, 1877-08-11

49, ~ O"Sb WV - HhS 9uu q lIuUSe
man, for d~esertion and that on the 6rst
symptom Of assault he himself abandoned his
command. The general idea l received was
that the garrison of the Enir Oshlou fought
Well, but that the troops in Arabian itself did
not show much yal0ur. The losses in the
outwOrk were most severe. Out of four com.
panieS Of the AngOra Regiment who were pre-
sent only l6 men escaped. The corps, togeth.
er with the Van, Mo3sh, and Siyas battalions.
seems TO have particularly distinguished itself.
AS a rule the regimen'al officers appear to
have shown much courage; ll2 are reported
as killed. The fugiiiveS spoke in the highest
terms OF the Russians, who treated the sick
and wounded with the greatest consideration
and kindness. sending the worst cases 10 their
own hospitals for treatment, and distributing
the others among the neighbouring villages.
All soldiers OF the Niz4m or regular troops,
taken prisoners, are TO be sent across the border
to Russia but all prisoners of the Rsdif or
reserve troops, after being disarmsd, were sup.
piled with five days ratiOns and allowed to
proceed where they pleased, not even being
put on their parole to refrain from serving
again. Grain also had been distributed among
frontier villagers to SOW in their fields. This
treatment, 80 foreign to what soldiers and vii.
layers receive at the hands of their own Gov.
eminent, has produced a most favourable i'm.
preston. If prompted by political motives. it
is a most sagaciOus step if by a nobler feel
ing, it is worthy Of the highest praise.
A great number of men persisted 10 the flight
owing 10 the destruction Of the bridge over the
Kur Su Ivy the Russian guns when it was
crowded with f~ugilives, The cavalry, now.
ever, who conducted the pursuit, appeared to
have behaved with more forbearance than
pursuing cavalry usually do, for they contsn.
ted themselves with heading the flying masses
and driving them back to camp, where, as I
have before remarked, they were received with
kindness and attention, The sick being well
cared for, and the reserve troops being furnish
ed with %rstions. I am afraid this shows that
the Russians, in spite of the reported bravery
of the Van, MOosh, Sivas, and Angora Corpse,
do not value the Redif Regiments as autsgo-
nlstio, but, d~espising them as soldiers, do not
consider them worth al expense which their
detention as prisoners would naturally entail
on the Cars Government.
Early on the morning Of the Ist of June We
again proceeded on our way. We saw three
battalions encamped at q spot about three
miles north Of Shirdeh, and in rear Of them
were two small earthworks which the men had
been upwards of a fortnight in constructing.
They were of weak profile and 10 very bad po-
%sition, being commanded on both tanks as we'll
as by a bill some 500 yards in front. What
their object was l am at a loss to conjecture;
for the purpose of defending the defIs they
were utterly worthless.
A few mil es further on we came across the
head of a column of four battalious, with two
mountain guns, accompanied by a string Of
about 400 pack horses carrying ammunition,
IN full retreat from OH on Hindsk. There
were very few officers with this force, aud the
way in which the march was conducted ives
most discreditable, struggling along in no for
nation at all. The men covered fully 10
miles of ground. There was no advanced
guard aud no rear guard. The ammuui-
tiou pack horses were certainly accompanied
by soldiers, who for the most part had Slid
their rifles through the sings of the cases, and
were strolling along as they pleased but, In
stead of the baggage being kept we'll together,
it was scattered throughout the string Of tho
column. The few officers we met were usually
in groups of twos aud threes, often entirely
~unaccompanied by men. It is no sxaggeration
to say that we often covered . mile Of ground
without seeing one. This was Q retreat caused
BY the advance of the Russians on Olti-a
movement conducted almost in the face Of the
enemy, certainly within striking distance of
his cavalry
Pushing on through Lisgaf, we reached
Kutamao at z p. M. having been - hours in
the saddle, and on the same horses. As there
were no Turkish troops at Oli-indeed, none
between US and the Russians-we abandoned
mir in t~antion Of visiting that niaca. and daeminC