Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-10-01
Al&fa10rla Qbaxftte
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MONDAY EVENING, OCTOBER
A Gallant Charge.

| A Gallant Charge.
Awar correspondent gives The following graph
ic account Of the capture Of the redoubt at
PleVba by Ge1 Skobelef, which subsequently
had TO b. abandoned. At four CLOCK he had
brought down twenty pieces &C artillery to the
spur Of the ridge overlooking Plovna. Not more
than thousand yards distant from the redeutt
| saw an immense volume of smoke rising ard
heard terrible thunder, which was not more
than five or six hundred yards away on my left.
1t was evident that Skobeleff, riskiug his ar
tillery n this advanced position was determined
to make desperate effort to capture the re-
doubt in front Of him.
| | have already described the positions here,
and now only need refer to them to make the
description understood. The redoubt Skobclcf
was attacking vas double redoubt in the bend
| Of the Lovitcha road down near Plevna lie
had advanced his troops down the slope Of the
moanan to within easy range. AZ the Turks
Immediately opened fire upon him from the re-
| doubt he returned the fire with steadiness and
precision, putting his men under cover as much
as possible his cannon pouring steady stream
! of shell and canister into the rcdoubt as well.
| In fact, he worked his cannon 50 much that
several pieces have been spoiled lie had cvi
denty determined to risk everything to capture
this rcdoubt and if Plevna Hcrc not taken IL
would not be his fault. For three hours he kept
! up this fire, and just after Krrifs second re-
pulse, the Turkish fire having somewhat re-
| axcd, dominated BY the Russian. he thought
the moment had como Tor making the assault.
| lie had four regiments Of the line and four
! battalions OF sharpshootcrs. Still keeping up
his murderous fire he formed under lis cover
| two regiments, the Fladimirski and the Zoo.
zolski, 10 the little hollow at the foot Of the low
hill on which was built the rcdoubt, together
with two battalions cf sharpshootcrs, not moro
than 200 yards from the scarp. Then placing
himself in the best position for watching the
result, ho ceased fire aud ordered the advance.
lie ordered the assaulting party net to fire. and
| they rushed forward with their guns on their
shoulders, with music playing and banners fly,
| ing, and disappeared in thc fog and smoke.
SkobclciF is the only general who places hlm.
self near enough to feel tho pulse ol battle.
The advancing column was indistlnctv seen,
dark mass in the fog and smoke. Feeling, as
it were, every thTob Of the battle, he saw tins
line begin to waver and hesitate. Upon the
instant he hurled forward a rival regiment to
support, and again watched the result. This
new force carried the mass further on with It's
| momentum; but the Turkish rcdoubt tlamcd
and smoked and poured forth such a torrent cl'
bullets that tho line was again shaken. Skobc-
| left stood in this shower Of balls unhurt. All
! his escort were killed or wounded, even to the
little kirghiz, who received bullet in the
| shoulder. Again he saw the liue hesitate and
! waver, and he flung his fourth and last rcgl-
ment, the Libausky, on tho glacis. Again this
| new wavc carried the preceding ones forward,
| until they Wcrc almost on the scarpi but that
! deadly shower Of bullets poured upon them;
| men dropped by hundreds, and tho result still
remained doubtful. The line once more wav
cred and hesitated. Not moment was to bn
lost, if the redoubt was to be CARR cd.
Skobeletf had now only two battalions OF
| Putting himself at the head Of these, he dashed
forward on horseback. lie picked up the strag
| gcrs; he reached the waveriug fluctuating mass.
| and gave it the inspiration Of his courage and
| instruction. lie picked the whole mass up aud
! carried it forward with a rush and a cheer. The
| whole rcdoubt was q mass Of flame sud smoke,
| from which screams, shouts and cries OF agony
| and defiance arose, with the deep moulhed bel
lowing of tho cannon, and above all the steady,
awful crash OF that deadly rifle fire. Skobeleh's
| sword was cut 10 two in the middle. Then
moment later, when nat on the point OF lcaplng
| the ditch, horse and man rolled together to the
ground, the horse dead or wounded, the rider
untouched. lie spraDg to his feet with shout;
| then with formidable, savage vel! the whole
mass CT men slreamed over the ditch, over the
scarp and countcrscarr, over the parapct, an,l
swept iuto the redoubt like a hurricane. Their
| bayoncs made short work OF the Turks still Fc-
naming. Then joyous cheer told that the re-
doubt was captured, and that at last one Of The
| defences of Pevna was in the hands oil tho
Russians
Having seen as much as | have soen Of TIC
! Turkish infantry fire from behind trenches and
walls, thought it was beyond fish and blood
! to break it, belief which had been strengthen
| ed by kriloff' repulse, which | had just Wit.
| ucsscd. Skobeletf proved the contrary, but at
| what sacrifice ln that short rush Of few
hundred yards, 5000 men had been LETT on thc
| hillside, Oh the glacis the scarp and the ditch
one fourth of his W hole force believe that
Skobeleff looks upon such attacks upon such
positions as almost criminal and disapproVcd
I highly the whole plan Of attack Oh pcvna; hut
he believes that II an attack ls TO be made IT
can only be done in this manner, and that, Il!
though the loss Of men may be great. ii Is bet.
better that the loss should be incurred aud the
victory won than half the loss with 4 certainty
| Of defeat. Skobeleff seems to be the only one
among the Russian generals who has studied
the American war with profit. lie knows it by
heart, and it will be seen by those who have
studied the great civil war that in this assault
lSkobclcff followed the plan of the American
generals Oh both sides when attempting to car
lry such positions, 10 follow up the assauIt'ng
column with fresh troops, without waiting Ior
the iirst column to be rcpulscd. IT the posi-
tion proves too strong for first column, then
reinforcoments are at hand before they have
time to break and run.
| OTOVESf STOVESl