The New York herald., 1877-10-12

the unpleasant things We had scon in the course OF
our ride
THE RUSSIANS RETIRE. AND THE TURKS FOLLOW
THEM UP-THE VILLAGE OF PoPKEUr-HAvoc
BY THE DAsHI-BAzouKs WITNESSED on EVERY
HASD-A sKIRMIsH AT KARAvATcH-LAsJ
DAYS OF MEHEMETs vIcroaIoUs CAREER
CAsr OF rnE TURKISH ARMY ~ THE FIELD.
korArcnE TWENTY aILEs EAST or BJgLA.
sept l5 1917
Thc rst result OF tho Turkish victories at Karabas
san aud Kuzeljeyo has beer cause the Russians "a
retire from the Whole OF their positions on the Iom
and, as a natural consequences, tho army OF Mchemct
All will advance along the whole line and push hs
enemy back n defensive position covering B1ela Tue
CORPS Of united Turks ana Egyptians under the COM
mand OF Prince Hassan which Is cncamped the
heights above this village updcr orders march tor
ward and the advance to take place yesterday but
the rain poured aown in torrents It was postponed
and tho corps remained on the summit Of the bleak
plateau during tho whole day. The rain drove in
sheets and the cold great On the day Of tho
baltic OF Kuzcljevo the 5th inst, the weather sud-
denly changed and tho set in; since tnen va
have enjoyed fine bracing weather and, with the ex.
ccpton OF yesterday, rain has ialcn although the
rainy season IS fast drawing on. On Tuesday, the
11th, tho morning broke with . dense, heavy mist
winch gradually cleared up and orders were a. onca
gwen By the Commander int Chief TO march.
THE ADVANCE
Tho tents OF the camp quickly struck. the sg.
ons loaded up, horses sadded and In short tuc the
staff moved down heights into the valley OF tne
LON. The nrst village on The route was Sultanken,
which had been occupied by tho Russians before the
battles; hall OF the place burned down, and
yet none OF the Inhabitants had returned.
tced that the Russians had thrown several bridges
river passage OF their heavier guuA
The road then led through a charming lerlile country
into deep ravinc, through which runs one
Of the little tributary brooks Of tho LON. 4:
grove OF unusually largo trees, which must have
formed delightful ana secure camping place Tor
whcd away many tedious hour during the heats OF
August beneath tho shade OF THIS grove. was over
TINS ground, between Sultankeni and Popkoni, that
tue Reconnaissance OF General Baker anu aides, Majors
Alx and Briscoc, had teen made low days ago.
during which they mado the discovery the Ru~siau
retreat and tho critical position OF the fourteen heavy
guns which Hassan Pacna declined TO capture Soon
after leaving the rayine We arrived a. Popken tha
famous village the Lom which the Russians had
made one OF thor bases OF operation on tho line Of
the river
The village owes it's importance to its connection by
rood roads with Bela on tho west (twenty eight miles
and with osman Bazlr on the sou heast (wonty milesI
Popkeni Is built on tho slope oil valley which ntcr.
miles distance from he stream. noticed TO my
prise that the villagers had already begun TO return
women were filling thcir watcr pitchers at the foun
tain; herds OF sheep aud goats were boing driven
along the streets by the children and tho men were
sitting In groups under tho shade Of the fcnccs discuss
ing tho conaon OF their houses and fields alter tho
Gaour occupation. And TO tell the truth | fancy
tho villagers found everything pretty much in satv
quo, lar their dwellings were concerned /
halted aud cooked my dinner In q deserted Bulgarian
house, the owner oil which was evidently great wine
grower, Tor In his ground floor two I'm
mopse casks tho heads OF which had been knocked
In u Turk, who watching my culinary operations
with interest," told that the unfortunate Bull
gar hau lied without attempting to save any OF MS
wine, but had abandoned tho Two brimming casks "a
the advancing Cossacks. Many OF the shutters and
TO servo as hrcwood, but beyond thts
the Turkish quarter seems 10 have escaped
AM m ucl IN aupd
A shell had dccapiiated the minaret and passed
through the roof but the prayer carpets st ned
ON tho 1oor o tue building IN iront OF the niche in
tho eastern wall The Bulgarian school had been
completely guited, OF course, by the bashib bazouKs
drcls had usual cut and slashcd The pictures and
torn the books to pieces, scattering me fragments IN
the village the gun pits batteries shelter
trenches thrown up by tho nssians during per
tneir retreat the battle Kuzeljevo having made the
position-Dot strong one-absolutey untonabie
Somo or the bulgarian houses had boon burned
the battle Of ka'ahassan but whether by the Russian
In an attempt 10 tire the whJlo village or by the basht
bazouks VINO hrsi entered y Immediately alter tht
latter. observed IN Popkcni several graves OF Rus
sian soldiers Tho unfortunate men had boon 50
hastily rr 50 careessly buried that the bodies 10
swelling had burst the graves open. Thc bodies
exposed and presented u dreadful appearance; many
OF them had been dried INFO mummes by the heat ~
tno sun, aud were st covered by shrods and patch6
OF what had once been tho uniform Of their corps
GUNS AND RIFLE
From Popkeu TO kopatche, my present quarters
the whole route IL IS tho direct road to Ijel) is
studded by cartbworks and batteries thrown up by
inc Russians TO protect their rercat and cneck tho
pursuit which they naturally expected after the
ieat inflicted upon thcm at Karahassan. Thanks "a
the incapacity Of the Egyptian Prince tho OK.
treme cuutiousness oil tne Turkish Comma der. .in-
Chici these well placed earthworks not made
Of ana the Russians got clear away To their next
positions before Bjca with the loss OF only fow
horses which lay nalf devourcd by tho dogs aoaa
As usual. tho able and energetic Salich Pacha, wno
IS one OF the best generals IN tho Turkish army ac
companed by Baker Pacha and his nre-eatng aides,
has rcconnorcd the whole country TO tho prcseno
position OF tho Russiaus
REcoSSoIssAScE nj THE ANGLo-ruRKIsE OFFICERS.
One oil he officers Oh the sian gave me few dciails
oil this reconnossancc Baker and aides
Majors Briscoo and Alix. had ridden far Us I
village called karadascb, almost half way 10 Bjca,
where tho ground lies hgn ridges parallel to ths
road, and connected by another ridge interscclinl
them nj right angles just behind the village, above
which is forest, with Ugh ridges In the rear. Beinl
under the impression that the Turkish cavalry WIS 10
advance of them scouting the country the gallant
crai and his aides rode tho top Of ihs
ridge on the lett OF the road, aud to lhcu
aslonsh ment saw nothing whatever Of tn ir cavalry
Not soldier was in sight to show that large porlior
OF tho Iurkish army was advancing. They pushoc
on, however to the village or yoaitscba and "a al
quict sat down village on a grassy plar
and began 10 discuss the lunch they had brought with
them IN their holsters. They had scarcely begun u
when they suddcbly crowds Of villagers pourini
out OF the village, and on questioning them were IN
formed that the Russians wcro about three milo
away.
THE cossAcks
Tho fears of the villagers, or rather bashi-bazoukg
iers 10 Cali the armed male Turk who has agrCul.
turdl interests at present "viag-r') proved 10 be
well founded, Tor suddenly long limo OF CossacKs
made their appearances. IN skirmishing order,
Transverse ridge near karagasch, driving before them
some Circassians Tho English officers triod TO form
up the Circassians ana bsshi-Oazouks into
OF order, but thor efforts were useless, aud the regu
lars took 70 Their heels as nari as they could.
General Baker. seeing that there
moment 10 DO lost, ordered his aides to gsiop
back toward ropkeui and bring up the
cavalry, which presently arrived two squadrons wero
sent through the village aud two others to the right
and iet THIS force op"ned out IN ssrmishing ordcl
and advanced II soon became apparent that the Rus
SLAMS had two regiments OF cavalry, tour bataous o.
infantry and two batteries of close at hand, and
the AIDES were, therefore, sent ly ing bacH
Tor infantry 70 support tho cavalry.
- THE skRaisu or kARAyATcH.
mo turkish cavalry behaved splendidiy keeping q
good hne and hiring steadily, rushing the Cossacki
back by degrees into the wood tho village, aI
though the Russians had now brought tho firs
OF battery IN tho valley and company OF in
iantry on their rigb: aDd lett TANKS 10 bcai
upon The bravo norscIncn. Cndcr this nre
lilo Turkish cavalry had eventually TO give way, but