'~ unprepared for action, and not ex hat

HASZARE’

nuances” consent. Ann communist isnvnarissné

- -

Efiiiisned 1823.

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Saturday, December 23, 1854.

an-agyg-— -

‘New: ,Serles.’,.l,tii.i"

I

nisronicsr. suimiuiv , "OF THE RUSSIAN WAR.

riioir rrs coiosrznciiiuirur ro run ranzvr rim.

MASSACRE AT SINOPF.

We need not pause long upon the infructuous, if not apocryphal exploits, in Asia, bf Selim Pacha,

who was reported about the same date to have storm- l lay in front. ofth_e main body ' Andronikoff’s division, great

ed Safiii, and to have won a battle at Gumri, or Alexandropol, on the 13th. Five davs later. Ali

G ’ Pacha was beaten at Akhalzick by General Androni-

kofii A more decisive event now arrests our atten- tion. The terrible 30th of November arrived. Six Russian shi of the line, with several smaller vessels of war, sud enly filled the aperture of the harbour of Sinope. There were in port. thirteen Turkish sail, tin ' . But

they even received warning, their who e fleet was no match for the six Russian first-rates, without ccuntin the powerful frigates and other war-craft by which t ey were supported. We must here observe that, when the Sultan had declared that he was at

. war, he, in one sense, merel announced a fact; but,

with _a feeling not usually s own on such occasions, he added that his was purely and essentially a defen-

- sive struggle; that he wished but to deliver his terri-

tories from the armed stranger and the-invader, and that he would nowhere either violate the Russian frontiers, or seek totretaliate the aggression which he had suffered. . '

" Admiral Nachimoff commanded the Russian fleet at Sinope, and Osman Pacha the Turkish naval de- tachment This last. was, in a short time, burnt and destr yéd. Seven frigates, one steam frigate, two schooners, and three transports were, a'_l except two

‘ reduced to a. shapeless heap of floating timbers,

blackened with gunpowder, stained with blood, and ‘covered with mutilated human limbs, and the corpses of 5.l00 brave and unfortunate Turks who, taken at fatal disadvantage, had fought to the last with nnshaken heroism. In a few minutes after the action began, the outeryessels of the Turkish detach- ment were blown “into one lon port-hole.” The feeble’ battery of Sinope, over ead, brought‘ no succour. When its untimely guns were at length fired, some of their shot fell among the friends whom they were destined to protect... Admiral Nachimoffs squadron sustained comparatively little injury, though some of the vessels showed how strenuous had been the unavailing resistance._ .A few Turks swam to land, and, clamberin over the heights, escaped. Osman Pacha, before e could set re‘ to his own flag-ship, was taken prisoner, desperately woi_inde_d. The chief prizes which the Russians thought it still - sible to remove, foundered while towed behind

P° them in the Black‘ Sea. Osman Paella, Whom they carri half to Sebastopol, expired there within

six weeks from ‘his arrival. The news of this event electrified all Europe.‘ When it was known at St. Petersburg, the Cfi distributed naval decorations, ordered a solemn “Te Deum" in the churches, and published an exulting manifesto.

wui IN _AsrA IN 1853 AND 1854-.

We have alluded to the unsatisfactory vicissitudes of the war in Asia. The Turkish forces_ destined to 0' rate in Anatolia, Abasia. and Armeni awe re in a state of deinoralization, which a consummate General, armed with unlimited authority, could not have at once repaired. General Guyon, our countryman, who had assumed the Ottoman name and style -of Kouschid Beyt is an instructed soldier and an ahlv man; but he was, during all this time and for lv afterwards, in a subordinate position. He was co. polled to witness disasters which he knew how, _but which he was not -permitted, to avert The river Arpatshy forms the fr(_>ntier_ between _the Russian conquests and the Turkish possessions in Asia. In this neighbourhood the doubtful stru le reeled to and fro, with much slaughter but sma l results, from July to December. At the battle of Akhalzick, on the l8th of November, and, indeed, at the previous combat near Kare, oneimportant military observation was made, and has been preserved. he Russians owed those victories in part to the Weight 0f "L3 metal in their field artillery. It is usual to constitute such batteries of 12-pounder guns The Russian field‘ batteries, however, consisted of 16-pounder guns; and yet the were _r_noved, mount-e<l._ 9nd managed with all t e requisite-ease and rapidity. We could not interrupt the uence of the sericiis events which marked a more vigorous and decisive campaign in Europe, recount the contemporary struggleirin Asia This necessitates both a retrospect. and an anticipation; but they shall be brief. _In Au st, Musta his Zarif Pacha, Commander-in-Chief of (£3 Army o£PBatoiiin, advanced from Kars, and attacked General Prince Bebutoff without success. That oflcer, who appears to be a man of no mean ab ' , assumed the offensive himself on the next day; which was the 6th of A at, and defeated him. at Knrlfidisr, near Gumri. neral Bebutoff had worsted Selim, st Bayazid, in July. Bayazid stands betvlso

’ the Antes, cotii itnicating directly with Trebizond.

General Bebuto therefore. by this last exploit, opened the hi roodiorn Pcnia to Anatolia, by the south of oiintlrardt At this time, such were the dificultins in ‘Mmamyl in the_ Can- casus. that almost :1 thedpro ' as and supplies of -thokuuienut Tiflll. an in advance of 1%. Wm

thosoui-oesof the Euphrates and those of —

': conveyed to them by the precarious _ communiditions

E of the Caspian Sea; and, had a competent oficer

= commanded the Turks in Kars, it is hard to say to wli ti extremities the enemy mi ht havebeen reduced. But. nothing could exceed Seim Pacha’s unfitnes fir his situation. This Selim (for there are two in

the war of Asia) displayed from the first not even the T courage of a commonsoldier. But let _us describe-_ I the chief combat in this Asiatic war. While Bebutofi

of the Turks, some of yto the Turkish right, had defeated the outposts, and were truly reporte to be stealing round by the rear of that flank towards Eizeroum. General Guyon, being asked his opinion, at a Council of War summoned in haste and terror, advised an instantaneous advance, on the 4th of 3 August, of the whole army upon Bebutoff, and then a rapid return against the column behind, near ' Erzeroum. By this means, the Pacha could use all J his force in succession against each of his divided 'enemies; but, by hesitation, he would soon allow l them to press him, as it were, in a vice. Unfortu- nately, the ~tth and 5th of August were esteemed unlucky days in the Turkish calendar, and the movement was delayed till the 6th. Between the 'l‘urks—-who had been forced back from their former positi_ons——and Kars, lay the enemy. Behind him rose the white towers of Gumri; and, beyond these, and on each side of them, shone the snow-crowned hills of Georgia T hirt-y-five thousand Turks advan- ced at midnight, by the glimmer of torches, to sur- prise the Russian position; but treachery had prece- ded them, and'they found that they were expected. It was a disgraceful day. Zarif Pwcha lost heart and head at the first shot, and galloped about the field ale with terror himself, and terrifying his followers. Resnl Pacha fled at once, on the right flank. Vely Pacha, through jealousy of Giiyon, neglected to take that brave and collected soldier's advice, which would have retrieved the day. The superior oflicers deserted their men. Half an hour after the troops were engaged, none of the Bunbashis or Murallais (the colonels and the majors) were to be seen. The mountain battery which had seized the heights, commanding the Russian right, never fired a gun- never acted at all. Major Tevey, an American, who was there, expostulated in vain. Of the forty infantry battalions, the 5th Anatolian and‘ the 4th Desardet regrimerits alone resisted cavalr . One man, and one on , may be said to have behaved with real distinc- tion—this was Tahir Paclia, in common e Turkish Artillery, which was admirably worked from first to last. Such was the fitrht beyond the hills of Hadji Veleky, where 35,000 Turks were ignobly defeated by 18,000 Russians, whom they had thought to take by surprise. No reliaime can be, or ought to be, placed on the conduct in the field of men who are pusillaniinously, as well as unskilfully ofiicered and led.

General ‘Bebiltoff had blown up the forts of Bayazid, as he wanted to use the garrison in the field: such a measure would have saved Napoleon in 1813, and Charles I. in the Great Rebellion.

We may here mention that, at the first outbreak of hostilities, the Russians had evacuated their forts in another scene of this widely-scattered conflict- we mean along the eastern shore of the Black Sea, among the Tcherkessians of Circassia. These‘forts protected their most direct communications through the Caucasus with the Georgian provinces

On the 2 Ith of August, however, General Bebut- offs combinations were disconcerted by the hero Sch . riyl—but for whom, indeed, Russia would, long

I x A ~. iiave securely appropriated all the Turkish . - . was on the south of the Black Sea. That in- lo .i..able man, with 20,000 Lesghian Circiissiaiis, broke into Georgia, and carried away hostages from Tiflis itself. This sort of excursion seems to be with him a regular- annual operation. When most for- otteii, he is surest to be near. We return to

urope. , WINTER CAMPAIGN ON THE‘ DANl"!‘.B.

On the 20th of December, the Turks who had recently struck a sharp blow at Matchin in the North- ern Dobrudscha, at the extreme right cf their line, were e ually active and successful on its extreme lefi. T ey advanced from Kalarasch and stormed, though they meant not to keep it, the post of Kara- kal on the Aluta. _We have ex laiiied the motives

the part of mar Pacha. The Turks retired from Karalral, and even from Kalarasch, but fortified themselves with unwearied assidiiity in Widden in Rahova, and in Nicopolis, on their own side of the Danube. With respect to Matchin, Omer Pacha had still less desire to retain it. , He never intended to occu y the Dobrudscha during the sickly months w‘h,ic were impendin . On the contrar , he wished the Russians to lose t emselves in that tal position, and the did. Where he could strike, he struck; "and, if the irritation of defeat, combined with the real facility of the occupation, should induce the enemy to advance, it was what he wished. He fixed his own head-qiiarters at Rustchuk, and awaited events The severity of the weather, from the 22d of December, rendered operations for ro.ne'days im- possible. It was the amiisiice of nature. About this time, Constantinople was racked with ininis-_ terial changes and political Iifllgfilfil. 'I‘lie'0lrpn- dun Pacha was superseded byv alii Pacnwipp some pular outbreak hut! ‘seemed not imyrm . The touch Ambassador offered the Sultan the

of this merely ostensible and mis eading ubiquity on.

protection of the French fleet, but Abdul,Medjid re- plied iiiagiiaminously that “he would rather abdi- cate than ncceptforeigii assistance avainst his own people." On Cliristrnas-day, the Allied squadrons were still in Beicos Bay; and, though more decisive counsels were known to have animated (since the catastrophe of Sinope.), the counsels of the Mari- time Powers, the state of the Black Sea dela ‘ed till the 4th January the entrance of the fleets. ’ ‘he Union Jack and the Eagle were still reflected in the waters of the Bosphorus from the masts of a mighty but inactive armada.

The Russians had sustained many checks in the field. The spellof their arniswas departing. But the announced bow inadequate their preparations h been, how everyday their ositjon was strength- ened, aiid in wbatirresistible orcethey would soon establish themselves throughout the scene of action. Two hundred thousand soldiers were to be poured into the Priiicipalities, and were in fact fastarriviiig at their destination, in spite of the horrors of long winter uianclies through a thousand obstacles.

Osten Sacken’s corps was marked and proclaim- ed with formidable regularity in all the stages of its approach. A sublime diary diversified the journals of Europe, describing the ll6a|‘8f'&Yld nearer progress of those invincible leg-inns througli ice andsnow and storm, and amidst ditficiilties hardly to be con- ceived. For weeks the ‘attention of the world tracked in suspense the awful’ advance. The troops, meantime, which were already in Wallachia, spread themselves (with very oor strategy, in our liumble opinion, not to speak of)the impolicy of the demoiistratioii) along the Austrian frontier, from Orsova nearly to Kronstadt, in 'I‘raiisyl_vnnia. Any one who but glances at a map willsee the useless- iiess, the waste of men, the insanity of this dis si- lion. Not such the conduct of Omer Pacha. ‘ver warily withdraiving, _iii _rcality, his right wing, he abandoned the northern Dobrudscha, and fixed up- on 'I‘rajan’s Well as the limits of his first stand in that direction. This memorable barrier against the cognate barbarians of ancient times, extends, east- wards, from a little below Czernavoda, on the Dan- ube, to Kustcndjeli, on the coast. Just about that point, the Danube, which has been flowing from east to west, takes a bend at right angles to the north, and encloses the Dcbrudsclia between its waters and the sea. At Galatz, some eighty miles further, it resumes, at another right angle, its‘forrn- er eastward course, and thus furnishes the westem and northern boundaries of that vast morass called the Dobrudsclia, of which the Engine and 'I‘rap.in’s Wall, respectively, form the eastern "emu sour em limitation. Behind ’l‘rajaii’s Wall Omer Pacha sta- tioned a force sufficient to impose quai’a‘ntine upon the advancing and pestilence-beariiig invaders. It was a front of twenty miles to defend, or less; for it was not passable or practicable for more than two-thirds of its extent; and this was under thirty miles. It was General Luders who was to conduct the invaders on this side.

The Russians, having raised intrenchments at Bucharest, began a serious tn’ le advance. One corps, 22,000 strong, was to a. ' was to occu y nrakal; and the third was to move down the A uta towards Turnii. With these opera- tions (and the withdrawal of the Russian fleet into Sebastopol) ended the year 1853. And in the open- ing days of the next year (though on the “Old Christnias-day” bf ’53, according to the Russian style, which still reckons by the Julian Calendar), one of the most brilliant “feats of arms in modern Turkish histor astonished the world, and proved what vigour still was left in the sick man.

BATTLE OF‘ CITATE.

Of the‘ three Russian corps, whose orders to exe- cute a simultaneous advance we have mentioned, the westernmost was that which was ready to enter first into action. “The Pagans,” stationed at Kalufat, were those whom it was the special business of this column “to annihilate." It was commanded by General Fishback, under whom acted Generals Engelhardt and Bellegardc; while Prince Vassilitch- kofi‘ led the cavalry. Their whole corps consisted of but 22,000 men, of whom 7000 moved more Slowl to act as a reserve, loitering near Karen], on the leg of the line of march. The operations, in our humble o inion, ontinue still to evince the incapacity of the

ussian enerals. There wasaneighboiiring column, only a. few miles to the left, as strong as their own. Had both been rapidly united, and flung together either upon Kalarasch, and soacross to Rahova or hurled in coinbination against K at, ' would have been clearly impossible. But the moved in pamllel lines, each with a different, eac its own distinct, destination. But, doubtless, the operation which we have hinted,-and which would have been very easy to French troo Ind evento our own, required great celerity o ' movement. Otherwise, the dispersed Osmanlis would themselves have had time to make a corresponding‘ concentra- tion. Now in celerity of movement, t e Ruuians are not on inferior to’ the French (whose force in this excel a l other modem nations, and indedd excel all the regizlararmies that ever existed), but inferior to them. For commissuriat reasons and - several others), it is extremely inconvenient‘ and unadvisuble to concentrate a vet? body of men exceptjust befqrtefigfi.-“'nr.'.' an the We .‘li.9.‘¥°‘1..l>)' this last 1-xpreasion ought not to be longer for an army of fifty, or even seventy thousand men (previously dis-

tributed st proper strategic points, or, in other words

Kalufat; aisecond '

well led), than twenty-four hours. All great gene- rals have recognised this principle, an¢l'have tried so to arrange, that they could, in the épreseiice of the enemy, reduce it to practice. _ But ’ the French habitually do in twenty-four hours,_"t -“Russians, during this war, have frecgliently takei5"pifi,o,nd even fo_nrteen'days to accomplis . Let us attend General _Fishback‘ in his present proceedings. Not being joined by the column on his lefl, not b ..any of the idle ' us to the rear of his right, an having dis- ven thousand of his own men as a reserve,

e found, when he arrived at Citatc, that he had with him only fifteen thousand. Now, the Turks at Kalafat, whom he was going to attack, were intrench- ed; and no soldiers defend intrenchinems better. M-breover, their force was numerically ‘equal to his own"; and, finally; they were in immediate communi- cation with Widdin, across the Danubg and robably from Widdin would be largely supported, began to doubt whether he was strong enough for his un- dertakin ; the only wonder is, that he.-.had not en- tertam this doubt a week earlier. Accordingly, this intending assailant suddenly hfl.1tBd'I“' (Jitate, and began to throw up intrenchments, not between the vil a e and the Turks, but behind the village. In this eliberate manner he wasoecupied‘ during the 4th and 5th of January‘, ‘new st le‘,_and the as- sault~upon Kalafat was post 'oned to the ‘I3th, the Russian New-year's Day. ishback would open the Julian‘ year brilliantly; large reinforceiiierits were demanded; the inactive columns on his right were summoned to join him from Radowa, Orsova, and the Transylvanian frontier; and then a grand combined onslaught would drive the Turks into the Danube, or at,the worst compel them to cross .~it,.and seek refuge in Widden. These proceedings clearly prove the justice of our criticism on the original plan,— which they stultify. A strategy which is always cor- recting itself, must be d; nor is even, in general,’ the correction good ; for a wise measure. in war, is a wise measure only at the recise motnent for it. Next day it is often as foolis as the blunder which it is meant to repair. The Russian Generals are al- ways busy each week with the measures which be- long to the preceding week, for it is only a week afterwards, that they discover‘ what ought to have been done a. week before; and then with equal folly, they do it, though it has become in its turn as on- suitable as their former measures. Theypare aware Of an opening when they .see the enemy. cover it; and though it is no longer an opening (for the ward of the fencer is UP): they thrust. On the other hand, they are themselves exposed; they know it" not, but they‘ suddenly feef the point, and then they parry in that guard to avert a lounge which is not coming—it has come already,‘ and pierced home. Can these men he called Generals?

The Pachas, Achmet and Ismail, who commanded at Kalafat, were informed of all General_ ,ishback’s movements, and well knew thatithé inteii ed attack of the 13th of January would be very serious Reso- lute leaders of resolute troops, they yet looked for- ward with anxiety to an encounter with iforty-five

-thousand Russians, exactly three times the number

of their own force. They determined not to await the leisure of the_ Russians, or the ultiinate danger of such an assault, but to sally forth at once, and to fight General Fishbiick at Citate, on more equal terms. , At daybreak therefore, on the 6th of January §Christmas-day in Russia), they marched from Kala-

at They hail f2'f‘.;-en field-guns, ten thousand regu- lar infantry, whom Ismail and'Aehmet Pachas them- selves led in rson; four thousand caval , com- manded by iistapha Bey; and a thousnn Bashi- bozouks, under the colonelcy of the ga1latl_tand‘ad- venturoiis Skender-Beg, of historic name.’ The road to Citate led through Romania, Galantza, Funtina, and Moglbvitz To prevent any surprise of alafat in their absence, Ismail had ordered over 3090 of the garrison of Widdin, as a tem rary guard. ‘ He took the further precaution of caving about an equal number of troops at Moglovitz, on the road," in order to maintain his communications, and at need, protect his retreat, if he was beaten. By their, help he would, at the worst, rally his force at Moglovita. It was nine o’clock., as the assailants entered Citate, in the streets of which were posted 3000 Rusiane and four gllhs. By a cross street, the Turkivbrought some of their own pieces to play upon the defenders,

and then Achmet charged them in front with his in-

fantry. -Afier the first onset, the Turksdisdaiued the restraints of rank and file—restraints not" suited to street-fighting. The battle resembled ahnecféiing of innumerable pairs of duelists; and for this species

‘of close and personal action, the Turks had the ad-

vantage in arms, in bodily vigour, and incou e. The Russian soldier now no weapon but is bayonet, and was cumbrously accoutred. Thé agile 'I\irk had the be onet also, and if, in the or the turns of the‘ ense and wild struggle, a and its shorter thrust, or its out were more desirable,‘ be instantly had the ready and national weapon in his hands. From house to ‘house-storming every. place out of the window of which a shot had been,fii,-od- from crossing to crossing—in doors and out of doors-— the asiailanu pressed, hack the Rusienee And, in three hours, had driven them into iuhunch-' meats, Agdristu than the 'I\rrkrIifthwith'brbught' up their fie 6- icon, which, we believe, weietas-many