The New York herald., 1877-12-03
The Tactics Of Hast
ings Repeated.
ASSAF PACHA'S STRATAGEM
A Blundering Advance and a
Crushing Defeat.
TURKISH BATTLEFIELD HORRORS.


A terrible storm OF wind, rain and slcet has been
raging the Black Sea for the past tour days, and
mail communications with Constantnople have
been interrupted. the steamers OF the Austrian Com
pany having taken days instead OF hours TO mako the
passage between varna and the Bosphorus l hear
that during the last trip nve OF the deck passengers,
exposed for four days 10 the incement weather, per-
ished board from the effects Of cold and sick
ness. Those who have travelled the Black Sea
will be able to realize the amount OF suffer-
ing which must havo taken place among the strange
and motley crowd OF Orentas, who form the major
ity OF the deck passengers Men, women and children
lie hudded together carpets and under the quilted
covcrlets which always TO be found among the
impedimcnta Of Turkish familes and. indeed, often
form their sole ''bag and baggage"
THE WEATHER WOUNDED.
On land tho weather is equally bad, completely
parayzng military operations both sides The
suferinas OF the soldiers cannot be described in
adequate language, the country Is of mud,
the roads almost impossible and the uniforms Of
the soldicry and tattered by tho wear and
OF the campaign, let In the weather through many
hole and Tho maintains it's desperate char
acter; nothng-not even the fury OF the elements
can control the herceness of the strife The
Russians have now learned to estimate at its
proper worth the vaor and obstinacy OF the foo
whom they SO foolishy despsed at hrst; the Turks
are more than ever resolved TO fight It out TO the
end. Numbers OF wounded have recently arrived At
varna. SIX Russians, very badly wounded at tho
battle OF krasna, came in the other day. We rather
opon our eyes hore when we see live Russian, and
got into conversation with of them with q wow
OF ascertaining how 1t came to pass that, although
wounded, he was here In Turkish town with his
hoad on his shoulders He told that when
Russians retreated In headlong flight the River
Lom, which was swollen into torrent by the rains
and swept away many OF his comrades, he, knowing
that death was staring him In the face, decided TO
himself to the enemy rather than to the rushing
waters, and faced about, threw himself his knees
and begged for quarter. The poor fellow made lucky
choice ie into the hands Of party soldiers
not addicted to head-ioppng, and his life spared.
THE Rour OF KRAsSA.
Tho story told by the wounded Russian Of the fatal
retreat across the Lom on that bloody day confirmed
the account l heard from an officer on tho staf Of
Assat Pacha's plan OF operations on the day Of the
battle OF Krasna, or as some call IL the Battle Of
the TOP OF tho ridgo Assai Ut once recog-
nized the necessity OF retreatng upon the village
Sncamncd unless by some strataScm he could
succeed oulhanking the enemy, and after some re-
lection he decided upon making tho attempt l. was
pointed to him by foreign military Rttache that
10 from Kadikeni would be to leave Rustchuk
open to Investment and play into into the enemy .
hands, yet SO critical was the situation that although
Assai plenty OF people around him ready enough
with their advice to give battle no Que was aole to
suggest really good plan OF going about IL sm as
sured that what took place was due entirely
| TO the Pacha himself.
| AssAy pAcHA's srRArAaEM
The GeDeral passed the word through his division
which consisted oil 1000 men of all arms. lie down
In the brush wood where las usual whenever Turk
sh lorce nals Tor even few hours trenches had
made. One single battalion, however, received dler
orders; IL to right about face and retire as
fast possible from the presence OF the Tho
carried out to the letter. and Assa who had
previously telegrsphed TO Pisantscha and Rasgrad.
| quietly awaited the result OF his ruse. He had
not long to walt The Russians came
and advanced to within any yards Of the entrencn
menta Then, At that deadly distance the concealed
Turks opened q tremendous nre Of muskesry which
back, shattered and astounded, TO the bank OF the
rver SO completely were they taken BY surprise
they did not attompt ~ return the re, but
threw themselves into the stream In q desperate
struggle TO regain the opposite bank. am informed
trustworthy authority that 800 fell in tho
terrinc voileys OF the Turks There was pursuit.
Assaf apparently only too glad 20 have got out
| Of a moss SO cneapy. II seemed NJ first though
but TACT Is probably that they were utterly taken
In by Assaf's ruse and blundored into tho death trap
which he had prepared for them. II IS but
instance Of gross carelessness and negligence OF
| the Russian commanders, who seem to 90 incapable
oil taking the most ordinary precautions In prescnco
RUSSIAN BLuNDERs.
II has already been written against thom tnat after
crossing the Danube the whole army blundered
through the country with unprotected hanks, nj.
though Osman on their right and Abdul kerim on
their lett threatened to cut them In two at every
| mile OF their march. Tney had made no provision
| against Mehcmet ALPS army which issued from Its
[ inlrenched camp ~ Rasgrad, and, after looming
| over them from the heights above the LON, swept
them ike chan from KuceUevo and Karahassan. Here
again, al Krasna, untaught by that cruel experience
they advance IN mass upon position covered with
| thick brusnwood without feeling their way with
limo OF skrmisners II Is indeed q war OF biuuders
and tho simplest tactics, familiar 10 the vercsl mill
tary tyro, seem TO bo set at nsught by Tho chiefs
the Russian aTmica
NrtrT INV ITn
II IL not easy, even NJ tho theatre OF and Ia
one OF the ortresses Of tho DanuDlan quAdri teral
realize tho relative OF the beligc-
come over the aspect OF the campaign since the day
when the troops Of ths Car trumphanty passed tue
Danube IL has been generally believed thai because
| tho progress oil the Russian has beer
| checked, or. at all events, Deen slow, there
| lore the campaign IN Bulgaria 10 at an end
| for the present year. This Is not so and
the force Of the contradiction may best be realized
by glance at the map, which Will show how largo
portion OF Bulgaria 10 occupied by the iorces OF the
Czar, notwithstanding tho resistance which has been
offered Too many people took II Tor granted, after
the reverscs A. Pevna and tho enormous losses sus-
tanned by the Russians, that the Turks could bring
the campaign to successful issue aud Tree the coun-
| dinner IN Bucharestln was tho Joviai prophecy OF
these sanguine rurcophiles IL docs not seem 10 be
in fair Way oil fulnlmcnt just now.
| vARNA GOSSIP
| Hero In Varna, where wo have leisure 10 contcm
plate the batte ground, happily without being SUBJ
Jeced 10 the actual stress OF war; the OPINION seems
TO be that both parties are becoming oxhausod, aud
thai tho old nfe OF the ottoman soldier 10 gone Alto
gether, or AT least Is beginning To burn very low lie
| will ngnL on, no DOUBT bravey ior his Padi-