has captured that hill they arc be-
tween US and Kars, aud Tomorrow dawn must see
q desperate c0naicLu 1 could mot sleep. | wont TO
tho tent OF DR.. Carson, whore he watched beside
his sick colleague. We talked over the imm N ediate
prospects Ho was very uneasy. l told HIM ! DO
icvod retreat was imminent, and that should tho
Russians have captured the terminal hill benind us
wo should have 10 retreat on tho morrow over a
slender strip OF ground swept by tho cnomy's nrc.
While wc were speaking Two batlalons went by IN
thc dark, followed by long trains or wagons. Tncn
came artillery foursons and pack mules, and long
limos oil baggage cames succeeded IL was procession
without end. Long into the night the