The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1877-08-04
The DANUBE CROSSED.
A Graphite Descriptions Of the Hey 4" Me
%Sit1ioti0n.

D.. The DANUBE
A Grnphic Description of the Hey TO tue
situation.
At last the forward movement by the
Russians from Roumania into Turkish
territory has commenced. The impatient
car brooks no further delay, and at his
imperative order the Danube has been
crossed. The places selected or the hrst
movement are where the Turks have of
late least expected an advance, ana the
the Russians, in consequence, met with
no opposition in crossing, and encoun'
tered little resistance taking UP a
strong position on the heights threaten
ing the Turkish town Of Matschin. When
the Russian hosts first marched into
Roumania, the interest Vas confined to
the region in the neighborhood of the
locality where they have now crossed ;
but as additional masses Of men were
hurried to the front, the Russian lines
were extended far to the westward, and
advance movements were threatened
from points far distant from those where
the Russian army was first concentrated.
The Turks have warily watched the
| Russian movements in the vicinity OF
! Giurgevo, but they have comparatively
neglected the more easterlZ line of their
defensive position on the Danube, and
the Russians have taken advantage
of this neglect or inability to cover all
points which afforded a possible crossing.
The Russians have studiously concealed
their intention Of crossing at Galatz or
Ibrail, and events have shown that they
putposely allowed or sent reports abroad
which were misleading respecting their
real purpose.
The latest report placed the entire
Russian forces east of Ibrail, available
for operations, at so, 000 men, with a re-
serve of 10000 at Belgrade. From
Ibrail to near Giurgevo, it was reported
that there were no Russians, except, per
haps, a suficientnumber to keep up com
munications. The main body was said
to be zeal Giurgevo, with outlying
forces west.
The natural conclusion from the pre-.
vious movements of the Russians is that
the crossing at Galatz is more likely tC
be intended to harrass the Turks, and to
compel them to weaken their line further
west rather than as a preliminary to q
grand movement thence to Constantine,
pie, although the plan Of the
Russian campaign will probably be mod.
flied to meet exigencies which may
arise. Certainly neither the force which
has already crossed, nor that which the
Russians have at present available tc
cross at Galatz or Ibrail, is sufficiently
strong to make the march through the
unhealthy region of the Dobrudscha and
turn the strongly fortified places, which
must be passed or overcome before Con
stantinople is in serious danger, even i
the Turks detached no forces from Other
points on their line to meet the Russians
As a harrassing force, the Russians
threatening Matschin can do the Turk:
considerable injury, and if they succeed
in making the Turks believe that they
are the advance Of 81 formidable army O
invasion, and thereby cause a coDcentra
ton of the Turkish troops in the Dob
rudscha, they will probably feel that theiI
present mission is accomplished.
Galatz, where the crossing has beer
made, is an important port on the Dan
ube. and contains a population of nearly
10000. 1t is eighty miles from the
mouth Of the Danube, and three mile;
from the confluence of the Sereth With
the Danube. 1t has been the scene il
the past of several conflicts between the
Russians and the Turks. Ibrail is a few
miles south of Galatz and a little to the
west, the Danube taking a sudden turn
to the south at the latter place.