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Auction: 11007 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 1

The Unique ´Defence of Kars´ V.C., K.C.M.G., C.B., K.H. Group of Sixteen to Lieutenant, Later Major-General Sir C.C. Teesdale, Royal Artillery, Who, As One of Just Four British Officers Present, Inspired by Personal Example and Led the Remnants of the Shattered Turkish Army To Victory Against a Russian Force Comprising 22 Battalions of Infantry and a Division of Cavalry, 29.9.1855, When He Volunteered to Take Command of the Most Vulnerable Positions, and ´During the Hottest Part of the Action´, Having Rallied His Men, ´Led the Final Charge Which Completed the Victory of the Day´; Having Forced the Russians to Revert to Siege Warfare, Teesdale Was Finally Taken Prisoner of War When The City Could Hold Out No Longer, 28.11.1855; In Later Life He Was Equerry to H.R.H. The Prince of Wales, and Master of Ceremonies to Queen Victoria a) Victoria Cross, reverse of suspension bar engraved ´Lieut. Christopher C. Teesdale C.B. Royal Artillery´, reverse of Cross engraved ´29. Sep: 1855´ b) The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, Knight Companion´s (K.C.M.G.) set of Insignia, neck Badge, 90mm including crown suspension x 67mm, gold and enamel; Star, 79mm, silver, gold, and enamel, with gold retaining pin, enamel damage to both Badge and Star c) The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Military Division, Companion´s (C.B.) breast Badge, 47mm, gold (Hallmarks for London 1858) and enamel, lacking integral gold riband buckle d) The Royal Guelphic Order, Military Division, Knight´s (K.H.) breast Badge, 54mm including crown and crossed swords suspension x 31mm, gold and enamel, with integral gold riband buckle, tip of one sword broken, with suspension adapted e) Jubilee 1887, silver f) Denmark, Kingdom, Order of the Dannebrog, Commander First Class set of Insignia, C.IX.R. (1863-1906), neck Badge, 79mm including crown suspension x 40mm, gold and enamel, gold mark on suspension ring; Star, 82mm x 72mm, silver-gilt, gold, and enamel, with Godet, Berlin, cartouche on reverse, minor damage to inscription, one retaining pin broken g) France, Second Empire, Legion of Honour, Officer´s breast Badge, 64mm including crown suspension x 42mm, gold and enamel, poincon mark on obverse h) Greece, Kingdom, Order of the Redeemer, 2nd type, Knight Grand Cross set of Insignia, sash Badge, 86mm including crown suspension x 56mm, gold and enamel; Star, 84mm, silver, gold, and enamel, with Lemaitre, Paris, cartouche on reverse, with a short section of sash riband for display purposes i) Hawaii, Kingdom, Royal Order of Kalakaua I, Grand Officer´s set of Insignia, neck Badge, 87mm including crown suspension x 55mm, gold and enamel; Star, 70mm, silver, gold, and enamel, with Kretly, Palais Royal, cartouche on reverse j) Russia, Imperial, Order of St. Anne, Second Class neck Badge, by Keibel, St. Petersburg, 44mm, gold (56 zolotniki) and enamel, maker´s mark and court stamp on reverse, 1865 date mark and gold mark on suspension ring, with replacement riband suspension k) Russia, Imperial, Order of St. Vladimir, Third Class neck Badge, by Keibel, St. Petersburg, 45mm, gold (56 zolotniki) and enamel, maker´s mark and court stamp on reverse, 1865-96 assay office mark, date mark, and gold mark on suspension ring, minor enamel damage to reverse central medallion l) Turkey, Ottoman Empire, Order of the Medjidieh, First Class set of Insignia, sash Badge, 82mm including Star and Crescent suspension x 63mm, silver, gold applique, and enamel; Star, 93mm, silver, gold applique, and enamel, with a short section of sash riband for display purposes m) Turkey, Ottoman Empire, Order of Osmania, Second Class set of Insignia, neck Badge, 84mm including Star and Crescent suspension x 59mm, silver, gold, and enamel; Star, 85mm, silver, gold, and enamel n) Turkey, Ottoman Empire, Order of Osmania, Third Class neck Badge, 87mm including Star and Crescent suspension x 64mm, silver, gold, and enamel, suspension re-affixed o) Turkey, Ottoman Empire, Imtiyaz Medal, silver, reverse named (in Arabic) to the recipient, with ´Kars´ riband bar p) Turkey, Ottoman Empire, Defence of Kars Medal 1854 (AH 1272), silver, generally good very fine or better, together with the following related documents &c.: - Bestowal Document for the K.C.M.G., named to Major General Christopher Charles Teesdale, R.A., V.C., C.B., and dated 21.6.1887, together with Chancery enclosure, dated 28.7.1887 - Chancery letter to the Recipient informing him of the award of the K.C.M.G., dated 5.7.1887 - Bestowal Document for the C.B., named to Lieutenant Christopher Charles Teesdale, and dated 10.5.1856, together with Heralds College enclosure, dated 21.6.1856 - Bestowal Document for the Commander First Class of the Order of the Dannebrog, named to Hrr. Christ. Teesdale, and dated 4.12.1875 - Bestowal Document for the Officer of the Legion of Honour, named to Monsieur le Lieutenant-Colonel Teesdale, and dated 6.12.1856 - Bestowal Document for the Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer, named to Colonel Teesdale - Bestowal Document for the Second Class Order of St. Anne, with Diamonds, named to Lieutenant-Colonel Christopher Teesdale, and dated 6.3.1874 - Bestowal Document for the Third Class Order of St. Vladimir, named to Colonel Christopher Teesdale, and dated 8.4.1881 - Permission to Wear Document for the Third Class Order of the Medjidieh, named to Captain Christopher Charles Teesdale, and dated 21.1.1856, together with Foreign Office enclosure, dated 24.6.1856 - Bestowal Documents for the Imtiyaz Medal - Warrant Appointing Major General Sir Christopher Charles Teesdale, K.C.M.G., C.B., V.C. as Master of Ceremonies in Ordinary to Her Majesty the Queen, dated 1.6.1890, together with a copy letter detailing the duties of the Master of Ceremonies - Portrait photograph of the recipient - RUNDELL, Anthony J., O.B.E., Kars: Victory into Defeat, 2005, an account of Christopher Teesdale´s role at the Defence of Kars, 220pp, with illustrations, casebound with dust jacket (lot) Estimate £ 160,000-200,000 V.C. London Gazette 25.9.1857 Lieutenant Christopher Charles Teesdale, C.B., Royal Artillery ´Date of Act of Bravery, 29th September 1855 For gallant conduct, in having, while acting as Aide-de-Camp to Major-General Sir William Fenwick Williams, Bart., K.C.B., at Kars, volunteered to take command of the force engaged in the defence of the most advanced part of the works,- the key of the position- against the attack of the Russian Army when, by throwing himself into the midst of the enemy, who had penetrated into the above redoubt, he encouraged the garrison to make an attack, so vigorous, as to drive out the Russians therefrom, and prevent its capture; also for having, during the hottest part of the action, when the enemy´s fire had driven the Turkish Artillerymen from their guns, rallied the latter, and by his intrepid example induced them to return to their post; and further, after having led the final charge which completed the victory of the day, for having, at the greatest personal risk, saved from the fury of the Turks, a considerable number of the disabled among the enemy, who were lying wounded outside the works,- an action witnessed, and acknowledged gratefully before the Russian Staff, by General Mouravieff.´ K.C.M.G. London Gazette 8.7.1887 Major-General Christopher Charles Teesdale, R.A., V.C., C.B. C.B. London Gazette 10.5.1856 Lieutenant Christopher Charles Teesdale, Lieutenant-Colonel in the Service of His Imperial Majesty the Sultan France, Legion of Honour, Officer London Gazette 1.5.1857 Lieutenant Christopher Charles Teesdale, C.B., Royal Artillery ´For distinguished services before the enemy during the late war.´ Turkey, Ottoman Empire, Order of the Medjidieh Third Class London Gazette 7.2.1856 Captain Christopher Charles Teesdale, a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Turkish Service ´For distinguished services before the enemy during the defence of Kars.´ Major-General Sir Christopher Charles Teesdale, V.C., K.C.M.G., C.B., K.H., was born in Grahamstown, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa, on the 1st June 1833, the third son of Lieutenant-General Henry Teesdale, Royal Horse Artillery, who was posted there at the time, and his wife Rose. At the age of two he returned with his family to England, and spent the remainder of his childhood in both England and Guernsey, the home of his mother´s family. In 1848 he was accepted as a Gentleman Cadet in the Royal Artillery, and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant, Royal Artillery, on Waterloo Day, 18th June 1851, being promoted Lieutenant two years later on the 22nd April 1853. War with Russia As the British and French forces made their way to the Crimea, intending to destroy the Russian Black Sea Fleet and the Sebastopol port, in order to prevent a Russian naval advance on Constantinople, the land route through the Caucasus and Asia Minor was protected by a large Turkish standing army in the east of the country guarding against a Russian invasion from Tiflis. Earlier in 1854 the Russians had moved 35,000 troops into the area, hoping to open up a ´second front´ against a weak and disorganised army, and thus have a largely unopposed march west. On the 3rd August a Turkish force of 8,000 was routed by 11,000 Russians at Bagazid; 1,800 Turks were killed and wounded. Three days later, at the Battle of Kurukdere, the result was even more emphatic, with the Turkish force, this time numbering over 35,000, again heavily defeated; only the caution showed by the Russian commander saved the Turkish army from being completely annihilated. As the disorganised remnants of Ottoman power in Asiatic Turkey fell back on the town of Kars, it was decided back in London, and confirmed following a heated debate in the House of Commons, to send out a British Commissioner with a small staff to join the Turkish force in the east and for him ´to pick up what political information he could.´ The man chosen for the role was Colonel William Fenwick Williams, Royal Artillery, who was given the temporary rank of Brigadier-General. He was to be accompanied by Lieutenant Teesdale, as his Aide-de-Camp, who was given the temporary rank of Major, and Dr. Humphry Sandwith, as ´Inspector General of Hospitals in Asia Minor.´ Williams was to maintain a suitable liaison between the Ottoman Porte in Constantinople and Lord Raglan´s Headquarters in the Crimea, under whose nominal command he was placed. Otherwise it was up to him. Arrival in Kars Williams, Teesdale, and Sandwith arrived in Kars in late 1854. It was a barren place. Situated at the far easternmost point of Turkey, over 1,000 miles from Constantinople, at a height of 1,770 metres above sea level, its climate was harsh and its land rocky. Yet by its location it acted as the key to Asia Minor- if the Russians could capture it then they could enter the Ottoman Empire and materially affect the course of the Crimean War. Soon, with the onset of winter, the snows arrived, and the town was all but cut off from the outside world. Williams and Sandwith left Kars to spend the winter travelling through Asia Minor, leaving Teesdale on his own in the town, to keep an eye on the situation there. For the 21 year-old Teesdale this was hardly good news: ´I am not so enamoured of the "Sunny East" as to wish to stay six months in a mud hovel on my own, unable to get out more than six times during that period. As to the fair ones, I have had a fine opportunity of seeing them during our inspection of these winter quarters. They are about as fair as an old boot and if you can imagine anything between a chimney-sweep and a dancing bear you will form a better idea of their costume and grace than it is possible for me to give you.´ (letter written by Teesdale, quoted in Kars: Victory into Defeat refers). The following April, after a long, cold, and depressing winter Williams and Sandwith returned, and they were joined in Kars by three more Englishmen: Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Lake, Royal Engineers; Captain Henry Thompson, 68th Bengal Native Infantry, and Mr. Churchill, an Attaché of Her Majesty´s Mission in Persia seconded as a civilian secretary for Williams. Formerly Commissioned into the Sultan´s Army, and given effective command of the Turkish force, together they all set about preparing the town´s defences and men into a state of readiness. Starting from scratch, Lake constructed, with remarkable haste and effectiveness, a complex series of fortifications designed to cover the heights behind Kars as well as the town to the south of the river, based upon a series of redoubts, known as tabias. At the centre of the fortifications was a new construction, called Fort Lake, ´a large and very formidable redoubt´ which could hold 3,000 men, and which would become General Williams´ command post. Meanwhile Thompson, the Infantry expert, got to work training up the regular and irregular Turkish soldiers for the action to come. They would not have to wait long. Towards the end of June some 35,000 to 40,000 Russian troops arrived in the area, under the command of General Mouravieff, who, as a young subaltern, had taken part in the Russian capture of Kars in 1828, and set up camp approximately four miles from the town. For most of July they were occupied in reconnaissance and skirmishes to probe the town´s defences. On the 8th August, in the absence of Mouravieff, the skirmishes became more intense, as Teesdale relates: ´To this moment I do not know what the demonstration against our position was meant for. The only explanation I can imagine is that, in the absence of Mouravieff, General Brumer wished to do something- what, no one probably knows except himself. The Russians were quite deceived by our silence on the day of the demonstration in that quarter as to the range of our guns, and therefore came within easy reach of them before they were made painfully aware of the fact. The number of enemy killed included a General, a Lieutenant-Colonel, and eight or nine officers of superior rank.´ (ibid). Just as the enemy retreated, Teesdale, who from the opposite side of the defences had heard the firing, galloped up to the menaced position, ordered a large cannon to be elevated, and, laying the piece himself, threw a ball of enormous magnitude into the midst of the retreating squadrons, causing signal havoc amongst them. Thus he had the honour of firing, with his own hands, the last and best shot of the action. Following this reverse, and on the return of Mouravieff, the Russians ceased their occasional attacks, and switched tactics, laying siege to the town in an attempt to starve the defenders into submission. By the end of August the effects of the siege were being felt- fewer and fewer carts from the surrounding countryside were getting into Kars, and the Russian army destroyed stores of grain in every village through which they passed. News of the fall of Sebastopol reached Kars on the 17th September. The defenders by this time were on less than half rations, and cavalry horses were dying where they stood. Re-enforcements were desperately needed, and plans were drawn up to send a relief force. On learning of this news, Mouravieff decided to switch tactics, abandoning the siege, and drawing up plans for an all-out attack. Defence of Kars, 29th September 1855 ´I have the honour to inform your Lordship that General Mouravieff, with the bulk of his army, at day-dawn this morning, attacked our entrenched position on the heights above Kars, and on the opposite side of the river. The battle lasted, without a moment´s intermission, for nearly seven hours, when the enemy was driven off in the greatest disorder, with the loss of 2,500 dead, and nearly double that number of wounded, who were, for the most part, carried off by the retreating enemy. Upwards of 4,000 muskets were left on the field. Your Lordship can, without a description on my part, imagine the determination of the assailants, and the undaunted courage of the troops who defended the position for so many hours. I have great gratification in acquainting your Lordship with the gallant conduct of Lieutenant-Colonel Lake, Major Teesdale, and Captain Thompson, who rendered the most important service in defending the redoubts. I beg to recommend these officers to your Lordship´s protection. I also beg to name my Secretary, Mr. Churchill, an Attaché of Her Majesty´s Mission in Persia. He directed the fire of a battery throughout the action, and caused the enemy great loss. Dr. Sandwith has been most active and efficient in the management of the ambulances and in the hospital arrangements. Our loss was about 700 killed and wounded.´ (Brigadier-General Williams´ Despatch, dated Kars, 29.9.1855, refers). The following day Teesdale wrote a letter home, relating the battle in more depth, and detailing his own involvement: ´I dare say when this reaches you that you will heave heard of the desperate action we had here yesterday; I wish you to know as soon as possible that, by God´s mercy, I came out of it unhurt. I had just returned from a patrol at 4:30am when the first gun fired from Laz tabia, to which I immediately galloped and remained fighting there for hours in utter ignorance of how the day went. For seven hours I was in a tremendous fire but thank God, escaped with only a bruise on the thigh from a case shot. I had patrolled around our line of works from three in the morning on the 29th according to the wish of General Kmety who always advised my being in the saddle a little before daylight as he always expected that any attack would take place at dawn. The darkness of the nights together with the rocky ground and the nature of our duties usually obliged us to keep our horses at a slow walk, but on this particular night it was so bitterly cold that after having completed the rounds my interpreter, Rennison, begged that we should push home a little quicker; so, trusting our horses to keep on their feet we cantered sharply to our tents. Rennison was already in his tent and I had at that moment reined in my horse and taken my foot from the stirrup to dismount when I was startled by a gun flashing through the darkness directly in front of me. This was so extraordinary and event that almost before the sound had reached me I was galloping at speed to the work from whence the sound had come. Springing from my horse I asked the officer at the gun what was going on when for the first time I was informed that the Russians were upon us. The Turk´s eyes were better than mine from being constantly at work at night; all I could see was a blacker than usual shadow across the valley. This was at half past four in the morning. The guns continued to fire continuously on the approaching mass, and soon all uncertainty ceased; the Russians, finding that they were discovered set up yell from twenty thousand throats. The whole black valley seemed alive with the howling mass, that came boiling up through the darkness in apparently irresistible numbers. The fire ran along the whole of our front line almost at the same moment and the flashes showed the busy figures of Turks rushing to every assailable point, and, before the noise became so great as to drown all human voices, the cries and screams of the wounded were heard with fearful distinctness, amid the general uproar. Knowing the confidence that the soldiery reposed in the English officers my first care was to make my presence known to them, and I addressed a few words to those already in place. My knowledge of Turkish and the pressing nature of the moment made this of short duration! However, they answered with a wild cheer for the Sultan in such a hearty manner that I finally anticipated the best of results from them. They were scarcely at their posts before the Russians were upon us. The guns were by this time in full play and being loaded entirely with case shot; this, assisted by the rolling fire of the musketry that at once broke out from the parapet swept the enemy completely from our front. The column thus split swerved to either side; on our left it overwhelmed the small open breastwork (Yarum-ai tabia) and on our right penetrated through the unguarded space and swept forward on the tents in our rear. As soon as the soldiers posted at Yarum-ai tabia took refuge in the redoubt I was defending and reported its occupation by the enemy I directed the fire of the guns and a portion of the infantry upon the interior of this work. This speedily cleared it of its occupants who then took refuge on the reverse side of the parapet- from whence they kept up a most galling fire on our men and were almost protected from our own fire. Whilst this conflict occupied our attention on our left front, that part of the Russian column which had passed by on our right silently reformed amidst the darkness and, led on by an intrepid officer rushed upon an almost unguarded point in our rear. So sudden was the assault that almost before I could rally a company to resist it the Russians were swarming like bees upon the parapet and were already inside the work. This moment was the most critical for the Yuksek tabia. The Turks attacked on all sides, but bewildered by the firing which raged around them, wavered for a moment as the black figures of their enemies seemed to swoop down upon them as they jumped off the parapet. Every moment was now of such vital importance that ceasing my efforts to attract the attention of those who were fighting in front of their assailant in the rear, and shouting to the few who were around me, I rushed up into the salient already occupied by the enemy. This sudden impulse saved us. Those who had already penetrated were in a moment struck down on the platform where I stood and their gallant leader- as he was about to cross his sword with mine- received a ball in the centre of his forehead and fell backwards into the ditch. Seven Russian soldiers lay dead at my feet. Still the brave young volunteers who had made up the attacking column came swarming up but the deadly and deliberate fire from within kept them in check and their bravest already lay thickly in and on the edge of the little ditch which surrounded the work. It was a terrible scene before the day broke; in the darkness and confusion Russians actually got inside our redoubt and three men were killed at my feet while an officer, dashing over the parapet, was shot down when almost at the point of my sword. The Russians sent up battalion after battalion but our fire prevented them forming any regular formation for assault. Another mass was coming to their support and it became evident that succour of some sort must be given to those who opposed them. Seeing this I left them fighting with unflinching perseverance to try and bring a gun from the front. To my great delight I found that one of the guns of our reserve, having lost its way in the darkness and confusion had taken refuge in our work and stood limbered up and inactive. By dint of yelling at and beating the gunners I succeeded in attracting their attention to explain what I wanted. Leaving two men at the limber to supply nothing but grape I managed with the help of four of the gunners to run the gun up into the salient. Acting as No.1 I pointed at the thickest of the mass that approached us which was but a few yards from the muzzle. Six times the iron shower tore through their ranks and left long lines of dead and wounded in their tracks. Then the attacking column in utter confusion from the rapidity of the fire broke and fled past the redoubt down the hill pursued by the infuriated Turks. Dawn had just broken. The column we had just disposed of was the centre one of three that attacked simultaneously; on our left Tachmach tabia with its flanking line of breastworks turned seemed but a mass of smoke and fire. On our right a column of eight battalions had marched straight upon the Rennison lines, where Kmety commanded in person. The Third regiment of Arabistan and a battalion of Chasseurs formed the two sides of a triangle into which the enemy entered and made straight for the gate at the apex. Leaving the guns which protected their flank to do their work when the enemy was close upon them they then opened a converging fire upon the head of the column; the first rank fell but the rest still surged up pressing those in advance forwards- but it was impossible to withstand the deadly fire of the elite of our old soldiers who, deployed and protected by a breastwork, sent every ball into the centre of the advancing column. This horrid carnage continued until, stopped by a mound of dead, and dislocated by the repeated discharges of grape, the Russians were brought to a standstill. The Turks, led by the brave Hungarian General Kmety, leaped over the breastwork and finished with the bayonet the utter rout of their assailants. This column left 850 dead upon a space not exceeding an acre in area; their General Kavalieffsky was mortally wounded; Prince Gagarin who next took command fared little better and nearly every superior officer fell. A few moments breathing time were now afforded us; we rallied the men and put things in as much order as possible for a renewal of the struggle. The fire still raged on the left with undiminished violence and in our rear warm work was evidently going on. Day had now completely broken and our artillery became of more value. After having turned the left the Russians had managed to get up sixteen guns, the fire of which fell heavily upon us- without our being able in the confusion to reply to it. When the Russians saw how the position between ourselves and their comrades who were now fighting among the rocks on which Yarum-ai tabia stood, such a fire was concentrated upon us that for a time we were almost paralysed by the screeching showers that fell around us without interruption. But other movements were going on of which we were unaware; the troops by whom we were thus mercilessly ´mitraillés´ were in their turn reduced to silence and finally obliged to leave the field by the well directed guns in our rear under the command of Colonel Lake and from a heavy gun for which Mr. Churchill (the General´s secretary) had assumed direction. Scarcely we were free from this crushing fire when Kmety at the head of three companies of our dashing chasseurs came up from the Russian lines and, running into Yarum-ai tabia, and springing like cats among the rocks, they made short work of the Russians who still held their ground there. By Kemty´s desire I remained at Yuksek tabia and directed the fire of our guns upon the column opposed to our right; this had reformed out of range under cover of some hills and was vainly endeavouring to mount a second attack. Each time they attempted to debouch on us our shot fell with such beautiful precision at the head of the column that after several vain attempts they finally retired and were no more seen. While the fight had thus raged along the line at Tachmach tabia the enemy had gained so important an advantage at the Inglis tabia that had it not been for the energy and decision of General Williams the day might still have been lost. Nine or ten battalions of infantry supported by sixteen guns and all Baklanoff´s division of cavalry attacked the Inglis tabia shortly after daybreak under the command of the Cossack General in person who, it is said by the Russians, had managed to gain during the preceding nights a perfect knowledge of the works he was to attack. Unfortunately for us the only garrison that could be spared for the defence of these lines consisted of about three hundred regular troops and some of the Laz irregulars. No officer in whom the men placed any confidence was there and the consequence was that the whole line was carried on the first attack without any resistance. The Laz fled so precipitately that, although the enemy were out of musket shot at that time, left their clan colours flying on the parapet to fall into the hands of the Russians. Not content with this disgrace these lawless mountaineers continued their flight into the town where, taking advantage of the general confusion, they began to plunder the unprotected houses. Luckily for us the few regular troops who were spread along the line rallied in a work called Williams Pasha tabia built expressly in anticipation of these circumstances; it was situated on the edge of the cliffs above the river and approachable only from beneath by a rugged path hewn from the cliff for this specific purpose. Here the regular troops were joined by many of the townspeople who by this time were flocking to the scene of action. As soon as the Russians had carried the Inglis tabia lines they broke down part of the breastworks and brought in their artillery which began to shell the town, undisturbed by the castle on the opposite side of the river where there were mounted three heavy guns which might have been of the greatest service had they not been under the command of an officer whom fear had rendered imbecilic, and who afterwards had no other excuse to offer that that "he was afraid". No sooner was the news brought to General Williams that the Inglis tabia was in the hands of the enemy than, selecting the bravest of the Anatolian troops under Kadri-Bey, an officer to be relied upon, he spoke a few words to them and sent them to the scene. Even before their arrival the enemy had been so disquieted as to make their longer stay doubtful. Captain Thompson seeing what had happened had harnessed some of his men to the heavy gun on the Cardagh and brought it at a run to a position bearing on the Inglis lines; it commanded Teesdale tabia as well as all the right of the line, and its plunging fire soon drove the enemy from that part of the position. His Bashi-Bazooks had already started to climb the rocky paths that led up to the rear of the Inglis redoubts, and, in anticipation of General Williams´ order to march up as a reserve part of Thompson´s regulars were already on their way to the start point when the order arrived. At this time, when the Russian artillery had been silenced, Colonel Lake left his command to a Turkish officer and succeeded in reaching Fort Lake; he arrived in time to alter the bearing of some guns to fire with deadly effect upon the already shaken enemy. The Russians were now fiercely striving to carry Williams Pasha tabia as well as to engage the guns in Fort Lake which swept the front of Williams Pasha tabia of its assailants. At the same time the reserves arrived at each extremity of the line, attacked with the bayonet, and finally drove the enemy back over the disputed line. Further than this they could not follow for the Russian cavalry remained in unshaken order to repel any attempt on the part of our infantry to pursue their advantage. Thus supported, Baklanoff´s column retreated under a heavy fire from all points, carrying away two field guns from the first rush and the colours which the Laz had left behind them. Once indeed, some of our soldiers, carried away by the excitement of success, jumped over the parapets and tried to pursue but a squadron of dragoons immediately faced about and charged fiercely on the scattered foot soldiers who would have been cut to pieces but for the earthworks which effectively stopped the progress of the Russian cavalry. Having just heard of the desperate plight of Tachmach tabia, great was our joy to see the dark masses of Russians retiring from the Inglis lines and the shot from our guns once more plunging amongst them. We then knew that our rear was safe, and that if we could hold out all was safe. At this moment a battalion of the enemy debouched from the right flank and apparently meant to repeat their previous manoeuvre which had so nearly succeeded; however, from Yuksek-tabia we opened such a fire of grape upon them that, despite the efforts of their officers who were bravely leading them on, they again took refuge inside the line. Here they encountered some of our reserves from below which cut off their retreat to the left. It appeared at that moment that their intention was to seize a small work overlooking the village of Chakmak so as to afford easy access for Baklanoff´s column which was then almost opposite to it and which could have made a considerable diversion in our rear. It was of importance therefore that they should not succeed and so fire was opened from every gun that could bear upon them; so severely did they suffer that, out of this single battalion, 250 men were hors-de-combat and it was finally dispersed by the garrison of guns in the small work they had tried to surprise. Baklanoff´s artillery fired its last shots in support of this battalion as it left the ground. In spite of our success on every other front, the fight still continued around Tachmach tabia with unabated fury. Kmety had taken up three companies to their assistance and I had sent three more with a gun but their losses were scarcely made good by this addition and all of their ammunition was expended. Incredible as it might appear, the last hour of that battle was fought with ammunition from the Russian dead. Sallies were made for no other purpose than to obtain the needful supply, and at one point, part of the garrison was employed in stripping off the pouches from the fallen on one side of the redoubt and throwing them to their comrades who were thus able to repulse the enemy from the other side. Such fighting as this deserved to be crowned with success but the Russians fought with equal obstinacy until only two battalions remained which had not been committed to the battle proper. The last shadow of hope having vanished, the Russian General gave the order to retire- but it was too late. Reserves arrived from below and drove the enemy from the interior lines. Tired of acting so long on the defensive I mounted my horse which had remained unhurt and led a charge against the enemy´s chasseurs and stragglers who, favoured by the ground, still kept shooting our men at leisure. This was no easy task, and on reaching the exterior of Tachmach tabia we found ourselves confronted by a regiment of the enemy- fresh men firing heavily along their front. It was the last remnant of the Russian infantry. The Turks still left alive in Tachmach tabia could no longer be restrained; seeing our plight they burst forth like a pent-up torrent from the redoubt and rushed with the blind fury of wild animals to our assistance- and the Russian regiment seemed to melt before them. In a moment the ground was thick with corpses and the survivors flying as best each one might. Our men could not be stopped until they had passed the road at the bottom of the hill- but the affair was over. A few more shots were fired at the fugitives when a band struck up and the soldiers were dancing amidst all the horrors of a battle ground´ (letter from the recipient to his father, dated Kars, 30.9.1855, refers). Turkish loses after seven hours of uninterrupted combat were 362 dead and 631 wounded. The townspeople suffered an additional 101 dead and 202 wounded. Of the Russian dead General Williams wrote in a later despatch: ´Their loss was immense- they left on the field more than 5,000 dead, which literally covered the country, and it took the Turkish infantry four days to bury. Their wounded and prisoners in our possession amount to 160, whilst those who were carried off are said to be upwards of 7,000.´ Later a Russian officer was to paint an even starker picture: ´At the muster call in camp more than a third, and nearly a half, were missing from the night before. The whole of the following day was spent in collecting the dead and wounded. The Tsar´s personal regiment of Carabiniers had suffered most- all of its thirty-two officers had either been killed or wounded, and we had up to 15,000 hors-de-combat as a result of the battle.´ That night, having spent the afternoon burying their own dead, with the wounded being treated to by Dr. Sandwith, the defenders of Kars slept out under arms in their positions, but no further attack was made. The Siege In the weeks following the battle it became apparent to both sides that there was little likelihood of an Allied relief force being sent to Kars. As one British civil commissioner commented: ´To embark an army in the Crimea, to transport it across the Black Sea, to disembark it again at the worst port upon that sea, where it is often impossible for a week at a time to communicate with the shore, to march this army a distance of 180 miles over often impassable terrain, including two mountain passes at a season of the year when they are blocked with snow, and to arrive in a condition capable of coping with a hostile army 40,000 strong and perfectly fresh- and to have accomplished all this within the short space of six weeks would have been an achievement worthy of a greater general than this war has hitherto produced.´ Having deployed his troops once and lost, Mouravieff was in no hurry to do so again, and instead re-focused his efforts on maintaining the siege, and starving the defenders into submission. ´The horrors of the concluding part of the siege are almost too terrible to recall- men too proud to beg locked their doors and lay down to die in their houses. The misery within the town increased by the day, and the vigilance of the Russians doubled. A stock of wood eked out to the last had vanished, and the cold at night became so bitter that numbers of men were found every morning to be frozen to death in their tents. Horses and mules had long ceased to be of any service except for food. Towards the middle of November snow began to fall, and so intense did the cold now become that to sleep under canvas became nearly impossible. General Williams was now increasingly employed in nursing the remaining strength of the men. For some time past the health of Captain Thompson had been failing but he kept gallantly at his post until the cold and exposure had entirely unfitted him for further exertion. At last so few days provisions remained that it became evident that the place was untenable for any further length of time, and unless some very unexpected piece of good news reached us we should have to abandon the city we had so long defended. By November 20th the state of weakness and complete prostration to which the garrison was now reduced had increased so terribly that the prospect of cutting our way out through the Russian lines- which at one time had seemed feasible- now appeared utter recklessness.´ (Letters written by Major Teesdale, taken from Kars: Victory into Defeat refers). In his own account, Dr. Sandwith described the conditions in the town thus: ´At last the pangs of hunger became unendurable; grass was torn up wherever it appeared, that the soldiers and people might feed upon the roots. Round the lines flocks of vultures hovered, contending with the dogs of the city for the corpses scratched by the latter from their shallow graves. The soldiers are dying at a rate of one hundred a day of famine. They were skeletons and were incapable of fighting. The city was strewn with dead and dying.´ (ibid) Following a Council of War on the 24th November, and with no prospect of being relieved, the inevitable decision to surrender was reached: ´I was sent from the Council with the flag of truce to the Russian Camp. Having arrived at the outposts the Cossacks approached me. Having explained the object of my mission I was blindfolded and led towards their camp. Arriving at the headquarters of General Mouravieff I was admitted at once and presented the note from General Williams which I carried. An interview was arranged for the following day at noon and having been treated with great civility I took my leave. The following day General Williams, accompanied by his secretary Mr. Churchill and myself, presented ourselves at the Russian headquarters at the appointed time and, after the ordinary civilities, the two Generals were left alone to proceed to the settlement.´ (Letter written by Major Teesdale, taken from Kars: Victory into Defeat refers). Prisoner of War The formal surrender took place at an old Genoese church about three miles from Kars. The officers and regular troops of the garrison, around 8,000 in all, were all made prisoners of war, and the irregulars, numbering 6,000 in total, were allowed to go free. Under a clause in the surrender, personally inserted by General Mouravieff, ´Officers of all grades will be allowed to retain their swords, in consequence of the brave defence made by the garrison of Kars.´ Dr. Sandwith, as a non-combatant, was allowed free to find his own way home. Armed with a Russian passport, he finally arriving back in England some three months later. The four British Officers, Williams, Lake, Teesdale, and Thompson, together with Mr. Churchill, as a volunteer prisoner, were all taken into custody at the Russian town of Tiflis. The Russians had finally had control of Kars, and with it the door to Constantinople lay ajar; but it was too late. On the conclusion of hostilities in the Crimea, and the signing of the treaty of peace on the 30th March 1856, the four British officers were released. General Williams, together with Teesdale, was granted to an audience with the Tsar in St. Petersburg. On arriving in St. Petersburg in June, he received a letter from his old adversity, General Mouravieff: ´Dear General Williams, I shall always be happy to remember the times I passed in your company and I do not doubt for a moment the distinguished reception that you will meet in St. Petersburg from our Emperor; your renown could not but be honoured by a Sovereign who esteems real merit in friend and foe. I feel very gratified in reading in the newspapers that your Queen honours you with a grateful testimonial of her satisfaction. Please give my best compliments to Major Teesdale and believe me to be, ever most sincerely yours, Nikolay Mouravieff.´ Victoria Cross Teesdale arrived back in England on the 11th June 1856, reverting to his substantive rank of Lieutenant, Royal Artillery, having been created a Companion of the Order of the Bath the previous month in recognition of his distinguished services before the enemy in Kars (there were awards for all the British Officers present at Kars- General Williams was created K.C.B., raised to a Baronetcy as Sir William Williams of Kars, and voted a pension of £1,000 per annum for life; Lieutenant-Colonel Lake and Captain Thompson were also created a C.B.s; and there was a Civil C.B. for Dr. Sandwith), and awarded the Order of the Medjidieh by the Ottoman Empire. He was also created an Officer of the French Legion of Honour, and ultimately received the Victoria Cross, the only one given for Kars, being presented with his Cross by Queen Victoria on the 21st November 1857 at Windsor Castle, the first South African-born recipient of the V.C. He also received the Turkish campaign medal for the Defence of Kars- a unique occurrence of the Victoria Cross being paired with a foreign campaign medal. Later Life Teesdale was promoted Captain and Brevet Major in January 1858, and in November of that year was appointed Equerry to H.R.H. The Prince of Wales. The relationship was clearly a happy one, as evidenced by a letter written by the Prince of Wales in June 1861: ´My dear Teesdale, I enclose two Post Office orders for £1 the sum you won here by successfully drawing the winner of the Oaks...I remain, yours very sincerely, Albert Edward.´ He also pursued his passion as an amateur artist, and later developed a close friendship with the French painter Gustave Doré. Ten years after his release from captivity in Russia and audience with the Tsar he returned once more to St. Petersburg, to take part in the Garter Mission for the Investiture of His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Russia with the Order of the Garter; at the Investiture Ceremony on the 28th July 1867 he carried the hat, plume, and Star of the Order. Promoted Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel in December 1868, he was appointed an Aide-de-Camp to Her Majesty the Queen, 1st October 1877, and promoted to his ultimate rank of Major-General in April 1887- in July of that year he was created a Knight Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George in celebration of Her Majesty´s Golden Jubilee. His final appointment was that of Her Majesty´s Master of Ceremonies, a job he held from May 1890- his main duties, as a ´Gentleman well languaged, of good education and discretion &c.´, involved liaising between the Court and the Corps Diplomatique, and being in attendance at the audience of an Ambassador or Minister with the Sovereign. Major-General Teesdale retired from the Army on the 22nd March 1892, and died at home the following year in South Bersted, near Bognor, Sussex, on the 1st December 1893, where he is buried in the village churchyard.

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