Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-07-13
The SistO va Crossing.

From the Load0a Ddtfy Ne~s, June ~
With the darkness General Drsgimirofi began
his dispositions. The first work was to plant in
made emplacements row of field guns all along
the edge of the flats TO sweep with fire the oppo-
site banks This was while his infantry was be-
ing marched over the flats down in to the cover
of the willow wood. The darkness and the OBJ
structions were both so great that all was not
ready till the first gimmer of gray dawn. There
was no bridge, but number of river boats, caps-
BILE Of holding from fifteen to forty men each.
These were dragged on carriages through the
mud and launched in the darkness from under the
sprea aiding boughs of the willow trees. The troops
embarked and pushed across as the craft arrived.
Drag imiroff stood on the Shiny margin to bid his
gallant fellows Godspeed. He would fain have
shown the way, for although scientific soldier, II
was his duty to remain till later. The grateful
task devolved on Major General Yolchine, whose
brigade consisted of the regiments of valinsk
and Minsk, the fifty-third and ffty-fourth OF the
line. The boats put of sngy, rowing across for
the little cove and later the little stesmtug was
brought into requisition.
For once the Turks had not spent the nigl t
watches in heavy sleep. Their few cannon at
once opened fire on the boats, on the hidden
masses among the willows and on the columns
marching across the fiat. Nor was this all. From
the slopes above the cove there came at the boats
smart infantry FIRE. The Turkish rifemen
were holding the landing place. Yolchine has
not gained experience and credit in Caucasian
warfare for moth ing. His boat was leading The
Turkish rifemen were in position about fifty
wards from the shore. lie landed his handf |
and babe them lie down in the mud. One or two
were down previously with Turkish bullets He
opened q ,skrmishing fire to cover the landing
boats that followed. One by one these landed
their freights, who followed the example of the
first boat load.
At length enough had accumulated. Young
Skobelof was there, host in himself. Yolchine
babe his men fix bayonets, stand up and follow
their officers There was rush and cheer that
rang louder in the gray dawn than the Turkish
volley that answered it. That volley was not
fired III vain, but the TURKS did not wait Tor cold
steel. Yochne's skirmshers followed them dog
gedly some distance up the slope but for the time
could not press on far from the base. Busily yet
slo yly the craft moved 10 and fro from shore TO
shore, The Russian guns had at once opened,
when the Turkish fire showed that there was no
| surprise; but, however heavy q fire may be, it
will not a Il at once crush another fire. The Turk
| sh shells kept falling In the water, whistling
through the willows, and bursting among the
columns on the fat. One shell from a mountain
gun fell into boat containing two guns, their
gunners and the commsndant OF the battery. The
| boat was swamped ut once and all on board per
| ished. This was the only serious casualty, bu
/ numerous Russian soldiers were falling on both
| sides of the river. Nevertheless the work was
going steadily on, and when, soon after seven
| o'clock / went TO meet Prince Mursky on the
high ground before Simnitza, the report was that
| already the whole brigade Of Yolehne had
reached the other side, that Russian battery was
there and that Drsgmroff himself had crossed.
We stood for some time surveying the scene.
| Prince Mirski has received his reports and final
instructions He gives word to his division to
move down on to the flats to be in readiness to
cross. Previously, their march finished, they had
been resting on the grassy uplands behind Sim
nitza. AS we leave the plateau the cry rises that
| a Turkish monitor is coming down the Danube.
| Sure enough, near the head Of the inland is vis-
BILE what seems to be a large vessel with two fun
| nels moving slowly down the stream. Now the
| ierryboats may look out. Now is the opportunity
for some dashng torpedo practice. But the Rus
sian officers evince no alarm-rather, indeed, sat
sfactien. The fact is, as we presently discern with
the glass, that the seeming monitor is really two
large lighters lashed together, which the Russians
| are drifting down to assist in transporting the
troops. Prince Mirski takes his stand at the pom
| toon bridge to watch his division file past and
| greet the regiments as they pass him.
But in front OF the ninth division comes a regi-
ment Of the brigade Of rit1emen formed especially
| for this war; and attached to army corps This
brigade is armed with Berdan rifles, and comprises
| the finest marksmen of the whole army. Prince
| Mirskps division is made up of four historic reg
lments which suffered most heavily in Sebastopol
| during the great siege. They are the regiments
of Yeletsk, of Sefsk, of oroff and of Branski.
the thirty-third. thirty-fourh, thirty fifth and
| thiity-sixth of the Russian line. Very calamity
l thay nd he
bridge on 10 the swampy fats. Soon there greets
them the scarcely enlivening spectacle, the sur
gerry of the second line, where the more serious
cases were being dealt with before forwarding
them TO the house hospitals in Simniza. As we
passed about twenty shattered creatures were ly-
ing there on blood stained sretchers waiting their
turn at tue hands of the doctors. More than one
noticed required no further treatment than to be
consigned 10 a soldiers grave. Beyond the first
swamp we met fine young officer of the Guards
carried on stretcher with a shattered leg. Bnt
the plucky youngster raised himself jauntily on
his elbow to salute the general and wrote tele-
gram IN my note book to acquaint his friends IN AT
be was not much hurt. A little further on az we
were passing the rear of the guns, the Archduke
Nicholas the younger, son of the commander-in in
chief, rode oil from the battery to greet our gen
eJal. The members of the imperial family of
Russia do not spare themselves when other sub
lJects OF the Gar are exposing themselves on the
battle field. In RUSSIA it is not the fashion that
lofty station gives exemption from the more dan
gerous tasks of patriotism. The young Grand
Duke had been across the Danube and vas in hig b
spirits al the success of the enterprise.
Going still forward toward the willows we all
but stuck horses and all, in the deep holding mnd.
II was admirable to see the energy with which the
hesviiy-laden soldiers OF the infantry columns
, oaited on doggedy through obstruction.
Ana whatof the Turkish monitor She had
: been hemned in by Gordon of torpedoes with
IN the side channel to the south of the island of
East Vardim Although she was putting and