The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1854-02-21
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JroW Il. LrnIJa Glue. 2lM az
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We have no details cf 'he late actions IL
the ncghhorhood # kallt:.t, bat letters dated
some days before the attack describe the posi-.
ton and strength fthe Turkish army.
The Turkish garrison at kalaIat now ccrl-
sistS Of lG battaIlons Of iMtantry and one bat.
taIion Of chasscurS, amounting TO about l3,-
400 firclocks, three regiments otreyular cava
rs, $4,000 sabres, irregular cavalry, 1000 ST..
hres. Artillery, IS pieces Of position, and 2l
field pieces, horsed, manned by some $50 or
600 gunnerS, giving total Of con,batants Of
$4,000 or 1900. The Russians are said, as
above stated, to have moved $4,000 men from
Bucharest. At Krai owa they had already
about $4,000 including Cossacks 50 that
shortly $4,000 men may be expected in front
of kalaftt, of which - 900 are already ut CSC
rojn, within 2i miles The Turks have enclosed
kalaf:;t with an intrcnchmcnt of about G0OO
PAGES in extent, terminated by Il fort at each
enl. 1t forms Il salient Il igle towards the
Russians, and has every coo or 100 PAGES Il
basion or lnnettc, nl"nnt;l" heavy rviccs Of
artillery. The Turks are very confident Of
their powers Of resisting their attack, more par.
ticularly after their late experiences ut O!te
nitza, whore the proportion "t men was Infinite
" less favorable TO them than in their present
position; and as every officer and soldier is
quite assured OF the impos~ibIlity Of 4 retreat
across the river. they will fight desperately
and bravelv until the last Shot is expended.
The Turkish advanced posts arc within
couple of hours march of those Of the Rus-
SLAMS, and at about the same distance from
kalafat. I he approaches are ST. carefully
watched, that, to use an expressive phrase of
the Turks, not even a bird can pass unknown.
The position of kalafat in a Stragetc point
Of view, is one on which o, ions differ very
much, and on which there ought asSurcdIy to
be no difference of opinion. 1t is in front of
the extreme end of the Turkish line, extending
from Widdin to Karasou. In it, as has been
stated, are now some sixteen or seventeen thou.
sand men. Ofwhat possible use can this force
be in case of offensive operations in #aachia
by the Turks itmay be fairly asked. 10 this
it has been replied that it can act with any in
vadng force which the Turks may send across
the Danube tina: a concerted movement may
he arranged with it and that thus the differ
ent columns may move. without hirderlng
each other on any point on which it may be
desirable to concentrate troops. But on the
other hand it may be said that this is the meth
cd most proper to adopt to be beaten in detail;
that operations where different portions Of the
same army are to meet at 4 certain position,
at certain hour, generally fail, Of which his
tory gives examples without number and that
il would be easy for the Russians to send a
couple Of regiments Of cavalry to observe the
force, gradually retiring before it, hamrcring
its movements and destroying provisions, &c,
while the whole of the available Russian force
might be brought to bear on the other corps.
Again. some persons become mysterious as to
the advantage of keeping troops at ka!af.t, and
say that it covers Servia. 1t may do so, man
is liable TO err, but it seems about as natural to
say that it covers Bulgaria. IN time Of war
every one makes use Of technical rhraScology
of tie military art without clearly understand
ing the true meaning Of it, and thus imposes
on the unintiated world, like the old phoso
piers, who were accustomed to mystify every
subject they touched upon with their tcchni-
cal argon, and to cheat their hearers into be.
lieving them to be mighty clever fellows. No
it would have been the part of wisdom to have
merely made demonstration at kaIafat, and
to have withdrawn the troops when the army
went into winter quarters.
Widdn. situated about mile lower down
the river on the right bank, is like most other
Turkish fortified towns, so far as the town is
concerned. Its fortitications are in q bad con-
dition, the walls of the bitches being Of oidma
sonrv, are calculated to tumble doxn after the
first few rounds. Round tie eastern side oflhe
city is considerable ta"bourg, in which the
enemy might establish himself, within few
hundred yards Of the walls, unseen there at
his ease, to establish his breaching batteries in
perfect safety. On the river side there arc 4
number Of very powerful batteries, whic
would stop effectnalIy any traffic up or dow
the Danube but as the town would never b
attacked from that side, they add little to Il
strength of the fortress. The town has t
usual number of Mosques IND minarets, ty
of the latter being very handsome - of
stone baths, shops, dirt, dogs, soldiers, sleig
full of wood for burning, brought in BY
BaIgarians; few Germans or Huugarans ke
tailors' or Shocmakers' shops; and lastly, the
is an hotel with hi lard table in it, own bro
er to that at Kalaiat The civil Governor
Widdcn is Salnil Pacha, who visited EngIa
some four or five years ago. He is man
perior to the generality Of civil governors
towns in Turkey. a man Of considerable
qurcments and education. He served Me!
met Ali in Egypt for % years.
EHGLAND PREPARING ,-l,.r
The London Times has lengthly article q
the condition Of the English Navy, aud says
The great ability and assiduity which hav
been devoted by the present Admiralty Board
to the organization of that department havc