New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-06-23
THE SIEGE OF SILISTRIA.

TIE SIEGE OF SILISTRIA.
The Turkish victory over the Russians Of Slisira on
the Goth of May, ia which they repused the beseSing
forces several fines, is undoubtedly exaggerated they
ere said have slain ami wounded 800 Kussans W.
ssr,ct however that this number Is the aggregate OF two
different staten, hts Of The encounter, and that II
a; least too large by half As TO the relief Of Sitria,
which at the last accounts closely invested ana DocK-
adod by the Russians, ii appears as stated IN our teie,
graphic dispatch, that 20 900 men, French, English ana
0tinm.us have been detached for that service. The
Paris core pondent Of The London Times says .
1T said that 900 Russians the right bank OF
tie Danube, employed III investing the place ne.e
IS GOO will be placed between two fires aud wii IT is
boed lie driven into the Danube made prisoners Not
whsanding the slight hope OF relieving tha i'iires a.
yprts,od in the private letter communicate II IS fully
exressod here Hat il viii be relieved in time and before
lie Gallant officer who defends is forced either 10 sur
reudor which most probable, Dufy hnse au o
remnant othe garrison under ITS ruins The Danube seems
also TO be doing duty against the Russians as tdersng oil
the waters have greatly nerfered with the operations
arnins tie fort. At all events an important Daltc VIII
be soon fought near Sria which cannot but produce
considerable effect the campaign The fleet III the
meantime VIII cruise of the coast to nave an eye on Be-
vssopo and prevent the possibility OF an success by sea-
and also to be ready in of need to promote the sue
cess of tie operations. - 80,
letter from Contasntnope, dated the 21th OF May
Since the interview of the Generalsn-Chi of the
English ard French troops the greatest activity has pre-
vaed As we have been Informed that Sllstria was m
vested by 70 600 Russians and defended by about loOOO
Turks and that large breach had been made by the Rus
sans and that the place could not hold out more lhan
given TO remove the headquarters to Narna Inc
Marshal Immediately sent orders TO the first ana Sec
ond divisions to embark without lay tor Narnn,
so that they will pass to-day or tomorrow before
Constantinople without stopping The cavalry ana
artillery will proceed to Narna by land. The English
troops also making their preparations 10 leave Tor
Varna part of them will probably leave to-day, and
the rest and the day after Although the arm,
lory has arrived, yet il Is thought that the Mirsha VIII
endeayor TO suscor Ssra, because II Is strategic point
of Great mporancC-ir fact Of the keys o me Ia
nuLc Il is calculated that the task OF neatralzin9 'he
Russian artillery, or roiher artilleryme VIII De ei' u
the Chasseurs dc NlncCnncs.
The correspondent of Tie E0nd0n Isnes writing from
Sisria under date % May IL, says:
had lust time the conclusion ofmy last letter. OF the
nth inst inform YOU of the commencement OF the Rus
sian cannonade against this place, which commenced
about T. NJ, and was Immediately answered by the
Turkish batteries 1t was kept up sharply on both SIDES
til after when the enemy began TO slacken ther nre'
and by CLOCK had ceased entirely the TURKS hayiDg
tie at shot st the commencement Of the firing numbers
of the onemys shells fell and burst among the
streets end houses Of the town, and the whole
place scene OF painful exciienent-scare
women and children rushing wildly about seeking Ion
shelter the terrified inhabitants collecting their goods
ard lurryng the .ub,eranean rooms which they had
constructed III anticipation OF this event ana by me time
nv friend and were mounted and on our way down TO
the battery the Schonga basion, we found the whole
of the silent and deserted On reaching the Dat
terry We found Mussa Pasha, the Commandant OF the gar
rson iIussain Pasha of Turtukai celebrity and Colonel
Grach the Prussan Instructor OF Artillery ana whiie
there we were particularly struck with the admirable man
ner in which the Turkish artillerymen worked their
guns Their mortar practice was excellent most OF
the shells bursting III Immediately over the Russian
batteries. The practice of the enemy was very SLOW
enlv. and Oh the whole indifferent, az our ls' OF
casualties only shows one chasseur and a morse
killed peasant and child in the town wounded, and
trading shalop the bank OF the river destroyed As an
instance of ne careessness II the Russian artillery we
found an snch shell fired by them with the uze uheappeu
and was told this by no means rare occurrence.
Considerable damage, however, has been done 10 the
buildings of the town. and as far as shattered TOOLS
ard broken walls testify the luckless inhabitants, who
~. pr;yr ipals
but small to thank Their wouid'be protectors
Toward > in the evening opposition cannonade was
got up overload in the shape OF thunderstorm anu
perfect rainbow which followed appeared as IL III ooh
erv of the beligerent below. who are hammeng away az
each other with such hearty goodwill. Inc hus.ials
seem 10 be carving their operations With great activity
md energy They have very nearly completed zg-zs5
of approach the Island OF Schiblak Tn the mora
ING OF the 2th observed battery OF four guns mao
been thrown up during the night the adjacent Island OF
SaLane, which had not been previously oeeuieo Dy se
Durr the whole ofhis forenoon he laih the enemy seems
TO be engaged IN transporting a1iiu'o Gnu ; ~. ad
the mainland the Island Of Hopper as ther Doas anu
shsors made frequent passages from one sac 10 unc
other and toward evening large bodies oil hiai! "efe
seen moving to the water edge, for the purpose as
we concluded of being thrown into that island No at
tempt has been made 10 as YET ana IL seems 10
NE that the enemy are much more hkeiy 10 'sAo nu-
vantage of the position they have now obtained IN inc
Dohrndscha 10 throw across force and march against
this place by Eassoya and b. Tx HAD Mustat1a acia
when lie retired in disorder through the Doorudscha re-
tanned the no of the kara-su, the siege OF Sisa "ou
have been much difficult affair than II Is now as
the passage from the island must always be cosde;aoe
obstacle 10 an assaant. He'd the line of the karasu oeen
retained, which | bsiove was quite possible me soI
would have been avery different affair, as the great oo
sace Wiz the passage of the Danube now overcome
The Turks have been idle ana Mussa fasha Is mae
ia;igabe in his exertons. My companion Captain D. \
Butler Ceylon Rifles and myself have tenderedour ScI
~ dnrinc he siege As we are in for it you may expect
most full account of il Omer Pasha or 'he
allied generals may deem il fit TO raise the siege news
Ins inst come in that large body OF Russians Is wiih
twelve miles Of the place and they have succeeded IN driving
in our cavalry outpost at lenko with loss on our sus
of forty men killed and wounded Io-morro" we may