Middletown transcript., 1877-09-08
THE EUROPEAN WAR.
o.man Pn.ha,s A..aeh ON rsll.as.

Osnan Pasha's AtfacIk ON Pelisat.
LONDON, Sept. A. The Daily Ne'cs'
special, dated Paredin, August 81, con
tains the following: "Osman Pasha's
attack on the Russian positions at Pc
lisat and vicinity was one of the most
hardly fought battles of the war. The
Turks early in the fight captured
Russian redoubt one mile in front OF
Pelisat. In the course Of one hour this
redoubt was taken by the Turks, reta-
ken BY the Russians, and taken again
by the Turks. The Russian left wing
was driven back on Pelisat, in front Of
which trenches had been dug and were
lined with troops. The Turks advan-
ced as though determined to drive our
left out Of Pelisat and turn it. The
Turks began to descend the hill IN that
direction, not with rush, but leisure
" and without firing; not in masses
or lines, but scattered and difused.
They came downabout half way in this
manner, the Russian artillery tearing
up the groups all the time IN the most
savage name. The Russian infant
rv fire, which had for the last five min
utes been very heavy about Zgalince,
now began to roll along the hill-crest
in our direction, and the Turks, who
were Just coming into range, began to
drop rapidly. The Turkish advance
now veered to- the left, and went at the
Russian trenches on the crest Of the
hills between Pelisat and Zgalince with
a shout, opening fire at the same time.
The Turks descended into a little hol-
low, and were lost to sight for time,
while the Russian trenches famed and
smoked and storm of balls were pour
ed into the advancing Turks. This
must have lasted fifteen or twenty min
utes, during which time fearful loss of
life must have occurred. Then we saw
the Turks begin to withdraw. carrying
off their wounded. The Turks had no
sooner Withdrawn from the Russian
fire than they formed and advanced
again. Many dead bodies Of the Turks
were found within ten feet of the Rus
sian trenches. The little slope on the
crest of which the trenches were situa-
ted were literally covered with dead.
I counted seven in a space Of not more
than ten feet square.
The battle here was terrible, but the
Turks were again repulsed. It will
hardly be believed that they went at it
again, and yet they did so. Itseemed
madness, because we could see that the
Russian fire neverslackened an instant,
and that the Russian line never wa
yered, while the reserves were waiting
behind ready to fall in at the least sign
of wavering. This scene Of carnage
was again repeated, but only lasted a
moment. The Turks, completely bro
ken, withdrew, sullenly firing and car
rying off their wounded and many Of
their dead. They fell back on the re-
doubt which they had first taken, ap-
parently with the intention of holding
it, but they were not allowed to remain
long there. Another attack on the
Russian centre had been equally as un-
successful as that on Che Russian
trenches on the left. The Russians
pursued the retreating Turks with a
murderous fire. Then six companies
went at them with bayoneis, and swept
Them out of the redoubt like a whirl-
wind. At four, o'clock the Turks were
in retreat everywhere, and the Rus
slams occupied the whole of their first
positions, besides pursuing the Turks a
short distance with cavalry. The Rus
slams were about 10000 strong. Their
loss is estimated at 500, and the Turk
ish loss at 1000 killed and wounded"