, 1877-12-07
SkObelOff StOrming a RedOubt.

He had four regiments of the line, and
four battalions of sharpshooters. Still
keeping up his murderous fire, he formed
under its cover two regiments, the Via
dimiraki and the Zoozoski, in the little
hollow at the foot of the low hill on
which was built the redoubt, together
with two battalions Of sharpshooters, not
more than twelve hundred yards from
the scarp. Then placing himself in the
best position for watching the result, he
ceased fire and ordered the advance. He
ordered the assaulting party not to fire,
and they rushed forward with their guns
on their shoulders, with music playing
and banners flying, and disappeared in
the fog and smoke Skobelotf IS the only
general who places himself near enough
to feel the pulse of battle. The ad.
vancing column was indistinctly seen, a
dark mass in the fog and smoke. Feel
ing, as it were, every throb of the battle,
he saw this line begin to waver and hest
tate. Upon the instant he hurled for
ward rival regiment to support, and
again watched the result. This new
force carried the mass further Oh with
its momentum, but the Turkish redoubt
famed and smoked, and poured forth
such torrent Of bullets that the line
was again shaken. Skobelotf stood in
the shower of balls unhurt. All his es-
cort were killed or wounded, even to the
little Kirghiz, who received bullet in
the shoulder. Again he saw the line
hesitate and waver, and he flung his
fourth and last regiment, the Libausky,
on the glacis. Again this new wave Car
ried the preceding ones forward, until
they were almost on the scarp; but that
deadly shower Of bullets poured upon
them; men dropped by hundreds, and
the result still remained doubtful. The
line once more wavered and hesitated.
Not moment was to be lost, if the re-
doubt was to be carried.
Skobelotf had now on y two battalions
of sharpshooters left, the best in his de-
tachment. Putting himself at the head
of these, he dashed forward on horse
back. He picked up the stragglers; he
reached the wavering, fuctuating mass,
and gave it the inspiration of his courage
and instruction. He picked the whole
mass and carried it forward with a rush
and cheer. The whole redoubt was a
mass of flame and smoke, from which
screams, shouts, and cries of agony and
defiance arose, with the deep-mouth bel
lowing of the cannon, and, above all, the
steady, awful crash of that deadly rifle
fire. Skobeloff's sword was cut in two
in the middle. Then, a moment later,
when just on the point of leaping the
ditch, horse and man rolled together on
the ground, the horse dead or wounded,
the rider untouched. He sprang to his
feet with a shout, then, with formidable,
savage yell, the whole mass of men
streamed over the ditch, over the scarp
and Counterscarp, over the parapet, and
swept into the redoubt like hurricane.
Their bayonets made short work of the
Turks still remaining. Then a joyous
cheer told that the redoubt was captured,
and that at last one of the defenses Of
Plevna was ia the hands of the Russians.
Having seen as much as / have seen
of the Turkish infantry fire from be-
nluS IiCuShOo uhu WdllS, IL
dYas beyond flesh and blood to breck it,
Y belief which had been strengthened by
Kirloff's repulse, which had just wit
messed. Skobeloff proved the contrary,
but at what sacrifice In that short
rush of few hundred yards, 1000 men
had been left on the hillside, on the
glacis, the scarp and the ditch--one-
fourth of his whole force. | believe that
Skobeloff looks upon such attacks upon
such positions as almost criminal, and
disapproved highly the whole plan of at
tack on Plevna; but he believes that if
any attack is to be made it can only be
done in this manner, and that, although
the loss of men may be great, it is better
that the loss should be incurred and the
victory won, than half the loss with the
certainty of defeat. Skobeloff seems to
be the only one among the Russian gen
erals who have studied the American
war with proft.-LOndon Nevs.