Ottumwa weekly courier., 1877-08-08
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CROSS AND CRESCENT.
A Graphic Description Of
the Great Battle OF
Pleyna.
A GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION.

LONDON, Aug. "a correspond
ent sends from Roredin, near Plevna,
a graphic account Of Tuesdays q battle,
which conveys vivid idea of the ex-
tent of the Russian disaster. One
cannot in this moment of hurry and
confusion, realize the possible results
of this stroke SO rashly courted. The
Russian army stands between Tier
nova and Victorious, and only the
weak division of the eleventh corps
stands between the Tiernova and
Shumla army. I look on Prince
Schackaskoy's forces, So wrecked, as
no longer for this campaign to be
counted as fighting integer. 1t is not
ten days since the 3Oth division cross
ed the Danube in the pride Of a su-
perb condition.. Now what is left of
them is demoralized and shattered.
So on this side of the Balkans there
remains but the ninth corps, already
roughly handled, once at Nikopolis
and once at Plevna; and one divis-
ion of the 11th corps and the Rust
chuk army. Now if the Rustchuk
army is marched west against Plev-
ma, then the Turkish army of Rust
chuk is let loose on the Russian COM
munications to Tiernova. One can
not avoid the conclusion that the ad-
vance over the Balkans is severely
compromised. The Russian strait is
so bad that the scattered detachments
have been called up from out of Rou-
mania, and the Roumanian division,
commanded by Gen. Mann, which
l CpnoSnH dow Cr <xun a ro "a N:l.n~o
lis, has been called up to the line of
the Osman river. An Aid-de-Camp
of the Grand Duke Nicholas was
present at the battle, and at once
started for Tiernova with evil tidings.
We are just quitting this bivouac and
| falling back on Bulgaria with all
speed, leaving the Bulgarian villages
to the tender mercics of the Turks.
AS l close learn that on our left
Gen. Skobelloff was very severely
handled, having lost 800 men out OF
his single infantry battalion.
The whole imperial guard have
been ordered to prepare to proceed
to Bulgaria. The first detachment
will start in q few days,
| A Constantinople special reports
that Redif Pasha has been taken sud.
denly i'll. His physicians think he
| will not live.. The suddenness Of his
illness causes various rumors.
A correspondent with Prince
4 Schackasky's force, telegraphine
from Simnitza under date of Augusl
lst, gives an account of the retreat
He says the road from Pourdin t.
Bulgarene was numbered with brok.
en- and retreating troops wholly des
titute of order, officers without sol
diers, soldiers without officers. with
out cohesion, and mostly withou
arms. At q narrow bridge near Bul
garene there was wild confusion ant
a complete block ,tumrils, ambulances
wagons. officers, caleches, led horses
and carts filled with wounded, al
were jammed in indescribable chaos
. There had been wounded all alons
the road, but the bulk of the wound
ed began little way beyond Bulga
rene, and extended in an unbrokel
line for seven miles. Along the roa,
to Sistova they were mostly carried
in OK carts, and the severe cases il
ambulances, and large number
!. tramped on foot. Immense number
of wounded had tramped all the wa,
from the battlefield, and were al
ready entering Sistova at t6 o'clock
f yesterday evening. They must hav
t walked forty miles il, twenty -fou
! hours, wounded as they were. Near
: ly all these wounded, however, con
. sisted of men who had somehow
: managed to walk out of the battle
Bad cases were mostly left wher
r they fell. The staff officers, wit
, whose estimate am inclined to agree
. think the whole force lost was be
tween G,OOO and 1000 men killed an,
wounded. One brigade of the 80,
division has suffered the most heavi
ly. Besides terrible loss of men
sacrificed the Imperial banner of on
4 Of its regiments.
:, The whole of the 30th division ha
!, been smitten very sorely, and all Q
t three brigades of Schackasky's com
mand are for the time in state O
: disorganization.