Washington sentinel., 1854-06-10
From the London Chronicle, May q !.
Operations Of the Russians on the Danub,

| Operations Of the Russians On the Danube.
The various reports which have lately been
lcirculated at Vienna, together with the definite
abatement that General Luders had advanced
| to Kalniga, rendered it but too probable that
1.-The seiee Of Silistria had been formed. 1t now
/ &ppears that portion of the main Russian
army passed the Danube in the immediate
vicinity Of that fortress, on the 18th and 18th
Of the present month; and it is even stated
that Prince Paskiewitsch had crossed to the
right bank of the river. There can be no
doubt that every effort will be used to gain
possession OF the town before the allies enter
on the scene of action and the able general
who commands the invading army may proba
BILE have taken measures to cover the siege
with force too strong to be prudently attacked
by Omar Pasha. There is too much reason to
fear that the operation viii be successful; but
the garrison will render an invaluable service
to their country if they can hold out for few
weeks, until it becomes possible to relieve
them.
1t was on the same days Of the same month
in l829-namely, on the 18th and 18th of
May-that the Russians commenced the last
siege of Silistria. The details of. the contest
which ensued are fully related in Colonel Ches-
ney's useful history of the former Russo Turk
ish war. In 1928, the place had successfully
resisted the attacks of thirty thousand men
during three months of open trenches; and in
the following year, the defence was maintained
until the lst of July, when the governor capi-
tulated after two practicable breaches, besides
three other openings, had been effected in the
body of the fortress
The admitted loss of the besiegers amounted
to two thousand five hundred men, and more
than one hundred officers. Prince Paskie-
witsch would probably not shrink from incur
ring an equal loss for the purpose Of taking
Silistria in a week or a fortnight; but there is
much reason to doubt whether he can afford
to spend six weeks in the reduction Of single
stronghold. In 1929, General Diebitsch had
entirely succeeded in cutting off the communi-
cations between Schumla and Silistria. Varna
and Pravadi also were in the hands Of the
enemy; and the Grand Vizier, by the primitive
contriyance of letting loose a black pigeon,
announced his inability to keep the field against
the enemy, or to relieve the garrison. AT the
present moment, however the Turkish armies
are in possession of all the roads leading to
the mountains or to the coast and it is known
that, even if Omer Pasha should not be strong
enough to risk battle, few weeks will bring
an auxiliary force to the banks of the Danube.
The town." according to Colonel Chesney,
is but imperfectly fortified and 1t is COM
manded from the exterior, more particularly
on the southwestern side There are ten fronts,
each of which has an extremely long curtain
and two small bastions; which, as is common
ly the case in Turkish works, give an imperfect
fanking FIRE to the ditch. The scarp and
counterscarp have scarcely q relief of fifteen
feet. The former is surrounded by a hurdle
parapet, with q strong row of palisades rising
above its crest on the interior side. There
is a low and very imperfect glacis; but
no covert way or outworks of the usual con-
struction; the place of the latter being
partly supplied by three exterior redoubts,
enclosed to the rear. A fourth, outside of the
western angle of the town, and fifth similarly
situated near the eastern extremity, flank the
works towards the river, and protect the trad
ing vessels when anchored under the walls"
This is not very satisfactory account Of the
deiences of so important a position, but it is
reasonable to assume that some defects in the
fortihcations have been remedied sincethe COM
mencement of the present war, under the ad
vice Of the European engineers who have visit
ed the scene of action.
l. Under the present critical circumstances of
the campaign, some surprise and disappoint-
ment have naturally been felt at the limited
number of troops now at the disposal of the OF
toman commandersin chief The main army
at Shumla will, however, in all probability, soon
be reinforced by portion of the forces lately
posted at Kalafat, and by the garrison of Var
ma; and, should Omer Pacha still prove too
weak to meet his antagonist in the field, the
advantage secured by the invaders will be due
to their diplomacy as well as to their military
resources. The diversions which have been or
ganized in the west and south have necessarily
occupied considerable portion of the Turkish
s1ckx 4 H. 90 <1o
ambiguous to justify neglect of precautions
against the threatened invasion from Monte
negro. 1t is even rumored that an engages
meent has taken place on the border of that
province; and though the sultan's troops ap-
pear to have been victorious, they are never
theless detained from the seat of war on the
Danube. The Greek invasion requires the
presence of much larger Ottoman force in
Thessaly, Epirus, and Macedonia; for, although
the insurgents and their allies may have been
defeated, it is still necessary to provide against
the renewed disturbances which may be occa
stoned by the perfdious court Of Athens. 1t
matters little to the Russian government that
the revolutionary projects Of its agents involve
the ruin Of those who participate in them, so
long as reinforcements are prevented from
reaching the Danube in consequence Of the
demands of the southern provinces. 1t is evil
dent, therefore, that the allies can scarcely
render more efficient service to the sultan
than by forcibly repressing the Russian con-
spiracy at Athens. The officers who had been
sent by King Otho's government to foment the
insurrection, have perhaps been already re-
called; but it would be childish to trust the
good faith Of the Greek court without some ad-
ditional security. A force Of limited amount
will probably be sufficient to provide for the
tranquility of the kingdom; and it would not
be surprising if the appearance of foreign troops
in Greece should serve hereafter to mark the
era at which comparatively good government
commenced in that country. In the mean
while, the smaller vessels Of the allied fleets
will find little difficulty in dealing with the
pirates who have recently infested the Archi-
pelago.
EXTRAORDINARY AFFAIR IN THE GULF OF
ST.. LAwRENcE.--As Captain Daniel German,
of the ship Jessy, from Limerick, was on his
outward voyage, and when about fortyfve
miles southeast of the island of Anticost, dur
ing thick fog, and surrounded by field ice, he
heard the report of a gun. Supposing it to be
| q signal from another vessel near at hand, he
caused the fog-bell to be rung, to avoid q COLI.
1 T. al ~,1,