The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-08-04


moon rose the staff could hear from below on
the still night air cries of pain and entreaties
for mercy and the yells of bloodthirsty, fanat-
ical triumph. 1t was indeed an hour to
wiring the sternest heart. We stayed there
to learn, if it might be, what troops were
coming ont of the valley of the shadow OF
death below, were there indeed any at all
to come.
THE RUSSIANS UTTERLY pIsoRGANIzED
It did not seem to be the case. The
Turks had our range before dark, and we
could watch the fash of fame over against
Us and then listen TO the scream Of the
shell as it tore by us. The sound of
rifle bullets was incessant, and the es-
cort and retreating wounded were struck.
A detachment at length began to come
struggling up, but it will give an idea of the
disorganization to say that when company
was told off to cover somewhat the wounded
in Radishova it had to be made up Of men
of several regiments.
THE STAFF QUIT THE FIELD.
About nine o'clock the staff quilted the
ridge, leaving it Uttered with groaning men,
and moving gently, lest we should tread on
the PROSTATE wounded. We lost our way,
as we had lost our army. We could find no
rest for the soles OF our feet, by reason of
alarms of bashi-bazouks swarming in among
the scattered and retiring Russians
SHORT HEST AT LAST.
At length. at one O'Clock in the morning,
on the previous morning we turned into q
stubble field, and. making beds of the
reaped grain, correspondent and Cossack
alike rested under the stars.
ALARMED BY BAsH1-BAzouKs.
But we were not even then allowed to
rest Before four o'clock an alarm came
that the bashi-bazouks were upon us, and
We had to rouse and tramp away. The only
protection of the chief of what in the morn
ing was fine army was now handful Of
wearied Cossacks.
FALLING BACK ON THE osMA.
General Kriidener sent word in tho morn
ing that he, had lost severely and could
10 kooI nd nod IN fol
back on the line of the River Osma. There
had been talk, his troops being fresh, of
renewing the attack to-day, with his CO.
operation, but it is plain statement of TACT
that we have no troops to attack with.
A TERRIBLE CARNAGE.
The most moderate estimate is that we
have lost two regiments say 5000 men, out
of our three brigades A CHASTITY number,
beating Eylau or Friedland This takes no
account of General Kriidsper's losses. We,
too, retire on the Osina River, about Bull
gareni, and to the best of our weak strength
cover the bridge at Sistova.
TIE RESULTS INcALCULABLE.
On cannot in this moment of hurried
confusion realize all the possible results of
this stroke so rashly courted. Not Russian
soldier stands between Tirnova and the
victorious Turkish army in Loreca and
Plevna, and only weak division of the
Eleventh corps stands between Tirnova and
the Shumla army. I look on Prince
Schackoskoy's force as wrecked, as no
longer for this campaign to be counted as
fighting integer.
SHATTERED ARMY.
It is not ten days since the Thirtieth di-
vision crossed the Danube in the pride of
superb condition; now what of it is left is
demoralized and scattered. So on this side
the Balkans there remains but the Ninth
corps, already roughly handled once at
Nicopolis and once at Plevna--one di-
vision of the Eleventh corps and the Rust
chuk army.
THE RUSSIAN coMYuN1cATIoNs THREATENED.
Now if the Rustchuk army is marched to
the west against Plevna, then the Turkish
army of Rustchuk is let loose on the Rus
sian communications to Tirnova. One cam
not avoid the conclusion that the advance
over the Balkans is seriously compromised.
HURRYING UP REINFoRCEMENrs.
The Russian strait is so bad that the scat
tered detachments have been called up from
out of Roumania, and the Roumania di-
vision, commanded by General Manu-,
which crossed day or two ago at Nicopolis,