The daily gazette., 1877-09-05
TEE I WAR,
A GENERAL ADVANCE UPON
~" =, THR TURKISH POSITION
sll -uibna AT PLEVNA.s4s ~, E1 e., 90 20
CAPTURE OF LovATz.


The Hfrald correspordent at the head
quarters Of the Grand Duke Nicholas
at Poredip telegraphs, under date OF
Monday, via Bucharest. Tnesdsy . Sep
tember 4. ten at night, follows:---"The
long expected attack on the forcesunder
osntah Pacha was made this morning &C
cordlng' to apfe~arranoed, plan by which
the assault was to take place simultane-
ously along the Russian line reaching
from near the month Of, the vid almost
to the foot of the Balkans, south of Lo-
vatz. ....r,.l.,,,t. ...,...,' q"
|"Fhe att ek, as made, was IRE sisti BILE
1t was fully intended by the Grand
Duke that the advance once begun
should not suffer ayy check. The COP
centration Of the Eussian forces upon
the Turkish position around Plevna was
begun early in August The, arrival of
every division was the signal for an adj
vance at some point and the pushing of
the-wholeIiue gradually forward.
g Object Of the Duke.
"The Grand Duke has during the
month pursued with ceaseless and re-
lentless purpose one object-namely, the
crushing of Osman Pacha and the retriv-
ing of the disaster of July 81. For this
poor Radetsky, at the Shipka Pass, suff.
cred. To this settled purpose everything
and everybody has been sacrificed. Dis
aster has never been courtedbut has been
risked on several occasions. Yet the Rus
slams have been successful from the one
great fact that they have one .all sidei
kept their enemy at bay. '."
rruI OPENING OF THE FIGHT. r
"The fight began this morning about
ten O'Clock. The advance had begun
about six, but there was considerable
delay owing to the inequalities Of the
ground at various points along the eigh-
teen miles of front. q The Turkish out
posts we're enco inferred almost immedia-
tely by the Russian skirmish line, but
theyfell back without any hesitation after
seeing that the advance was made in
| force. 'N- --- - A--A'
"When the Turkish outposts had fallen
back upon their main picket line the fir
ing became brisk. The skirmish line of
the Russian army WE at once Strengthen
ed and engaged the enemy until the main
! body began to arrive. The regiments as
came up were Immediately formed in the
line of battle and at once became engagg-
ed.
"The artillery fire along the entire line
of the Russian advance was steadily and
destructive. The Russian gunners, by
their rapid prrctice, admirably covered
the advance of their infantry as the latter
pushed forward, seking closer contact
with the enemy, the Turks mesntime
gghting stubbornly, but entirely On the
defensive.
"Before noon the Turks had been driv-
en- into their last line of intrenchments.
Meanwhile, having been informed by
spies of the existence of byroad, sort
of spur of the main thorougnfare be-
tween Biela and Plevna, the Grand
Duke ordered divisionIof cavalry to
| make the detour necessary to reach ii
and to attempt flank movement from
the northward. This operation is now
being carried out:
GAS l wrote the last sentence q courier
dashed into camp. He was reported to
say that che troops of the left wing were
doing grand work before Lovatz and that
the town would certainly be taken be-
fore dark. A staff officer high in the
rank said to me q moment later, IF that
be true we shall enter PIevna tomorrow
morning can only say that everything
seems to indicate such result.
"Lovatz was yesterday carried by as
sault by Russian troops under Generals
Meretinsky and Shobeloff. No details
have yet been received"