In Kars with Team Williams

Before he had even arrived at Kars, he gave notice of his intention to tear up his terms of reference. On landing at Trebizond, he had met with the garrison commander, Hafiz Pasha and his senior officers. Afterwards travelling towards Erzerum, on 10th September. he found two heavy guns from a siege train which had been moving up ahead of him, blocking the road and unguarded. He immediately fired off a message to Hafiz. So far, normal military practice, but instead of simply drawing Hafiz's attention to the circumstance, in informal 'I thought you might like to know' style, he went on to spell out in detail what action he felt needed to be taken; He also told Hafiz that he was copying the note to Stratford, Raglan and Foreign Secretary Clarendon! Result, a powerful enemy effortlessly established. It was only a beginning!

Williams arrived at Kars on 24th September accompanied by his ADC Lieut Teesdale and Senior Medical Officer Humphry Sandwith. A parade of 12,000 infantry was laid on on the 26th to welcome the new British Commissioner. There had been no time for things to turn sour and Williams' report was enthusiastic and positive. "I was struck by their healthy and soldierlike mien. I doubt if any army could produce better materials for working with in this country. Even from my horse I observed the brightness and good condition of their arms." He drew a random selection from the ranks. "I minutely inspected each in succession. I found the greater proportion of the muskets and bayonets in good order. The greater proportion of them were flint firelocks, but three battalions of chasseurs were armed with the minie rifle and seven battalions of infantry had detonating muskets."

Indeed, the infantry were tough hardy peasants, easy to control, placid and temperate in their habits and offduty activities. The 'chasseurs' mentioned by Williams were the Shishanjanis, (Riflemen) recruited from the Zebek tribe, a race of montagnards from south of Smyrna. Short wiry and deep chested, they had stood their ground at Kurekdere and taken heavy casualties as a result, without wavering.

Williams went on to detail the field artillery. "The artillery consisted of six batteries of horse artillery, 5 pdrs except one battery of 15 lb howitzers: seven batteries of foot artillery viz five of 9 pdrs, one of 12 pdrs and one of 24 lb howitzers. One mountain battery. Total 84 guns. Each heavy gun with 80 rounds, each light gun with 120 rounds. In the magazine were 400 rounds per gun." This sounded adequate. The artillery had performed well so far in the war ably commanded by the Woolwich educated Tahir Pasha assisted by a Prussian, Ibrahim Bey. Europeans serving in the Turkish Army were required to assume Turkish names and titles.

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