"الحرب الروسية-التركية، ١٨٧٧. العمليات في آسيا." [ظ‎‎٤‎٨] (٤٢/٣٠)

the EETREAT FROM KIEUPRI-KEUI to erzeroum.
The situation of Kieupri-Keui, as the point where the roads from Kars
and Bayazid meet, make it at once a place of importance, both as a
o-enerai depot and a strategical point for the defence of Armenia. It is,
moreover, a place which is described as technically possessing certain
advantages for defence, with previous preparation. Little or nothing, how
ever, had been done in the latter sense in anticipation of a crisis which had
all along been regarded by the Turks as impossible, hut which now was
inevitable, as soon as the heads of the advancing Russian columns were stiong
enough to attack. . ,
The Deve Boyun*—a naturally strong position covering Erzeroum on the
eas t— W as also incomplete as regards defence and was now practically denuded
of troops, and the city, 7 miles in rear, was still open to attack by an enemy
strong enough to advance simultaneously on either flank, vid Olti, or by the roads
leading over the highlands on the right bank of the Araxes. ( onsiderable
exertion had been made, it is true, since the news of the defeat before Kars
had been received ; on the morning of the 18th, every available man m the
town was sent to the Deve Boyun, under Faizi Pasha (Kohlmann), to work at
the defences, and the latter had succeeded, mainly by his own ability and energy,
in throwing up and arming, by the 23rd, two batteries for field guns on command
ing points in the position, and was now’engaged in making such other defensive
preparations as he was able with the few weak, disheartened men at his disposal,
consisting, for the greater part, of arrested deserters, convalescents from
hospital, and the dregs of the Mustaphiz. In addition to the other defences
to the city, the plain north of it was flooded as far as possible.
Nor was the state of affairs at Kars more reassuring to the Turkish cause.
The 31 broken battalions had been formed into 14 battalions, hut amounted to
no more than 10,000 men, including the few stragglers from the recent defeat
that had since come in; the garrison however was so demoralized and dispirited
by hardships, fatigue, and defeat, that the governor, in his last telegram to the
Grand Vizier, stated that he could not hope to hold the fortress for any length
r of time, if even he could resist a first assault. Telegraphic communication
between Kars and Erzeroum was cut on the evening of the 17th.
On the Russian side, little or nothing appears to have been done except
detaching the two forces previously mentioned to Begli-Ahmed and Kagisman
and collecting the prisoners and trophies of the victory, until the 18th or l&th,
w r hen all ttm Russian troops quitted Vezin Keui and the Aladja Dagh in two
columns, under Generals Heimann and Melikoff, to follow up Mukhtar Pasha
and besidge Kars, respectively.
The former force consisted of the Caucasus Grenadier Division, a
combined Division (4 regiments of the 21st, 38th, and 39th Divisions), 3 bat
talions of chasseurs, 16 or 17 batteries of artillery, and a large force ot cavalry,
amounting to some 35 battalions, 40 squadrons and sotnias, and 130 guns.
The latter consisted of the 1st (Moscow) Grenadier Division, the 40th
Division, two battalions of Caucasus Sappers, and the siege artillery from
Alexandropol, and amounted to some 30 battalions, 40 squadrons and sotnias,
and 120 guns. The siege park was at once brought forward, and preparations
made for attacking the fortress on the south and south-east sides.
On the 24th, the cavalry of General Heimann’s advanced guard had
crossed the Soghanli Dagh, and was worsted in a fight near Zewin, and, by the
27th, the Russian columns were crossing the mountains vid Milliduz and march
ing on Khorassan in force.
No alternative consequently remained to the Turks, on the first appearance
of General Heimann s troops in this direction, hut to destroy all surplus stores
and abandon Kieupri-Keui.
This was carried out unmolested by the Russians, and, on the 28th, the
Turks, who were now under Ismail Pasha pro tern (Mukhtar Pasha having pro
ceeded, on the evening of the 27th, to inspect the defences of the Deve Boyun),
retired to Hassan Kaleh (9 miles), where they bivouacked for the night. So *
* Meaning in Turkish “ The Camel’s Back.”