The Portland daily press., 1876-09-05
The Turkish War.
The Servians Defeated al
AleXinatZ.
THE HEAVIEST FIGHT OF THE
WAR.

LONDON, Sept. "A despatch to the Times
from Belgrade indicates a crushing defeat and
thorough disOrganiZatIon of Teche rnayeffs
army. Taking advantage of the good will to-
ward the English inspired by the arrival of an
ambulance corps with cash fund of 10 900
pounds, the correspondent of the Times got to
the front in company with a number of off GERS
of Geneva Cross and was an eye witness Of the
most of the battle near Alexlnatz on Friday,
which commenced just as the party re ached
there The following are additional details of
the engagement:
The ba tie was sustained uninterruptedly fer
IL IL hours and was waged on the ground
which the Servans had made the STRONGEST in
all their country. 1t was decisive encounter
long looked forward to, and was wanting in no
feature that could impart horrible grandeur to
the struggle on one side for supremacy, and on
the other for existence The first shot was fir.
ed just as we had passed Rubovista, villa &c
of two or three houses two miles this side of
Alexinatz. 1t came from battery which the
Turks got into position on theights about
Knesse, southwest of Alexinatz, and was FOL
lowed by the Others at intervals of half min
ute or so from some battery placed about half
mile further north. The Turks Immediately
appeared beginning their movement to turn
Tchernayeff's right.
We hear the first fusilade at 20 minutes past
IL O'Clock. The Turkish infantry dara not
show at the ends of the little defiles yet for
the Servian guns are too close, but they are not
far of, and if that gallant battery which is do
ing such good service on the hill between two
defiles, can only be silenced the battle will at
once be developed. The Servian infantry are
in the valley north of the little independent
villa which makes the entrance to the defles,
and at intervals of quarter of an hour sharp
volleys from rifles are heard amid the thunder
of some dozen batteries. AT half-past one we
see dense masses or smoke and sheets of flame
rise from the valley right before us, and close
to the northern detile the conhagration is tre-
mendous. The more northern of the two vii.
lagos named Suatla, is on fire. The Servian
troops make a precpitate retreat from it, but
as yet good defence is kept up. The Turks
advance under cover of their batteries, now
skirmishing, now with a rush. The Seryians.
though falling back, have not completely lost
heart: Their infantry resist but with such tre-
pidation that the number of malingers is be.
coming greater. Their battalons are evidently
thinning.
1t is now past 2 o'clock. For while the
Servlan artillery seems to be making round
that battery which has been doing such good
service on the hill, advances beyond it and it is
boldly pouring its fire further into the enemy's
position. But this is deceptive. The Turks do
not care about it. The rattle of their rifles is
heard more and more to the north. At each
volley the return volleyS are becoming feebler,
The artillery fire on both sides has become Ian
guild, when all at once there is another great
fire. The village of Great Adrowatz is now in
atna still burns and the air is full of vast flames
and dense masses of smoke, the thunder OF
cannon and incessant volleys of rifles. Shells
have been falling into Sitkowatz for some hours
but it is not yet on fire.
Close by, Precilowitz is burning A panic
has set in among the Servans as they witness
the slow advance of the enemy and battalons
begin to fly. A Russian Colonel, in command
of two battalions, calls on them to advance
though he himself is wounded, but can gel
only twenty men to respond to his CALL The
rest fly. Some regiments, however, and the
whole OF the artillery still do their duty, and
fsr more than two hours the legions of three
Pashas made advance of only half a mile
But that has been an advance all along the
line. Abdul Kerim Pasha has got his left well
up to the north of burning Arrowitz, and hi:
right well round to Bella, though it is only
four O'Clock. The carnage is terrible on both
sides. descend for a short time from the
height where for hours L have watched
the battle, and see the main street of Alex
lnatz crowded with wounded There is moi
much change till about o'clock, though the
din OF battle has gone on without cessation
II IS clear the left OF the Turks has passed
Towanda, and its redoubts are as far as Trau
| san and Bazaar, though not as yet on the same
| side of the river To the south they are liz
possession of positions which Tchernayeff'
right occupied in the morning. The Servians
are lighting immense fires all along the hill
/ AhC LII hiou poSitlOu UoIOT6 US alrea0y DlaZes
| with similar fires.
The wounded are coming on stretchers. Bott
| sides are exhausted. They have now beer
| fighting ten hours. The whole town is smok
ing and ground trembling with the thunder Of
Turkish artillery. We stop to raise our glasses
and see, not half a mile from where we stand
l a sight of which not soul in the town is aware
At the distance just stated there rises lightly
| wooded elevation. Iii illuminated on the ores
| and at the foot with lines of intermlttant flame
which it shoots forth along the whole line fol
| an instant and then is suddenly extinguished
| and as suddenly starts forth again. 1t is the
rapid discharge of rifles from above and rifles
from below. We fix our glasses, and distinctly
| see the Turks on the brow of that hill and some
feet down the crest dschargiDg pluugipg fire
into the Servians beneath. Full Justice ough
to be rendered to the men who for an insta nj
| stood their ground beneath, and returned suct
| fire. They are rapidly moved down. We
watch for fully ten minutes and each minute;
illumination below pales before that above, and
| each instant the Servian fire is becoming weak
er. We know that there is nothing behind tina
| rapidly decreasing line.
We know that in the street at the end Of
which we stand there are only hundreds of un
armed men, women aud children, and we know
as surely that there is nothing to prevent the
Turks being through the street from end to END
within twenty minutes. Evidently there is moi
moment to be lost. We proceed to the Other
end OF the street, and fearing to be the cause
of panic order dinner at the. hotel while WI
have our horses harnessed