Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1853-11-30
foreign 9ftails.
The war ON the Danube.

The War ON the Danube.
We have received our files Of European papers,
brought by the Canada. We lind in them little
Of interest 10 add TO our summary by telegraph from
Halifax We CLEAN, however, few details of the
supposed position and relative strength OF the
armies in conflict on the banks of the Danube
The London NeDs says:
"The more recent dispatches from the Danube,
though still sufficiently laconic, when combined
with those which preceded them, enables us now
to infer, with toerabe precision, the great outline
fthe plan upon which the Turkish generalissi-
mo is bringing his army into action. Unless APP
pearances are very deceitful indeed, he is hand
ling the forces at his disposal with consummate
skill showing that to his energy and promPtitude,
he adds rare gift of skilful and comprehensive
combination"
The Necs then enters into geographical de-
scription Of The scene of conflict and then re-
marks:
"The Turkish troops have hitherto been
healthy; according to the latest accounts from
Bucharest, there are at present 10000 Russian
soldiers in hospital there. The advanced period
of the season and the want Of roads render il diff
fcult if not impossible, for the Russians to re-
ceive speedy achievements; the communication
of the Turks from Silistria with Varna-either d.
rect or by Schumla--is open and easy.
aFrom Widdin corps darmee has been thrown
into Western or Lesser Walachia, amounting,
according TO the most recent accounts, 10 1000
men; and the force stationed round Sophia is
stated to be advancing TO support them; The Rus
sian troops in that part Of Walachia have fallen
back without offering any serious resistance.
There is talk of their making stand behind the
Schy but at present they appear 10 be in full re-
treat towards Bucharest"
On the Eastern or Lower Danube strong
body Of Turkish forces has been thrown across
near the mouth of the Argish. No less than
is, 900 men crossed from Turtuhal TO Oltenitza
they were attacked by the Russians, but made
good their footing; after a combat of three hours,
the Muscovites retreated, with loss of several
officers and 200 prvates killed. Of six superior and
eighteen subaltern officers, and 479 privates
wounded, leaving the Turks, (whose amount OF
loss is unknown) to entrench themselves on the
north bank of the Danube. In addition to this,
1000 Turks are said to have occupied Kalarache,
a small town or village in Wallachia, opposite to
Silistria, and 1900 from Rustschuk have taken
possession Of an island in the Danube, between
that fortress and Giurgevo.
g Il appears, then, that in every affair between
the Turks and Russians in Wallachia, the latter
have been worsteds The Turkish force advanc-
ing from Widdin is forcing the Russian detach-
ments in the western parts of the provinces back
upon Bucharest, with a fair prospect ofbeating il
it can catch them, at all events, of cutting them
off from the main body in front of that city.
Again, the advance of the main Turkish army has
made good its footing on the Wallachian side OF
the Danube, and holds both banks of the Argsh,
which lays the approach TO Bucharest open to it.
To all human appearance, therefore, il will be
comparatively easy for Omer Pasha, by pushing
on his main force towards Bucharest, 10 form q
junction with the Turkish troops advancing from
Kalafat; TO break the line las they say in naval
warfare) of the enemy isolate the body Of Rus
slams in front Of Bucharest from that which is re-
treating upon il from the west, and beat both in
detail, if that have not been already done to his
hand in case of the latter corps"
The London Times appears much astonished by
the reported successes of the Turks we quote from
IA ,snk tyy ulaIf
account for the Turks licking" the Russians
against large odds.
IA battle,n it is said, I" has taken place, andihe
Russians have retreatcd with loss" This might
possibly mean nothing very decisive, but from the
additional information which has reached US, we
are almost compelled to conclude that the encoun-
ter was nothing less than regular engagement
between the main bodies of the Russian and
Turkish armies,-in which the Ottomans, though
greatly inferior in numbers, succeeded in com
pleteIy routing the forces of the car.
Nor can we have any doubt that It proved dis
astrous to the Russian troops. We are, it is true,
merely told that IA superior Russian officers We're
killed. and that sthe Russians were retreating
upon Bucherest but these limitations, il correct,
convey volumes of intelligence. lffourtcen superior
officers were killed how many inferior officers and
how many men must have shared, in all proba-
bility, the same fate? And how many of all ran ks
must have been wounded2 Those acquainted
with the rules of military calculations would con-
struct fearful list of casualties from the unit
given in the despatch. If the affair at Otenitza,
for instance, though no superior officer was re-
ported killed, and only six wounded, the total
numbers of those placed hors de combat, seem
to have exceeded 700. Nevertheless this battle
must have been fought and won, if we are TO ac-
cept the present accounts strictly, by some 10000
Turks against 10000 or 10000 Russians
s'That il acas won, we cannot doubt for the Turks
are described as remaining masters OF the field,
and the Russians as retiring by what, under such
circumstances, would be their natural line OF re-
treat upon Bucharest Rumors, moreover, lad
been in circulation for the last day or two, to the
effect that The right wing of the Russian army
under Gen. Dannenburg which was no other than
this very force, had experienced check; and, as
we Yesterday remarked the inaccuracies OF our
information from Bucharest and Vienna are not
likely to tell often in favor Of the Turks. We must
needs infer therefore, that any exaggeratlon OF
numbers applies rather TO the Ottoman force than
the Russian losses and the inevitable conclusion
arises that the main Russian army has been defeat
ed by the Turkish army with severe loss, and on
q field favorable TO the former. No doubt the
twelve thousand Turks at kalafat had been rem
forced, and perhaps largely, from the troops con-
centrated at Widdn; but it seems hardly proba-
ble on any supposition, that they could have been
raised TO a strength eqnalling that OF the nus
slams.
Omer Pacha had some $4,000 or 10000 men in
Bulgaria. OF these he had already carried, accor-
at otentza, 1000 at Kalarache, and 1000 at Giur-
gevo. He was also menacing other points OF the
stream, and 10000 of his best troops had been es-
tablshed at Kalafat. This accounts for some
10000 Of his army so that not more than $4,000,
or Whereabouts, would remain to be brought over.
But, even supposing that as many as 10000 OF
these were taken to reinforce the 10000 at kala-
fat, still the whole Turkish force thus concentrated
in Lesser Wallachia would amount only to $4,000
men; indeed, no accounts yet received rate ! al
so high strength, whereas the Russians are plain
ly set at between $4,000 and 10000, with strong
cavalry and artillery. We wait with some GU
riosity for the details of so remarkable battle
If allthe incidents reported are correctly given
the sum Of the results amounts TO this-That the
right wing Of the Russians, comprising their prn-
cple force, has been defeated by the left wing of
the Turks, while the Turkish centre has also been
victorious at Turtukai, and is on the immediate
route to the Russian headquarters in numbers SUI
perior TO the enemy"
Still the Times prophecies ultimate defeat forthe
Turks. II says:
.Though we are at loss TO understand how
these events could have been permitted, in pursu-
ance of any preconceived policy on the part OF the
Russians, we must confess our disbelief in the
81 h.,h al, 10 Va.