The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-25 00:00:00

THE WAR ON THE DANUBE.

We extract the following from a letter from Omer
Paella, to Lord Dudley Stuart :
" SCHUMLA, MARCH 6.
" After the affair of Citate I ordered small detach-
ments to cross the Danube, along the whole line, with
instructions to make prisoners. This order was so well
executed that not only were the majority of Russian out-
posts surprised and their stations burnt, but some Rus-
sian and Wallachian soldiers and Wallachian peasants

were made prisoners. The latter declared that various
Russian columns were marching towards Lesser Walla-
chia.; and the conclusion was easily drawn that the object
of the Russians was to attack our position at Kalafat with
considerable forces. To gain time to throw troops into
Kalaf at, and to draw off the attention of the enemy from
that place, I ordered two important demonstrations, as
if we seriously purposed crossing the Danube, and to
establishing ourselves at the other side ; the one at Rut-
schuk, on Giurgewo, the other at Matschin, on Ibralia,
took place with a sufficient number of troops. In these
demonstrations it came to hard blows and much blood-
shed; but, God be praised, the advantage was always on
our side, especially on the first demonstration, on the
great island opposite Rutschuk, where our heavy artil-
lery caused serious damage to the enemy's ranks. In the
two demonstrations the Russians lost more than 400 men
killed, probably double that number wounded, and 14
prisoners. Our loss was scarcely one-third of that of the
Russians.

"We afterwards learnt that the Emperor Nicholas
had sent strict orders to Prince Gortschakoff to attack
Kalafat without delay with considerable forces, and, as
haughtily expressed, to drive back the Turks into the
Danube ; but fate decreed it otherwise. Gortschakoff,
who wished to direct the attack himself, had left Bu-
charest, and established his head-quarters at Krajowa.
It was there, at 8 p.m., that he received the news of
the demonstrations, probably exaggerated, for in the
same night, fearing Bucharest was not sufficiently gar-
risoned, he countermanded the advance of the columns,
and started in great haste for Bucharest. Arrived there
he found he was wrong, and again ordered the troops to
Lesser Wallachia. Meanwhile, we had gained time;
our reinforcements reached Kalafat and Widdin, so that
we now have there of 30,000 men, and 96 siege and field
pieces. Although the Russians, according to reliable
information, have 30,000 men in Lesser Wallachia, they
have lost the desire to attack Kalafat, and have the

project of crossing the Danube at other points. Should
they do so (as their present forces in Wallachia are not
sufficient to attempt the offensive beyond the Danube),
they would render me a great service, by giving me the
opportunity of severely chastising these barbarians, who,
in a disloyal manner, and we have a right to say so,
have, like brigands, entered our houses.
" The Russians have also attacked, with their flotilla,
our fortifications near Tschatalbournou, Isaktscha once,
and more than once below Matschin, near Potbaschi,
always with vigour but without result. It appears
that their artillery is very badly served. Our sol-
diers are commencing to have such a contempt for
the Russians that, on the occasion of the cannonade
by their flotilla against our fortifications, they
mounted upon the parapet and walked about there.
The spirit which prevails in the army is excellent. Mus-
tapha Pacha, actually in command in the Dobroutscha,
has done extraordinary things ; he has established very
solid fortifications near Tschatalbournou, at the point
where the Danube divides into two arms, between
Isaktscha and Toultsoha, where, in consequence of mo-
rasses, he has made three covered dykes, each 2,000
yards in length, and which serve to keep up the com-
munication. The fortifications of Potbaschibelow Mats-
chin, at the confluence of the arm of the Danube of
Braila with that of Matschin, are also newly established.
Besides this, he has had secretly constructed, a little
below Potbaschi, in a thicket of willows, a bonnet, the
object of which is to allow the Russian steamers and
gun-boats to pass quietly by coming from Galatz to-
wards Potbaschi, and only to open fire upon them when
they should have commenced attacking Potbaschi, thus
placing them in a cross fire and cutting off their retreat;
therefore I have ordered the said fortifications to be
armed, quite secretly, with siege artillery, and I hope
for a good result.
" Achmet Pacha has just fortified Kalafat in such a
manner that it could not be taken except after a
regular siege, for which the Russians have not sufficient
troops.
"In the demonstration at Rustchuk on Giurgewo,
300 Catholic Myridites were sent into the bog island
between those two places, with a battalion and a
half of infantry and two field mortars. The Myri-
dites, before crossing, swore in the presence of their
priest to conquer or die ; they kept their word, and
conquered ; their brave priest, cross in hand, always
leading them on. This little detachment, altogether not
exceeding 1,600 men, not only drove back two attacks
at the point of the bayonet of three Russian battalions
supported by four pieces of artillery, but, protected by
thb heavy artillery of Rustchuk, they drove the Russians
completely out of the island. Happily for the Russians,
this island was connected with the left bank of the
Danube by three bridges (on the arm which is only 80
feet wide), which they had built before the declaration
of war, and this enabled them to escape in the greatest
disorder, leaving 100 dead on the island. Our troops
could not pursue them on to the right bank, as detach-
ments of cavalry and artillery were placed there opposite
the bridges ; they, therefore, contented themselves with
chasing them over the bridges, and then withdrew to
their quarters at Rustchuk. Sixty muskets were car-
ried away as trophies by ourbrave soldiers. Their cap-
tain, some of the officers, and the brave priest, received
the decoration of Medjidye.
" With God's blessing we have hitherto completely
paralysed the Russian flotilla by our fortifications ; it is
by this means now split into three parts, which are of
scarcely any effect, and cannot form a junction without
immense sacrifice.

"The Russians bad recently established a battery op-
posite Rustchuk, but happily that battery was so placed
that, after various trials without result, they gave up
the idea.
" The Russians have been apprised of the existence

of our bonnet in the willow thicket below Potpaschi,
and they have constructed fortifications opposite to it.
In the night between the Ist and 2d March they at-
tempted to surprise the garrison of the island. With
this object in view, they embarked two battalions of in-
fantry in merchant vessels from Galatz, and made for

the island. This movement was detected by our ou
posts, who gave the alarm. The Russians had, mean
time, landed, and were advancing on the bonnet by a
flank movement. The small garrison, consisting of four
companies and three guns, left the entrenchments under
cover, and took up a Rosition behind the thicket. They
there opened a fire of grape upon the Russians, and
charged with fixed bayonets. The Russians retreated
in great disorder, leaving 80 killed, comprising four
officers and four non-commissioned officers, and 60
muskets. They were in such haste to escape that they
left the anchors of their boats, cutting the cables, and
many of the men were drowned. On our side we lost
ten men killed (among whom were a major) and thir-
teen wounded. The following day ten or twelve carts
were seen conveying the wounded to Galatz. Three
battalions, which came up from Matschin to support our
men, found the Russians in full retreat, and did not take
part in the fight. In the last days of the month of Feb-
ruary the Russians had established three batteries on
the large island near Zimnitza, which is only separated
by a narrow canal from the left bank, on which
they had constructed a bridge. From these batteries
they intended destroying the trading vessels in the port
of Sistow, but their fire was harmless, in consequence of
the width of the Danube at this point ; after that, during
the night, they took possession of the island of Wadu-
madassi, situate a little below Sistow ; they even com-
menced throwing up fortifications there and landing ar-
tillery, when they were attacked by our troops. The
attack was so successful that the Russians were driven
out of the island with considerable loss, and our troops
entrenched themselves there. Our loss consisted of one
man killed and two wounded ; that of the Russians
could not be ascertained, as the island is so wooded."

REPRESENTATION OF LICHFIELD.—The Hon. T. Cal-
thorpe, son of Lord Calthorpe, is the candidate in the
Liberal interest, to succeed Lord Anson in the repre-
tation of this city in Parliament.