The New York herald., 1877-10-12
WITH MEHEMET ALI.
The Turkish Camp at
Sarnasuf1ar.
VISIT TO TIE RUSSIAN POSITIONS.
The Battlefield Of Kara
haSSan.
THE M P. AND THE RUSSIAN HEAD.
The Horrors Of Observation-Disclosures
"17uses de Guerre."
HE M P. AND THE RUSSIAN HEAD.
SCENES OF MEHEMETS VICTORIES.

KgTcnILER, NEAR KARAHAssAxKEur, Sept. A. 1877.
have just arrived here from the positions occupied
by tho Turks in Thursdays battle. having travcrsed
tho whole battle field between Haidareui and Kctcni-
Ter along tho valley OF the LON up the heights Of
Karahassnn. 1t was a most interesting journey; all
tho moro so, as we had ALREADY seen tho whole
try below US spread out like map and were familiar
with the localities which had been fought tho day
before started early in the morning from tho camp
beneath the Sakar Tepc, where l hai met with the
greatest hospitality aud good fellowship from the doc
tors Of tho National Society, who had given me
strecher for tho night bed beneath the shelter of
their own tent. hope may mover want strc,chor
savc MS bed OF reposc; II s certainly comfortable
one.
FIELD KARAHAssAN.
Leaving the hospitable camp OF tho National Society
soon after sunrise, set of my tour the field
OF yesterdays tight, accompanied by two colleagues
who were bound tho mission. The road into
tho valley Of tho Lom leads down from SarnasunAr,
through the dense under growth which clothes the
slopes Of the Kirchen hills, and then emcrses upon
the low bare spurs OF the range which occupied
by the Turkish and Egyptian batteries. Reaching tho
valley made straight for tho river but found that
tho bridge at that point broken, horses had
to scramble down the soep bank and ford tho stream
We then entered tho village Of Hadarkeui. which
found completely deserted, but apparently uninured
mentioned IN previous letter that we had eight
or ton Cossacks salop into the village from the battery
behind during the battle, but We could not find any
traces Of fire among the houses barns, ana Il Is
probable, therefore, that the object OF the dash at
Haidarkeui was to set 1t iro tho attempt irus
tratcd by tho Turkish batteries, which shell
two into the place alter tho horsemcn had arrived
THE RUSSIAN rnREE-GUN BATTERY.
between II and Popkeni, the sitc OF the Russian
battery which hrcd well and steadily tho day
Of the battle. My companions did
about visiting the battery, went alone, slowly
and cautiously, keeping under cover OF tho village
long as possible. The Russians still close At
hand at Popkeui, and as trip to Bucharest or st.
Petersburg is not included In my instructions care
fully examined tho ground about the battery through
my glasses before moved out OF the village. NOting
visible on the gentle rdgo, tho crest oi which
the battery Stood except broken down ammunition
wagon and as the site seemed be entreiy deserted
rode up the slope, the natural gLlcis OF tho
terry, and soon found myself tho spot The earth
works consisted OF three single gun pits, behind hch
was extensive parapet, h,nked on eithor side by
shelter trenches and rifle pits for infantry. The ground
up and scored by the Turkish sholls which, having
been red from elevation, had burrowed deeply into
tho Garth and torn the soil IN bursting Several
| shells 4 burst fairly within the works, but many
lay ylcd0d tho LOOSE earth o tho parapet i
| picked up ono OF these 10 take back ana show my
TO its size and weight handed it to my servant to
deposit gently ON the ground and rode on. GAncng
over my shoulder / was horrHcd to SOC tho tupid
fellow driving II into tho ground point downward
gave shout and cnpped spurs INTO my horse, fully
expecting tho next momeut TO SEQ my man and his
horse fly in pieces to all points of tho compass. See
ing gaop of he abandoned his efforts TO 'hide tho
SHE'LL which. he explained, was his object and
seemed surprised when | told him no preparing q
death trap for the 1rst Bulgar poughman who might
pass over The ground. have noticed at Rustchuk
and elsewhere that largo percentage OF tho Turkish
u
sian shells are bind
A TOUR OF OBSERVATION.
Close n tho battery Is tumuus or grave mound,
tho summit OF which has invariably been occupied by
vidcttes Before the battle there was always a Cos.
sack on tho mound, and across tho river at about
eight hundred yards distance u picket OF Turkish
cavalry kept sharp Lookout toward Popkeui wnon
| visited tho battery not Cossack anywhere 10
be seen the tumulus was watch tower for tho
bashbazouks, two Of whom were standing Ike statues
on tho top.
had completed my examination Of tho battery ana
was about 10 ride away, whom, IRON behind tho tumu-
us issued General Baker anu his star and tho British
and French military attaches ''Oh you're tho basbi-
bazouk we've srcn ridIng about here SO long, rc-
marked the jocular Coouc who represents England,
.and you're looking for dead bodies Of course added
the French atuchc. lnughingy replied that there
were no corpses TO plundcr but NJ do Torcy pointed
TO- spot about MY yards ds,an' and sad tna there
there. IL tho body OF fine young man. private
apparently, clothed in white canvas uniform He
lay on his face, with ono arm bent beneath his shat
tered head.
MUTILArIoS
heard subsequently tnat another corpse, whokf
did not sec, lay near The battery. 1t had been dcca
taed ana the head lay n long way IRON tho body .
doubt the Two basnl-bazouks on the mound knew an
about II. Later IN the day another party from the
camp visited tho battery among them vas hr. Ash
bury, the irreprcesible II. T., WHO mad como in his
yacht 'Just TO SEQ hght you Know" II was he.
believe. who found the head OF the unfortunac man,
and am told that as he was turning about with his
stick umbrella OF tho little brass inedaillons
which lha Russian soaiery IN tho habit OF wear
ing dropped from the severed neck aud forthwith
consigned TO the pocket OF the ilustrious tourist
The TURKISH POSITION.
From the battery rode back through Haidarkeui to
tho river aud sought in sound bridge b. which
could cross over ami make short cut to Karahassan
but all Of the bridges had been broken and
obliged to ride up tho river to the had been
crossed by the Turkish infantry when advancing
tack tic village From this bridge splendid view IS
obtaned oil tho kiricheu hills ana Of Sakar Tepc tho
highest point OF the ridge Looking at the position
from the other side of tho ridge had wondered how
Russians could have been driven in the on
gagement OF The 2lst OF August, but seen from tho
LON Valley was still more asionishcd that tho
following day tho Russians should have vcntured an
attempt TO rctako IT, II is truo that at that
time there wee no batteries planted on tho
heights, but the to ridge is 20 dicut that
a handful oil resoiuc infantry can hold IL against n
very much superior iorcc- The few hundred men,
by Valentino Baker Pacha through tho dense bi ush-
wood, who took the Russians IN flank, ablo TO
defeat tho attack OF whole DIVISION, and when
the retreat began heavy Krupp gun. dragged up To
higher point OF tho ridge, able play upon tho
columns rs they rcurcd through the valley with muir
dcrous effect AS IL ~ now, wth thirty guns bat
very on the lower slopes anu on tho hgnest points of
the range the position is absolutely imprcgnabe and
Tor Tue reinaindor oil hs year, at least, 10 certain
that no Russian loot Will trcad those heights again.
ACROSS TiK BATTLg FIELD.
Onco over the bridge made straight for tho line OF
low nils which skirt tho valley. meeting with no
further adventure tnan n duckIng In "a muddy ditch
which thought would afford arm foothold ior my
horse. but INTO which he noundcred up his girhs
and IN his frantic struggles, Tell head irst against tho
opposite BANK was JcrNed on 10 his ears aud buried
my Two arms up TO the elbow IN tho mud either
side OF his head. As Tar as the heights OF
We now passed through large fields OF Indian corn,
some o; ~ higner than heads rode On every
side there we're indications OF the passage OF troop
The corn was troddcn down and the ground
was strcwn with the naif devourcd cops
hastily snatched from the stalk and eaten by
The hungry men as thoy marcned through. A
little further on the ground was Uttered with melon
rinds. fragments OF ammunition boxes and tobacco
papers, but there had evidently been no ngntng over
tuese hcds, ana II was not untii arrived upon the
heights, and skirtcd the woods which crowns
them, that wo saw anything of tho horrors OF war
The ground between Kafahassan has simply been
traverscd without Resistance by the IeL OF
Turks on their advance to carry the village o Haidar
kcut was ut knrahassau the hamlet Kctchilcr
asove IL that the decisive struggle took place.
Arrived on tho heIgh,s | rode along thclr whole
cugth past the wood, which approaches within