The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1877-09-18
THE EASTERN WAR.

THE EASTERN WAR
ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE OF
PLEVNA.
LONDON, Sept. Is "A correspondent
teegraphs long account of the assault
on Pevna, as witnessed by him from the
heights in front of Radizevo. He says
the morning broke with rain, which set
tied down into dense mist, through
which objects were invisible at hun
dred yards, About 10 o'clock in the
morning the fog lifted somewhat. and at
that time Grivica redoubt was still alive,
although its fire could not be called
brisk. To our left, near the Lovatz and
Pleyna road, there were occasional inter-
mittent bursts of infantry fire. Soon af-
ter 10 o'clock occurred an ominous lull
in the firing. Or this the Turks quickly
took advantage to come out from behind
the parapets and stroll about the glacis
With the utmost noncbalante. Then the
fog came down again,veiling everything
At II o'clock precisely a furious mus
kerry fire suddenly burst out on our left,
from the Russians pushing their way out
of the gap through the pass of the Lo-
vatz and Plevna road, and against the
redoubt on the summit Of an isolated
mamelon southeast of Pievna. The
Turks, as far as could be judged from
the sound, seemed to be in great meas
ure reserving their fire until the Russians
came to close quarters with them, as
everything was invisible at the distance
of twenty yards; this also applies to
their artillery fire, although the Russian
batteries continued furiously to sheh the
Turkish positions. About noon the fog
lifted some, but fell again. During the
interval the cannon in the Turks second
position could be seen firing hard in the
direction of the hostile musketry fire,
After the fog again fell, one thing be
came certain from the sound of the fir
ing that infantry fighting had tendency
to retrogade from the Turkish front,mo
wing to the left and nearer to the fight
ing. Just above the western edge Of the
valley of Radizevo, exactly along the
space held by Prince Schackonais' staff,
as the forepart Of the line on the night
of the 3o,h OF July, l found several bat
teries of Russian field guns in steady ac
tion against the first and second Turkish
positions, on the central swell, little to
the right and rear OF the infantry, still
engaged in desultory firing. The COM
mander Of the battery told US, with an
assumption of indifference,t that the fight
ing which was dying out was merely the
forepart of the work to clear way for
q grand assault on the redouhts on the
isolated mamelon, which was to be made
in the afternoon, but with glass could
see on the slopes leading up TO the man
elon the Russian dead and wounded ly-
ing about sadly thick. Successive bod
les of Turks we're streaming down the
mamelon against the huddled mass of
Russians, retiring seemingly on the shel
ter OF the trenches athwart the mouth OF
the road ravine and ascending the slopes
to our immediate right 1t was also clear
that Gen. Skobeleff had attacked the re-
doubt and covered the way due east from
the isolated mamelon. Yet further to
the left on the westward Of Radizevo
ridge skirmishing was going on, but the
Turks presented an obstinate front and
fred steadily from their shelter. This
was at O'Clock, and for nearly two
hours little outpost affairs OF no conse.
quence went on.
The foregoing evidently refers to that
part of the operations conducted by
Gen. Skobeloff, and comedies with an
account from an eye witness, which says
Gen. Skobeloff in advancing on the Sofia
redouhts at IL o'clock was attacked by
the Turks, who sailed out to meet hiI'..A
He beat them back and attacked him
self, but could make no headway for two
hours under the rift Of fire from the
earthworks. He renewed the attack at
4 o'clock, but without success, simply
holding his own but gaining no ground.
His loss must be very great. For fifty
minutes the fusilade was like the roll OF
drums.
The Times account of the operations
in the other parts of the field is as fol
lows At 10 minutes before l O'Clock,
one brigade OF Gen. Zatoff's corps, sup
ported by another, attacked the central
redouht on the south side, Il miles from
Radizevo. The attack was repulsed by
rifle fire. After lasting 80 minutes it
was renewed again. At 4 p. n. II bat
talions of Russians advanced with the
most splendid and determined bravery
right upto the ditch, carrying scaling
ladders. They surrounded the redouht
ON three sides and hung to it magnlfi'
Gently. At AS they were actually in
the redoubt. but nothing mortal could
face the fire from the repeating rifles, de-
llivered at the distance of q few PAGES,
and they were destroyed by hundreds =
At 4 50 the survivors fell slowly ibsck; /;
tthe Roumanians at the same time, under
the personal supervision of the Empe-
ror, three times assaulted the most sail
ent central redoubt, lower down than
Gravitz, but we're always beaten back -
Their scaling ladder parties were killed
on the counters of the ditch to the last
officer and man. At 5 P. NJ. the assault
had been repulsed along the whole line,
and very few reserves remained in hand.
The news was brought to the Gar at
daybreak on Wednesday that at o'clock
on Tuesday evening, two fresh Russian
brigades had carried the redoubt where
the Roumaniars had been repulsed.
| LONDON, Sept 13--A Russian official
dispatch from Predin, Wednesday after
noon, says: We cannonaded Plevna
from daybreak yesterday till 3 O'Clock in
the afternoon, when an assault was made
by our troops By evening three Turk
ish redoubts had been taken by General
iSkobeloff, while General Rodionof bad
carried the Grevica redoubt. Gen. Ro-
dionoff was wounded slightly, and Ad-
jutant Schelitar, commander of the 18th
infantry regiment, ,and Gen Dabrowisky,
chief of the I'D rifle brigade, were killed.
Six Russian battalions and one Rouma.
nian battalion took mart in the assault