ONE OF BAKER PASHA'S BATTLES.

North Otago Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 1885, 11 May 1878, Page 5 (Supplement)

ONE OF BAKER PASHA'S BATTLES.

Captain Burnaby, in his account in " Mnyfair' of the engagement near Kariniirli with Chakir Pasha's force, tin the list days of the vrar: — "Baker Pasha, with a small brigade of 2,800 men, was sent to the village of Tashkasan to hold the newly-arrived Russian force in check, while Chakir Pasha determined to retreat with the remainder of our troops in the direction of Slatiza. I accompanied Baker, and on the last day of the year 1877 saw the best contested battle against overwhelming numbers it has ever been my good fortune to witness. The Russians had 30,000 men, we only 2 800. The odds were against us. Things looked very black for Valentine Baker and his little force. From our position at Tashkasan we could see lines upon lines of the foo coming forward to attack. The battlo raged from daybreak to sundown. It was a desperate one, aud Chakir Pasha's reply to Baker's repeated lequ % sts for reinforcements was that he had none to give, and that we must at all cost hold the position, as if it were carried by the foe the whole of his (Chakir Pasha's) army, which was retreating, would be taken in flank and annihilated. The Turks fought splendidly. They struggled for every inch of ground with extroordinary tenacity. P'ach minute of daj light seemed a year, and Baker kept looking at his watch, the Turks meanwhile gazing at the sun — old Naturo's timepiece — as until nightfall it would be impossible for us to abandon the position. The hours rolled on, and our men died in their places. The Turkish ranks became each moment mire thinned by the bullets of the foe, and the plucky sutvivors of the little brigade stood up on the mountain ridge, wit>i their forms standing out in bold relief against the sky line, and returned volley for volley to the slowly but steadily advancing enemy. Just before sunset the Russians collected themselves fer n supreme effort, and charged home at the Turks. Our men burst forth with their battle cry, and the • Ya Alhh !' " Ya Allah !' reached over the mountains. the Kussians cheered in response, but their hurrahs were of no avail. The Mussulmans dashed at their foe. Shoulder to shoulder, there was no flinching on either side, and the steel was driven home. Baker ordered his bugler to sound the 'Ya Allah!' and the Ottoman soldiers again took up the strain. They seemed possessed of superhuman energy. Eeach man looked as if he possessed the strength often. Another charge, and the Itussiaus were driven back a few hundred yards. It was now too late for the enemy to make another effort. In the dark we marched to the •plain below. Here Baker, assisted by Colonel Allix, his aid-de-carap, who had behavep with great gallantry during the battlo, mustered his little force. Out of 2,800 men, more than 600 of the braye fellows had bitten the dust, nearly 400 being killed outright 'lhcre was little quarter given on either eide. You can understand the disproportion between the lists of the killed and wounded at the roll call. The Muscovites must have suffered very severply owiug to their generals persisting in attacking us in column, the more particularly towards the end of the day."