THE WAR BETWEEN RUSSIA AND TURKEY. 
395 
right of it an entrenched camp for two battalions had been thrown np. 
From this camp, whose front was strongly protected by rows of 
shelter-trenches on the terrace-like slopes, which were swept by a 
redoubt on the flank of the fort, the approach to the fort was easier 
than from the proper front of the latter. The fort was armed with 
10 guns and garrisoned by 4 battalions under the energetic Kastar Beg. 
In the camp a mountain battery was placed in a very favourable 
position. For the attack of this position General Devel distributed 
his troops as follows :— 
Left Wing. 
Colonel Makiejeff. 
% battalion 153rd Regiment, 
f 3rd Battery 19th Brigade. 
Centre. 
Colonel Prince Amiradjiboff. 
3 battalions 156th Regiment, 
i 3rd Battery 19th Brigade, 
f Kuban Cossack Battery. 
Light Flank Detachment. 
2 sotnias Poltava Cossacks. 
I Kuban Battery. 
Deserve. 
1 battalion 156th Regiment. 
J 6th Battery 19th Brigade. 
1 Sapper Company. 
Demonstration against Fort 
Lamazan. 
Major-General Oreus. 
1 battalion 153rd Regiment. 
2nd Terek Cossacks. 
16th Battery 19th Brigade. 
At 6*30 a.m. the artillery of the left wing opened fire at 3500 metres ; 
and its effect being speedily visible, the infantry of the centre moved 
to the attack of the advanced shelter-trenches of the camp. The 
Turkish infantry, in spite of the noble example of their officers, would 
not wait to receive the attack, so that by 10 a.m. the highest of the 
three lines was captured by the 156th Regiment. After a short pause, 
the regiment advanced to storm the camp, which was evacuated by the 
enemy. In spite of the great effect of the siege artillery, which had 
been engaged since 8 a.m., on the guns of the fort, the 156th suffered 
heavily in the last-taken position from their fire, and the half Cossack 
Battery, which with great difficulty was brought up, was at once put 
out of action ; the infantry had therefore to keep up the fire alone, at a 
distance of 750 metres, till at 1 p.m. General Devel, putting himself at 
the head of the whole regiment, advanced to storm the fort, which was 
soon taken, after a feeble defence, at the first rush. In the fort was 
captured, besides the guns of position, a quantity of ammunition and 
provisions. The demonstration on the left bank led to no action. The 
total loss of the day was trifling in comparison with the results gained, 
118 men being hors de combat . 
In the night from the 16th to the 17th May heavy batteries were 
thrown up against the works of the south front/ with the intention of 
so shaking their powers of defence by a bombardment of one day that 
on the 18th a storm might be attempted. At 3 a.m. the bombardment 
of the forts began, and as disorderly movements of troops took place 
immediately after the commencement of the fire, and as a panic seemed 
to have set in, General Hermann resolved to storm the works at once, 
for which purpose he formed the following columns :— 
