Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-09-12
THE RUSSIo-TURKISH WAR
ANOTHER GREAT BA1TLE.


Of the Grand Duke Nicholas atPoredin,
teleg raphs@under date of Monday. Via
Rucharest, Tuesday, Sept. 4, asSfollows;
HE long expected attack on the forces
under Osman Pasha was made this
morning according to a prearranged
plan by which the assault was to take
place simultaneously along the whole
Russian line reaching from near the
mouth of the Vid almost to the foot of
the Balkans, south Of Lovatz. The at
tack, las made, WAS. irresistible. It was
intended by the Grand Duke that
THE ADVANCE, ONCE BEGUN,
should not suffer any check The con-
centration Of the Russian forces upon
the Turkish position around Plevna was
begun early in August The arrival of
every division was the signal for an adj
vance at some point and the pushing of
the whole line gradually forward. These
movements, and even the arrival of the
'reinfOrcements We're only details in the
grand result which may now be regard
ed as insured.
TWENTY THOUSAND RUSSIANS
have been encamped at the mouth of
the Poredin since the last Palisat en-
gagement undisturbed, except by oc-
cational reconnoissances, resulting in
one or two slight cavalry skirmishes
The Bulgarians have been leaving all
the villages in the vicinity of the army
for several days. They know very well
that If the. Russian line. should uncover
their villages for an hour every citizen
would be massacred The Grand Duke
has during the month pursued with,a
ceaseless and relentless purpose one
object, namely, the crushing of Osman
Pasha, and the retrieving ofthe disaster
of July the 81. For this the
POOR RADETsKYl, Attic sCHIPKAPAss
suffered. TO this settled purpose every
thing and everybody has been sacrifc-
ed Disaster has never been courted
but has been risked on several occasions.
Yet the Russians have been successful
from the one great fact that they have
on all sides kept their enemy at bay.
When the Russian advance had been
made from Selvi to the vicinity of Low
atz, the. attack was. made by the Turks
upon the entrenched position at Palisat
with the results already detailed. AS
often as the Turks came on they were
repulsed Once, twice, thrice - the
same result. The Russians held their
ground all along the line and this was
all that was expected of them to do I'M
I'll. the hour had come. All
THE REINFORCEMENTs
were in. by Saturday night. Sunday
was a day of rest only 10 the line To
the officers of the statfit was a day of
arduous labor. Many of the aides
were scarcely out of the saddle from
day break until midnight. Along the
line as far south even as Lovatz couriers
were flying. back and forth. Many an
anxious mind wandered off into dream
land last night, but the result of all this
was that by this morning all was ready
Thu1s1aythe battle occurred, but was
four days to soon. Had it happened
yesterday and to-day,
E s,atssn4 THE TURKISH ASSAULT
would have been met by the same gen
eral advance which is intended to carry
Plevna before it stops. Already all
communication between Lovatz and
Pleyna has been cut off, and when the
former position Is carried, as it must be
to-day, the left centre viii flank the
Turkish position by moving to the
south of Plevna. -.
~ e'ssJ THE FIGHTING BEGAN
this morning about 10 O'Clock. The
advance had, begun about 6, but there
was considerable. delay, owing to the
irregularities of the ground at various
points along the eighteen miles Of front
The Turkish outposts were encounted
almost Immediately by the Russian
line, but they fell back without any hes
itation, after seeing that the advance
was made in force. When the Turkish
outposts had fallen back upon their
main picket line, the firing became
brisk. The skirlnish line of the Russian
army was at once strengthened, and en-
gagged the enemy until the main body
began to arrive. The regiments as
they came up were Immediately
formed, 49, $50. a.s go
f9ft- ae6 IN LINE OF BATTLE,
and ationce became engaged. The ar
tillery fire along the entire line of the
Russian advance was steady and de
structive. The Russian gunners by
their rapid practice admirably covered
the advance of their infantry as the
latter pushed forward seeking closer
contact with the enemy, the Turks
meantime fighting stubbornlya but en-
.tirely on the defensive. The, fighting
that ensued as soon as the entire move
ment had been fairly unmasked by the
Russians was of the most terrific char
acter both on the part of the Turks and
on the part of their assailants' Almost
every strategetic point along the whole
line Of operations was gg Ia o1e
j THE SCENE OF DESPERATE CHARGES IF
by the Russians. In nearly. every in
stance when the Russians reached the
Turkish positions they succeeded in
carrying them despite the irregularity
of the ground occupied by their forces.
The Turkish positions, though in the
main we'll chosen and on ahilly ground,
were stormed with an .ilnpetuosity that
swept the enemy before it,, though in
many instances at a heavy loss in killed
and wounded. H.
. -t,... THE DEEENSE OF THE TIYpYC