Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-09-05
occupied a strong line of communities
tiOns with Scbipko

occupied a strong line OF cOmmunlCa-
tons with Schipka.
At the Russian headquarters it is be-
lieved that the moment is now at hand
for % decisive attack upon the Turkish
armies north Of the Balkans. An as
sault upon Plevna is certainly only q
matter of few days, and
THE DEFEAT OF OSMAN PASHA
is regarded by the London papers as
inevitable. In fact, that General is ex-
pected soon to retreat without fighting
to position where he will not be ex-
posed to an attack from the Servia
army, which is said to be 10000 strong,
and ready to march at a moments
notice across the frontier.
THE TURKISH ACCOUNT.
A London telegram Of Aug. 31st gives
a detailed account of the Russian at
tempt to capture the redoubt which the
Turks constructed so as to sweep the
road i'll the Russian rear.
Radetzy, as appears from the Neus
telegram, on the 25th, attacked the
Turkish redOubt from the direction of
the pass, and also from the Gabrova
side. There was continuous musketrv
and artillery fire for hours The Rus
slams advanced under the cover of trees,
which, however, were too small to
afford good shelter. In short time
they reached within fifty yards of the
redoubt Here they found the Turks
had cut down trees around the redoubt,
making an abattis over which it was al
most impossible to pass. They gathered
around the edge and suddenly made a
rush for it, but were
DRIVEN BACK WITH FEARFUL LOSS.
The soldiers became entangled in the
masses of brushwood and trunks and
limbs of trees, over which they were
obliged to scramble, while the Turks
poured in a terrible fire upon them at
this short distance, and moved them
down like grass. OF the first assault
against the redoubt, in which one COM
pany was engaged, very few got back to
tell the tale.
Gen. Radetzky sent reinforcements,
and the attack began again, but DISPOSE
tons were made to place a large force
in such position that it could
POUR A HEAVY FIRE
into the redOubt to cover the assault I'M
til the assailants were almost up to the
parapet This attack seemed almost on
the point of success, for the.colonel said
If the reserves were given him he could
take the redoubt The officer in COM
mand let them go, but they were never
theless repulsed.
The next assault was made under the
eye of Radetzy and part of his staff.
Gen. Demitriofsky, chief of the staff,
placed himself at the head of the storm
ing battalion, although he had to be
supported by two men, as he had just
previously been stunned by earth
thrown up by an exploding shell. The
Russians advanced steadily; they rushed
over or through the abattis; they even
got into the redoubt, and actually held
it for few seconds, but
WERE DRIVEN OUT AGAIN.
They surrounded the place on all
sides pouring into it q terrible fire, but
were again driven back In the mean
time, the Turks, to support the defense,
began in their turn to attack the Rus
sian positions in the pass from front and
rear; the Russian losses must be very
heavy, for the fight continued until late
at night, and the wounded were coming
back steady all the time.
To sum up, the attack has been I'M
successful Reinforcements are arriving,
and the fight will probably be continued
tomorrow Saturday.