to Tashkend and accompany Kaufmann's column from that city to Khiva.
Kaufmann had about 2,500 men in his column with a baggage train of 4,000 camels. His force consisted of eleven companies of infantry (1,650 men), one company of sappers and miners, four pieces of horse artillery, and six pieces of foot artillery, half a battery of mountain howitzers, a battery and a half of rockets, and 600 Cossack cavalry. His artillery was of the newest model of breech-loaders, and the mountain battery was of the kind that can be quickly taken to pieces and packed on horseback. The column left Tashkend on March 15th, and Djizzak ten days later. The troops suffered much from cold on the march, but as the season advanced the weather grew warmer, and the column reached the well of Arystan-Bel-Kuduk on the 13th April.
On the 6th May Kaufmann reached Khala-Ata where he was joined by the column under Grand Duke Nicholas. It left Kazala March 11th, and by the original plan it was to have joined Kaufmann at Bukali, in the Bukan-Tau mountains. Fearing that the Kazala column might be too weak to meet the enemy alone, General Kaufmann sent word for the Grand Duke to join him at Khala-Ata instead of Bukali. This change of plan caused some delay, as the Kazala column was compelled to make a detour that lost about two weeks of valuable time, and caused the latter part of the march to be made after the summer heats had come upon the desert and dried up some of the wells. Several days were spent in reconnoitring the country before them, and on the 12th of May the united column started from Khala-Ata. The Kazala column, which had joined that from Tashkend, was about 1,400 strong, with half a battery of rockets, half a battery of mountain pieces, two mitrailleuses, and 150 Cossacks.
The first encounter with the enemy was at Adam-Kurulgan, to which point Kaufmann advanced on the 12th
