In 1855, while the British Army was fighting alongside the French and Turkish armies in The Crimean War, a little known but serious siege was taking place in Kars in Eastern Turkey. The city of Kars is close to Azerbaijan in the Russian Caucasus. During the war, the British were giving military aid to the Turkish by lending them generals to help organize and strengthen their garrisons. General Williams arrived in Kars in late 1854, having been appointed British Military Commissioner with the Turkish Army in Asia. He soon began organizing the troops there, although his repeated requests for supplies and reinforcements were met with bureaucracy and delay. These despatches concern the siege date from May 1855. General Williams' account tells a sorry tale of heroism and thwarted hope. Uncovered Editions are historic official papers now available in popular form.