406 
THE WAR BETWEEN RUSSIA AND TURKEY. 
29th, Colonel Fillip off reconnoitred from Karabulach, 18 kils. north¬ 
west of Bayazid, to close np to the town, from which the Turks 
withdrew to the south on the 30th without fighting, upon which 
Tergukasoff took possession of the place, but not before the inhabitants, 
in revenge for past oppression, in the short interval of anarchy, had 
plundered and destroyed all Government property. Colonel Kovalevski 
was appointed Commandant and Civil Governor, and a garrison (two 
battalions 74th Regiment; half-battalion 73rd Regiment, and two guns) 
left in the place; while the left column advanced 10 kils. to Arsit, and 
the right moved to Missum and Karum, 22 kils. north-west of Bayazid, 
still marching southwards, and remained there till the 8th of May. 
This time was necessary for the organisation of the civil administration, 
the bringing up of materiel , and the arranging for supplies. On the 
8th, both columns advanced to the south-west, intending to unite at 
Diadin, 30 kils. west of Bayazid or the Erzeroum road. Considerations 
of supply must have kept the corps idle till the 13th May, for it was 
only then that a strong advanced guard under Major-General Prince 
Amilochvaroff was thrown out 13 kils. to the west, which reached the 
old convent of Surp Owhanes, after driving in a few weak Turkish 
patrols. The advanced guard ascertained that at Karakilissa, 45 kils. 
west of Surp Owhanes, two Turkish battalions, with 500 Kurdish 
cavalry and two guns, had taken up an advanced position, a day’s 
march behind which, on the south slopes of the Agri Dagh, commanding 
the high road from the north at Topra Kaleh, four battalions and half a 
battery were bivouacked. The main body advanced on the 15th May 
to Surp Owhanes, but had to stop their further advance and give up 
the idea of attacking even this small force, because to the south of 
Bayazid movements of the enemy’s troops were reported, the object of 
which had first to be ascertained. 
Ali Kiamali Pasha had succeeded in raising the Kurd Tribes against 
the Russians, from Bazid Aga, 44 kils. south of Bayazid, and had con¬ 
centrated about 4000 of them in the Sukh-Su valley, while he awaited 
further reinforcements from Van; he had also drawn in the regular 
garrison of Van (three battalions and nine guns), so that Bayazid and 
the Igdir road appeared seriously threatened when Prince Amilochvarofi 
entered the town with the advanced guard on the 16th May, having 
done 58 kils. in a forced march of 12 hours. After having taken 
measures for the defence, he made a reconnaissance on the 19th May to 
Kazi Gil, 30 kils. south of Bayazid, without meeting any enemy, who 
for some time undertook no forward movement, so that a weak detach¬ 
ment seemed sufficient for the security of the place, and there was now 
no reason for delaying the march of the main column. On the 26th 
May Tergukasoff sent a reconnaissance against the slightly fortified 
position of Karakilissa in the upper Alaschgerd district, by which the 
strength of the Turks was judged at 12 battalions with a few guns. The 
advanced troops in Karakilissa withdrew on the 4th June before the 
Russians, on the 9th evacuated Topra Kaleh, and on the next day 
Zeidikhan, on the high road, to concentrate in a very favourable posi¬ 
tion on the Dhrom Dagh, in which four battalions of reinforcements 
had arrived. Here, at Dieligol and Taghir, the road crosses the water- 
