128 
SERVICES OP TWO RUSSIAN MOUNTAIN BATTERIES. 
column started accordingly with the Mountain Battery in the advanced 
guard on the 5th. It reached Selitza in the Pass at midnight the 
same day, having marched 20 miles, through three feet of snow. 
Trouble soon began with the field guns which were with the main 
body, and, after a repetition of all the old difficulties experienced pre¬ 
viously by Gourko exaggerated, Mirsky determined to leave them 
behind, and rely solely on his Mountain Artillery. On the 6th the 
advanced guard occupied the heights between Selitza and Gusevo. 
On the following morning the descent of the Balkans and attack upon 
Gusevo was easily effected, and the position captured after some slight 
resistance. A portion of the advanced guard occupied Maglis on the 
left flank at 8 o’clock in the evening, and was then ordered to hold 
itself in readiness to march on Kazanlyk the following morning, when 
Mirsky with the remainder would march on Janina. In the meantime 
the column of the right had been encountering great difficulties. The 
road which leads to Imetli descends into a steep ravine before passing 
through the defile of the Balkans, and the Turks, hastily occupying on 
the 7th a ridge north-east of the village of Imetli, took the line of 
march of Skoboleff’s force in flank. The latter, arriving on the scene 
late in the afternoon, found the advanced guard lying down without 
returning the fire of the enemy, -as the Turks had strongly occupied a 
position about 1500 yards off, across a ravine, against which the shells 
of the mountain guns with their low muzzle velocity were ineffective. 
Infantry armed with a better rifle were ordered up to the front, and 
compelled the Turks to withdraw during the night. 
On the morning of the 8th hostilities were renewed, and Imetli 
occupied. Skoboleff, however, found himself unable to co-operate with 
the other columns as agreed, and was limited to making a demon¬ 
stration with some infantry and the Mountain Battery upon an 
extended front. The first shell fell amongst some cavalry threatening 
his flank, and dispersed them. 
This force remained in action the whole day, and at night fires were 
lit, bands played from the bivouacs on several points, and the moun¬ 
tain guns fired occasional salvoes, to give the idea to the enemy that a 
large force was present. The Field Artillery had, in spite of the 62nd 
Regiment which accompanied it, not yet arrived within one march of 
the force after 30 hours of incessant toil. The narrow, rocky path, 
covered with snow to several feet in many places, rendered their trans¬ 
port impossible, so they were left on the slope of the mountain in 
charge of a Bulgarian regiment, and Skoboleff determined to attack 
on the 9th with his mountain guns alone. These latter were now 
carried on camels, the pack horses having broken down. This, mules 
would never have done as long as the camels were efficient, and is one 
of the many proofs that inch for inch in heights, a pack horse is not to 
be compared to a pack mule for Mountain Artillery purposes in the 
opinion of our Mountain Artillery officers, though this is at variance 
with that of many Russians. To return to Mirsky, he had on the 
morning of the 8th moved forward with some infantry and the 1st 
Mountain Battery on Janina, which, after a short fight, he carried, 
together with the village of Hainkioi, Beyond this latter was & small 
