The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1877-09-05
FRIDAYS FIGHT.
Full Particulars of the Great
Engagement at Shipka a'

| pondent, ana eye witness OF flday .
battle in Shipka Pass telegraghs
Saturday, riding backward from
Shipka through the night. passed
masses OF reinforcements of artillery
aud. infantry hurrying forward. !.
Their strength ought to secure the
safety of all important positions. aa
The same correspondent tele-
graphs from Bucharest Sunday :
Information follows me that fighting
at the Pass was still raging, having
been again renewed to-day, but
Radetzky continues to hold his own
1t is now a question Of endurance,
but adhere to nay impression that
Shipka is safe, and unless Sulieman
Pasha can run a column through an-
other pass he will wreck his army by
thus dashlng it continually against
Shipka. This correspondent ex-
plains that Shipka Pass consists
merely of a section of the Balkans
lower than the surrounding heights.
There is no properly scaled but
merely track over this lower Sec
ton ridge, whichis extremity broken.
The highest point of the road is
fanked on either side by a spur
commanding it also. A ridge be.
hind the first of these two spurs can
rake the road leading to the Russian.
position. These spurs break off
abruptly and precipitously, afording
no access to the valleys. Their
sole use to the Turks. therefore, was,
in affording positions from whence
to flank the central Shipka ridge
1t is possible also for the troops to
descend from them, struggle through
intervening glene, and climbing The
steep slopes of Shipka ridge, give a
hand to each other on the road which
runs along its summit. This done
shipka position would of course be
turned, but the advantage would be
of little avail till the road had been
opened by carrying fortified posi-
tions on it. The road over Shipka
ridge constitutes for the army the
only practicable line of communica-
ton in this section of the Balkans.
On the 21st, when the fighting began.
the Russians were little over
5000 strong, with Notifications. The
Russians on this day had mines in
front of their trenches which were
exploded as the head of the Turk
ish assaulting parties were massed
above them. 1t is reported that
large numbers of Mussulmaus were
blown into fragments. By Thurs
day evening the Turks had so work
ed around on both the Russian fanks
that,it seemed as if the claws of the
crab were about to close behind the
Russians, and that the Turkish
column, climbing the Russian ridge,
would give a hand to each other on
the road in rear of the Russian po-
sition. At this supreme moment
the two Russian Generals, expect
ing momentarily to be surrounded,
sent at last telegram to the Car
telling him what they expected, how
they had tried to prevent it, and how.
please God, when driven into their
positions they would hold them till
reinforcements should arrive, they
and their men would hold their
ground till they lost their blood. At
6 there was heavy fighting, of which |
the Russians could take no advan-
tage since their reserves were all en-
gagged. The men were beaten out
with heat, fatigue. hunger and thirst.
There was no water within the Rus
sian lines and the men lay painting
on the bare ridge reckless of the I
fact that IL was swept by the Turk
ish rifle fire. Others dragging foot |
down among the rocks. but were
forced to give ground. The cliffs
resounded with triumphant Turkish
shouts. 1t was at this juncture that
reinforcements under Radetzky ar
rived. Ra6etzky took command of
these, with others who arrived sub
sequently, which brought up the
number of defenders of the pass to
about Is OO0 The road even In the
rear of the Russian positions, along
which the reinforcements had to adj
vance, was swept by the Turkish
ire, and the reinforeements suffered
heavily. The object of Fridays bats
lie was to clear the Turks from the
we'll worked position which fiaaked |
,he Russian positions on the road.
The fighting WAS confined TO musket-
~. and continued all day desperate.
y.s The Russians could make little
impression by the front attack on
he Turks. A correspondent says
hat occasionally at some points The
WoaId be hurled clear back
'ut of the wood altogether. | could
mark the Turks following them ca
yerly to its edge and down, while
pouring out q calling fire. The
,rooRs charged with making this
'ront attack merely. saceaedadt in i