WAR NEWS BY MAIL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 519, 29 December 1877, Page 2

WAR NEWS BY MAIL.

All oliicial telegram from Muklitar Pasha admits thai thy Russians compelled liini to retreat f:<■;u iiei'boyum. lie says some of the odioers who were panicstricken abandoned several gnus, and will be court-martial'cd. The despatch concludes : " We are now occupying tiie fortifications of -Eiy.eroum, ami preparing means of defence." Telegraphing a day later from Erzeroum, Muklitar nays :- '• At 4 o'clock the liiissiaii.s a I. tack.-d mir fortiiied po.-jitioua ar A; - ,iipie. Our troops, lighting wita great valour, repulsed them, and pursued them four or five miles from Erzeroum. Tno Russians were totally defeated, and tlie trenches filled with their dead." Early advices receive;! at O'liistaiuiiiopiu ij'mw that, iaroro this success, the situation at Erzeroum was very critical. The inhabitants demanded tuat the authorities should capitulate. Detailed reports of the battle near Erzeroum show that the lighting lasted eleven hours. Two Rtlf.s'an columns attacked the redoubts southeast of Erzeroum, ami one column succeeded in oeimpying a blockhouse, but was dislodged. The other column, perceiving i!;e enormous loss ol the former, retreated. Tno Turks pursued them. At Devijoynm, t!m Turks were driven back, but rallied, and drove the Russians back to Dt-vLioyum, The Russians b'St a large <|iiannty or aiaus a.'nd ammunition, but miiy ii Ar,r ptjsoiieid. General Mebkoii', wht;u summoning iilukhtar Pasha to evaciiate Enseri.uuii, informed him of I he capture of Kai-s. and t.ia' if ho resintec!, he n'onki be a!.;aeked b\ T 80,000 uien, with an overwhelming artillery force. Mnkhtar L'asha i-e]iiieit that ho would hold to the last. A Russian oliicial despatch states that General Hermann advanced against Erzeroum on Thursday ni_,ht ; lint i.is cotumns inso tiieir way in tae darkness, 'i'iirerRussiait l.a.ttahtins cajrureil the i'ertilieti positions at Azzi, ami akhough. obliged to wiilidraw before a superit>r force, carried ofi'sso prisoners. The Russians lost. "20 killed and (iOO wounded. At Plevna, General Skoboloft' lias established hinifieif in the newly captured position. A m\.ii Turkish uttaek w;is ;-e----puisc 1 by tlie lire of seventy cautions. The Turks hist heavily. At correspondent at Constantinople telegraphs tiie following : —" At a Council, over which Suleiman Raslia p:v.-idcd, the general feeling expressed, and by no one more strongly than Suleiman,' was in ! favour of an efibrt to put an end to tiie war, in which enough had In en done by both sides for glory, and which, if continued, must inflict lasting misery upon the two empires. It was felt that suiiipient reliance cannot be placed upon the declarations of Russia, and that even while seeking to obtain an honourable

peace, preparations for prolonged resistance must lie vigourous, and he carried

on subject to the determination to prosecute the war, if an honourable peace cannot be maintained. It was resolved that the time for endeavouring to cud t!ie war had arrived. The Grand Vizier informed the Brit sh Ambassador of the decision of the Council, in the hope that England would aid in putting a stop to the war."

The Russian military railway from Binder to Galatz lias been completed. A Peru correspondent telegraphs that there is much anxiety about a possible combined movement- of Servians, Montenegrins, and Greeks. A rising i.s apprehended in Epirus, Thessaly, ami Albania.

The Greeks have sent a strong note to the Porte concerning their grievances. The Porto replied that it is inclined to meet danger half way by sending both tile ■Servian and Greek repri sentutives their passports, as the note is evidently intended to provoke all angry reply, which could be used as a pretext- for rupture at a favourable opportunity. The situation is altogether very critical.

Unofficial reports state that the Montenegrins have stormed the citadel of Spitei. This gives the Montenegrins the possession of the: coast from the Austrian frontier to the Be\ oub. T:ie Turks still hold the citadel of Autivari.

A Vienna correspondent says the Montenegrins are kept in cheek by two Turkish ships in the roadstead.

The Turks have violated the Austrian frontier. They attacked several houses and stole cattle.

The (Tinics' Loudon i-p.'cial says the ten::.- or pc; s ■ between R issia :liid Turkey are t!u- Slbject of much discussion, niid lilt! question of t!ii' :ill i' 11< 1 e that Germany w ill iiss.iiiii; causes nireli anxiety. It is f iionght Russia is xviilitty: to Lrr.-mt acceptable terms, hut it is feared tli,-it Germany may urge Russia to demand terms of which Kngland would not ] it.-iniit tlio acceptance. Tile impression anion:,' liuancial circles is that, tile sanation is full of danger for I'Jurone. Knglaiid is inmv alarmed in regard to tile attitude likely lo he assumed 11 v Git many than with reference to Russia, nor knowing where to secure nliies in c:ise of a rapture w»t!i the former. A special from Vienna says thai so far from ht-intr weakvr. the CVirowiieh's army now consists of eiuiit infantry ami four cavalry divisions, numbel ing from Sil.d.lO to !H),000 men. and t! oneh ir must cov.-r the line from the Danube to the vicmr.y of Tirnova it vonkl not be easy for iee Turks to ill;: Jet much e.\-.iiou noon -lie advance of the Russians, as by forced marches they can concern rate their four division.-; on any given point in a .single day. A Cot e;;i (loSpjUcll RiVyS i llilt- V.MUllded I'Lontonegrins arriving t!:ere roport on Siiinl::y niuht a division of Rlemnane/. moving towarils Scufari. found (he Turkish forces cntivnohed near Arriamalile. behind three liiie.s of bivstworks ex.endjnsT frejil Jo B< A).- "• - u!: by .'*.<!*} yobe:b o,s. the two iirs: !:11■ s, i sir on tin third, fo 111;■ l iheii:-elves oppos. <1 lo n nine!, snp i'i"r i'oic • ..f Turks. Th y ivcr. beaten back v.'irh a !o«s of b-. Tv c -it at d :»0 kill< <1 at:ii 100 wounded, when tinattack was aham-oiled. 'I hi.-s alfair shous

! |linf. the s afem 11r that ihe bank f1 ie viv. r i« entirely in Ike possession of tin; Montenegrins, is unfounded. The loealitv of the battle is about half-way between Antivari and Scutari. The Turkish Ambassador at. "S'ifiiTi:■ sounded Count A.ndnissy on ilu» snbj.-ci i>f mediation. Tin; Count .said medialion tvas inopnortnnr. •• w.> 1 woi-.ld bo d:.-a'lran-tageoas in the Turks. A London despatch state thai. it is said that the recent successes of Russia in Asia, anil til'.; probability that (hey will si mil ac 1 ieve a decisive victory at Plevna have brought the Government t . that state of anxiety into which r I;.■ y v.vr. thrown l>y the first raid at, ros-j Ihe 1 {alkalis. The papers thai. support the Piv-ulioi-'s ioi'eijn policy are dai!v an.d vi-lte-nx uf!y (lemaiu!r'-o »»'•?ivt; in ft rvnt 'op of Kil'J'Uid, it is slated i'.«« the {V«mii> 1' ii'iormcd the. J.I uixier t'isif it Adrianejilo is taken ami <% .n«-;mtin-«j'U* ji'o)•ai'iliseil. there may lie such an outcry in England as may ma!" war on ihe part of that country inevitable, Information of this di'olaraii"n was s m to (.ho Kns-ssan ' lioafl-ijiiariei's. an l ) made a strong impression. Ther.f is in tin se ciiviimsiances some reasons for fearing that the country may bo dragged into the pr< sent conflict A further ground for such an ;Ippiehension is ihat wieim the last it« hours orders have buL'ii issued tor The immediate preparation of an aimy eon s. Kai's has eapituhped, io.OUU f,M:i;i■; climbed the s'ei rooks, ami the rampart walls wore smrnii'd by an etpial number. After desperate fighting, (he Turk's mailt a headlong flight over ihe diteh<s and paraiie'=. Tiie principal attack was mae" oil ihu southern roris. General v.-ho commanded the right wing, assaul ed fiaiiz Pasha., who held a fort crow n ng a sleep rocky height, and. General 0- unt Grabbo attacked in tlie C' litre three lowers and the citadel. Til;: left wing assaulted Fort I:,.jlonc. The attack h.-ran l .(l tile. oeiltl-C II'! S'lMll'llay VVi'lihlg. C.uni (iryblH! led his 1 ele ag.iinsl im: Kha.ulic redoubt himself. and was killed in the first, onset. Tiie redoubt ;,u;rendered early in the morning 'i'ho three towers fell almost simultaneously. They maintained a stubldiru resistance until j 8 a.m., when ail the garrison which I could escape tied towards Erzerouin, but j were subseipiently overtaken by ih«- i dragoons and Cossacks. and made ]>i i- ; soners. A Russian oliicial gives the iosst ,s j as 2.h00, The 0.-,cifetneur at Hlamhoul j C».U3cd ih'i sUUmionihg of t!ie reSel'.'es. • The servauis at tiie palace were armed : with revolvers. j

The .Servians, aisi.vie.d by 8,000 Russians, at lacked the Turkish army. Mehemct reports being successful in driving the Russians oil Tirnova, wi:h, the 'loss of 3 t'Ou u! e. 11.

The Gorman i'Yeaa ooii.sidcrs that ihe three la.iperors should t.l.lermine [...ace proposals.

A liotimnnvin nOioiiil anstomie.-s llutf the Roumanians had cap'suvd ]{-i!mv;!. afier throe dav.s' onjyigonH-nt. Tho Turk* Hod towards L"inpka r.r.d Widdni, v.-ii-t rlie l-fuuinnni.'iii:! in j>:'j.si;i'. ti>.nenns!y with the capture <f liuhova, a Roumanian division crossed the Danube opposite that town. The Russian attack at Ivadiko was repulsed. A Kussiau official despatch claim* that the Turks, after a stubborn engagement 1 * lasting from nine o'clock in the liiorniny

until six in the evening. u< re everywhere i repulsed, hut admits r;mi. the j outposts were temporarily driven in. i Doth accounts a-;ivo that the Turks, after ' .severe li', r litiii'4- temporarily occupied anil ; burned I'yrixo.s. Tiio Kussians state that j so far oO of their wounded have heeii j brought in. Suleiman Pasha has arrived at lJusl- j clink. i

Mukhtar Pasha telegraphs from Er/.e--I'iiuin that the Russian B izazid column is encamped between Kdidekan and Karakalissa. Every! uiiiL; indicates that the Russians are pn paring lo suspend operations and uo into winter quarters. Snow has fallen in the mountains to a depth of three feet.