The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1897-05-13
LAST GREAT BATTLE
Defeat Of the Greek Troops All
Along the Line
After "a Mos, Gallant Resistance Turks
In Possession of More and Better Field
Guns and Also showed Better Gen
eralship Casualties Unknown.


Guns and Also showed Better GEN
eralship Casualti.s Unknown.
LoSDos, May s.-1'he Times print,
the following dispatch from Velestino,
via Athens: THE expected battle be-
gan at half-past six yesterday morning
Thursday at this point and at the
GynoscepistiH and a little later above
Avail and Pharsaios. The positions
are as follows: Velestino and the main
tynoScephala chain were held by the
Greeks. The plain to the northward
and the gray ridge j~utting out between
the Cyno8cephnlr and Velestino were
held by The TURKS.
The Greeks had three batteries Of ar
tiliery and the Turks four. Early in
tillcry fire prevented the advance of
the Turkish infantry. BY half-past
seven the artillery firing was very
heavy on both sides, but each main
tanned its position.
At 1880 a Turkish battery behind
koniari began firing shrapnel, and the
Greeks soon began TO lose ground. A
hot artillery and musketry fusilade
was kept mp until noon, when the
Greeks on the big hill commenced to
retire in orderly fashion, bat at Il dou-
BILE quick. The Turks were not firing
at them, md were apparently ignorant
of their success.
''The irregulars tried in vain to as
sist the Greeks by firing at the adj
van"ing Turks, and, in fact. through.
out the entire engagement they were
practically yalueless,
At i2:45 the Turks attacked the big
hill with %musketry and shell fire. |
aud another correspondent received a
vo'lcy Of five shells very close to us,
besides shrapnel whistling overhead.
Several shots reached the road beyond,
designed probably to prevent the
Greeks from sending achievements to
their left, where the Turks were rap.
idly ascending the hill.
THE Greek batteries on the right
were now useless and almost silent and
the Turks on the Larissa road made no
attempt to attack them.
AT l2:45 p. m. the attack on the
right of the C~ynoscephaln became
severe. The Greeks were in full re-
treat, the notwithstanding in all direc-
tions. At o'clock She long line of
''reeli infantry was ~retreating, the
skirmishers forming into companies
and then falling into single file.
~ hear that the retreat from Cynos-
cephal@ began somewhat earlier and
Domokos earlier still.
despair was doubtless running
down the lines from left to right and
influencing the result. The railway
was completely abandoned and the
~I'yrouphli station deserted.
At o'clock the Evzones retreated
on Atski and the remainder Of the
eastern infantry to Almyros. The
Turks burned the village of Delitus.
During the morning the foreign legion
entered the engagement probably be-
tween pharsalos and Avail. The
Turks were seen to be driving back |
the Greeks along the line extended |
from Pharsatos To Avail, turning the
flank of the Velestino division at the
tynoscephaln and rolling up the
Greeks into two retreating masses.
"Fhe Turks won chiefly because they
had field guns, whereas the Greeks had
only mountain guns.
The former also showed their tacti-
cal superiority by making a strong at
tack near the Cynoscephalm where the
Greeks were weak and without artil-
lery. Two of the chief Turkish bat
tcries were outside the Greek ranks and
the Turks seemed to have found
shelter in rifle pits.
The Greek infantry stood their
ground well under a heavy fire, p
clally along the center OF the line of
Many shells burst around them
and overhead.
Gen. Smolenslti's right wing was
much stronger and could easily have
held its position had not the left col
THE Greeks at Domoltos and Amy
tt's will probably join forces at Lamia
and go together to Mustapha Bev
pass, where the next big battle should
occur, though | am officially informed
that a stand will be made at Domokos.
"Thermopylm will doubtless be left
to the feet. The Cynoscephala was
the main Strategic point of the battle.
The number of casualties is unknown,
but in the early part of the day it APP
peared TO be small"