FALL OF KARS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 362, 23 April 1856, Page 7

FALL OF KARS.

The first news of the probable fiill of Kars w.is brought to Kizeroum by that fine 01-i sol'iier, the Hungarian General Krnety. Riding in hot liasle, he readied it on the 28th of November. Kineiy's own case was a desperate one. lie h::dbeen formerly sentenced to death and ha-I no mercy to expect from the Russians. Things being at this pass, be wailed on General Williitin^, and bpsmiirht him to accept his resignation, and allow him to cut bis way through the enemy.- lines. His sword, he said, was now of no - further use, and he would rather blow his br.iins out than become a prisoner at discretion. General Williams fueling bow little be could do for him if it came to the worst, allowed him to leave, which he did that very night accompanied by General Kolman, and an escort of trusty Curds ; .Kolmaii, as an officer who held hi;:b rank in the Hungarian revolutionary army, ;»eiult in the same predicament a< Kinety. The Russian soldiers on the move at night recognise ench other l>v a particular low, long vthistle; and imitating this, the adventurous little party succeeded in passing several of th°ir pairols. At last, however, they were recognised, charged and dispersed, hut, meeting1 at a place of rendezvous previously fixed upon, continued their journey tiil they reached this without further accident. They had left Kars before Teesdale's return (it turned' Hit afterwards that he had been detained jo dinner by .\l<niraviefl), and were, consequently, quite ignoiant as to what terms might be offered and accepted on either side. All they knew was that General Williams' affairs bad reached the point of desperation, and that be was not. in a position to refuse any conditions which the Russians miuht please to offer. 7'he arrival of Captain Thompson's interpreter, another Hungarian refugee in the Turkish service, disclo-es further, facts He left Kirs after negociations bad been closed, and was enabled to stale on what, conditions it has been surrendered. They were as follows : —Tiiat all non-combatants should be allowed to leave; that private property should be respected, the inhabitants uninjured, and that all foreigners in the Tin Irish set vice should be permitted to depart unquestioned. Last, not least, all the officers were allowed to retain their swords in consideration of their gallant defence on the 29ih September, and to tiia honour of Mouravieff I.c it said that this generous clause was inserted in the body ot the treaty with his own hand. Seventy guns on the other side, and 20,000 stand of arms was made over to the Russians. The Nizam (regulars) to the number of 5,000 «cv taken prisone S of war. The II diff, or militia, and Bashi Bazouks, were dismis-ed to go whither they would. Libiitv, how. ver, in the ease of the latter, has been at best but a cruel gifi. A Siberian winter has set in along tli" loftier mountain ranges, and report speaks of 150 of these poor wretches being smothered together in a teppi. or snowstorm, within the wild passes of the Suw'fUilec dagh. Numbers too, had been froz.-n to death, and the villages along the ro.id from Kars were ih'Hed with their miserable comrades, who had sunk exhausted upon the way. Their condition before leaving Kars was as wretched as could he; so much so, thai it was positively painful u> stir out of doors. The% were lyin^t about in all directions, groaning piteous]*—watching the Russian provision wauuou.-, which, as if to add to their misery, passed almost ali day within their ken. Townspeople and soldier-- alike suff.-rrd all the horrors of la mi nt1. The former crowded round the general as he r:t<Je out of ins quarters, and prayed him with all the eloquence of despair \o seek souu; means of pulling an end t«i their mist.TV. Wtiuieu forced their way into his w.vy room-, and throwing their staniug chiidrcu at his feet, implored him ivitlu'V to ki'l them at onci' than let ihom perish thus piecemeal for want of Mislenaime. Tn<; liospitiils 'vero crowded with sick. O^ the 1 hmxlay be to re the surrender eighty mc v

died in one day. Many wrnt mad or became idiots from sheer hunger and bard work. Those who preserved a remnant of health, half-starved as they were, and scarcely clothed, were obliged to mount sentry almust every night up to the anclts in snow. Since the battle of the 29th there had been no animal food issued to the troops. Hojses had, indeed, been killed in the (rei;era]'s stables secrptly by nitrlit, but the meat was sent to the hospitals for the sick. A pittance of bread or flour made into weak broth was all that the working soldiers bad to subsist upon. Discipline was almost at an end. The soldiers had at one lime ail but worshipped General Williams. After the action, in particular, they gathered round iheir gailam 'leader, only too happy, after the Eastern fashion, to touch the hem of his garment in token of their submission antj respect. Now these same men refused to salute him, turned thtir eyes away when they saw him approach. Siiii, to the last, he hardened his heart in hope. Omar Pasha had written to him, on his arrival at Batotim, to hold out only another mouth, and he would he with him. The Mushir at Erzeroura too, Selim Pasha, who had been sent from Constantinople to take the command,, forwarded him a i-imilar despatch, informing him that he was sit the head of a lartje force, admirably equipped and paper for the fight,and that he would lose no time in inarching to his relief. Thus deceived, the general determined to hold out as long as a mouthful of food remained ; and, in fact, the last biscuit was issued out of store on the very day of the capitulation. At last, on finding out the truth that the Mushir at Evzeroinn at least had no in ention of coining to his ai«l, he called a general council and proposed a sally. But the troop1; by this time were too exhausted even to march, far more to fight thtir way for dnys together over tue mountains. Thry had no cawiln, no artillery horses, fighting, tnerefore, at such odds w.-:s "ti»ht of the question, and a surrender was determined upon as liie only remaining resource. The terms obtained were much more favourable than the vanquished had. any risjht to expect; and, allowing all creditto the trenerous forbearance of Mounivieff, no smaU praise must at the same time be accorded to General Williams for havinsr managed, mutters so well under such difficult circumstances. The two things that he felt most anxious to settle well were the protection of the inhabitants and the safety of his brave companions in arms, who might otherwise have paid n heavy penalty fur their douhied uevuteiiness to the cause of European ireidom. His fixed determination on these points of honour was of an order which needs no praise. He threatened, in fact, that unless his wishes in. re»imi to them were aceeeded to, be would destroy the guns, blow up the works, and then leave the Russians to do their worst. Fortunately, he had to deal with a rea-.onabh enemy, ami the lngh-mimieii sacrifice was averted, no less by firmness on the one stt';e th:sn forbearance on the other. He had u>> tiifficiilty, therefore, in settling matters as he wished. It was late before the Turkish troop* wen> marched out of the town. Those of the Russians were drawn up without to receive then!, anil the victors presented arms to ttie vanquished as they passed.

The higher prisoners wire treated with the Greatest kindness and cotisidsM-ation. The general, after he hail despatched the little business th:-t vidji'pm} on his hands, was s^nt on the route to St. Peters lMiruh in M 'uraviefPs i-.-inia^-e and lour, accomp-iti e<l by Uo-oiiel Like. Caiv.iiu riu>ms<>n, Mr. Chutchill, his private secretary, and an English soldier servant. All his Turkish servants had «leserted him in their drea(i of.-m iinprisoniiient in E.issia ; hut, as smie similar oust«m ha- always pit-vaileil in liip wn-lil. ami can haruly be considered peeuli: -rto lurkoy, aUt-r ail tiit-re was not much to ciiinpiaiii i>f. As v) him.xfll he u«s in ir<>t>J health anil spirits, kKikinsr furvviini to a speedy vele.^e. When the Rn<sims )iad t.<ken po-^sessicii ot Ka-5, the. town \v:is in a state i>f «ronfu«'<'H, such as tni trh t he expected :roni us occupation liy a niixetl annv vi wiiii C >v i'ks. Civ<*:is>iai!S, ami Kuni.s, v\iti! mi sihii'i }> -rii"!) ol a rt-iiuinr soldiery—the hardest .irw:kvi> m t»«- wtnliJ. All «'m/j/('V<'.«,h."Vcv t ! ) au.ii'iifd u> (he TnvkMi army weie ireiuru wi-.!i tlu> i;vf.tesi ,;..nsideralion til! their final ,l<. ( --nriuie. *M- /."hrab f'-r instance, on General Williain'.s st.-tll' as interpreter, was lyii.sr ill ofiyi.lms at the time o» occnp.mon. 6u 'uciuins; ihc rioi of ibe s -Ulieis be thought

it would be suier to apply to ihe commandant for a guard ; but the latter at once relieved lis fears by assuring him that strict orders had been issued to insure his not being molested, and thai if anything happened he should he applied to at once. Passports were granted to Hungarian officers in the Turkish service with the srreaiest readiness. The conduct of the Russians indeed, throughout, has beeu irreproachable.

The Austrian Government has not been able to find sites and in oner to erect markets in Vienna, have been greatly needed for many years ; but they have just completed two fine barracks, at the cost of a million florins. M. Yiliecourt, Bishop of Rochelle, who has just been made cardinal by the special nomination of the Pope, is the bishop who demanded, at the last Council of Bordeaux, the condemnation of Bossuet. Denmark.— The following1 are some additional particulars of General Canrobert's visit. The General was honoured with a private audience of the king. And was taken to the palace in one of the Court c rrriages, in which was M. de Mohka, aide-dc camp to his Majesty. More than 200 persons assembled in the court of the hotel, and cheered him as he entered the royal carriage. The audience lasted for half an hour. At five o'clock the corps diplomalique (with the exception of the Russian Charge d'Affaire?.) the members of the Cabinet, the high dignitaries of the Crown, ;he commanders of the army and navy, and the most eminent functionaries, were invited to a banquet given in honour of the General, wiio sat next to the I King. £l In the middle of the repast the 'King-, who wore the insignia of the Legiou of Honour, I proposed the health of his Majesty the Emperor, and at the same lime the band struck up the ' national air, " Partant pour la Syrie." In the evening the general attended a ball given by Landgrave#WiUiair>, in honour of the birth of his son. M. Dotezar presented the Ambassador Extraordinary of the Emperor to the royal family, all the members of which received him most graciously. Austria — "Viexka, Thursday Evening. Dec; 6. —The "• Oesterreichische Correspondez '• has the fu!lowinjr :—"The Odessa Imperial Com- i raercial Bank has suspended its hard cash payments; unpleasant scenes have occurred in consequence. The gendarmerie remind people that, by refusing to take bank notes, they display animosity to the government. The premium on silver is already 12 ami 15 per cent. Vienna, Dec. 7. —The Austrian army excepting the corps in the Damihinn Principalities, has been placed on a pence footinir. The funds *re raising rapidly. The Post, in a conspicuous leader, says that the reduction of the Austrian army to a peace footing- argues her ■belief in the probable efficacy of the n facial ions which are now on foot, and in which she lias been a prime mover. If Austria believes in peace, her firsi. duty should be to take steps for \ thft evacuation of the Principalities. ' Italy-—Another republican conspiracy has been discovered at Rome, and several nrrests had taken place. One of the leaders in the conspiracy, ii.deed the chief, i s a man named Mancini, who w..s convicted of capital crimes commuted during the U«t Republic in Rome, but afiVcied insanity with such success as to completely gul! the authorities, who sent him to the bedlam of R.irne. He made his escape from the madhouse some time ?i<ro, and since then has been bi'liriir in the house of a beiJfoimner, whose foundry exists in the Visi Tor rii N..ii,i,<)ii the way v, the c<s;ie of St. Angefo. The French army of .tc<:iij..uj,wi bein- "now sin-ill, in oii'-rqueiic- of so many hunn£ been sent to the Crimea, and the R,>irjjiri troops beiuat ail limes more n -dy to att.-.ck than so (Wend tile Govcrn-ne:,; enijiloyiirz them, ihe. eon<=r>initors were snr.-rni.w ..f Circes*. The <l;iy f )xe d for a trraii'l c ..up wa* the Bth Dect'inher.' beiij-^ the feusi in b-.nnur o! t!»e Immaenl.itc Vouco^tion of th«- liSsv.-.i Virgin, v,!.ir:h was to' be held with jf.-.re Ujan ordinary solenmitv and spirtiiciuur ;ii the L;it.-r;irj B.isiiieu. nsa finale or Wllld-Up. io iij'; year of dc-voti,^ atl( l thauhsgivirig. eel-i.n.'.-n ;iii over the Catholic world, but e.sj»<J<;i;i!:t :>\ R;ti)e.