The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-08-11
FOREIGN NEWS.
The TurkO-Russian War.

Plevna like giant reeling under the uneX-
lpected blow of sledge-hammer has been
mainly occupied since then in recovering her
scattered senses and recognizing her shattered
regiments. She admits Il loss OF 6ooo men,
which, out oi an army of $4,000, is certainly
a feat, proportion, especially with the ad-
dition insisted upon by the Turks of 10000
wounded. But her speedy recovery from this
blow Russia recognizes as both strategical
and poltical necessity, and all her energies
are directed to that end. The Russian plan
which was demolished at Plevna, evidently
was to wheel around their right and left wings
to Il line parallel with the Balkans, taking
Tirnova as Il pivot, and thus force Osman
Pasha and Mehemet Ali back across the noun
tains on their respective lines Of retreat. This
accomplished and Osman Pasha and Mehem-
ct Ali prevented from eflecting Il junction by
the forces under Gen, Gourko, which were
meanwhile to establish themselves south Of
the Balkans, the Russian campaign would
have been beyond danger of failure or serious
interruption. The little affair at Plovna has
reversed att this. All is chaos again. Krud-
ener's army broken up; the grand duke barely
able to maintain himself before Sistova and
Rutschuk, with Osman Pasha and his 100000
victorious Turks forming in line on the Vid,
Mehemct Ali advancing with 10000 after
driving the Russians back from Rasgrad, and
not regiment between either Mchemet or Os-
man and Tirnova,
At the same time Gen. Gourko south Of the
Balkans after disastrous engagement with
Suleiman pasha at EskiSaghra,is driven back
to Kazanlik, at the southern outlet Of the
Schipka pass.
To complete this summary of discourage
ments, IA dozen Egyptian regiments are said to
have landed at Beinerdc, on the Dobrudscha
coast of the Black Sea, where they threaten
the safety of Gen. Zimmerman.
! All this is met in the only way allowable,
| by prompt and extraordinary measures on
the part of Russia to retrieve her loss. Gen.
Zimmerman, with his $4,000 men in the Dob,
rudscha, has been directed to abandon the de
fence OF those swamps and hasten to join the
main army of the Grand Duke at Sistova and
the Osma river; the Grand Imperial Guard
has been ordered out from Russia, and a
special levy Of 10000 men is to be made i'm.
mediately Meantime all the scattered squads
and regiments all over Roumania and Bull
garia occupying and holding unimportant
towns, are being drawn in as reintorcements to
the main army,
By Monday it is stated that the Russians
had already placed in front of Osman Pasha
an army more than sufficient to oumumber
him, and as no dispatches have been allowed
to come through from the front since then,
there is nothing known ut least to contradict
thcrum that on Tuesday another uemen-
dous battle was in progress at Lottcha, little
south Of Pcyna, the issue Of which might de
eide the war : New York special of yester
I days Chicago Times pretcnds to give full de
/ tails Of the battle, but il way to Justify sus
picions that The writer draws largely on his
Imagination for facts According 10 TINT ac.
count, Osman c'a>ha has cnrepchcd himself
On spur 81 e. mountain near Loitcha, ana
early on Tuesday morning the Russians ad-
vauced to the attack. After m artillery duel,
the Russian infantry poured in masses on the
Turkish works, and were thrice REFUSED with
terrible slaughter Then TIE Turks assumed
the offensive, and At sight Osman Pasha was
victorious alo,g ,He entire line.
Leaving rs apochryphal battle oul Of the
account tAe present plan Of the Turks seems
to he Ger O.man Pasha to fight his way cas-.
! ff6s. Plcyna to Timoya and Mehcmet Ali TO
advance westward from Rasgrad on the Same
ipoint, lhe two forming junction after driving
the Russians ont OF Timova. As preliminary
to ibis, It appears the Turks were allowed on
MONDAY to occupy selvi, which is sid 10 OK.
pose Tirnoya and the Balkan passes, without
Opposition.
Osman Pasha also telegraph. to CONSTANT
.noplc that on the ,th eight squadrons of Rus
sian cavalry and eight batailions of infantry
attacked the Turkish garrison at Lovatz, south
of Lot1cha and slara repgIsed with loss OF
300 killed and 500 wounded As this was on
the same aly and in the vicinity OF the bloody
fight named in Tie I!mcs' special, the latter
may have ritrcnte W the same engagement
Eo;h Turk. and Russians seem to have sci
'up Vigorous outrage mill to fire the Europe.
I IN hear, on the most approved plan Of the
Yankee carpetbagcer For instance, Russian
: dispatches horrity Europe with the statement
that
From Gabroya q correspondent reports thai
the whole country about Eski Saghra is being
devastated and the villages apd country resi-
idences burned by flying bands of Bulgarian,
land Circassians The Circussiahs began tn,
mischief by burning the Bulgarian village.
south OF the Balkans The longsuppressed
hatred between the races seems likely to LEAD
TO civil war between the Turks and the Bul
garians. The latter seem determined TO max,
reprisals for the cruelty of the Turks last year
Gen Gourgha has destroyed the railway I've
tween Jamboli and Philipopolis The whole