Early Stages of the Campaign
not hold their positions for another day without help. Strange as it may seem, Halil Bey on the night of the 2nd also decided to evacuate the Dilman plain and retire into Turkish territory. His ammunition was running very low, and he saw no means of replenishing his stock even if he forced the Russians to retire. He had no wish to be left isolated in Azairbijan to face probable Russian reinforcements: he knew also that the Armenians at Van had risen in revolt on April 20th against Djevdet Pasha; so he decided that it was wisest to retreat. The astonished Russians, just as they were evacuating the plain of Dilman, suddenly found themselves alone in possession of the field. Halil Bey retired by an unfrequented route to the south-west across the Baradost and Gawar plateau into the upper waters of the Great Zab. From thence he passed by Bashkale to Nordus, where he entered the head-waters of the Tigris. Marching westwards parallel with the Taurus, he traversed the wild country bordering the Assyrian highlands, and finally reached Bitlis. This retreat is characteristic of this wonderful Turkish general, for he succeeded in keeping the Russians off his track the whole way. They did not dare to follow him into the country through which he passed, for fear of being trapped, or dying of starvation. But Halil Bey did not get through without very heavy losses from exhaustion and hunger, and he arrived at Bitlis with a greatly reduced division.
In the meantime the Russians had begun an advance with a view to occupying the basin of Lake Van, and putting an end to further danger of the Turks invading Persia and threatening their flanks in the Caucasus. They advanced in three columns. One, starting from
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