Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-02-27
The Battle of citale.

| mend pa.ba. marched 10 attack the Russians.
who had fortified themselves in the village OF III
tale which is about h )urs' march from kalafat
! The force of lsma Pasha was composed of three
regiments of regular cavalry and one regiment of
| Bashi Bozonks, with six guns. Ahmed Pasha
] was stationed at some distance from the village
with reserve troops consisting of five bat
| talions and also six guns.
The Russian force in the village consisted of
three battalions of infantry, commanded by Col.
Connegrade, three squadrons of hus, mrs, and
two $quadrens of cessacks, with six guns.
The Turkish troops were. will be seen, SUI
perior in number but the position oi the Rus
slams, who were distributed in all the houses OF
the village, which is of great extent anil which Is
surrounded by double ditch, rendered the at
tack extremely perious, as the enemy well shell
tered, were enabled 30 direct n murd erous fire
upon the Turks, without the latter beng able Ia
reply 10 it,
In spite of this evident disadvantage, lsmail
Pnshn gave orders for the attack and threw him
self into the village under shower of balls fired
from all the windows. AT first the 1 urks receiv
ed very serious injury; but. although this cir
cumsiance somewhat disorganzed heir attack,
their impetuosity was by means checked
The greater portion of the soldiers, who had new
er been exposed TO musketry, nevertheless dis
played indomtabe courage
After "a desperate struggle they attacked the
houses. aud fought hand 10 hand with sword and
bayonet The massacre WIS frghtful. The
Russians in vain begged for quarter In the fe-
yer OF the fight the Turks listened TO nothn1gand
slaughtered, without pity, all who fell undei' their
Lands. The Mussulmans of the Crmca incorpo-
rated with the Russian army, in vain appealed 10
their character of Mnssulmans. No quarter was
given to them. Cutters of blood ran down tho
streets from this wholesale human slaughter
To add Ia the horrors of the scene,it may be sta
ted that a number of pigs which had been let
loose were seen eating the dead bodies.
All who could escape the slaughter took refuge
in redoubt ut the head of the village, and thence
recommended murderous fire upon the Turks
who returned it vigorously, but not without re-
ceiYing considerable injury from the Russian
guns.
At last the enemy, incapable of any further
struggle decided ON abandoning the cntrench
ments number of Russian troops had alrea
dy evacuated the place when colonel of the
Turkish cavalry conceived the unfortunate idea
of endeavoring to oppose their passage.
The Russians, finding themselves surrounded,
aud having no outlet for escape, and no resource
but the terrible energy derived from despair no
other alternative but To conquer or die, recon-
menced the fight with desperation, and in a Wig
orous sortie they succeeded in capturing two
| guns. 1t should be stated that the Turks upon
! the first success in the entertainments commit
ted tho incredible fault of not destroying the en-
emy's guns.
W nile the battle was thus gong on IN The VII
Iage twelve battalions of infantry of the Russian
army and squadron of cavalry, with sixteen pic
ces of cannon, were brought to the assistance of
| the beseged aud attempted to place the Turks
! between two fires. Information of this Civ
! en- to Ahmed Pasha, who, by skllful mao,uvrc..
directed his soldiers to the point, in order to pre-,
vent the junction with the besicged troops. For.
! this movement he made of three of his reserv-
! ed battalions
The advantage of the position now on the
| side of the Turks who were on the ground which
! sopod towards the Russians; but the latter were.
! in three times greater number than the Turks In
! spite of this inequality, however, tho Russians
were entirely beaten and fled in the greatest dis
order. They were completely routed, fact
stituting feat of arms on the part of the Turks
which does great honor to them, and establishes
another important truth--that the Russians can
not cope with Turkish troops in equal numbers
to themselves in open field and TINT they can
| only hope for any success when they have much
more powerful force than their enemy. Their
losses in these two simultaneous affairs amount
to nearly 1000 men among whom are included
! 80 superior officers The Turks had about 300
killed md 396 wounded who were sent to the hos
| pital at Widdcn and of whom it is hoped the
| greater part may be saved.
According to the opinion Of some European Of
fcers now at Widden, this affair is most glori
Gus one for the Turks and, if not productive of
| any material result, will ut least prove of great
moral advantage to them.
On the next day the Russians attempted to re-
| occupy the redoubt from which they had been
driven in the night; but the appearance of some
Turkish battalions discouraged them from the at
tempt, and they beat retreat.
lsmail Pasha fought like lion, and more like
n soldier than general He had two horses kill
ed under him. He wasS razed with two balls
one on the shoulder, and another ON the wrist A
third ball struck the scabbard of his sword
The Turks took from the field of battle, be
sides a number of horses, great many muskets,
sabres, shakos, epauetts and decorations, and
also many wounded. The latter consoled them
selves for their wounds by the sight of watches
or handsfull of gold. gathered in the midst of
danger, which they placed by their beds of pain
as a solace to their sutierings
Justice has been done to the bravery of the
Russian officers, who courageously did their duty
but were badly seconded by the soldiers, whom it
was often necessary to prick with the point of the
bayonet, iii order to prevent them from running
away. Some of the Wallaehan militia were in
corporated among the Russian troops but the
former force were in very bad order with the
Russian officers, and were continually subjected
to their jeers. Wallachan captain refused to
march against the Turks, and lac eonsummated his
refusal by blowing out his brains. This fact
may be relied on.
The Wallachain soldiers continually desert
ing to the Turks whose position is decidedly be-
coming advantageous. 1t is believed that they
will shortly undertake new expedition. Besides
this, although do not state the fact as certain
il is said that Omer Pasha is about to proceed to
Widen At all events the Turks will be recei-
we'd in Wallachia as liberators. The Turkish
| A.