, 1877-12-28
Abundance Of Russian Transport and
Forage.

Tho weather. which has been splen did
here since the i2th, changed again las'
r;.,h, ~ rain, With storms and cold.
Nsny tents we're blown down, aud general
discomfort prevailed. However, nVe
5.v. Of dry weather have made an im'
,,snse difference on the roads, which are
sa,iiy ,rAversAble agAin-A perfect god
md 10 the cattle. | cannot ind any
reason for the idea that the cold and NsI
when they do come in earnest need el"se
the campaign, certainly not as Tar ss slegs
works are concerned. 1t Is wholly ana
solely a question Of TIT fnsPort, and 'his'
on the other hand, when the cattle are
good, simply means forage. have never :
seen an nv with such an oVerplus OF
,rsnanort means as this. Where We should
u,e three horses, or even tso, the nus
slams employ four or five, and so on IN
proportion. The horses are all oi haruy
race. accustomed to just such climate,
or one rather worse Then, as to forage,
the country literally oyerhows with It
maize, oats, barley, hay Of every sort that
the horses like, and fresh wheat-straw
with the grain still in the ear. In the
villages round the horses OF the cavalry
of the Imperial Guard are standing up 10
their knees in fodder, The transport
horses are Just as we'll of, and thousands
of bullocks and buffaloes do the heavier
work and live well upon coarser food.
Besides the material brought from Russia
by rail, 10000 hired bullock-carts from
Roumanis and Bulgaria work the supply.
There is no deficiency, therefore, under
the two heads of transport and forage
While / write, and for hours past, inter.
minsble trains have been carrying shell
and stores to Plevna at the rate OF two
miles an hour. A few thousand yards OF
canvas, q few thousand poles, and there is
no reason why the horses OF the reserve
cavalry and trains should not be snugly
housed and sheltered half under ground
The snow seldom lies, l am told, more
than ten days at time, and but month
in all, during the winter. Around Plevns
itself, the villages of Urbitza, Gravitza,
Tuchenitz, and Radichevo, going from
right to left, furnish abundant shelter for
the main body of the front line of the
besieging force. The outposts must, Of
course, as before Metz in 1870, and, later
before Paris, be lodged in huts of bought
and straw, and even under tents d'aJri,
with which each man is fully supplied.
Therefore, l do not see why the Russian
grip should he relaxed one moment all
the winter through, though, if necessary,
the troops composing the besieging force
might be partially relieved by those can
toned-that is, lodged-in villages fur
ther in the rear. 1t seems to form an or
dinary military problem that has been
solved successfully often before and in
far more difficult circumstances. shall
indeed be much surprised ifthe cultivated
genius Of Gen. Todleben, the well-known
tenacity and hardihood of Russian troops,
and the point of honor Of not withdraw
ing the hand once rendered from the plow,
do not between them supply the neceS-
sary impetus to successful blockade,
even if not to vigorous siege; but my
belief is that the crisis for Pevna is not
far off. Exact details are here still want
ing as to Osman's exact numbers and the
time for which he is actually provisioned,
but the works have advanced very rapidly
within the last few days. A fresh ee-
ment has also appeared on the scene.
The cavalry under Gen. Gourko now, or
will within this week, number no fewer
than tventy-four regiments, all carrying
the Berdan rifle. With these are a nu-
merous and well-horsed light artillery;
and If any more succors get into Plevna,
it will be an indelible disgrace to whoever
is to blame.-Correspondmce London
Times.