The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-10-23
command every approach over the open

command e'ery appEoaen over tne open
On September sd. Prince Imenitowsky with
| 10000 men, advanced to the attack of Lovteha
Pevna with Phiiipopolis by The Frayan
Fas1 Lyshn by Prnts
Posti3ns, east Of The t9wni and at q: m Gen;
pieces of artillery and the ba teries were par
italy lnnected by infantry trenches.
The rifle pits, of the ontposts were three or
four mile in advance on the ridge dividing he
waters Of the Vid and Osman. IN the left of
the Ninth Corps they we're ,r well fortified the
Of esyary the cors to
river. Gen. Leotivo commanded the Russian
forces
redoubts similarly planned but Of inferior
strength to those which surrounded Washing
ton and Richmond, acc @eomgpanyipgS e moro than a
half circle Of five miles radius. Plevna derives
It's strategic importance from being tha junction
Of tn high roads from Phiiipopois and Sofia
Bella aid would threaten the line of communi-
cation with tn Bal ans.
West of The Vid the country is fiat. For sey-
eral miles IT it is much broken up. The Rut-
ling Ridge forms an amphithea re- OF enyelop-
ing hills surrounding, levna On, tho latter
the. Turks occupy their fortified position,
which was extremely formidable and contain, d
u garrison Of 10000 men wi b $50 pieces of arlil-
lery. The Russian attack ing force was 81 900
men; with 81 bait ries with 100 guns and 5000
cavalry.
The movement begun in the afternoon ofSep-
tember 4. the Fourth Corps moving forward to
Pelishat, the Ninth Corps to Legaivitza and
the Roumani MS to Grevitza. On the morning of
| september - the large redoubt and intrenched ID
camp north of Plevna were in full view. The
firing opened from battery of eight pieces.
The Turks did not respond for over an hour.
The fir ng was accurate, but owing to the long
the damsSs Tas cnsns 5st in towards tbe
town, on September II. the fcte day of the En-
peror. assaults were made in @ Q cold drzzling
forward under a murderous, fire, from the re-.
doubts. The firing resembled that of several
batteries of eating guns. Nevertheless the
reached the ditch of the redoubts. Here they
hung for three minutes when they began
to retire, at which the Turks, rushed from the
redCubs but the battalions of Russians halted
them reeling back. The Russians then with
At least one-four h of the attacking force was
left on the field. Another assault on the left of
Kriloffs corps reached within one hundr' d
und r the terrible fire. The Roumanians on
the right made an assault on the other re-
doubts with no better success. Another col
Corps. advanced from the east and were repulsed
about . m.
Finally. as darkness closed in, these same two
regiments and several bait llions of Rou-
manians. under Pape-o. rushed forward with
| out firing shot. and got into the ditch in large
numbers before the Turks saw them. Here
| they killed the men in the connterscarp gal
| leries by firing through the loop holes of the
ditch They then climbed over the rampant,
! which was much beaten down by the artillery
fire, aud after a hand to hand bayonet fight in
the dark they drove the Turks OUT and held the
redoubt.
Prince Imenitowsky. on the extreme left, car
| ried the two redoubts near the Chouser. Gen
| Skobelof. an officer OF extraordinary bravery.
carried the redoubt two and u half miles south
west of Plevna just after dark the Turks taking
position 1000 yards to the west.
In this position they remained all night. en-
doubts. The gallant assaults of Schatew on
| the great redoubts. turned the tide and checked
The Grand Duke and staff remained on the
| field anxlously awaiting reports Of aides-de-
camp. who had been sent to various parts Of the
The night was cold and dismal. with no pro-
lection AGAINST rain. except their rubber coats.
The next morning, at daylight. affairs were
quiet, The Turkish redoubts north of Grevitza's
redoubt proved strong n than was thought, and
its fire compelled the Russians to remain inside
the redoubts on the south side and prevented
| them from introducing artillery into it,
However. the Turks early began work against
Gen. Skobelotf who was subjected to q fire on
three sides. La his front and in the rear OF the
| tntrenchment he was occupying was q line of
infantry in entrenchments constructed during
the night One thousand yards from him on his
| left he had the fire OF redOubt on the hill whit
he had tailed to lake and in bis re IT, though at
| long range, was redOubt which krilof had
| unsuccessfully assaulted.
Skobel + f kept up rattling fire, and main
| Turks brought up a column Of reinforcements
| from Pl vna Of about Is 900 men. This column
struck him on the right flank. when the posi-
| ton became. enable and Skob4oT ret red.
Since that time up to September IA affairs re-
mained quiet.
| The Russians sill held the Grevitza redoubts,
under the fire of the neighboring works.
against VIII ich the Roumanians were advancing
with regular approaches and parallels. The
Russ ian wounded up to that date was 6O6O. The
loss in dead then numbered 2OOO. The Rouma-
mans loss Is stated at 5000 killed and wounded.
Several batteries tre annihi ated. The Turk
lsh To- S is esl mated at $500 men.
On September 13 the council of war was held
by the Emperor, the Grand Duke. Gen Milou-
tine, War Minister. Gen. Nepokowtsky Chief
OF staff and Gen. Seatow, Chief Of Staff Of the
right wing. 1t was determ med to make no
more open assaults against the redoubts. hav
ing lost over 10000 men without decisive re-
suit: but they will hold their pos sitions. and
throw up counter line Of feutrenchments.