‘Russo-Turkish War, 1877. Operations in Asia.’ [‎53r] (39/42)

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morning t0Wn ° f ^ Citade1 ’ and their ultimate ca P tur e in the early
£3 *
A portion of the garrison tried to cut its way through to the mountains
u was intercepted and captured, and few escaped except mounted men —
among others, however, the Governor, Ferik Hussein Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. 1 .
the i ' r 63 ° f f t , i , e ? usslans '' ere heavy, but cannot be said to outweigh
500 iX^inch 0 th f p SUCCeS , S - n The y are i" an official bulletin as
500 killed, including 1 General (Count Grabbe) and 50 officers, and 1 833
not U known m h t n? 143 fX' The Turkish loSSe8 in kilIeJ a " d funded are
not known, but were probably as severe, and those that were not killed were
taken prisoners. The number of guns found in the place is given by the
■Russians as 300, together with a vast quantity of military stores and materiel.
n, Meet'™’ T >e su PP° sed ’ ' va9 foun<1 in a wretched state of disease,
hoSu Ti Uff p nn "’ and ,v me 4 ’ 500 sick and funded were found in the
lospitals. I he kussian soldieis, it is said, committed no excesses + and on the
morning of the 20th, the Grand Duke and Staff entered the city. ’ ’ 1 e
, .... Jud o cd ,1 -) r its results, the storming of Kars was undoubtedly a darino- and
brilliant achievement, but it is only right to add that there is good reason to
believe that the Russians once more found ready money to be a most useful
article of siege equipment in the attack of a Turkish fortress.
W. A. H. HARE,
Lieutenant, Royal Engineers.
I
* According- to Turkish accounts a heavy bombardment had been kept up from the Russian
batteries established on the south side of the town for 22 days prior to the assault, the greater
portion of their projectiles being directed on the town.
On the night of the assault, a very heavy fire commenced about 2 hours before sunset, and
was kept up for 3 hours. Fort Faizi (?) Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. was the first attacked, and fell almost without
resistance. Forts Khanli and Hafiz Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. were next taken after a very slight resistance, several
of the principal Officers of the garrison having quitted their posts. The Russians then advanced
between Forts Hafiz Pash& and Khanli, and, taking- possession of the south-eastern suburb of the
town, pushed forward from it and attacked Fort Kara Dagh in rear. The garrison fled. Fort
■Karapatlak afterwards fell without a shot being fired to a forlorn hope of 18 men who were
followed at some distance by a regiment.
Altogether the'resistance offered was practically nil, with the honourable exception of Fort
Chim, which, held by a battalion cf Redif and a battalion of Nizam under a Bimbashi, made a
most‘gallant and determined resistance, holding out till daylight, and inflicting heavy loss on the
Russians.
A false attack was made on fort Techmas. The garrison is described as having been in a
complete state of demoralization, and the officers to have been worse than the men. The Com
mandin'; Officer was sick and unfif for duty.
Owing to the want of firewood the garrison of Kars had been supplied with flour only for
some time past, and dysentery of a violent type was raging, causing a mortality of 40 or 50 men
per diem when the place was taken.
The city was given up to plunder for 3 days, the Armenian quarter excepted. All except
Armenians were plundered, including the sick and wounded. 2,000,000 piastres were found in
the Government Treasury of which, however, one half was in caime.
f This appears to be still a disputed point.