The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-05-30
RUSSIAN AND TURKISH STRENGTH.
Turkey ina Position to Make n Strenuous
Defense.

Turkey in Il Position to Make n Strenuous
Defense.
A military authority says that there is
every indication that Turkey is in a po-
sition to make q strenuous defense upon
the Danube and in the Balkans. In adj
dition to the army properly so called,
she possesses 200 battalions of territorial
infantry in the Vilayet of the Danube,
and Sadyk Pasha, the late ambassador
at Paris and 10 governor Of this pro-
vince, is displaying great activity. The
places situated upon the banks of the
river are entrenched and well provided
with supplies. and some of them, such as
Widdin and Varna, are very strong. The
latter town has eight advanced forts and
200 siege pieces, q fourth of which are
Krupp guns. The garrison is under the
command of Blum Pasha, a Prussian
jew, who came to Turkey about twenty
We rs ago. The Turkish fleet will as
sumo the offensive in the Black sea,
where it disposes Of sixteen large iron
clads, as many vessels of lighter draught,
q powerful artillery, and good English
engineers.
The Russian army is composed as fol-
lows:
First-The army of the South, which
was formed in September, under the
command of the Grand Duke Nicholas,
with Gen. Nispoligiski as chief of staff,
comprises four complete army corps,
each with two divisions of infantry, IL
of cavalry, and artillery in proportion,
f,,,, Iotfo1i,,c &c o1occa,1rc fun 1iy-io-
ions of Don Cossacks, four regiments of
light Cossacks, and three battalions of
sappers, making $4,000 men to each
corps, or 200, 900 men in all. The adj
vance guard is already at Ungheni, which
is the junction Of the Roumanian and
Russian railways.
Second-The reserves Of the army of
the South, consisting Of four divisions
of infantry, four battalions Of chasseurs,
one division of cavalry, and artillery in
proportion. These troops, encamped IN
Podolia, represent a total of from 10000
to 80, 900 men. Thus the Russian forces
intended 10 operate upon the Danube
number about 290, 600 men, and this is
the estimate which has been formed as
to their strength by Gen. Klapa in a let.
ter to the Neue Ffcic Presse.
Third-The coast army, which Will
have to keep watch over the Crimea and
the movements OF the Turkish fleet, has
been formed Of two corps which formerly
belonged to the army Of the south, and
numbering, together with the garrison
of Bender, Ackermoun, Kertch: and
Otchakoff, about a hundred thousand
men, who are under the command of
Gen. Semeka.
Fourth--The army of the Caucasus
comprises, inclusive of the reserves re-
Gently dispatched to it, n~inety-two bat
~talions, eighty-two squadrons or s~otnias,
twenty-five batteries, and some irregular
cavalry, consisting of Mussulman volun-
teers from Tifis, Daghestan and the Cas-
plan sea. Gen. Melikoff is in command
of this army, which is estimated to num-
Der $50, 900 men.
1t may, therefore, be said that Russia
has now in line half q million of men,
from which total must be deducted q
fifth for non-combatants andineffectives.
But during the last month she has been
organizing and putting On a war footing
nine fresh army corps !; and there is in
addition the imperial guard, commanded
by the czarewitch, and consisting of
three divisions of infantry, two of cav
airy, three brigades Of artillery, and Il
of chasseurs.
The mualidc Russe, which is the
organ of the Russian minister of war,
has also published a table of the Turkish
forces at the end of the wal with Servia.
According to this journal, the total of
the Turkish forces in Europe did not
then exceed SGT battalions and eighty
three s~quadrons, making in all 100000
men and 1853 guns ; and those in Asia,
165 battalions and slxty-four squadrons,
making in all 120, 900 men and 1862 guns.
New levies have been raised since, but
the Mralide does not think that Turkey
can now dispose of more than $50, 600,
many of whom are irregulars. The IN
valide also estimates that about $4,000
Turkish troops will be employed against
Montenegro, that there will be 60, 900 at
Widdin, 20, 900 at Rustchuck and Silis-
tria, and about s, 1000 at the extreme west
of the empire, upon the Danube. A
little further south, Turkey wi l1probably
have 40, 900 men attached to the army Of
the Danube, and will defend the line
from Varna to Schumla with about 25, 600.