The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-08-10
THE RUSSIAN DISASTER.
Some Details Of the Recent Series OF bat
ties between Loftcha and Pievna-The
Causes that Led to the Russian Defeat.

ties between IOutna anu 'c
Causes that Led to the Russian Defeat.
From the Chicago Tribune.l
Close upon the serious disasters to
the Russian arms in Asia comes the
news of a crushing defeat in Europe,
which has apparently ended in a rout.
The Russians, beaten in a two days bat
tie at Plevna, have not only been COM
PEELED to retire, but have been driven
fairly over the Danube into Roumania,
so that their plans for the present CAM
paign have been thrown into the utmost
confusion. The reports of the two
days battles ut Plevna are conflicting In
many of their details, especially as to
the numbers engaged and the extent OF
the loss, but they all agree in the essen
tial point of decided Turkish victory.
AS far back as the 10Th OF July, the
Ninth corps of the Russians was at
tackled in the vicinity of Plevna by Os-
man Pasha and so severely handled that
it had to fall back and await reinforce
ments. The Eleventh corps was sent
to its relief from Rustchuk, and, after
making long forced march, effected a
junction, the small force which had been
garrisoning Nikopolis also joining them,
its place having been filled by contin-
gent from the Roumanian army. 1t was
over a week before the army could re-
sumo the offensive. Marching south
ward again, it encountered Osman
Pasha's forces, $4,000 strong, securely
intrenched near Plevna, the Russians
numbering. $4,000. The battle COM
menced July 80 with a terrible artillery
duel, in which the Russians, being in the
open field, suffered severely. Under
cover of their artillery, the infantry at
tempted to storm the intrenchments, but
without success, and at nightfall the
Turks held their position, having recov-
cred some of their outworks from which
they had been forced. The next day the
Russians resumed the attack, but, al
though they tonight with the utmost des-
peration and performed prodigies of
valor, they were defeated in hand-to-
hand engagement, and compelled to re-
treat with loss, according to Osman
Pasha's bulletins, of 5000 killed and
10000 wounded, besides a heavy
loss in war material. The Russians
have Iallen back to Sistova in disorder,
and it is reported are pouring back into
Roumania, while the Turks hold their
position awaiting reinforcements. At
last accounts the Roumanians were or
dered across the Danube, but they will
add nothing of consequence to the Rus
sian strength. Had the Turks been
powerful enough to have followed up
their advantage, they might have
crushed the Russian right wing, and
perhaps ended the campaign for this
summer. 1t never rains but it pours.
On the same day of the defeat of the
Russians north of the Balkans. the Rus
slams south attacked Raouf Pasha, and
after seven hours fighting captured
Eski-Saghra, but Suleiman Pasha, COM
ing up with fresh force, defeated the
Russians with heavy loss and recap
tured the place. The crushing defeat
i'll Bulgaria will now more than ever
jeopardize the small Russian force in
Rounelia, as they are hemmed in by
two powerful Turkish armies, which
may cut off their supplies and retreat.
1t is not a cheering outlook for Russian
success this summer.
In searching for the causes of this sur
prising series of defeats, it seems as if
the Russians had made the same mistake
in Understanding the numbers and
strength of the Turks that the North
made in the first two years of the war
with the Southern Confederacy. The
North did not achieve decided successes
until it realized the actual strength and
fighting quality of the South, and Mr..
Lincoln called out "the COG 900 more, I"
who overcame the Southern forces by
overwhelming weight of numbers. The
Russians have all along affected to des-
pise the Turks and their ability to fight,
and have disposed their forces as if they
expected that the Turks would not dare
to meet them in the open field, but would
gradually fall back to Constantinople,
where they could be attacked ca masse.
The statement made some time since by
the London Times, that the actual force
of the Russians in the vicinity of the
Danube only numbered about 200, 900
men, is undoubtedly correct. This
force, which would have been powerful
in concentration, has been weakened by
constant division. There is one small
force in the Dobrubscha. another at
Rustchuk, another in the vicinity of Wild
in, another south of the Balkans, and
the last was in the neighborhood of
Plevna, until it was dispersed the other
day by the victorious Turks. The latter
have also been compelled to divide their
forces to observe the Russian divisions,
but in every case they have met them
man for man, and have had the addi-
tional advantage of fighting on the de-
fensive, some of their divisions holding
almost impregnable fortresses and the
others fighting behind strong intrench-
ments, armed with the very finest Amer
lean long-range rifles, and their works
protected by heavy Krupp guns. Events
have shown that the Turkish soldiers are
as desperate fighters as the Russian; that
they are just as well If not better
armed; that they are led by ex-
perienced German and Hungarian
officers in many instances; and
that they have English military men for
advisers. Under such circumstances. it
seems almost incomprehensible that the
Russians have not attacked with superior
force if they have it. We have all along
been informed that they have over half
million men under arms, but where are
they, and what are they doing? At the
present time the Turks have half mill
ion men opposed to 200, 900, large part