The New York herald., 1877-08-25


days before seemed to have returned and made .
show as II they would attack General Gourkha took
the dragoons and started them, giving ORDERS
for the Bulgarian troops to follow as wished TO try
them once under 1re But the three baltalions Of
Turks retired SO rapidly before tho regiments oil
that me Buearans could not get up 70 tnem
drove them some ten miles IN the alrec
ton OF Slievena, and then returned TO KhainL This
retreat o. three battaons Of infantry 1.-TWO 70 three
as bad as the fight of two companies before 200 Co.'S
sacks.
ANOTHER sKIRMsM
The next day alter this Affair." the third after the
arrival at Khaini General Gourk ha leaving tho Bull
garans 10 guard the place. took the rest Of the de-
achment ana started tor Kezanlik We met small
iorce short distance from Knan, which fed before
US firing few shots This force re.reatins before us
proved TO be most unfortunate circumstances for four
Kezanlik They took rsiuse in these villages,
from the houses. the result was that we
set nre TO every house from which had been fred
a. and the hrs spreading, these villages were for the
most part destroyed. the Turks seem to have the
faculty oil always doing the wrong thing and the
right one Had they fired from behind the rocks
annoyed US very considerably, delayed our progress
and have done the Turkish population no harm. In
stead o. nas they IRE at US from villages in The plain
ia the most senseess and useless manner where thus
KIND oil resistance could not delay march an hour
Wtn the natural result OF getting these villages burned
They leave no mistake uncommittsd that perversity
ignorance and stupidity commit
FIGHT AT KEzANLIK
lu the meantime the news of our arrival had spread
to Kezanlik, and the Turkish commander there de-
tached three oatlalons from the force guarding the
snipka Pass ana sent them 10 meet US, We met tins
iorce near Maglsh, when we had made two-thirds or
tue distance 10 kezanlik, the began ut once
The Turks had taken position in the gardens and opened
hesitating moment the Russians formed order of
battle, and advanced firing and the Turks instantly
Sa Uesan & 70 W wsndraw IN M running fight ensued when
or seven miles. That the resistance opposed by tha
turks was not very stubborn may be judged by the
TACT that we made our usual march that day, ana
reached Kczank IN the evening, having made the
whole distance from Khaini in two days. The Russian
wounded, nearly the whole of which took place
Magsh when the Turkish positions were first car
ried.
EyrxRlSa THE rowss
We got Into Kezanlik In the evening, and most
enthusiastically greeted by the Bulgarian population
houses, frightened nearly to DEATH Their constorna-
ton was very great They had been kept ignorance
OF the real progress OF the Russians by the Turkish
papers. which had been announcing continued
succession OF victories tor the Turkish arms. fhe
Turks here did not know the Russians had arrived
IN rrnova, and tho Turkish papers announced
that they had all been driven over the Danube
They had Rcen Boosting here Tor weeks that IL the
Russians reached the Balkans they would all be
slaughtered there 10 the last man, and while in the
mdst OF these vaingl0rious poastings they suddenly
learned that the Russians had already crossed and
were marching on kezanlik. Their terror very
great, but they did not run away partly, believe,
because they did not know whore to go, as they
did not know but what the Russians had
cupied the whole country already; and
adding wings TO their Imagination they thought
the RUSSIANS must DC already Iur on the way to
Constantn0ple, SO they shut themselves in their
houses, and waited the result In Fear and trembling.
Their relief upon finding that the Russians passed.
through the town without molesting them very
great But they still had the lower classes of their
Bulgarian ncighbors to deal with, and this proved to
be a far more difficult matter than appeasing the Rus
SLAMS. These Bugarians had many old score to
sctte up and they proceeded TO cali the Turks to
count with promptitude and decision which showed
how alive they to the fact that Turkish rule and
Turkish domination were things Of tho past.
HOW THE BULGARIANs ROB-
Getting Cossack or two, OF whom there are always
q numper everywhere without any osIsnsble occupa-
ton, 70 60 along with them, they would go into
Turkish house ank rae Of as many valuables as thoy
be obtained, jewelry, trnkets, ornaments. linen,
clothing carpets were tho things that were seized:
and ruined except a very few that mad
been abandoned by their owners, and the owners
Sa dare remain and allow TO
into the hands Of the Russana One OF these was
Sadoullah Bey, namesake of the present Turkish
Minister to Berlin, whose house was filed with pun
der taken from the Bulgarans last year, and whose
fields were likewise filled with cattle obtained from the
thoroughly paged and wrecked as were the houses Of
half dozen others OF the same class The fault
Qit all must be fixed upon General Gourkha who for two
days allowed the town to take care Of ITSELF inte
was he carrying out the task which had been in
trusted to him. Until the pass Of Shipka taken,
his position was, Of course a most precarlous and
critical one With small force, completely cut of
from the main army, and separated from 1t by the
their whole army south Of the Balkans he
was OF course justified in trying to get possession Of
pass and thus his safety before looking
after the property or the Turks.
SEVERE DISCIPLINE NEEDED.
Nevertheless, l must say the Prussians managed
hour unit, thero were proclamations the Wais e a.
ing the Inhabitants exactly what they 10 do and
not 10 do with the penalty Of dsobedcnce printed in
very large characters indeed. That penalty usually
death Durd Ler, sed tz, and hard law Is, after all
perhaps better than no law ut all But for those
people who will try to prove by what occurred
us he
Turks-as l have no doubt there people who
will would have them bear in mind that
there were no houses burnt here, that there
Turks murdered, that no Turkish women were
outraged that no Turk was roasted alive and that
Turkish children spited on bay onets carried
about the streets Let further be remembered that
many Of the Turks living here now were engaged IN
the massacres OF last year. and we have the
of dIfle between the Turk and the Bulgarian.
should like for the BuIgarans to have shown
themselves quite perfect and free from stain in
this business, but fear that perfection is not
to be found human nature, and tho Bugariuns
must take their chance with the rest The greater
part of the Russian officers did all in their
power put stop to the ooting though the fact of
their being regular government organized and that
1t was nobody's business, made II difficult Among
others saw Prince Tserctlef laying about with his
nagaiKa, or Cossack's whip, IN tho most unmerciiul
manner Among others who had the misfortune OF
brigade commanders, a Greek Italian who was re-
ccived and treated as gentleman. The Prince iound
him in u Turkish house dividing spoils with
Cossacks, and without any more ado struck him
savage blow the face with his riding whip, and
ordered him under arrest thus bringing his as
"a gentleman interpreter TO a cose--an undiplomatic
measure but just for that reason effective and
cssary.
CAPTURING sKIrKA PASS
To return 10 the military operations. General
Gourkha, having reconnoitred tho positions of tho
Turks in the Shipka Pass, determined upon imme-
oate attack. The village OF Shipka is some
seven miles north from kazanlik, right at the foot
the mountains. pecuarty of the Balkans is that,
while on the north side there is long
rics OF nils, lcsser mountains before you come
to the main range, here on the south they
stop Oft Short Without any tooth ills at ALL unless
the other range south OF the Tundja Valley may
be considered such. AS you ride along the valley OF
the Iunda you those monster OF earth and
rock and forest rising abruptly out OF the plain with
out auy intermediate hills Irregularities ike
Of sugar loaves placed along floor aud rounded OF at
the top The pass is therefore only couple OF miles
from the foot Of the mountain this sue, and the
road up TO IL Is very steep and difficult The
Turks had fortified 1t in tho most thorough
and effective manner, and had the Russians
been obliged TO attack 1t from tho other
side 1t would have cost them n fearful loss of
lie. AS 1t was 1t has cost the Russians something like
four hundred killed and wounded. But the turks
were discouraged when they found their positions
turned. and did fight with anv hone chance