The Republican journal., 1877-07-05
The Eastern War

| LONDON, June %. All dispatches re-
ceived to-day from the Danube valley
tell Of terrible battles raging. kilograms
TO Paris papers assert that the Russian
losses IN crossing the Danube were enor-
nous. A despatch from Galatz says
bloody lighting is going on at Birgos on
the Danube. The Russian troops are
crossing en- masse and engaging the
Turks, who are making desperate resis-
tance The slaughter on both sides is
terrible. The Turkish gunboats are also
engaged. \ Vienna despatch of Thurs
day says: At Nillopolis and Sistova yes
teIday the losses on both sides were ap-
pallng. Another Vienna despatch says
from the latest news received one fact
would appear quite clear, namely that
| the crossing Of the Danube was only sue
cesstul from Simnitza to Sistova All
other attempts up to Wednesday fail
ed The ROumanian telegraph is silent
regarding yesterdays events. 1t is also
| stated that 10000 Russians have Occu-
pied the island of Barcea, near Silstria.
1t is unknown whether they succeeded in
| crossing to the Turkish side, but there is
a report that the Turks have abandoned
| their position. Their positions at Tech
| ernavoda and Mcdsidge are thought to be
| only eXpicable if the Russians have cross
ed near Silistria. During the lombard
ment Of Giurgevo the Turks chiefly aimed
at the house of the German Consul, be-
lievng the Gar was domiciled there.
The Daily News publishes an account
OF the crossing of the Danube from an
eye witness. 1t says
| With the darkness Gen. Dragomirotf
| began his dispositions. His first work
was to plant, in made emplacements, d
row of field guns all along the edge of the
Hats to sweep the opposite banks. This
| was while the infantry was being march
| ed over the flats to the cover of the will
| lows. The darkness and Instructions
were SO great that all was not ready until
| the first glinmer of dawn. There was no
bridge, but number Of river boats,
capable Of holding from fifteen to forty
| men each. These were dragged on car
riageS through the mud and launched in
| the darkness The boats put Off singly,
| rowing across for Il little cove, and later
a little steam tug was brought into reQui-
sition. The Turks Immediately opened Il
smart fire, both on the boats and troops,
| The leading boat contained Mai. Gen.
lolchine. The Turkish ritlemen were in
| position about fifty Yards from the shore
| He landed his handfull Of men and babe
| them lie down in the mud. He then
| opened a sllrnishing fire to cover the
landing of the boats that followed. one
| by one these landed their treights, who
| followed the example OF the first boat
load. At length enough had accumulated,
among them Gen. Skobelet1' and his son.
Gen. Yochine babe his men fix bayonets,
stand up and follow their officers. The
Turks fired an effective volley, but did
| not wait Gen Yolchne's skirmishers
followed them some distance up the slope,
but for Il time could not press on from
their base. Meanwhile the Russians guns
from across the river and the Turkish
artillery were firing briskly. The Turkish
shells kept falling i'll the water, whistling
through the willows, and bursting among
the columns on the flats. One shell from
a mountain gun fell into boat contain
| ing two guns, their gunners and the com
| mandant of the battery. The boat swamp
| ed and all on board persisted. This was
| the only serious casualty, but many Rus
sian soldiers were falling on both sides Of
the river. The Turkish gunners clung to
their guns with wonderful staunchness,
amid clouds Of dust thrown up bV the
shells which burst around them. \ Turk
ish monitor had been hemmed in bv a
Gordon of torpedoes within the channel
| south of the island opposite Nardin, and
Il Russian battery on the Roumanian side
| sheled her. After their first repulse from
| the landing place, the Turks rallied and
concentrated on the upper slope in front
| of their battery. and then came down on
| the pickets of Gen. Golchines brigade,
and made some Roadway, but only for Il
moment. Soon after noon the Russian
| infantry had crowned the heights A
Turkish infantry detachment tried to
work around and down upon Sistova, but
was thWarted by an intercepting Skin
mishing force. The correspondent est
mates the loss at 1000. He adds that
probably two bridges will be laid at Sim
ntza. which will be the main thorough
fare tor the Russian army. One hundred
thousand men will march in the column
which is now crossing.
LONDON, JUNE30. Gable specials state
that troops from Rustchuk FASTENED to
support the Turks who retreated from
Slstora, aud detachments from Shumla
and Rasgard, making forced marches to
the scene of conflict below Sistora, near
the river Jantra.
1t is stated that the Turkish gunboats
broke the Russian pOntoon bridge during
the crossing at Matchin, and for a time
5000 Russians who had crossed, were is
solated, and if the Turks had had suili-
cient force they could have slaughtered
| them all
Grand Duke Nicholas and General
| Dragmlrolf were among the first to cross
! after the bridge at Sminitzr was complet-
| ed, and their arrival on the Bulgarian
| bank was greeted by shouts and cheers
OF the Russian advance guards. After
them poured battalion after battalion Of
| infantry followed by light field pieces,
and their equipments in boats. These
quickly mounted when they reached Sis
tova side. At this point of crossing the
Russian loss was probably 1000 in killed
and wounded, but the Turkish loss must
have been nearly as great as they held
their ground until fairly overpowered by
numbers.
AdViceS from the Polish frontier state
that the supply of railroad rolling stock,
| falling short, all consequements for the
army OF the Caucasus is suspended as all
| available means of transport are needed
| for he army of the Danube.
| Seryia has ordered at Paris accoutre-
| ments for $4,000 men, to be delivered in
three weeks. The Servian field artillery
is undergoing an inspection preparatory
to being moved to the front
1t is stated that the khedive OF Egypt
| has agreed to erect forts at the mouths
| OF the SueZ canal
NEW YORK, July ,. \ Pera CORE
spondent telegraphs that the Sultan per
sonally subscribed about $4,000 for the
relief of the Turkish wounded AL
though the holy war is formally de
clared, his majesty seems in no hurry to
60 to the front, although obliged to do
SO in such case.
The latest authentic information from
Russian head quarters shows that the
| Russian loss in crossing the Danube at