The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-08-01
HISTORICAL CROSSINGS.

Nineteen PASSAGES of the Danube-Suvarof
and Observation-Disclosures Of Alexander.
On the eve of the crossing of the Dan
ube by the Russian troops, some dlvi
sions OF which are still on the northern
bank of the river, the Militar Wochen
blatt, special German paper, recalled
that nineteen times within the last hun
dred years the Russian forces have
crossed the Danube with hostile intent
without including the present passage O
the river. Three times the passage wa!
effected at Turtukai, three times at Hir
sova, and other three times at Ismaila
Twice the river was crossed at Kladoya
twice at Galatz, twice at Ibraila, while
once only were troops brought across o
GosobaI, once at Tjernavoda, once q
Silistria and once at Satunova. The frs
occasion on which the Russian forces
crossed to the right bank of the Danub.
was during the campaign OF l773: Al
armistice had been arranged in l772, bu
peace could not be concluded. Accord
ingly, by express desire Of the Empress
Catherise, it was determined to lead thu
Russian army across the river. Tht
Turks had strongly garrisoned the for
tresses of Rustchuk, Silistrla ant
Schumla, had posted troops in observa
ton at every point Of passage, and hele
strong reserves in readiness in the rear
Nevertheless, General Suvarof succeed
ed in transporting 700 men across the
river, at Turtukai during the night be-
tween the ninth aud tenth of May, 1773
defeating and putting to fight 1000 ir'
regular troops stationed there. On the
twonty.seventh of the same month, Su
varoff was followed by General Weis.
mann; while at the same time Genera
Potemkin succeeded in capturing Hirso.
va and in establishing there second
passage across the river. Screened by
these detachments, the main Russian
army, under General Rumanzof, crossed
the Danube at Gosobal, about twenty
miles below Silistria, and advanced to
the attack of this latter fortress. Every
effort to take it was, however, in vain
and, disheartened by his want of success,
the Russian general fell back again
across the river. ...-..
In the autumn, however, OF the earnest
instance of the empress, he recrossed to
the right bank and penetrated into Bull
garia as far as the Balkans. In the fol-
lowing year, 1774, the Danube was again
crossed by Russian forces, this time
early in April, by Kamienski, at Ismaila:
During the same month General
Suvaroff effected q passage at Tjerna-
voda, and General Glaboff crossed over
in the vicinity of Silistria. The next at
tempt to carry Russian forces across the
Danube was made by Miloradovitch,
who sought to capture Giurgevo by
storm, in March, 1909. The attack
failed, as did also like enterprise un-
dertaken by Prosorovski against Ibraila.
Still the emperor Alexander insisted that
the river should be crossed. and, &C.
cordingly, General Isajeff passed over
to the right bark at Kladova to assist
the Servians. This latter place was
stormed. Again the assault was unsuc'
cessful, and again the Russians were
fain to fall back to their own side Of the
stream. In the meanwhile Prosorovski
had been superseded in his command on
the lower Danube by Prince Bagration
and this latter succeeded, in August,
1909, in crossing the river near Galatz,
and the Turks offering no resistance,
possessed himself of Isaktcha, Tultscha,
Matchin, Hirsova, and finally also Of Is-
malta. Silistria, on the. other hand,
withstood every attempt to capture il
until, owing to the difficulty Of providing
subsistence for the besieging forces, il
became necessary, late in the year, once
more to withdraw the Russian army
across the Danube. At the opening Of
the campaign in the following year, 1910,
the new commander-in-chi of the Rus
sian forces, Count Kamienski H., con
veyed his army of $4,000 men and
seventy-two guns across the river al
Hirsova between the tenth and four
teenth of May. On the twenty-fifth ol
the same month General Sass crossed ir
boats at Turtukai, and seized that town:
and on the thirtieth Count Zukatto also
passed over the river to the north Of
Widdin. In the two following years.
1911 and 1872, the Russian armies con
stantly crossed and recrossed the river
Hirsova, strongly fortified and garrison
ed by the Russians, served them as q
tete.de-pont on the Turkish side of the
river, and bridge was also established
and maintained at Turtukal.
At the outset of the campaign of 1928
29 the Russians, crossing the Pruth il
three columns on the seventh of May
reached the Danube on the eighth D
June. The Third corps was to cross tht
river at Satunovo to the eastward O.
Isaktcha; the Seventh corps was tc pass
over at Ibraila: while the Sixth, travers
ing Wallachia, was to cross the Danube
in the neighborhood of Turtukai. Tht
Sixth corps arrived at the river without
having encountered any serious opposi
tion in its passage through Wallachia
but every effort made by it to effect
passage across the Danube at Turtuka
was in vain. The Third corps was more
successful at Satunovo, and on the
eighth of June bridge was established
there; while the Seventh corps, having
been delayed by the necessity of besieg
ing and capturing Ibraila, did not sue
ceed in crossing the river until after the
capitulation of that place on the seven
teenth of June. The history of the
passage of the Danube during the Russo
Turkish war of 1855 is well known.
On the twentieth of March, 1854, IL, ,00(
Russian troops were assembled at Ibrails
under the command of Gortschakaff him
self; 81, 900 more were at Galatz, under
Luders; and IA, 900 were at Ismaila, un
der Utschakoff-all in readiness to cross
the river. On the twenty-frst of Marcel
the last named general succeeded, de-
spite unfavorable weather, in crossing
the Kilia arm of the Danube in boats
from Ismaila. On the twenty-thirc
General Luders' troops were transported
to the right bank from Galatz, while
Gortschakoff, having establisheda q bridge
of boats, moved his force across on th'
twenty-sixth of March.
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