The daily gazette., 1877-12-12
ToDLEBEN's TRIUMPH AT
fsf DIT HUNAl q. .g -. s7--af7II-

PLEVNA. ' p. ih-~ q
After five months siege, Illustrated
by several heavy attacks and a heroic
defence, Plevna has fallen into the hands
or the Gar, and the starving army of
Osman Pasha has surrendered to the far
more powerful army by which 1t was en-
Icompassed. = '-pH9C ar 7 - il-Y
The doom of Pieyna has for some
time been inevitable. Osman Pasha's
army was unable of itself to raise the
siege. When first shut up its strength
was about 10000, while the besieging
force was tw1ce as strong. The Turkish
force has been terribly weakened during
these months by famine and disease,
while the Russian army has constantly
been receiving reiDforcements, and has
had an abundance of all KINDS of sup
supplies. One of the most able
of modern military engineers, Gen.
Todleben, had command Of the 'besieg,
ing host, and no skill or audacity on the
part Of any commander inside Of Plevna
had chance Of coping with the power
that Todle ben welded against it. The
only hope of relief for the garrison of
Plevna lay In the movements of the
armies that operated outside of it, under
Suleiman Pacha and Mehemet Ali, But,
In every attempt to advance toward the
Russian lines, these armies found them
selves confronted by superior bodies of
the invaders, and for some months past
Suleiman Pasha's efforts have been fee
BILE and useless, while Mehemet Ali,
doubtless feeling aggrieved over his
treatment BY the sultan, has done little
more than call for reinforcements and
complain Of his inability to make any
movement until he got them. 40
When the Russians laid siege to Plev-
ma, they anticipated its capture by a
coup de force. Their first heavy attack,
last July, was brilliantly repulsed by
the Turks; and so confused were the
Russians by the staggering blow they re-
ceived, that it took them six weeks to
recover from it. In September, they
made more desperate attack with a
much larger force bat ngain they were
slaughter that all further attempts of the
kind were given up. Todleben was then
put in charge of the siege, and he pro-
ceeded to make close and regular in
vestment of Plevna, with the object of
reducing 10 in that way. For three
months the Investment has been COM
plete. Prior to that time supplies had
been sent to Osman Pasha from the re-
gion between Sophia and Widin but
neither food nor munitions has he had
since then. c,. r.
On one occasion he made an attempt
to force gassage, but failed, and on
another occasion large supply train
was captured by the Russians as it APP
preached Pleyna. After this there was
nothing for him to do but hold out
for the relief that he expected from
Suleiman Pasha and Mehemet Ali; but
as this never reached him, and as he had
at last to give up all hope of it, and as
his army was rapidly pertaining by huh-
ger, cold. and disease, he made final
desperate attempt on Sunday last TO
break the Russian lines in the direction
of Wldin. The enemy knew he would
have to come to this; they fell on him,
frant, flank and rear; and, before the
close of the day his famished army,
which had probably dwindled TO one
half its original strength was compelled
to surrender. el r.Gr
This is, in reality, the first important
Rmsian victory in war which has last
ed for nine months. 1t has been cost
ly victory to the invaders, whose losses
in the various operations of the year are
officially reported at nearly one hundred
Thousand men, .....f .s,..5 H..
There Is no doubt that the Czar win
now seek to enter into negotiations with
the Sultan to secure p6ace. He will try
to show the Sultan that the continuance
of hostilities must result in futher disas-
ters to his empire. The terms which the
Gear has been willing to offer, under the
circumstances that have be6n brought
about, have been recently published; but
| they are such as the Sultan cannot ac-
cept, and ne must struggle against them
| until the Russians win far greater VIC
tories than that of Plevna. The Russo
Turkish war now enters upon stage in
which is full of danger to the peace of
Europo.-N Y Sam