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the lion of the russian army - Florida State University

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dispatched Belo<strong>russian</strong> Hussars and Ataman Cossacks, who routed <strong>the</strong> Turks. The<br />

Russian pursued <strong>the</strong>m and entered <strong>the</strong> central battery. The Turks managed to save <strong>the</strong><br />

guns but left one caisson. Bagration <strong>the</strong>n arranged heavy and light guns in this battery<br />

and bombarded <strong>the</strong> Turkish positions on <strong>the</strong> nearby heights. 50 At <strong>the</strong> same time, Major<br />

General Paul Ilovaisky II with Cossack regiments attacked <strong>the</strong> Turks on extreme right<br />

flank. The 1 st and 2 nd squares <strong>of</strong> Karl von Mecklenburg and Antoine Palageika supported<br />

this attack and bombarded <strong>the</strong> Turkish positions with <strong>the</strong> light artillery. However, <strong>the</strong><br />

superior Turkish cavalry soon counterattacked and almost succeeded in breaking through<br />

squares. Bagration had to move <strong>the</strong> 4 th and 5 th squares to reinforce his right flank. He<br />

personally led <strong>the</strong> charges and encouraged his soldiers. Meantime, <strong>the</strong> Turks also charged<br />

Bakhmetyev’s square, but were repulsed. Prince Troubetskoy was engaged only in<br />

artillery fire on <strong>the</strong> left flank. 51<br />

It was already around 8:00 a.m. and, after almost four hours <strong>of</strong> fighting, <strong>the</strong> Turks<br />

still remained at <strong>the</strong>ir positions. Fur<strong>the</strong>rmore, <strong>the</strong> son <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Pasha <strong>of</strong> Janina arrived with<br />

Albanian reinforcements. 52 Pehlivan Agha and Bosnak Agha decided to charge <strong>the</strong><br />

Russian left wing, which, after Bagration had moved <strong>the</strong> 4 th and 5 th squares, laid exposed<br />

to attack. Prince Troubetskoy commanded a square <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> 7 th and 14 th Jager Regiments<br />

with six light guns and supported by Starodoub Dragoons and Derpt Dragoons. Around<br />

8:30 two Turkish batteries bombarded <strong>the</strong> Russian. Troubetzkoy moved his square<br />

towards <strong>the</strong> Turkish positions while his six guns engaged <strong>the</strong> Ottoman batteries.<br />

As <strong>the</strong> Russian advanced, <strong>the</strong> superior Turkish cavalry counterattacked. Major<br />

General Paul Pahlen led three desperate charges, but was overwhelmed. The Turks<br />

50 Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky, Russo-Turkish War <strong>of</strong> 1806-1812, 134; Dubrovin, “Materials<br />

for <strong>the</strong> History <strong>of</strong> Reign <strong>of</strong> Alexander,” Voennii sbornik, 1 (1865): 8; Langeron, Recollections,<br />

Russkaia starina, 135 (1908): 409-10.<br />

51 Dubrovin, “Materials for <strong>the</strong> History <strong>of</strong> Reign <strong>of</strong> Alexander,” Voennii sbornik, 1 (1865): 8-<br />

9; Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky, Russo-Turkish War <strong>of</strong> 1806-1812, 134.<br />

52 Son <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Dutch envoy to Constantinople, Baron Frederick Christian de Grostal visited <strong>the</strong><br />

Turkish camp after <strong>the</strong> battle and described <strong>the</strong> utter confusion among <strong>the</strong> Turks. The arrival <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> Albanian troops saved <strong>the</strong> Turkish <strong>army</strong> from collapse. Rumyantsev to Bagration, 7 January<br />

1810, VPR, 337.<br />

530

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