New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-05-12
THE TURCo. RUSSIAN WAR
REVIEW OF EVENTS SINCE THE RUSSIAN
PASSAGE OF THE 'PRUTH

don, May 6, to the New York Associated |
Press:
Thirteen days have elapsed since the |
leading columns of the Russian army of |
Bessarabia crossed tbs Pruth. Within
this times had the same energy been
shown as was manifested in the dash on
Galat9, heavy Russian masses would GER
tainly be in the close vicinity of, intead of
being only expected at station eighty
miles distant from Bucharest (Busco).
The extraordinary wetness of the weather
may partly account for this. Railway
transport of troops and stores down the
valley of the Pruth has been stopped,
and bridges at many points along the line
of railway have been broken by floods.
On country roads, of course, there have
been many delays in the passage of ar
tillery and stores; yet, with even these
difficulties, the Russian army, if prop
erly prepared and equipped for the
campaign, and furnished with bridge
train-sueh as must have been calcu-
lated upon for the passage of the Danube,
might fairly have been expected to have
made more progress in q thoroughly
the progress of the Russians has disap-
rapid dash of the eleventh corps into the
principalities gave rise directly after the
declaration of war. The commander of
the eleventh corps, breaking out from the
Bessarabian frontier near Bulgrad, pushed
rapidly forward, seized the important
bridge of Barboschi, by which railroad
communication between Jassy and Bucha-
rest crosses the Jereth, and occupied Ga
latz and Ibrail. Beyond these points in
either direction the Russian commanders
do not seem to have penetrated, and APP
pear to have contented themselves with
the exchange of a cannonade between the
batteries on the banks of the Danube and
the Turkish gunboats. Further down
the river the thirty-sixth Russian divi-
sion, which does not form portion of the
| force of the Duke Nicholas, but is a
| detachment of the army intended to guard
the northern shores of the Black Sea, has
| occupied Ismail and Kilia, and is reported
to have attempted to construct bridge
near Reni for passage into the Dobrud-
scha. This attempt is said to have been
hindered by the fire of two Turkish gun
| boats. Reports have been received that
Russian gunboats have been brought in
| pieces to Galatz, there put together and
| toated in the stream. Later intelligence
makes it appear probable that these ves-
sells are not gunboats, but torpedo boats.
| The Russians are extensively calling sub
marine mines into play to hinder the
| passage of the Turkish fotilla down the
stream. The action of this fotilla has
not been marked by either energy or &C.
| tivity, and the only stirring feat. recorded
| of the Turkish navy has been the dashing
escape of Hobart Pasha down the Dan
ube. 1t is difficult to understand how
| the Turkish ironclads and gunboats,
| equipped with heavy naval ordinance, can
| haye allowed the Russians to quietly oc-
cupy all the important points on the left
bank of the Danube from Ibrail down to
where the Kilia mouth falls into the Black
Sea south of Akerman, and have done no
more damage to the invaders than to
throw few shells into one of the towns
they occupied. 1t seems, too, that now
the Turkish vessels in the river will find
themselves cat off from the Black
Sea, if it be true that the Russians have
SO strewn the stream about Reni with tor
pedoes that all passage is impossible; and
even neutral vessels bound for Galatz can
not be allowed to ascend the river west
ward of Galatz and Ibrail The Russians
have been slow, and the latest intelligence
from Bucharest is that the Russian col
umns are expected at Busco, on the rail-
way between Galatz and Bucharest,
about eighty miles northeast of the latter
place. They are afterwards to march
close up to the capital, but not enter the
city, merely remain cantoned in the viii
lagos in the neighborhood But the move
ments of the Turks appear to have been
supine and more prompted by unreason-
ing panic than by any strategical prin-
ciple or accurate conception of plan of
campaign.
On the outbreak of hostilities the Turk
ish army held considerable force at Wild
din, and the remainder of its troops scat
tered along the Danube and in the rear of
the stream as far as Varna. When the
Russian advance took place the Turkish
staff appear to have at once rushed to the
conclusion that the narrow neck of land
between Galatz and the mouth of the
Danube, which forms the northern por-
ton of Dobrudscha, was the menaced
point, and the troops hurried in
that direction, and seem to have suffered
considerably from sickness, contracted in
the unhealthy marsh land upon which
they were thrown without proper stores of
supplies, food or medicines. Wiser and
calmer feelings seem now 10 prevail, and
the bulk of the Turkish forces appears to
be massing toward Silistria and Rustchuk,
and this is the direction in which the Rus
| SLAMS by their movements would appear
to indicate desire to pass the river. But
the Turks seem still content to remain
passively on the defensive and make no
endeavors at any counterstrike or forward
movement which might aid them to form
an accurate Judgment as to the point at
which the attack may be made upon their
position or by what forces they may be
assailed.
In Asia the movements of the week have
been Of some importance The Russian
forces at the opening of the campaign
moved from the frontier in three columns;
that on the left from Erivan, on the centre
from Aexandropol, and on the right along
the coast of the Black sea toward Batoum.
The last column was repulsed in front of
this fortress and has since apparently sus-
pended operations, or is gradually NOV
ing southwark to aid in a concentrated
movement which seems now directed
against Kars and Erzeroum. The column
which marched from Alexandropol moved
directly on Kars and fought minor
action against some Turkish battalions
from that place, which, after the engage
ment, retired within the fortress. 1t seems
evident that Moukhtar Pasha has left
Kars to be defended by its garrison, and
has withdrawn his field army to Ere
roum, and was even harassed in his march
by the cavalry Of General Melikof, which
has pushed its reconnaissance beyond
Kara in the 1iranfion nf Frvaror ~, and