478 THE WAR BETWEEN RUSSIA AND TURKEY (PART II.) 
Cavalry Divisions in the W. and S.W. on the Deft Dank. 
Major-General Sclieremetieff. 
Major-General Schtclierbatoff. 
Caucasus Cossack Division (except 
\ 16tli Dragoons, Kisliaro, Poltava, 
1st Volga, 7 til Orenburg, and 
2nd Astrakhan Cossacks. 
Gorsko-Mozdok Regiment). 
15th Dragoons, Alexandropol Cavalry. 
Akhaltzikh Cavalry. 
Main body in Tschaehmur, to bar the 
Ardahan and Erzeroum roads, and 
connect the 1st and 7th Columns. 
To bar the Erzeroum roads from Ara- 
vartan, southwards to Kars Tchai. 
The night from the 17th to the 18th November was cold and clear, 
and there was bright moonlight. At 8.30 p.m. the columns were in 
readiness, and between 9 and 10 p.m. advanced simultaneously to the 
attack. 
1st Column .—After a trifling skirmish, the village of Tschachmach 
was taken and the Turks forced to retire to the shelter-trenches in front 
of Laz Tepessi. The feeble defence made by the Turks induced the 
Russians to try to storm the fort, but the attempt failed; however, a 
fire was kept up which prevented the defenders of the fort and trenches 
from leaving their works. 
2nd Column .—An advance upon Fort Tschim was only possible along 
the narrow valley between the slopes of the Techmas Hills and the left 
bank of the river, and by detaining the garrison of the Techmas 
Redoubt. Lieut.-Colonel Statevitsch therefore made a demonstration 
against it, while Colonel Butschkieff pressed forward towards Fort 
Tschim. The latter was attacked half way to the fort by the garrison 
of the Techmas Redoubt, but he changed front, repulsed the attack, 
pursued the Turks, tried to storm the redoubt, and failed. He retired 
with heavy loss into the valley, but was not pursued. Leaving troops 
to observe the redoubt, he advanced with his reserve battalions upon 
Tschim, captured the churchyard in front of it shortly after midnight, 
but in vain tried to storm the fort, being repulsed by the heavy 
musketry fire, and in vain tried to join hands with the 3rd Column , 
which had stormed Suvari after a short struggle soon after 9 p.m., had 
crossed the river, and had then tried to press into Tschim between the 
town and the redoubt shortly after midnight. The simultaneous attack 
of the 2nd Column, however, absorbed so much the attention of the 
Turks that the 3rd Column, after an unsuccessful attack, succeeded in 
recrossing the river in good order. 
The 4dli and 5th Columns carried both the redoubts in front of Khanli, 
advanced from both flanks against the main fort, and established them¬ 
selves on the ramparts, while a part of the 15th Column captured a 
battery between Khanli and Hafiz. The columns, which had entered 
the main work, failed, however, to storm the defensible barrack, and 
being driven back by the heavy fire from it, they lined the crest of the 
captured parapet and thence answered the fire. The loss of the work 
was threatened by the arrival of strong Turkish reserves, when 
Tschavtchavatze^s cavalry came up with two batteries, dismounted, 
and, in conjunction with the two columns, cleared the work of the 
Turks and pursued them towards the town. The brave Turkish 
battalion in the defensible barrack held out till 4 a.m., and then 
capitulated. 
