Year: 1877




In Armenia.


The Russian official announcement that


Kars has been captured by assault does not


come to us Unexpectedly after the events OF


the past few weeks in Armenia The iaii


of the fortress must be regarded


as necessary consequence OF the


complete shattering Of Moukhtar Pacha's


army at the battle Of Alaja Dagh, III


which the entire machinery of the defence


of Armenia broke down before the strategy


and valor Of the Russians. The relation OF


Kars to that plan of defensiye-offensive


operations, which, being temporarily sue
cessful, gained for the Turkish commander
the highest military title known in Turkey
namely, "Ghazi," or the victorious-was o
very close one. The city, in fact, repre-
sented the point on which oil tho move
ments of the Turkish army hinged, and was
intended to be at once o base of supplies
for days of victory and place OF refuge
for those of disaster according as the for
tune Of war determined. But over-elated
with his apparent success in forcing the
Russians back over the Soughanlu Noun
tains to their intrenchments before kars,
and thence away toward their own frontier
near Alexandropol, Moukhtar allowed him.
self to be drawn into trap, which was
skilfully laid and promptly sprung when
he entered it. The result is now well
known. Moukhtar suddenly found himself
without an army and retreating on Kars
with few broken battalions, while the
whole fabric Of his dream Of victory had
vanished like morning mist.


Probably few hours stay in Kars con-
vinced Moukhtar that a further delay in the
fortress would be extended by the Russians
to the time Of the capture or surrender Of
the place. He therefore left only
sufficient garrison to hold the
lines and hurried with every man
he could carry with him behind the Sou
ghanlu range. His object was clearly the
protection Of Erzeroum from coup de MAN.
and in this he has been successful
Moukhter had barely escaped-for that is
the true term-from Kars when the pursu-
ing Russians cut off all communication be-
tween the fortress and the capital OF Ar
menia Kars was reinvested and the siege
recommended with redoubled vigor. A
smaller Russian force was necessary
for this purpose than during former
operations which were interrupted by
Moukhtar's advance, but the conditions
under which siege could be pressed be-
came every day more unfavorable. Hence,
although the Russians were able to send
strong columns to pursue and dslodge
Moukhtar from the successive positions
he took up before Ezeroum, the ne
cessity for the capture of Kars grew
hourly more imperative. sudden and IN
favorable change of weather with heavy
SHOWS threatened to paralyze all efforts at
maintaining the commissariat of the army
before Erzeroum. That army being pushed
forward rapidly was not encountered with
the usual impedinenta and, consequently,
could not hold its position in front
of desperate and active enemy without
On absolute certainty as to its supplies.
Besides, the enemy was daily growing
stronger, and had in part recovered his old
confidence, and moreover was holding q
we'll supplied city against defciently sup
piled force Two necessities. therefore,
pressed upon the Russians with almost
equal urgency. One was to supply, the
other to reinforce, their army before Erze-
roum


So long as Kars held out not only was it
necessary to maintain close siege, but also
to hold points on the road between that
place and Erzcroum rs a precaution
against an interruption of communications
that would be fatal to the Russians. There
fore the corps Of Ardahan which had been
pushed southwestward to Pennek for the
purpose Of cooperating with the army ad-
vancing from Kars on Erzeroum, was forced
to occupy the passes of the Soughanlu
Mountains and could not be added to the
situation for the Russians, while being the
consequence of great victory, was yet
filled with difficulty. True, the Turks could
not have mustered sufficient force this
season to drive back the Russians from
Kars, but the latter, although holding
yet be compelled to relinquish advantages
of position which in the reopening
Of the campaign next spring would
cost them heavily to win back. The
solution Of this grave difficulty lay
clearly in the capture Of Kars and the


release Of large Russian forces for op-


erations against Erzcroum; the absolute
clearing out Of the Turks from all points


within the sphere Of Russian operations
the creation Of confidence in the inhabitants
of the country as to Russias ability to per-
manently hold Armenia and the impossibiIity
Of the return Of the Circassian and bashi-
bazouk to wreak vengeance on the villagers
who assisted the Russians.