The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-08-22
THE BATTLE OF SAlTSCHAR
THE HORRORS or A BATTLEFIELD
PIVIDLY SK ETCHED.
How n Servian stronghold Fcli-Tbc Smelling
oi the NiIiuge Of t!rlinn-Panic and Disnr-
ganIzed Kctrcnt-FiiRht from Saitschar.

Of the yiInee Of t!rliun-Panic and Di-ar-
ganized Ketrcat-piight from Saitschar.
from tie Londos Datw Ne,rs.
RAGusA, Aug. Saitschar and its vicini-
" nad neen tong igo abandon Il bv almost all
the civilian poDulation, mon not on tons III
but starved. I lived two days on bread ami
VINE alone. Col. Lesch ilnin AMI his stan occu,
pic mode st premises In the main street. aud
Jared very simply. he place WIS rotten WIN
nlth ana swarln,ni with fiji ?. All the vounued
had been away. IL appeared clear that tue
Turks we're remaining quiet for some purpose ni
their own and we're ns.e walu1ii lol t1 - Io,
| aud lu,Uu uen at Kuiaj vA;z, the mercst tyro
, could tell thtt tue timc Tor turkish &C ION Nv
SgiIsc 'ar w,s imminent ON the AFTERNOON aud
evening % the IA INST. there was good deal Ot
I exchange Oi cannon bring aud musketrv lrtc-
tics between the foreposts 10 the north Oh tue
intended by the rurl,s to distract at cutiun
from preparttions elsewhere. inns petty skirm-
i.hing was digniiVd by tn name Of tattle Nv
staff III er IN cunvors itipn with me, AMI iincy
most ui ie-cnj iniu's battles have been IKE H.
Inc nig.t passed quietly, but IN the morning
II was apparent thnt the Turks had CONSTRUCTOR
! ana armed battery on the lower slope Of their
position commanding Saitschar, ana 1t was re-
! IN advance " Sastanabi at Nerske Cuka, over
against Grljan. The mot dOrlrc In the moining
was general ev cu"tiun ui S'ntschar; Mogun'
! everywhere were hastily loaded aud sem on.
! the last remnants II the civilian pOpul .tion
! cleared out in panic. saw priest attempt
/ to seize wagon wherein woman wi IA a large
lamiiy OF cniidren was preparing to rpMt. a
stan officer smote the selfish priest Win tho
Hat ui his sword, ard sent Tim OF prisoner to
/ the guard room. There was "A good de ~ Oh ~
! nOu Eriug during the morning, as II tue Turks
| were trying the distance, but no shells IA yet
| came iuto the town. No military preparations
| for ucfenco were made py the SefNians agdin,I
the con tssedlt impending attack. Inc sttH
| sat outside headou1rtefs watching the progress
/ Oi tVacu ton.
| a full stomach. Anyhow, IL was not till o'clock
that serious business commenced and then Tor
long time the work was entirely with artillery.
At 2 in the afternoon the Turkish battery be-
fore VERSE Cuka began to shell the village OF
| Gillian. Hers was the bivOuac occupied bN the
battalion OF militia guarding the bridge. 1
watched the progress OF tue bomDardment
! from height overlooking GrlJan. Inc lurAish
practice was slow. but the aim was good Every
shot told. The pla soon became too hot Tor
the Seryian militia who withdrew in more or
less disorder To place OF shelter. soon the
shells fired their nuts OF dead lie YES and
branches. the village caught IRE, and the
was soon covered VITA dense pail OF smoke,
through which cleaned luliuly nerce tongues
| OF faIne. The Servian battery auuve the will &c
| cannon, which kept steaoily throwing shells ill.,
to the village, as n to insure its dest uc ion.
| Gradual the clnnOnddo spfetd to tue fight
and to the left Tue cannon thunder resounded
down The valley iiom roljana on the frontier.
north Of Ssitschar. About Postal aud Nrascoro-
nae | neard the am and s.w the smoke Of heavy
ntihg. lie afternoon drew on ana SIN thefe
was no infantry demonstrated ON either side,
anu stiil Satschar had immunity from lombard
mcut bu, not for long. At ocln ck tue bat
terry Oh the lower bun. below Neliki lsvor.
opened nre, ana could hear the near scream OF
the smells As they hurled through tue air. Inc
first few ici abo-5 the fore y 81 line, q caused
the precipitite Withdrawal OF It's peasant de-
fcndeis.
Undisciplined militia are not the stun to re-
naiu quiescent while sustaining "A continuous
sucll tire. The ponds Of discipline were imper-
atVely needed to MAINTAIN Their morale under
TINS most irving OF all military orueals. Pres
emily shells began to fall IN the town. one ex-
plOded ia Tue place Just IN front OF the q Tee
house where Was unsuccessiully endeaVOiing
to obtain dual cup Of coffee. only The drees
OF the evacuation remained To be hurried OUT
Of the town by the taiing Of he shells. there
was no ho~ OF al at"mpt 10 hulj I'll. place.
had lost sight OF L. seal AHA anu his stan. and
beii,vc the, had ridden "a nofthward toward
/ Nrasc gpnac, where what army there MAJ DC
was reported 10 bc enc tnped.
! IRON "a ncient hIud tue town looked down
on tue hnal sceue thTodSn an ATMOSPHERE 81
smoke. A. Tue sun Was Hluklhg, "a colAmh ul
lurkS from tue trees ia the valley made dash
al GrJAn. 80 f4r IS could 'ern-i, was but
uIul,. owing to the suOkv-ihe bridge over the
limoA MAS gOne, whether destroyed 10y the ser
vsns WITH intent, or by The TurHish sLeiis,
cannot tell; tut tue Turks, who arUeared 10 be
regular troops. aud fun VI udsn-from dist tnct
could not distinguish them ftom 21uaves-
spiasned through Tue stream, and were lnsid,
tue village. | heard through the smoke guoI
deal OF musketry hiring. out was unable to uiah'
the vulage IS they advanced, by way oil precau
uou, or whether the Servians made "A st at
not to stay tueir pro-ress, / cannot say.
Inc smoke Drought ON premature twilight
but from tnc ca np could discern ano nel
turkish column descend 10y the road past In,
Gem every directly opposite saitscnar. los
| sign oi the culitnn among the trees IN the Val
ley, but presently the Turks showed thcm-eive
A |
the tail maize stalks. They crossed at ln .n. gle
where tue lore post me OF tie ecrvi ntd "a
, yer ed from ne river, and IN u Few uiudte'
more the leading turks were in the deserted
% streets II Saitscha,. At tue Same time thi
[ place va, cuterc1 ON the southern II nk by tn
. Turks coming from GrlJdn, up tue valley.
cam d tel NOI any ning more, Tor l. w. neces
. - for me to make good my retreat. A.
c turned my back unoh the scene. TIE caiiuoi
were stiI roaiing away On the northern Hank
Gri4n was stid bld2iug. VITA a q az, reddish
brown pail uVernsugtug tue uImes, ami ther
& was more Khan one Ire on tue outskirts ui salts
= char.
4 WIS horrible nightmare. that march fror
/ ] Satts,nAr. Cannon roaring, flames hgutiug u
a II valley. gusts of tliCk smoke driven ethwaI
the hill fAcca, the heavens nghtmng na,hiu
e against the lgh Of man, a narrow, stce
road CrGmmed with iugitives fleeing from Ia
q cannon thunder, blazing stuoko, women clan
Y urin- wildly tEat the IuTN II close bsuind then
i Chi.dreD shlieAins or sonoluE. animals, uXel
o sheep, goat, sNiue. puuity in an iuHNtucaD
" outhntiemcut oii TITO Va Iiurl-d. For hour
J. I there RACED on thc lofty slu4Iacr OF CitAu
o auovs thIus nj of exposed fugitive tamlieS,
G trundcr storm OF ylulcace have never gee
- eu allied In the trp.1cS. iIhstunes a W. Il
Is " lnuts dashed down among the mi>erAb
IA creatures already drencufd, and standing q
- lying In pools ut water. Inc wall %. tae chil
IS drea. the shr. Is u tue women, the rusuinE
~ horses and cattle, amid thc lIrid gloom Of IA
% tsrrinle storm, seemed Ike a f1letaste OF Il