Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-12-19

l1eves ne mas the support OF MAORI
ty of the senate. The firm belief of
those who know him best is that If
the Senate refuses dissolution and
urges him to make overtures to the
left he will comply.
DETAILS OF THE SURRENDER OF PLEvNA.
BY cable to the Chicago Tribune.
LONDON, Dec. 12.-It appears that a
at . council of war, held on Saturday
last, it was decided that the moment
had arrived to attack Pievna by
storm. The following day terrific
bombardment began. At early dawn
on Monday a general action COM
menced.
SIX COLUMNS OF ATTACK
were formed, each mastering 1900
men, the reserve consisting OF no less
than $4,000. The fire Of the Russian
siege guns suddenly ceased, and the
Russo -Roumanian storming columns
threw themselves against the advance
Turkish redoubts. There they met
with a desperate resistance. After
exchanging volley after voiley with
telling effect, a hand-to. hand encoun-
ter ensued. No quarter was claimed
or given. When the first redoubt
was captured,
NOT A PRISONER WAS TAKEN.
The storming columns then advanced
on the inner lines, where the main
force Of Osman Pasha's army was
massed. The Ottoman chief, seeing
that further resistance would be use-
less, ordered q retreat northwards to-
wards Widdin. At this critical mo-
ment the Russo. .Roumailian field ar
tillery reserve advanced as far as the
heights Immediately commanding the
upper portion of Plevna, and
OPENED AN ENFILADING FIRE
which made terrible havoc among
thf Turkish troops in the valley be-
low, who were proceeding to attack
the position just occupied by the en-
emy. The Russian batteries were at
tackled over and over again, but in
vain, the object of these repeated on
slaughts being to divert attention
from the main body that was advanc-
ing in the opposite direction.
IN THE HEAT OF THE FRAY
Osman Pasha placed himself at the
head of his troops, and pressed for
ward as far as Oponesch, situated
about three miles from Plevna, with
every hope of breaking through the
Russian lines; but before he could do
SO he was met by the Russo-Rou-
manian reserves. Oponesch lies on
the right of the high road that bor-
ders the vid, and a largo reserve
force had been posted there in expec-
tation that Osman Pasha would at
tempt to retreat on Widdin. This
force was well supported by artil-
lery that had been placed on the
heights in front of Dolni-Etropol.
1t was in the plain bet ween Oponesch
and Doni- -Etropol that Osman Pasha
and his brave followers met
WITH THEIR DISASTER
The Russian guns swept down
whole companies, and the ground
was soon covered with the dead and
dying. Here, too, Osman himself
was badly wounded in the foot and
fell scnseless from his horse, receiv-
ing further injuries from his fall.
Seeing their commander hors. du
combat, and possibly supposing him
to have been killed, the Turks began
ia lass- rsssss~- sSSSS YSvtS-
slams had already entered Plcvna.
Victory was in their hands.
TEN THOUSAND DEAD AND WOUNDED
TURKS
lay on the field. Not vestige of
provisions was anywhere to be found.
The civil population had hardly
enough food for the day, and the am
bulance had barely accommodation
for a few hundred wounded.
The Russian Roumanian losses are
considerable, but the figure is not yet
known.
To this account of the fall of Pleyna
l must add few words, destined to
throw some light on this all-impor-
tant event. l Lam told, OH undisputa-
BILE authority, that shortly after the
last repulse of the assailants Prince
Bismarck expressed the opinion that
the next attack would probably be
more successful. as tho Russians
WOULD RECEIVE GOOD ADVICE.
A bundle of documents supposed to
be the plan for the siege of Plevna,
has since then reached the Russian
headquarters from Berlin, and there
is not an officer in the Russian and
Roumanian armies who does not be-
lieve that Todleben's plan of attack
was based upon the good advice to
which Prince Bismarck referred.
ANOTHER BATTLE.
CoNsTANTINoPLE, Dec. ia re-
port prevailed, last night, that anoth-
er great battle had been fought be-
tween Metchka and Rustchuk. Re-
suit unknown. Official reports at
Turkish headquarters only mention
an affair with six Russian battalions.
The fall Of Pleyna is still unknown