The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-05-24

Sd Of September, twelve hundred Of the
regular cavalry, beside Bashi- Baz0uks,
were collected on the heights of Tahmsab,
and . good feed given to each animal.
Their riders then prepared to cut their
way through the Russians and escape.
Away then went q grim-looking force on
their famine.smitten horses. The Russian
report Of the engagement that followed
states that five hundred OF the Turks were
cut down and large number captured.
The dead bodies lined the road as far as
the village of Kizil. Ghiadouk, and in the
passes.
Gen. Mouravieff learning that great
supplies of. provisions were collected at
the villages of Otti and Peniaka, with in.
tention Of being forwarded to Kars, took
steps to intercept them and was success.
full. He also swept off many of the Turk.
ish cattle from before Kars, and thus con.
siderably lessened the food supply of the
straitened garrison. On the Goth of Sen.
tcmber the most severe battle took place
under the leadership, on the part Of the
Turks, of 1smael Pasha Gen. Kmety, q
Hungarian officer, who kept the fortress
with Gen. Williams), and the Russian
troops. Simultaneous attacks were made
on the heights at Tahmsab, Fort Lake
and other points. The Russians were
utterly routed, and had not starvation
destroyed the cavalry of the Turks, the
Russians might hsve been scattered and
annihilated as AN army. The battle lasted
seven hours; the Turkish army lost 1852
killed and 63l wounded, and 1O1 towns.
people persisted. The Russians carried
1000 wounded off the ground and a great
number of dead; yet Notwithstanding
this the Turks buried no less than $500
Russians left dead on the field. Amongst
these were many officers Of highest rank.
The Russians themselves stated their loss
at 6, 517 killed and wounded, $50 of this
number being officers.
Such was the fearful slaughter of the
battle of Kars. The Notifications proved
TO be impregnable. They could not be
carried by assault. Then the Russians
sat down to the task of starving the fortress
out.
Although severely beaten in this battle,
the Russians were not put to flight. The
Turkish cavalry had persisted, and pur.
suit was impossible. Under these cir.
cumstances the Russians rallied, and were
enabled to resume the blockade of the city
with as much strictness as before.
A detail of the horrors suffered by the
wretched soldiers and inhabitants of Kars
from this period until, when exhausted by
starvation, they surrendered to foe whom
they had so gloriously defeated, is appall-
ing and hideous. The tortures of disease
were added to the pangs of hunger. The
cholera appeared with great virulence.
The hospitals we're crowded with sick and
wounded troOps-but that which they most
needed, ncurishmcnt, could not be given
them. No animal food, not even horse.
flesh, was cow served out to the troops;
the rations of the soldiers consisted OF
nothing but small supply of coarse
bread, and something called soup, but
made of flour and water only. Some un-
happy soldiers. overcome by sickness and
and abandoned by hope, crept
into deserted houses, and there died In
hi6eous solitude. A terrible change was
coming over the men; they were vislbly
they tOttered in their walk;
their faces were gloomy and haggard, and
their eyes blOodshOt and wOlfsh. Some
poor wretches were tempted by the high
price of the bread in the city to sell their
miserable ratiOns; but those who did this
sank and died at their posts. Grass was
torn up in every open space where itcould
be found, and the roots greedily devOured.
Outside the city swarms of vultures were
to be seen preying on the mangled corpses
which the hungry dogs had scratched out
of their shallow graves. All this was
borne in the hope that the Russians might
be compelled to retire, or that the garri-
son at Kars might he relieved by Selim
Pasha, who had landed at TrebizOnd with
considerable army, or by Omar Pasha,
whom they supposed to he advancing to
their assistance. These hopes were not
to be fulfilled. The desperate wretched-
ness of the soldiers and townspeople was
getting still more hideOus. Cats were sold
for a hundred piastres each, for the sake
of food. The few horses that were
left had their Threats cut to prevent them
from dying of starvation, and the flesh of
these emaciatcd brutes was regarded as a
luxury. Soldiers were sent to the hOspi-
tails in large numbers, in state of exhaus.
ton from starvation. Frequently hun
drcd men persisted in the hospitals during
the day and night, while others went mad
or became idiOtic from the sufferings they
had undergone.
Still in the garrison the work of starva-
ton went ON with increasing grimness
and horror. Children dropped and died
in the streets, and every morning skele-
ton-like cOrpscs were found in various
parts of tile camp. The soldiers deserted
in large numbers, and discipline was
almost at an end. AT one time the Door
fellows, who had almost worshiped Gen.
now refused to salute him,
and turned their eyes away when they
saw him approach. Some Of the towns
people crowded around him as he rode
out OF his quarters, and entreated him to
seek some means of putting an end to
their misery. Wretched women forced
themselves into his very room, and, lay
ing their pallid, famine. smitten children
at his feet, implored him rather to kill
them than to let them perish from want.
At length all hope of relief from either
Selim Pasha or Omar Pasha had expired.
Gen. Williams received a note in cipher
from the English Consul at ErzerOum
saying, II fear you have no hope but in
yourselves; you can depend on no help
in this quarter" 1t vas useless to con-
tend any longer against what was in
evitaole. On the 25th of November Gen.
Williams proceeded under flag of truce
to the Russian camp. He was received
with great courtesy by the Russian Gen.
eral, MOuravicf. The English hero con-
sented to surrender on certain condi-
tons, adding, "If YOU do not grant
these, every gun shall be burst, every
standard burnt, and every trophy de-
stroyed; and you may then work your
will upon the famished crowd" A ca
pitulation was arranged that was salts
factory. The articles of surrender were
drawn up and executed. On the 9th
the capitulation took place. On the 28th
the Russians took possession of the town.
The victorious army gained 100 cannon
and great stock Of arms, besides z 1000
or 8 600 soldiers as prisoners.
1t was remarked that the fall of Kars
was disgrace and scandal to oil who
might have contributed to prevent it. It
was Q disgrace to Selim Pasha, with his