Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-12-20

here during the past week. Plevna
is completely surrounded by the en-
envy, and Osman Pasha, who has
hitherto deemed himself invincible,
is beginning to be anxious. He
walks up and down for hours to-
gether on small esplanade before
bis house, only breaking silence to
issue occasional curt directions to
officers who come to acquaint him
with any fresh Intelligence. Those
about him fear that his wonted pres
ence of mind is deserving him, and
that no will commit some reckless
act prompted by despair. He has
become taciturn and querulous, and
is tormented by constant dread of
being betrayed. Indeed, so suspici-
Gus has he become that it is thought
at times that his reason is unhinged.
The only person in whom be still re-
tains confidence is a young officer,
for whom he cherishes strong aft
ection. but whose name cannot at
present recall From this officer,
who speaks French with great fiuen-
cy, | learned that Osman Pasha is in
state of furious Indignation against
the careless tactics of Chefket Pasha
"the hero of Bark" and the folly Q:
the Government in entrusting an
i'm portant command to that "dissipa.
ted swindIer, Haiku Pasha, surnamed
"The Drunkard" Osman Pasha
complains that after he had rendered
bis position impregnable, and had
driven back repeated attacks, a
wretched drunkard, equally slothful
and ignorant, ruined all his plans
and jeopardised all that had been
gained by the stubborn resistance at
Plevna.
t"My chief" said thu young officer
to whom | have referred, "has only
too good grounds for his complaints.
When we sent asking that a squad
of workmen should be sent to repair
our arms, the workmen, indeed, ar
rived Dut the authorities had neg
lected to supply them with tools,and
it was necessary to send again to
Constantinople to obtain the appli-
ances necessary for the work. This
is merely one of the many instances
of the carelessness of the Central
| Government" The same officer
told me that when Osman Pasha
learned that Suleiman Pasha had re-
pulsed the Russians in Thrace, driv.
ing them back to the Schipka Pass
and that the Government, acting on
| the advice Of some Polish adventur.
ers, had determined to send q milit.
airy expedition to the Caucasus, he
at once wrote to the War Minister
and endeavored to dissuade him from
carrying out the scheme, urging tina;
a great camp should at once be es.
tablished at Sophia, where all the
available forces should be concentra
ted. Osman Pasha also decla red
that no attack should be made on
the Schipka Pass, and pointed out
that five or six thousand men could
fortify themselves at the entrance of
the defile and easily check any fur.
thsr adEa Minister pat" af S6 heed PIC t.
Osman's prudent advice, 5000 men
were thrown away in an insane ex.
petition to Soukhoum Kaleh, about
$4,000 brave soldiers were recklessly
sacrificed in fool-hardy assaults on
the Russians, and at last Chcfket
Pasha was dispatched with insuffici.
ent forces to keep up the communi~
cation between Plevna and Orkhan-
ie, and to protect the conveys which
ought previously to have reached
Osman.
The Russians offered to send five
thousands or six thousand prisoners,
whom they captured at Dubnik and
Teliche, back to Plevna. but in re-
ply to this proposal Osman Pasha
declared that If these men approach
ed Plevna he would open fire on
them, and that he intended TO hang
Sarhoche Haiku if ever that worthy
fell into his hands. On the same
occasion, Osman also informed the
Messenger of the Grand Duke that
be bad provisions which would last
for eight months, aud that he would
hold PleVna to the last, whatever
extremities bis men might endure.
But the officers on the staff do not
share the logged resolution of their
commander, and most of them de-
clare that the town should be evacu-
ated while it is possible to break
through the circle of the enemy, be.
fore reinforcements render such an
attempt hopeless. | do not believe
that Plevna is as we'll provisioned as
is asserted. The rations dealt out
to the troops haye already been re-
duced by a third and the soldiers,
though they are yet less dispirited
than their officers, they have begun
to grumble at the scantiness of their
fare.
In some of the redoubts the troops
are divided into groups OF ten or fif-
teen, without any officer to direct
them while they are defending the
works, which they do with unf1inch-
ing courage. They remain within
the classmates while they cook their
food and while they are sleeping.
During fight they post themselves |
after the manner of the janissaries, |
IN two lines, the second line being |
twice as long as that in front. These |
men have no respect for their officers
whom they treat with undisguised |
regarding them as need
ess ap2endages to an army, who
never fire rifle shot at the euemy.
On several occasions officers who en-
,ercd classmates and began to issue
orders to the hardy defenders, were
It once ignominiously expelled,
e Is almost impossible TO take these
men by surprise, some of them re-
naming on the watch while the
'thers sleep. The only authority,
except the Commander IN Chiefs,
Which they acknowledge is that of
he imaun, who visits them five
lines daily to repeat prayers. These
'igilent, active, insubordinate sol-
liers, of whom / have been speaking
'elong originally to Aibina and Her