The New York herald., 1877-09-12
A Ride Along the Russian Lines from
the Vid TO TirnOva.
MUCH BAD GENERALsHIP SHOWN.
GraphI, Picture Of IhnMa as Il Looks Since The
Russian Headquarters Were Removed
from q Daily News Correspondent with the Russian
in Rul

work mere is OF similar character win my own VINO
has asked himself many time since the oatte OIL
Pleyna tho question: What in the world shall DO with
nv time ill the next battle Of Plovna IS fought!
Bucharest is pleasant place, but IT furnishes sparse
material Of any value for war Correspondence Here
and there occurs a skrmsh, but how Is one to know
when and where these soap bubbles OF are TO DC
blown? had wasted somc days at Sistova waiting
Ia witness the crossing ronforcemcnts which
came and at length determined on a sort OF rowing
cruise around edge OF the ground held by the Rus
SANS in Bulgaria, termirable at any moment by the
nrospect of more interesting work turning up In the
first instance went westward along the familiar road
10 the Plevna trout In Karaiae Bugarski which VII
age was the headquarters OF General Prince sbackos
koy two days before the battle OF Pevna, found estab
,shed the Headquarters OF Baron Krhdener. He himself
was not at home, having gone TO Nicopos TO witness
the crossing oil tho Roumaniun cavalry Tho chef OF
his staff was good enough TO give me what nforma-
ton wanted and rode on toward Porndim The re-
serves which arriving 10 I'LL up the blanks in the
rangs OF tho Ninth corps, WIN be very acceptabc.
One regiment In IL cGn nurGly be said TO exist, having
lost 1000 IN the first discredtable mschance at
Pleyna and others are very much attenuated by the
PREPARED FOR rgr NEXT BATTLE
All along the tall of the swell between Karaac and
Poradim the Russians have constructed contiguous
shelter trenches with any number OF ttio rifle pits IN
front of them. This is nominally their third hnc OF
defence; u was their first, when on the day aiter
tho battle General Zoto arrived, countermanded The
order for the the line OF the Osna, gathered
what troops he could find together and hard
ened his heart to stand fast Since then
he has wonderfully improved his position and
gained deal OF ground, having his forepost llne
quite closely embracing tho Turkish positions The
utility OF this Will be found when the next battle comes
TO be fought On the 30th Of August most OF the
troops under Schackoskoy's command had 10 march
some ten miles before they reached striking dis.
OF the enemy, and although good soldiers will
fight under any conditions, however untoward, a
wise commander will ever try 10 hring his men
into action fresh possible. and, moreover to
let them have their breakfasts before they begin
lght-a precaution which, l understand, was
neglected throughout the troops under schackoskoys
command AS rode down INTO Poradim, past tho
yard where The ororn staff Of Schackoskoy gathered
Tor orders suitation the morning aitor the
battle passed companies of the Thireth divi-
trampng down toward the big kettles by the side
OF the brook TO obtain each man his portion OF SOUP
The COMPANIES did not muster strong, for the rcgi-
ment belonged 10 that brigade OF the division which
suffered heaviest at Plevna.
TELEGRAPH IN WAR.
There correspondents with the Russian
army who op.ned that the battle Of Picvna was but
"oheck'--not reverse But be u what you Will, IL
will be through the default OF correspondents that
the next battle oil Plovna is not described n full detail
in probably every land boasting newspaper Several
congregated prenaturcly others later but still
too early and Porad is almost as strongly
by correspondents as by soldiers. General Zotoil,
who has command of the whole army OF Plevna has
his Headquarters there. had not the advantage ot
making the Generals acquaintance, and therefore,
cannot say whether MS leading characteristic appears
wilyness but there is one indication that such IL
the case. The field telegraph wire from the great
headquarters in Gorny Student terminates in karaiac
Bugarsk, and has not been carried on to P0radim,
whittier IRON the previous place all kilograms have 10
be sent by Cossacks The electric telegraph IS Il
nuisance always, but is perhaps, the worst ot all nuis
ances when IT communicates between anxious
headquarters and au outlying general. Dispatches
arrive just as he Is dining messages come even while
he is enjoying slum6er Ichernaien used 10 say at
Deligrad any kind friend would abolish The telc-
graph wire between Belgrade ana him hc would give
year Of his life. But II general in command elects
TO be of from direct communication with The chief
headquarters there seems no reason why he should
neglect be thus rapport with the several head
quarters of the divisions under his command.
AN UNFAyORABLE CRITICISM.
] have said thut the telegraph is nuisance, as !
suppose few of your readers have reason to
know. IL Is instrument IN warfare worth many
rifles ana sabres. But here is this Pevns army with
Its headquarters unconnectod by wire with single
subsidiary headquarer 1t is wearisome 10 speak even
IN terms of com llarsoD-ever Odious-of the German
army con,rasied with the Russian army, but
ut least | may urge that the German army
the impulse to say tnat have seen a telegram
expedited from the headquarters OF Prussan general
ten minutes after they were fixed at the end OF q
twenty mile march, tho setting up OF the field telegram
having kept pacs practically with the march of the
troops. Every Russian division has telegraph train
attached it, whose drums contain hundred versls
OF WIRE yet CZarewitch days at Overtenik on
the road TO Ruschuk, without telegraph communica-
on with the Imperial headquarters at Bjela, barely
SIEGE GUNS AT HAND.
In the Plevna army strong beliei found existing
that there would be no Russian action Tor fortnight
at least have since heard that the term aned may
probably be Shortened but II were TO venture my
own individual opinion it would be 10 tho effect that
quite fortnight VIII eapse before there Is Eghting at
Plcvna, II the initiative is permitted 10 remain
with the Russians, believe tnat twelve heavy
siege guns are about to DO brought up-
whether defence TOR offence 1 know not. only
know that about plevna have seen nothing to BON
bard as the term is distinguishabe from The term to
she'll IL the Russnns are 10 begin bombardng ied
works with heavy siege guns the Turks may show a
front before Peyna iii you in England cooking
your Christmas pudiinss ami l0nser. The road 10
lovna rs in through the back door, while nous
rat,iat Is.beiug kept up on tho ront door une may
speculate in vain as TO the thoughts OF urlnh thc
Httite when he found himself placed in the fore part
oi the battle since he has iclt record Of his
emotions, but imagine they must not have differed
materially from those now iet by the Roumanian cav
airy division In their sngularlv hazardous excursion
across the River Vld on which by order tney have
embarsed. In very short time, as senIcn,ious
Russian put IT TO me, the Roumanlan cavalry VIII bs
either heroes or mincemcat
DANGEROUS NECLEo~
Poradm very drowsy when lett il late Oh The
afternoon OF August 20 10 ride eastward through Bul
,arin the headquarters at Gorny student there Il
gather some details concerning movements of whcl
hint had REACHED he. la previous letter tried Il
describe the devious course OF the river Oshn abou
BugnrnL On the main chauss6e tconventionalIy
'gnbing east and west, the bridge over IN,
necessary TO reach nigh peaked stone
bridge crcssrag the river lille 10 the nortn
the morning after the batte, when . sprging mass y
vehicles vas struggling Tor mo precodence o single
Tie, 10 struck me how GFrsirous would have been the
result had the Turks pursued. the river Osma al
though narrow, is deep trench seldom iordabic,
and this bridge, eight lect vide al the most, and
with very lofiy aud difficult pitch. was the sole
nesns oi crossing u in SchackosEoy's Bul-
sarint Is not twenty miles from sistevn, sud a
couple of ponOons misht have been brought IN
few hours--thcre are plenty surplus ones On the
Danube now. But such precaulion az iacitat q 4
tie means OF retreat, should retreat be necessary did
not appear 20 haye occurred 10 anybody, aud
elect might have produced catastrophe equal In is
degree, IL would have been similar IN chnructor TO
the concluding scenes OF the tragedies o. Hsn.sgratz
and the BereslDn.
so rAoyisoss FOR a esrrEAr
Win other men. other counsrs, II no unfair as
AdnpcB, anu certainty anticipated that, TO ease the
passage oi supplies and tacftac the march Of rein
icrcements, TO say nothing OF vice precautlnu tLcre
would by TINS time have been other Oi crOssn
'hg Osiua a bulenrln than the old n;gh keyt,
rridgs. But the anticipation was not justified although
three weeks have ciapsei since the battc fought
The approaches have indeed been dug Tor two ad
di.ioru bridges, aud tile military carpenters are
cnoppng away AZ the massive Obsolete structures n-
tended central PIERS and gradually taking suci
forn, enables pro 20 jucsc that the woodwork OF
briuIcs rs IN preparation. On my return Journey,
travelling toward Gorny stndenl [ suffered Tor thc
belief had dared TO cherish that II was not possibl.
that the russians s.Ouid not have repaired tho
bridge the cbaisscc on Tho line Of march