Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-07-07
THE RUSSIAN ADVANCE IN TUR-
KEY.

This is perhaps rather an advantage |
than otherwise, as, until quite re-
Gently so little has been done
on the Danube that our daily
contemporaries have been COM
PEELED to I'LL their columns rather
with conjectures as to what was like
ly to be done than with records of
what had been done. Now, however,
a definite progress has been made by
the Russians, large portion of them
are across the Danube and so far
have overcome all resistance to their
advance into the DObrudschka
though some points have been Obsti-
nately contested by the Turks.
To understand what has been
done our readers are requested to
turn to any tolerable map of Euro
pean Turkey and to mark the spot
where the lower Danube ceases to
run from South to North and makes
its way Eastward to empty into the
Black Sea.
Just where this turn takes place
and below the point where the
Pruth joins the Danube on the left
bank, is the fortified town of Galatz,
and few miles below it another
called in different maps and reports
Ibrail, IbrailhO, Braila &c-the five
letters Brazil will identify it. Be
tween these two places the crossing
of the Danube took place, the four
teenth corps being the attacking
body: they made the passage in
two columns one crossing just above
Galatz, the other just below Ibrail.
No serious opposition was made to
their crossing at either place and
when they advanced into the Dob
rudschka as far as Matchin they
found that place abandoned by its
inhabitants, though large bodies of
Turkish soldiers were in the rear
and around it.
TchernavOda, higher up the Dan
ube, is supposed to be now the Objec-
tive point, and after that, Schumla,
the strongest fortified Turkish posi-
ton North of the Balkham noun
tains. AS a preliminary for these
proceedings of the river, Rutschuk
has for several days been ac-
lively bOmbarded from GiurgevO
and its outlying Notifications on the
Roumanian side of the Danube.
We must return, however, to the
crossing and enter into few details
before we are ready to study the adj
vance Southwark (Or up stream) of
the Russian army along the bank of
the Danube
The crossing commenced on Fri
day, the 22d, ult. (the day we were
entertaining our editorial friends of
the Press AssOciatiOn). The first
crossing effected was at GalatZ, the
lower of the two crossing places.
1t was much the smaller affair of
the two, and, in fact, consisted SIM
ply of a division of COssack cavalry
whose destination was to mask the
the main invasion at the crossing
below IbraiI; these sufficed to dis
perse the Bashi BaZOuks who were
sent against them and then proceed
ed up stream to cover and protect
the crossing at Ibrail. These Cos
sacks and their ponies were put
across in barges, some of which
were lowed across by small steamers
and were protected in their passage
by the heavy artillery of Galatz and
the river-island forts in front of it.
The first troops to cross at lbrail
were also CossaclIs, who soon effect
ed junction with their comrades
from Galatz and effectually screened
the crossing of the main body by
the pOntOOns which were now con-
structed.
The objective point of the whole
body was Matchin. Here we must
again refer our readers to a good
map, otherwise they will fail to I'M
derstand how it is that while
Matchin is no lower down the Dan
ube than IbraiI, and though both
are situated on the Danube, the Rus
slams had to march eight miles be-
fore arriving at Matchin. About
twenty-five miles above Ibrail the
Danube divides its stream intOthree
and sometimes four main channels
with innumerable channels, some
running parallel with these and
Others communicating crOsswise
with one and another Ofthe principal
channels. Now just below Ibrail
large cross stream gathers all these
into neagain and then, commencing
at the western extremity of this
cross-stream, the reunited Danube
flows by Ibrail to Galatz. Matchin
is at the other or Bulgarian end of
the cross-stream at a distance of
seven or eight miles from Ibrail.
The possession of Matchin gives
the Russians uninterrupted control
of the Danube from Ibrail to Galatz
for the passage of more troops if
this should be required. But during
last week corps of the Russian army
have been thrown across that river
higher up at Sistova, Nicopolis and
at other points while furious cam
nonading has been kept up where
ever a ROumanian fort commands a
Turkish stronghold on the opposite
side of the river. The two most inn
portant positions on the river, Ruts-
chuk and Silistria have so far proved
impregnable and remain thoughina
battered condition in the hands, of
the Turks. As, however, there Is
now a large Russian army on the
left bank of the Danube these posi-
lions are cut off from cOmmunica-
tiOns with the main Turkish army,
their reduction is a matter of time
and the Danube rs the first barrier
AGAINST Russian invasion may be
as finally lost to the Tur-