New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-08-17
THE LATE DEFENSE OF SILIsTRIA.


Coresrondeuee Of The Daily News
SILIsTRIA, Thursday July 6, 1884.
The first impression which Ssra makes upon any one
to the forresses Of civilized Europe is OF
at that place being fortress at ALL the second
impression is that being fortress, its works, such AS
they are be any serious obstacle 10 the proceed
irgs Of besieging army The Danube at Sistna IS OF
breadth of perhaps 200 feet the banks on either sice
are low though certainly the Ssra side Is the steepest
There are several islands in front of the town. which
besieging army must and can take, and whence the
town may be bOmboarded or crossing effected accord
ing 10 the necessities of the The islands and the
the river TO the town are indeed under the
FIRE OF several Tabss in the Of the town, but these
Tabias are within range Of and can be sienced Gy fhe
Ere from the batteries the islands and on the Waa-
chan bank Of the river The water front of the town is
protected by csse which has neither depth nor breadth
and by wall which battery of six'pounfers might
breach in the course of single day. Gu the Landslide the
townis commanded by range of low hills, and these
hills are again commanded by another range of higher
hills further OFF, and The besiegers of the town
have their choice of dominating positions on which TO
establish their batteries. Those who fortified the place
at loss 10 ind single spot on which they could
establish their works uncom handed by neigh6orng and
higher hills. Nature did nothing for but everything
against Sstris; has art been able 10 do much. II
true that the works were planned and executed by first
rate military engineers but these gentlemen could only
point the spots that % DO fortified and draw the
plans of the very wreched works which the Turkish Gov
eminent consented construct. And that too done
the last moment when the enemy was close at hand.
And yet is fact that this wretched fortress whsfood
for nearly two months the attacks OF the largest that
had besieged IT, and oed the skill OF generals and
Who in former wars had besegsd aud carried
the place. who familiar with every inch Of the ground
and Who after the Last peace with Russia had for seven
years remained in possession of Siiistra-
had the good fortune OF finding the town and works IN
the exact state which the Russians left them after the
siege Vigorous has been the defense OF the Turks,
they are by far energetic IN repusing the attacks OF
an enemy in repairing the damage done by that
mys batteries Some OF the works almost untouched
while others presented 10 the eye nothing confused
heap Of rurs The chief and most interesting point is OF
eourse the Arab Taba which the Russians spent their
chief strength which they sheled necessarily and attack
ed almost dsily with stormiDg columns OF enormous
strepgth while its foundations uDled by mines OF
extent and power. The Arab Iabla ~ simple
ok of very moderate dimensions and high front
and snks open at the gorge and defended by sax pieces
af artillery OF these cannon there were on an
INT IN in use the rest were always being dsmounted
and So that far artillery goes the Russian
stor ming columns upon the Arab Taba were Kept at bay
Nv Two sups from that work but these served with
ZEAL readiness and dispatch, that tod upon the enc
my worse than whole battery under usual
would have DONE But Colonel Geach, the commander OF
the artillery who conducted the defense Of the town. ana
with whom discussed this subject, maintained that ine
artillery, though important element in the defense OF
the place oonld have allied 10 IT. The Arabs
Eubisps and Arnous and their res were the chief de-
fense and the restless activity and the unerrirg SIM OF
these allspt terrified the Russians than the ire
Of the artillery They lay in ibe rear OF the abia and IN
small ditch its left flank, where they had dug holes in
he earth and then they kept up incesssnt fire upon
The advancing columns Of the Russians singled out and
lsd their oficere and spread terror aud confusion IN
th.ir ranks How these brave fellows Jared, and wha.
Az, lived on God only Enows Certain IL lie that they had
e.Iy any food and refused TO take it when offered On
ere one occasion sheep and calves were sent from
be town 10 feed the defenders OF the Arab eoa ana toe
49,, ditch but each time they sent the animals bhck
saving thew were too busy 10 think OF cooking and eating
Tts care which they took OF their gune ana ines vas
marvellous. During the hsay!sss rams 'D'y 1'O 'C" g