The Press.
London, England, 1854-07-01 00:00:00

THE WAR ON THE DANUBE.

The siege of Silistria, which was " suspended " on
the 16th, when the Turkish garrison drove the Rus-
sian army from their entrenchments, was raised " by
superior order " on the 22nd ult. The besieging
troops retired to Kusgar, but speedily evacuated that
place also, in accordance with the general retrograde
movement made by the whole Russian army in the
principalities. A last incident of the siege of Silis-
tria is reported from Constantinople. Three thou-
sand Bashi-Bazouks, who had taken a Russian out-
post, had been attacked by a Russian force triple
their number. After a desperate struggle, 1,500 of
them were killed, Asham Bey among them. The
Russians lost 1,400.
From Kalarasch on the 20th ult. it is stated that a
violent storm destroyed the poutcon bridge while 500
Russian artillerymen, with their guns and ammuni-
tion, were on it. They were all lost.
The Russian General Schilders, who was wounded
before Silistria, died on the 27th, after undergoing
two amputations.
The fact that the Russians are rapidly retreating
ou all sides from their advanced posts towards the
Turkish frontier is fully confirmed. All the Danu•
bian islands have been already abandoned, and Wal-
lachia almost, if not completely, evacuated. Nor does
the retreat from that principality seem considered a
temporary measure. "By superior order," the
archives, the public treasury, the Wallachian Officials
and militia, will have to follow the movement. The
Russians also take with them the horses, oxen, wheat,
and everything moveable on which they can lay their
hands, leaving behind nothing but their wretched
paper money.
The Dobrudscha is also to be abandoned. Mehmed
Pacha, at the head of 20,000 men, advanced from
Berchtikoi to Trajan's Wall, in the direction of
Karassu, in order to relieve Bassowa. The Russians
had already begun to transport their heavy artillery
from the right to the left bank of the Danube.
The division of General Liprandi, which was on
the frontiers of Transylvania, was retreating towards
Fokschs.ni. The headquarters of General Luders'
division has been removed to Czernawoda. When
this retrograde movement is to occur appears a mat-
ter of much doubt. Some accounts state that the
Russians will withdraw within their own frontiers.
From Vienna it is reported that, although Marshal
Paskiewitsch has abandoned all idea of being able to
retain possession of a single inch of Wallachia, he
still hopes to maintain himself on the line of the
Lower Danube, adjoining Bessarabia, and behind the
Pruth towards Moldavia. The German papers ap-
pear to doubt if the Russians, in evacuating Walla-
chia, will evacuate Moldavia also ; but, if the active
hostilities of Austria are to depend on the immediate
evacuation of both provinces, it is almost certain that
the Czar, in pursuance of his usual policy, will
abandon oldavia, to show his respect for the wishes
of Austria.

The following appears in the Mopiteur :—" Frontiers
of Galicia, June 18.—It can no longer be doubted
that Russia is sending considerable masses of troops
towards the Austrian frontiers. There is no town in
the government of Kiew which has not a garrison.
Three regiments of Guards, just arrived at Kiew,
have received orders to march towards the frontier of
Galicia. A camp is in course of formation near
Dubner."

The accounts in the Patrie from the Baltic and Black Sea
affirm that the hospitals ate full of Russian sailors suffering
from physical fatigue and mental depression—the former
arising from having been kept incessantly on the watch for
the enemy—the latter at not being allowed to come out of
their hiding-places to face the foe.
A conspiracy has been discovered in the Russian garrison
of Caraberg, and a number of officers have been sent to
Siberia.