732 



TURKEY. 



ing a large quantity of ammunition. Afterward the 

 Russians occupied the town and citadel. This move- 

 ment was considered as important, as Bayazid is on 

 the road to Erzerum through Toprak Kaleh, the dis- 

 tance being a fortnight's march. The column on 

 the right marched along the coast of the Black Sea 

 toward Batum, in front of which it met with a re- 

 pulse. Another battle before Batutn took place on 

 Friday, May llth. About 5 o'clock in the morning 

 the Kussian forces, which had been largely aug- 

 mented for the purpose, advanced with batteries of 

 field-artillery and made a furious attack upon the 

 heights defending B.itum on the land side, which 

 were occupied by Bashi-Bazouks. The Ottoman 

 troops were intrenched upon the slopes and ledges 

 of these hills, and upon the advance of the enemy 

 they opened on his columns a terrible and well-sus- 

 tained fire of cannon and musketry which literally 

 mowed the Russians down. They fell by scores and 

 hundreds on the plain below the Turkish positions. 

 During their attempts to make way against this fire 

 a body of Turkish horse and foot, taking advantage 

 of a thick forest, broke forth upon the flank of the 

 Russian column, and effected great slaughter. The 

 Muscovites being upon ground perfectly open, and 

 having no choice but to fight or fly, in a short time 

 the spot which was the scene of this flank move- 

 ment became covered with dead and dying Rus- 

 sians. But the enemy quickly brought up reenforoe- 

 ments, and the battle was renewed with much 

 determination. For many hours the eSbrts of the 

 assailants were desperately maintained, but toward 

 midday their artillery fire gradually slackened, and 

 they at length withdrew after suffering very consid- 

 erable losses. The Turkish troops during the entire 

 engagement behaved with great gallantry. They 

 had, however, during a part of the action the advan- 

 tage of intrenchments on high ground, and it was 

 due to this fact, no doubt, that their losses, com- 

 pared to those inflicted upon the enemy, were insig- 

 nificant. The victory was won by the extraordinary 

 courage of the Bashi-Bazouks. The dead and 

 woundad on the Russian side exceeded 4,000. The 

 engagement lasted over eight hours' actual fighting. 

 The last of the Russians did not withdraw until near 

 midnight. The Russians lost many guns. The only 

 Turkish officer of note killed was Khalim Bey, major 

 of irregulars. The column on the left, after occupy- 

 ing Bayazid, marched on to Diadin, and from there 

 moved on toward Jeranos. Another division was 

 sent from Bayazid to the shores of Lake Van, against 

 Van and Diarbekir.to operate from this direction 

 against Erzerum. The main column under General 

 Tergukassoff continued to march on toward Erzerum, 

 until, on June 13th, it met the Turkish army under 

 Mehemet Pasha, on the plain between Delibaba and 

 Zeidekan. The Turks withdrew to a village called 

 Thaha a shepherds' resting-place, abandoned in 

 winter, and not to be confounded with Daher, 8 

 miles off. At 6 o'clock the next morning, after 

 some unimportant outpost combats, the Russians de- 

 veloped a movement upon Zeidekan. Immediately 

 6 Turkish battalions, with all the field artillery 

 available, and 2 mountain guns, moved out to meet 

 the enemy. About noon they came up witli the Rus- 

 sians, about 6 miles from Thaha. Soon after, heavy 

 Russian guns, from a commanding position on the 

 top of a ridge, 4,000 yards off, opened a brisk and 

 well-directed fire on the eminence occupied by the 

 Ottoman troops. Saturday morning, at 6 o'clock, 

 6 large masses of Russian infantry made a general 

 advance, under cover of a terrible artillery fire, the 

 shells, however, fulling short. As they approached, 

 the Turks poured in a steady and effective fire. The 

 enemy still pressed forward, and succeeded in cross- 

 ing the intervening ridge between the two positions, 

 having detached a strong body to turn the Turkish 

 right flank. For two hours, in the face of a de- 

 structive fire from the Russian artillery, the Turks 

 stood to their guns with remarkable courage, noth- 



ing daunted by their losses. At 9 o'clock the 

 Russians brought up 4 field guns on a ridge, which 

 enabled them to rake almost the entire front of the 

 Turkish line. From this moment the losses of the 

 latter became serious ; their men fell rapidly; their 

 artillery was dislodged, and their infantry left ex- 

 posed, without support, to a murderpus tire. For 

 over 20 minutes the Ottomans stood with unflinching 

 courage before this new attack; and at this crisis it 

 was that Mehemet Pasha, their commander, fell, 

 sword in hand, in front of his men. To increase the 

 difficulties, ammunition fell short, and much wild 

 cavalry and infantry firing took place. At 9.45 the 

 Russian fire was actually ploughing the ground, their 

 shells falling like hailstones. Their flank move- 

 ments now commenced with energy, preceded by a 

 hurricane of iron missiles that made wide gaps in the 

 Ottoman centre, tearing its frout ranks to pieces. 

 The height which the Turks held at the opening of 

 the battle no longer became tenable. The survivors 

 were driven off by the Russians at 11.45 o'clock. A 

 cavalry charge from the Muscovite forces completed 

 the discomfiture of their opponents. The Turks 

 lost 350 in prisoners, and had 1,000 killed and 

 wounded. After this battle, the Turks having fallen 

 back on Delibaba, the Russian left wing took pos- 

 session of the Delibaba Pass and fortified it. The 

 Russian right wing having retired somewhat, Mukh- 

 tar Pasha telegraphed toRashid Pasha to join him 

 with 9 of the 12 battalions forming the Turkish left 

 wing. Mukhtar quitted his headquarters at Zewin 

 on the night of June 17th, for Delibaba, to take com- 

 mand of the Turkish right wing in person. On the 

 following day he received reinforcements, which 

 raised the strength of the right wing to 19 battalions 

 (14,250 men), 4 cavalry regiments, and 3 batteries. 

 The Russians in the Delibaba Pass numbered 20,- 

 000 with 5 batteries. Several skirmishes were fought 

 on Wednesday, June 20th. On the 21st, Mukhtar 

 attacked the pass. The fighting lasted from 6 

 o'clock in the morning until 8 in the evening. The 

 Russians were at first driven from their positions, 

 but they afterward recaptured them and attacked the 

 Turkish positions on the heights with charges of in- 

 fantry and cavalry. The Turkish front gave way 

 for a short time, but afterward rallied, charged the 

 Russians, and drove them back. The Turks then 

 opened a terrible artillery fire and compelled the 

 Russians to fall back with heavy loss. The Turks 

 acknowledged a loss of 400 killed and about the 

 same number wounded, while the Russian loss was 

 at least double. On tlie 22d, Mukhtar again fought 

 a severe battle. The Russian cavalry were placed in 

 an intrenchment, to act as infantry, but ultimately 

 the Turks drove them out and pursued them, the 

 Russians retreating in disorder as far as Zeidekan. 

 The whole of the fighting lasted 33 hours. The 

 Turkish loss was upward of 2,000, and the Russian 

 much heavier. The Russians afterward retreated to 

 Kara Kilissa, and were again driven from there on 

 July 2d. But owing to the apathy of the Turkish 

 leaders they succeeded in retreating in safety in the 

 direction of Bayazid. 



The centre of the Russian army continued to 

 assemble before Kara during May. Attempts 

 were made by the Russians to storm the for- 

 tress, as well as sorties by the Turks, but none 

 of these engagements were of any account. On 

 May 17th the Russians succeeded in taking the 

 fortress Ardahan, after two unsuccessful at- 

 tempts. On this occasion they captured 82 guns, 

 among them many Krupp guns. Russian au- 

 thorities were immediately installed in the town 

 and sanjak of Ardahan. Skirmishing continued 

 on the line from Kars to Erzerum during the 

 remainder of May. On the night of May 29th, 



