, 1877-10-17
: The Battles Before plevna Of the 18th
and 18th Of september.
Reckless Disregard Of Human
LIfc by tho Russian
Commanders.
thousands OF Their Troops
Butchered in Hopeless
Assaults.
The Russian Losses in the Two Days
Estimated at 10000 Men.

SCplt 1bs-4hEV NA4A uAEN PAaetA
,,,nec I wrote, bringing With them The two
.+sstctt hatttcs OF the campaign. md resulting
,o.s ~ o, nm ,,,er .ir t,,,,. c.,.s
"usA'a" nsn so0oo '.s.,, s, '.A eans' ss'e.
sons' anu equipments. no melt 20 'u"eh.o
quantities Ut ammunition, ri1os, and other cf-
fttt.
~, "Wednesday thc tot}, obort nt;tdav. a},e..
". ".ns s,a,,..,,r s ,'.,.,, H. ts..,i,aa,
deta'np ca.'e e"1toplAE WV" WV '"se'"soaeo
that the Russians wcrc advancing from tic
northern direction upon our third line Of dc.
ssn.c. and ntsu fru,n the 1oftcha road upon onr
a,d II vot ,,c,r nat a r,rcot ,at,lc ~.
eFso'u' ~ "D ~. ". Ia. -. a.'.. ~ a "a
imminent, anu t1at We must how nsht TOT otaf
ness Osman pas!a gnyo his directions, senlfng
wen In carh direction. a. l,o thoueht t1,cy would
.. .e" " ...,,o, - f,,-,,,.,,t,,n ,.;,n-s T., ~
b most N"nte"' a'n. ,u,nats u,,,' usa.;s 10 sao
Of operations.
rtr,,inr Tint Tho nttnck m thu T,nftc1,n s,dc
.o,a hco,n nrst. hurrfci thtthcr. Tncr.
roa" "'..,.,. -, 49, 49,
plain the e1acb pos'tto1i' eiionha say that ou
this siic tho Turks occupied n long ridge. the
summit Of which was rounded hill nearly cov-
ercl With wnotl. On the ridge, and at the top.
we1r three rcdoutts; all round the ridge ran n
tay, fire 1atta!'nns Of men. The re'tunhts held
Ii all ahout twelve guns, ansi "rre very strong.
TO supplement the force already there. Os1tan
rs.ha Ind sent Up into tho rsuoHbfs. my On INC
obrerso Of tnc hlll, a. - rc,erye, tiye ot'cr lnt-
thirteen battalions on th!s eIniricuce, together
with ntout 9 ono Bashl-Bazouks IN tho woods.
As support to tho position there runs
lillc hi'l at On obtnse angie to the lnfger ger
guns snd two battallons Of men: The ncarrst
Trdoabt on the second lite Q! dcfcnsc WAS niso
ablc as times to lend ita nss'stnncc, 90 tat TIE
point wl1tesi tue 1tussans hal c'oscn iGr attaek
vas certainly nonc @ o. ts.c weakest. The ,n.: men
IN occasional shell thrown Nv tho Turks at Ito
nhstcs III the ct1enly ~fch theS htaiuly cx"
poscsl themselves t'lo kusstans were allowed 70
approach pretty cloto without ntuch thoscsta.
they n,ac could 10 seen frun the Ottoman llnc,
md Was thus enabled to watch the ntva1lca
Of The Russians Without wor.c 1nteIFnpttun
than was due to the heavy ahc!l dre with which
sertcs Of E,'na brought Mp on aa~oppoe.tc slope
covered With th[ckct. To mo It nppcascd that
the Russians very unnecessarily exposed thelr
men to "ur tlru a. they BROUGHT them IN t to
10 keep them out OF sight,, and,. as a co1Ise-
qucnec, tlleY began 70 euiter heavily very carly
fn The ttght l,cfng Hhelle,l hy gil our batteries
befose they reached the foot OF t',e ascent: The
Narslnl-llcnry rife, too With which thu Turks
are armed, played already upon their ranks with
great forcc. making many man fnll ont--trc-
9urnt1y forever. Tho plan OF the Russians was
70 brlnS on three or f!,tlr regiments III four bat
taltOtls apiece, ono alter the other, III great
enlatnn, with TcrY It'll lie dihtnnee bctwecn tho
battalIona,-a obviously foultsli proceeding
Shcn within e{O yards OF nur posis!on. as tlo
great CGps IN their ra.ks which uur sticlls soon
began 70 make very plIrk}y showed.. AS they
approached tS h ,s M:soys soSH intG o. ons
Erounl which offered ao'ue little sover, anl
shture they tlcatel us to n ftfrM Of ti1u GHl-
tete while thcfFguns III rear selled our redoubts
lnd intreutll1ncnts literally. did mt SEQ
nnHt fnH n rn H.