ntil sunset that two of our batteries, which
had been brought back from the front for the purpose, opened fire upon
the Turks' position, and the ambushers were compelled to capitulate.
The progress on the left was even more difficult than that which we
experienced in the northern sector. The roads were indescribable.
Where they mounted and crossed the intervening ridges they were almost
impassable, whilst in the valleys the gun carriages sank up to their
axles in liquid mud."

From still another source we hear:

"In the Van sector a Russian brigade was held up by a forest fire,
started by the Turks, which made all progress impossible. For days a
brigade had to sit idle until the fire had burned itself out, and even
when they moved forward it was necessary to cover all the munition
wagons with wet blankets, and the ashes through which the stolid
Russians marched were so hot as to burn away the soles of their boots.

"A curious discovery which was made in this extraordinary march was
the remains of a Turkish company which had evidently been caught in
the fire they had started and had been unable to escape."

On May 1, 1916, Russian Cossacks were able to drive back Turkish
troops, making a stand somewhere west of Erzerum and east of Erzingan.
Other detachments of the same service of the Russian army were equally
successful on May 2, 1916, in driving back toward Diarbekr resisting
Turkish forces west of Mush and Bitlis, and a similar achievement was
officially reported on May 3, 1916. On the same date Russian regiments
made a successful night attack in the upper Chorok basin which netted
some important Turkish positions, which were immediately strongly
fortified. May 4, 1916, brought a counterattack on the part of Turkish
forces in the Chorok sector at the town of Baiburt, which, however,
was repulsed. On the same day the Russians stormed Turkish trenches
along the Erzerum-Erzingan road, during which engagement most savage
bayonet fighting developed, ending in success for the Russian armies.
Turkish attacks west of Bitlis were likewise repulsed. On May 5, 1916,
the Turks attempted to regain the trenches in the Erzingan sector
lost the day before, but although their attack was supported by
artillery, it was not successful.

The Russian official statement of May 7, 1916, gives some data
concerning the booty which the Russians captured at Trebizond. It
consisted of eight mounted coast defense guns, fourteen 6-inch guns,