Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-01-18
TRRBIzoNp, Dec 10. 1877.


: TREBlzoND, Dec 10. 1877.
To the Editor of the Free Fress and Times
In your issue of November 9, you announce
tie capture of Erzeroum by the Russians.
We have had that news here many times
during the past month with ali the details
of capture, the next day to be contradicted
by the arrival of the post or a telegram.
Down to the 9th inst, the Russians had not
taken Erzeroum, and it was so uncertain what
they would do that the people were return
ing to their accustomed avOcations which the
excitement of month ago interrupted.
However, hear that the Russians are very
active bringing up new reinforcements until
they will soon have eighty four battallons of
infantry, besides cavalry and artillery. They
are also bringing up great numbers of siege
guns and establishing batteries on the sum-
mits above the town. This is marvellous
activity when the mercury is creeping down
to zero, and the ground in the plains is COW
cred with foot of snow, and in the noun
tains with twice or three times that depth.
1t would seem to indicate, too, tina. the shock
of war may burst at any moment on the de-
voted town even now the assault may have
begun.
In my last, of November 9TH, spoke OF
the natural strength of the position of the
Deye Boyoun Mountain Pass, and of the DIFF
ficulty the Russians would encounter in cap
turing it. While l wrote it was already cap
tured, net, however, without hard-fought
battle which lasted all day. Sunday, Nov. 1.
The Turks had rallied their scattered and
demoralized forces, had hurried up guns and
put them in position to arrest the progress
| of the foe at this point. But nearly all the
trained artillerymen had remained in kars,
and most of the cannon were of the krupp
| pattern of breech-loaders, most effective in
the hands of sklful gunners, but useless IN
less wcll-handled. Many of Moukhtar's |
20, 900 troops were raw recruits. gathered in |
| from every quarter on the spur of the mo-
ment Still, with these disadvantages,
| Moukhtar was able to hold his position dur
| ing the whole day, repulsing the repeated |
assaults of the brave and persistent Russians. |
| He would probably have held the field at
night, had not the ammunition for the guns |
| on his centre failed. The Russians, observing |
the slackening of the fire from that quarter,
Immediately charged, and the weary defend
ers broke and ran. All attempts of the |
commander in-chief to rally them failed,
and others, catching the infection, Joined in
the flight, until the retreat broke into dis
orderly rout. A few of the cannon were got |
off, but most of the gunners cut loose their
horses, and mounting them made good their |
own escape. The rest of the guns, some for |
ty or fifty in number, few oil very large |
calibre, with camp equipage. stores and all,
fell into the hands of the enemy.
Darkness shut down on the retreating
rabble.-a friend, too, it was. But the road
to the town, distance Of about five miles,
was a scene of the widest confusion. AMI
mails and men, the well. the sick and the
woun ded, tired on each other in their blind
attempts at escape. And when they reach
ed the gate Of the city they were refused ad
mittance by the guard. who, to prevent pill
laying in the town, had been ordered to re-
fuse admittance to the crowd until morning.
In fear of the enemy behind them, suffering
from hunger and cold and wet, for storm
had begun. half rain and halt snow, the
crowd grew frantic to get into the city
Many were trodden to death, Others were
shot by the guard, when at last they were
obliged to submit and wait till morning as
best they could.
That night, or early the next morning, was
the grand opportunity of the Russians. If
they had pushed on they could have taken
the town without a blow. Indeed, the
Turkish generals considered whether they
would not surrender the town without the
least attempt at defence. But orders reach
ed them from Constantnople to hold out to
the last and they began to gather up their
scattered forces for vigorous defence. The
Russians have again proved themselves true
to their reputation for uniformly missing
their opportunity, and they must now fight
sharply for what was then ready to drop
into their hands.
The Turks began their work Of reorgan-
zation by giving hasty trial to
number of those who showed the white
feather at the Deve Boyoun, and con-
demning them to an ignominiOus death. On
Thursday Nov. Sth the rattle Of musketry led
the town people to suppose another battle
had begun-nOw at their own doors Some
thing like panic ensued, but the citizens
were treasured when told the firing was only
tue execution Vi sOint tlSnttcfl, among them |
a colonel, for cOwardly conduct. The moral
effect of this vigOrOus action was marked and
wholesome and cfme Just in time. For, next
morning, long before light, flashes OF light,
and strea rs of molten flames poured forth
from hundred cannon. The inhabitants
woke from their dreams to look on the i'm
presslye sight and to listen to the awful and
deafening roar.
ho ha1 baap made nm Agiy E,rt |
situated at the eastern border of the summit
OF Tope Dazh, a high hill lying Just east of
the town. If this fort could be carried, and
two others on the summit of the hill, tho
town would be at the mercy of the invaders
Parties of Russians scaled the precipitous
sides of the hill and with ladders mounted
the parapet, their numbers being rapidly
thinned by the Winchester and Peabody
rifles in the hands of the defenders OF
the fort At fearful cost in slain
and wounded they captured the fort a
and took the garrison prisoners Prop
erly supported they should have held it
securely and the tall of Erzeroum would have
been natural sequence. But they were not
reinforced and the opportunity was lost. The
Turks rallied to the rescue and rushed fiercely ,
upon the Russians in the fort. A deadly
hand to-hand conflict ensucd and the Rus
SLAMS. overpowered, were literally cut to
pieces The Turks gave them no quarter,
but satrei and bayOneted the wounded and
prisoners as well az those with arms in their
hands. Only fifteen or twenty Of this brave
escaped. A few were spared as "A
prisoners The remainder were slain or
brutally murdered, and the bodies stripped
and mutilated and maltrcated as the fierce o
and unbridled rage of the Turkish sOldiery s.
ictated few days after, Ter kergaroif,
the Russian commander. sent to the city
hundred OK carts loaded with Turkish a
wounded found on the field of Deye BoyOun, $,
with this message to Moukhtar Pasha :"
hear you butcher my wounded men like -
heep. have cared ior yours and now re- :,
urn the IN to you.
Since the defeat Of November 9TH the
russians have made no urther attack on the u
own. The success OF that day has done =
much to restore the moral tone Of the Turk II
-h soldiers, and with greatly increased num- &C
'ers from many rciniorcements that have
oincd Moukhtar. the capture of ErzerOum b
rows daily more difficult \
Meanwhile the people that are 50 un!or I
innate n to be shut into the beleaguered fu
own are likely to suffer great Iriyation, this
Inter The governm ent has provided i'm of
nense stores Tor military purposes, none of Mt
which can the people touch Though not ii,
wholly invested, the roads to the cast and m
outh, whence come the greater part OF the
rOvisions for the town, are cut off Prices =,
ave already reached four OF five times their u,
rdnary figures and thousands are utterly =,
estitnte The supply Of fuel is also greatly H. H.
efficient. The good Tor Erzeroum is brought III
n OK carts five to eight days Journey. This
L., . A -