The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1877-08-10

terrible slaughter of Circnssians-A Fatal
Cavalry Charge.

&AtNit1 AuAEks-
London Times Correspondence.
| took the road 10 kars and descend
ed into the valley. There, in place Of
ne Kurdish villages which | had passed
through for four days, met with Ar
menians. Only through their Increase
IN dirt was their nationality recogniza-
bic; the inhabitants had all He'd We
rode till noon M some distance from the
right bank Of an aillucnt Of the river
Kars, then crossed To the left bank, and
assembled several spurs Of the kars
Mountains in a southerly direction. The
scenery was Just the same as that we had
seen on the way from Tschoban Bridge
10 sevin--high, snow-covered peaks 70
the left and AT some distance to the right.
We rode up and down steep mountains,
on very bal roads, through swollen
streams and over damp meadows, then
through little seas Of stone, while here
and there solitary trees and the gray
roofs of half-subterranean villages were
% be seen. Suddenly we heard a noise
that resembled the thunder of cannon;
we put spurs to our horses, and when we
reached the summit Of "A ridge Of noun
tains, after half an hours ride, a fearful
spectacle presented itself Before us
our faces were turned to the northeast
and on our right (and thus south Of
where we stood) extended a plain in
which were few villages, fields and
meadows. In the south the plain Is
bounded BY the kars Ischai, while
tributary Of the same river flows through
Il, and on both sides Of the height are
the sources Of this tributary. could
not learn the names Of the villages, but
suppose from the map that we were near
Keketsch, and that the village in the
middle If the plain was Selimkjoi. The
whole terrain was surrounded by high
mountains furrowed with numerous wa
ter courses.
THE RUSSIAN POSITION.
On the heights in the east, probably
at Balgourd and Begly Ahmed, stood
the Russian guns and infantry. The
smoke, unable TO rise from the heavy Mt
mosphcre, prevented me from cstimat-
ing the strength Of the force. should
think il amounted TO three battalions
and twelve guns; and from the heights
in the southwest some thousand Of
mounted Circassians had rushed into the
plains, intending 10 storm the Russian
positions. The result of this mad un-
dertaking-whoeve ordered il deserves
atenfold death for his stupidity--might
have been foresccn by any one, and was,
unfortunately, witnessed by us. Delay
ed by rivers, bitches, blocks of rock, and
not accustomed 10 close ranks in attacks,
the Circassians presented a confused
coil when they came within reach of the
Russian guns, and were decimaied; but,
instead Of commanding speedy retreat,
the commander (perhaps Il was Moussa
Pasha) sent the last reserves after them,
and not one Circassian voluntarily re-
tired. A few riders almost reached the
Russian lines, only 20 fall by well direct
cd shots. II was massacre such as
have never seen-a frightful sacrifice Of
the lives Of foolhardy men, but yet the
climax Of the catastrophe was yet
70 come. Suddenly one squad
ron after the other Of Cossacks
poured over the gorgcs in the Kars
Mountains and fell upon the remnant Of
the Circassians in their flank and rear
The Berdan carbines Of the Cossacks
appeared to be excellent weapons. as
every salvo caused the most dreadful
ravages, while the Circassians are spoilt
BY the new Henry-Martini muskets ;
they no longer aim so accurately, and
instead Of economizing their ammuni-
non, as formerly, they waste IT, They
are like poor people Unexpectedly made
rch, who do not know how to make a
night use Of their money, and waste it
uselessly.
DESERTS HIS PosT.
could not await the result Of the bat
tle; the Cossacks, having approached to
within 400 feet Of us, would see us. AL
though there was no danger Of their
miserable horses being able 10 overtake
our powerful ones my dragomen became
anxious. In case Of our being taken
prisoners he would, as a Pole, be hang
ca, he was certain. On the other hand,
his Polish blood impelled him to fire two
shots AZ the Cossacks, one of whom fell
rom his horse. There could, however,
DC no doubt about the result Of the com
namely, the complete destruction
" the Circassians---so we turned back
and rode to this place on trot. Break
ing open the door Of the largest cottage
We kindled fire, and have made our
selves as comfortable as we can for the
night.