The New York herald., 1877-10-29

upon bodv of bashi- -bazouks seated In a circle
IN the WOOD no doubt discussing the probabilities OF
future strategens and spoils As was aware OF the
custom OF employing the bashi-oazouks a. advanced
scouts and sctareurs wnen presence Of the enemy
began to think tpat had gone lar enough and might
run risk q being cut of by tue Cossacks u ven
tured further. The bash-bazouks told me,
were SSS many Moscow close s' Sy and ,na. tho
sort of Tom Tiddler's ground for waylayng each
other. Bulgarian had come down from the Russian
positions into the village lew days ago. apparently
Tor the purpose OF seeing whether there were any
Turks there; bashi-bazouk WAS there unfortunately
for the Bulgarian and had quiet shot at him as he
approached the man staggered away out OF sight,
but was found dead next morning behind bush. On
the whole therefore. l thought Cherkovne WAS no
place for a peaccable non-combatant and returned
past the vedettes In the trees VINO smiled grimy rs
went by 10 the plateau was disquieIed to hnd a
whole regiment OF infantry drawn up across the road
apparently being reviewed by pacha and his stad
who were slowly riding along the line.
WORSE THAN wooLsEY.
| thought the pacha looked very liko Salich
the general commanding the DIVISION stationed
here. and aB nc Is particularly obnoxious TO
thought had better remain at respectful distance
untii he had gone by IL was as WELL perhaps. that
did go for fancy HIS Serene Highness Prince hassan
OF Egypt who nom the height OF his serenity also
condescends 70 regard correspondents with dsiavor,
riding alongside, ana il 1 had been hauled up be-
fore hese two august personages | might have expo
rcncsd the honor OF beng snubbed by them. Here,
confess, an inclined TO lay down my pen get up and
walk about gnash my teeth aud oam at the mouth Tor
while, and then resume my seat TO pour forth my
soul in bitter invective against the wretchcd
treatment which correspondents whose miserable iate
IL has been to follow the Turkish army have had TO
endure especially those OF us who are considered to
represent journals "hose TO Turkish interests But
refrain IRON Launching out INTO the long story OF our
woos and difficulties which would only tire the
patience OF your readers and cause me to cxpend much
energy which mad better be reserved for worthier
poses. Alter all had paid an undisturbed visit to
the most advanced position OF the army on tho Bela
load, aud II was compelled from motives Of poicy
conducive TO the discharge oil my duty TO rein
horse behind tree Instead OF iacing the terrible
Sach tho conqueror Of Abyssinia. and whole rcgl-
men Of Turks, II was no great matter. The fate OF
empires did not hang on the result OF my trip to the
outposts.
knowledge Of tue TACT that reinforcement of six bat
talions recently arrived ut Varna from Soukhoum
Kalc had been pushed forward TO this heighborhood
Ia all haste convinced me that there was some
truth in the rumors which had been floating about the
camp that a battle was imminent. Either Mehemet
ALI expected the Russians TO attack him tho road
and check his advance else he going TO attempt
TO disiodge them from their position on the riage
above Cherkovne l returned, therefore, as quickly
possible my quarters at Voditscha filthy Bull
garian howell swarming with vermin and reekiny with
Uttered oial, write description Of the ground upon
which the battle will bo fought
THE BATTLE GROUND.
Voditschn the present heaoquarers OF the Turkish
army under Mehemet Ali, Is auout eighteen miles
straight line from BJela between the Jantra and the
Lom, but by the road about twonty five miles. This
road from Shumla and Eski DJuma 10 Popkeni the
LON, follows the course oi valley in general sou h.
westerly direction until II reaches the village oi Cher
kovne where forms angle and turns to the north
westward to Biea Tho village OF Cherkovne which
lies At this angle is aso at the Intersection OF road
which north and south from KaceIjevo, ON tho
Lom, to rrnov Alter leaving Cnorkovne this inter
sectng road crosses the upper course OF the
Banischka Lom by u bridge and runs behind well
marked ridge u,hwostward to the village OF
| ChairKen and thonce to Tirnova- This ridge.
which extends southwark from tho left bank Of tho
Banischka LON for distance oil about throe miles, IS
| the position upon which the Russians have resolved
TO make stand and light battle TO check tho further
advance OF Mehemet ALI upon Bjela The nature OF
the ground AMI the importance OF the RIDGE
as does the intersection OF tho two roads, render
probable that desperate resistance will DO made at
this point. The battle ground Is contained within
quadrilaeral figure formed by the villages OF Urkler,
Verboca and Koprvca on the western or Russ side,
and those of Voditscha OsiKova aud Hodjekikeul on
| the eastern or Turkish side. Tho valley OF tho
| Banischka LON passes through this figure In q
curve extending from voditscha and Koprvca,
Russians. Close TO the village OF vcrboca but on the
opposite bank OF the river In the valley, Cherkovne
considerable village which was entirely burned
heights which bound tho valley tho northern
sleeper than those the opposite side, and
broken into narrow ravines which extend down to the
river. These heights over the village OF Cherkovna
are covered with brushwood from the river upward,
| but the fiat SUBMITS are partly cultivated. The
Banischka Lom is here from eignt to nine ieet wide
and from three 10 six feet deep, and like tho three
other Loms the westernmost Of which, the Kara LON
joins, flows within deep banks. the surface OF the
water being ABOUT ten ieet beneath tho level or the
ground. There Is bridge over the stream about hal
i u
been destroyed by the Russians verboca lies between
| the bare rounded ridge occupied by the enemy and
another and higher ridge, tho upper part OF which ID
wooded, while the lower slopes toward the village
occupied by vineyards.
| rnE RUSSIAN POSITION.
Tho long, rounded hill which has been 80 skilfuy
chosen by the Russians as their defensive position ID
cultivated slope cut into low aud sparsey
dotted with trees Tho works constructed by them
the summit 0 the ridge, and the slopes toward
the river consist VI pits and shelter trenches
the whole hillside IS dug over with rao pits and the
position Is one OF great strength II Is believed that
the orce gathered 10 withstand Mehemet ALI consists
Of the Thrty-second division eleventh corps)
portion Of the Thirteenth corps, while further to the
line, lies the Twelfth corps, opposite to which the
forces OF Achmet Eyoub, forming the right
Of tho Turkish army. Immediately con-
fronting the Russian position arc the d.
which have been recently reinorccd by the battaons
Withdrawn from ASIA With their usual eucrgy the
Turks have erected batteries on the best positions
the hoights opposite the Russian position, and have
the advantage ol dominating 1t, although at q very
long range 1t Is believed that all tho preparations
complete either to make or oppose an attack; any
case the struggle VII be desperate The Turks,
flushed with tueir victories the LON, eager to
strike another blow Ut the retreatinQ enemy, while
the Russians have probably made up their minds that
Mehemet Ali shall not advance in the direction
oil BJea beyond the line OF the Banischka
Lom. During the whole OF to-day a dense log has
ovorhung tho entre country and the hostile armies
arc invisible to each other. solemn stiffness and
slence-broken only by an occasional trumpet call :
has reigned In the camp and upon the hills around
and the long limo of wacn dres which light up then
SUBMITS and mark tho position OF the Turkish army
Is shroudcd from vicw ie down my clothes fol
lew hours sleep before daybreak. with u strons
presentimcnt that If the log ls the sound of the gun
VIII be heard IN the morning and the attack begin
believe that shall have to write tho story OF a grca
battle at Cherkovno Tomorrow II may DO tha
Mehenet All Will have fought ono battle too much.
--------------------