New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-05-12

u COuSluGIdukb
quantity of ammunition and provisions
behind. Both in 1888 and 1854 Bayazid,
which is the frontier town toward Persia
on the great caravan road from Tabriz to
Erzeroum and Trezibond, played con-
spicuous part, and the Turks laid a great
stress on the protection of this point,
which on one side controls the shortest
road from the Ararat country to Erze-
roum and on the other leads to the Van
and upper Euphrates country. In 1854
the first and only engagement with the
Turkish troops IN the open country
were fought in that direction, and it
was only after defeating the Turkish
forces under Selim Pasha on the thirtieth
of July, 1854, that the Russians could
take possession of this point According to
a Russian bulletin there were only i700
Turkish troops about Bayazid, and these,
without even firing O shot, for nothing is
said OF an engagement, withdrew to the
slopes of the Allada, a high mountain
near the sources Of the Euphrates; and
this fact would show that, unlike former
occasions, when great importance was at
tached by the Turkish commander to the
defense of Bayazid and the watershed
between the Euphrates and the Aras, or
Phasis, flowing into the Caspian, this
point has not now been taken into the
range of defensive operations, or else by
piece of unpardonable negligence on the
part of the Turkish commanders i'll Ana
tolia an important defensive position has
been surrendered. In the absence of
proof to the contrary, the Turks may be
credited with having abandoned Bayazid
from strate gical considerations rather than
from negligence. These movements show
that the Russian forces are advancing in a
semi-eircle toward Erzeroum, while the
Turkish forces are concentrated in tri-
angle of Erzeroum, Olti and Kars. The
Turkish position is, so far, O good one,
while the Russian advance is too extend
ed to be justified, except by the number
Of men in reserve and following up the
advance. According to information re-
ceived here, there are no less than 140,-
600 men conducting and supporting the
movements; so that we may be prepared
to hear of the first battle having been
fought south of Kars, followed by the ad-
vance forcing the passes between Getse-
van and Deli Musa to Midschanger and
Hassan Kelab, where the Turks will have
to take up their position for the defense
of Erzeroum, for if once. the crest of the
mountains, bordering Erzeroum on the
east, is won by the Russian troops, the
town is lost. The Russian consuls of Ba-
toum, Kars, Erzeroum and Trebizond
accompany the headquarters, and will be
trusted with the civil administration of
the districts occupied.
Very significant for the thoroughness of
the Russian advance so far is the fact that
each corps has kept up communication
with the others throughout. This has
been accomplished by the Cossacks. The
number Of Turkish troops at and between
Erzeroum, Kars, and Batoum amount to
Ga, 900 regulars, of whom 1000 are cavalry
and about 4O00 artillerists. In addition,
there are some 6000 militia and about 5000
Kurdish irregular cavalry. Kars is well
armed, but the detached forts are badly
placed and cover each other insuficiently
or not at all; nor are any of the fortresses
we'll provisioned, with the exception oil
Erzerourl, where there is a large stock Of
rice and Indian corn.
1t does not appear from the terms OF
her declaration whether Turkey intends a
blockade of Russian ports in the Black
Sea, as maintained by her fleets through
their presence in the neighborhood OF
such ports, or whether by simply placing
a squadron ut the entrance of the Bos.
phorus she shuts off all communication
between Russian ports in the Black Sea
and the Mediterranean; nor has there
been any expression of opinion as to the
view which would be taken regarding the
latter course by the powers who were par.
ties to the declaration of Paris.
HARD FIGHTING AHEAD.
A London dispatch to the Graphic O.
May 8, contains the following:
There is general expectation here thai
the first great battle of the war will bt
fought somewhere between Kars anG
Erzeroum. If Kars has not fallen, as il
reported, it is practically in the hands O.
the Russians, as they have surrounded i
and are marching inland.
Military authorities here do not regard
it as likely that the Turks will allow them
selves to be cooped up in Erzeroum, but
will fight somewhere in the passes of the
Souganlu mountains, which afford many
finely defensible positions. Indeed this
portion of Armenia has been called the
Switzerland of Asia. As the Russians
greatly outnumber the Turks, it is barely
possible that they may outfank every po-
sition the latter can wake up, and force
them back on Erzeroum. The experience
of recent wars, especially that in America,
shows that attacking fortified lines is q
very serious matter, and hence in modern
wars the strategy of fanking plays an i'm
portant part. The heavy rains and swollen
condition Of the streams have retarded
operations upon the Danube, but there
will soon be thunder all around the sky.
The naval authorities here are very
anxious for q contest between the English
ironclads of the Turkish navy and some
of the Russian ironclads. Immense
sums of money have been spent by all the
European nations in ironclads, which
have never been tested in actual war.
Some of these naval constructors even
think it would actually pay England to
go to war with some nation in order to
test the various models before incurring
further expense,
Hobart Pasha, who is dashing officer
will undoubtedly force fight the very first
chance he gets. If he should be defeated
it would create veritable panic in this
country; if he succeeds. however, in over
coming the Russian navy, or any part of
it. it would so stimulate the war path that
nothing could prevent England from en-
tering into the contest
The result of the first nights debate on
Gladstone's resolutions settles the ques-
ton, and the Tories are masters of the
field. The Liberals are all split up among
themselves, and it ia with the greatest
difficulty that discipline is maintained in
their ranks. The Russian war has given
a new lease of power to the Conservatives,
and it must be many years before the Lib
erals can resume their old position in the
councils of Great Britain.