English and Foreign.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 388, 23 July 1856, Page 4

English and Foreign.

("COSTIXOED PIIOM OUR LAST.] DR. SAXDWII'H'S NARRATIVE OF THE SIEGE

OF KARS

(From the il Guardian.")

The other point is the increasing clearness of the assurance-! of relief. Otner Pacini has t -ken Kutais—he is marching on Tifli.s. That '< the reason why the Cossacks are leuvintr. .-•dim Pacha has he.) i-ad at Tivbi/.snd with vU.OOO men ;heis at Baibtnt—he is at Erze-r-umi, and his troops are iirst=ni;e and eager to march—" we have now hut to wait a fortnight, .nd relief is certain"—cannon shots Imve been oeard on the distant niouutains—Seliui Pacha vrites that he has defeated a Russian corps, and is marchinir straight for Kars—he must be

■ bout three days march —every thing is made ready to n:eet him —his advanced guard is ■dready at Chipakli, only twenty niiies .off. Such were the rep.-u-ts chronicled day by day from the middle of October to the end ufNovem-

i>er. Sut no Selim Pacha came, or was coming. In vain they waited. In vain every night men were sent out to Erzerowm, disguised as peasants, carrying notes iv cipher, rolled up and put into quills, that they might be dropped if Cossacks appeared, to urge him on. In vain all try to wear a. cheerful look. In vain the patient soldiers watch their batteries at midnight, though so feeble that they can scarcely answer the challenge of the visiting officer: and in the agonies of hunger stand sentry over the stores there, of three days' provisions, without even in a single known instance touching a single biscuit. In vain citizens give up their houses and beds, and see their women and children sweeping- up the dust from the flour-depots to eat. In vain the troops cheer up, '' and their eyes glisten with martial ardour, though their" legs can scarcely carry them,''at the thought of joining Selim's troops against the enemy. With ail this quiet ami eihn endurance, it couid not last much longer. Desertion, aud the penalty of desertion, increased : —

" Nov. IS.—T'weuty-one men deserted last night. Hussiau Bey tells me that the most profound discontent exist- through the city, and the peoole say they can bear their sufferings no longer. They exclaim, almost in the language of Scripture, 'In our watching- we have watched for a. nation which could_not save us.' Mothers bring their children to the military council, and throw them at the feet of the officers, exclaiming, ' Take aud keep these children, for we have nothing to give them.' .... The rapid mountain stream which"runs through the town is already almost frozen. The streets present a soul-harrowing appearance. ■'-•>ov._ 21—A heavy fall of snow durin°; the night- ISo more news to cheer us. Vv' e have almost reached the limits of human endurance; our soldiers lie dean arr: dying ; u every part of the camp. The citizens look reproachfully at us ; ' tiieir vis me is blacker than a corl. and their skin cleaveth to 'their hone-.' They exclaim. ' T^er. us go out and ii^ht; why remain here to die V ' They that be slain with the sword are better than they'that be slain with hunger, for these pine away, stricken through for Want of the fruits of the field."' Felim Pacha came not •.— "^ov- 22.—An alarm in the dark. The troops are called to arms; only six or seven manage 'to drag th-iinsfe] ve.s from their tents. At o a.m. a messenger comes in with a despatch from Selim Pacha. He was to have left Krzeromn on .he ](jrh, and would hasten on. Be^iues tiiis veracious Turkish document, there is a iiuie note in cipher from Mr. Brant: it is as follows:—' Sei.'m Pacha v/o.;'t advance, thou-h Major Stu::rt is doin^r iiis best to make him. Omer Pacha ;,™ :i J! r.vivar<c,-Of,rf.-om£ i :uthu ! n Kale. 1 iear ynu tiuv- tu> hope out in yourselves; you can uep-.-nd on no iir-'p i:; this .iiKirte-.-.'" Then m:i the 20.h Gen~r:d Williams rode over to the Russian camp, and arranged ;he terms oi cap;tiil.-ui';u wi'.a tiieir truer and nobler en-ifm;. : —• "Nov. 2-5.—-General Wdiiams and his aide-de-camp, T.-.-e.-.d:dc, rids over under a flig of truce to the Itoss:&n_e .;np. '1 iyy .-ire wcli received by Muura-vii-ri. Ti.e G'.-oftrai teiU his chiva.rous enemy that he lias no -.-.i*], t -> run bin, of his laurels; the fortress co.it.dn-. a ■Hr-atnun ni' :-i\][Lry, with numerous Staii(J;.i\J>. and v .-ar-eiy of aims, b\V the &vmy has not yet nc,.- «::; -; t , v.iiluj-.it certain artich.-':: oi cap;mlu'..on. 'if you grant not im-se,' exelaj-nei ri;e G'-nerah 'every gnri slrdi he burst, ev.-.-y Hio ■', -hi.-d bu:-ut. fvery ti-iiihy d.-strove-i, ami I'"-' rn--:y f:i-'-:i work your v .i!! on a famished crowd ' ' 1 msv... :;o vvisii,-* jmsv.Vivu :-ioar-.-vi A\\ 'v, wreak an iVT.v.r :iy Y..-;:ge;wice on :: ia;;:. and Jojiji-suff.-r----mg a; :ny v. ni-h has covert;.' usulf v. ivis <. )..,yy, and omy yji-iu.-. ■;.. laniin'.-/ ■ Look htic, ue exclaimed,

1 pointing to a lump of bread and a handful of roots, ' what splendid troops must these be who can stand to their arms in this severe climate on such food as this. General Williams, you have made yourself a name in history, aud posterity will stand amazed at the endurance, the courage, and the discipline which this siege has called forth in the remains of an

army. Let us arrange a capitulation that will satisfy the demands of war without outraging humanity ! I leave my readers to imagine anything more touching than tiie interview between those gallant leaders, whose eyes were suffused with t<:ars, while their hearts were big with sentiments of high honour and graceful benevolence. I *' The term.- of capitulation arranged to-day, to be laid before the Turkish officers, were briefly as follows; " "The officers and soldiers of the regular army were to pile arms in camp, and march out with their music ,iiid colours, and surrender themselves prisoners of war to the Russian army.' " ' And,' here exclaimed General Mouravieff to the Secretary, "'write that, in admiration of the noble and devoted courage displayed by the army of Ivars, the officers shall be allowed to retain their swords, as a mark oi' honour and respect." And on the 27th the betrayed <varrison and betrayed city gave up the trust which they had maintained so nobly for those who were not worthy of ihem : — " The Russian officers treat us with the most delicate attention, and show the most chivalrous bearing to their prisoners of war. They compliment each of ns in turn on the gallantry, the endurance, and the humanity, which they are s"o good as to say has characterised oiir part of the struggle; while w_>, in ail sincerity, attest the unflinching courage which led them up to our breastworks under a cross firs of artillery and voileys of musketry. One of these recognises Teesda'le as havimr, under a deadly lire of grape and rifle-balls, leaped over our breastworks, .and rescued from sn'me inaraudiiig soldiers a wounded Russian officer. This little episode was not hitherto known fo us, and I almost fear to shock the modesty of that gallant officer in thus recording it. "Nov. 21—Early this morning the sounds of musketry are heard in all parts of tm? camp. The soldiers are emptying their muskets and piling arms. The people and the army have now learned that they are to capitulate ; the word teslim (capitulation) is in every mouth, and what a scene is this! The poor staggering soldiers obey their orders mechanically, int some there are who dash their muskets to pieces against the rocks, exclaiming, 'Thus perish our Pachas, and the curse ot God he with them! .May their mothers be outraged!' Some of the officers break their swords, and, carinanot who hears them, heap curses on the Sultan and the whole Government of the empire—..wful words, which f had never heard even 'whispered before. The citizens gather together in groups, exclaiming, ' God is great; and has it come to this ? How Is Islam fallen! Vai, vai! (alas, alas!) aud do my eyjs beh.-.ld i- ? Would to God we had never been bom! Would to God we had died iv battle! for then had we been translated to heaven, then had we been purified and acceptable. The Ghiaours are coming, and our arms drop from our hands ! God is Go:i, and Mahomed is his prophet. How has the All-Merciful forsaken his children, and delivered us up to be a prey to the spoiler! '

"Thus are the sounds of grief and indignation heard from each turbaned warrior, ' while woman's softer woe dissolves aloud-' Let us dr-.w a veil over this distressing scene ; scarce Was there a dry eye witnessed it, while grey-bearded soldiers sobbed aloud.

"In the midst of these lam-ntalious, General Williams rode ihrou-h the camp. At once the c-.tiz.-ns crowded round him, kissing his stirrun. and praynijj- for blessings on his head- ' Nereyc, Nereye,' (where, where are you going, Pacha?) they asKed. 'lam a prisoner.' he answered- ' Let us go with you; we will follow you, was the universal

'• ' S'eeliams Pacha chock adan dur,' (Williams Pacha is no end of a man.) was the sententious remark of a grey-beard, aud he was voted quite right."