The New York herald., 1877-10-29

CORRESPONDENTS,
We spent the whole day IN seeing the
sights the place and going over tho battle held with
\ Wow OF getting good idea Of the positions of the
armies have already mentioned the heads and tho
headless body, but there was anotner "slghp which
l am glad TO say did not see, Gut which some OF the
others saw. BY the side Of the main road leading
through the villages oil ketchiler and Kurahassan.
which was the OF advance Of the attacking brigade
there was the stark naked body OF Russian soldier
with u stake driven into his body in a shameful and
disgusting manner From what could gather the
man mad beeA killed by the foremost troops during
the attack, Tor IL related 10 me that when the
main body and supports pasZd along the road the
dreadful object was there and was greeted by some oil
the triumphant sodiery with brutal jssts and laugh
ter. They recognized IN 1t the retaliation Tor the
women and children OF their faith massacred py tho
thought perhaps, of the hcnna stained fingers
hacked from the hands OF the women, OF the fifteen
women locked into "A house. abandoned for u while 10
the lust OF the Bulgarans aHd then burned alive.
PRISONERS WAR.
II may imagined that there have been very few
prisoners taken on either side during ahe war, no
quarter' has been the rule There are, however, at
present some eighteen Russian prisoners Shumla,
most OF whom captured after tho skirmishes ON
the LON. was at Karahassan when one of them,
very young man, was broughtin; he had wounded
in the loot ana had hidden himself In hole in the
hills, whore he had remained for forty.eght hours
without TODD OF water He inen gave nimscif up anu
el into the hands Of tho regulars who stationed
In the village. He was kindly treated, ana whom he
had been examined by the Pacha in command
10 tho English ambulance to have his wound dressed
AN ATTACK ON THE LEpT WING.
ON tho 18th the Russians attacked tho lett wing OF
was enabled by tho courtesy OF Mehemet All, who
gave tho details Of the affair himseli, telegraph
Them 10 you by the hcd telegraph via Shuma the
iolowi ing day. Mehemet All was not present himself
at the light but IT was seen from the heights above
this village by the generals IN command OF tins part
OF the army. The Russians were observed to bring
up three guns two battaiions OF infantry and rcgi-
ment OF cavalry and moved out 10 attack the position
of Sabit Pacha upon the high ground above tho right
bank OF the Banischka Lom. Soon four more guns
and more battalions were seen to advance, and
heavy cannonade commenced on both sides Sabt's
artillery opened from two batteries, which about
mile apart, and Tor two hours tremendous artll-
iery duel went on, when there came lu Three
more battalions of infantry and some cavalry
then seen to advance along the valley under the re
combat was the failure OF The Russian attack saUit
maintaining his position on the heights
THE DAY BEFORE THE CRUSHING TURKISH DE-
FEAT AT cHERKovNE-THE ADVANCE OF THE
ARMY OF MEHEMET ALA GLIMPSE OF THE
RUSSIANS s-THE DEFENSIVE POSITION ON THE
BAN1scHKA LoM-THE EVE OF BATTLE.
WITH rnE ARMY MEnEMEr ALI
VoDlTsCHA, EIGHTEEN MILES EAST or BJELA,}
Sept. 20, 1871
Ny last letter was dated from Kopaiche, village
about four miles in the Of vodtscha, which Is
present stopping place. The indciatgablo pair OF
fighting pachas, saich and Valentine Baker, have
tinued their daily rcconnossances, and, result Of
the last one, the headquarters camp has pushed on
another four miles and is situated the heights
Immediately above this village The reconnaissance
made yesterday established the fact that tho enemy
is IN force in our immediate neghborhood, and that
the country round about a difficult to defend
In case OF a reverse.
BErTBR THAN RUSSIANS.
Since the advance OF the army from its positions on
the LON, have been much struck with the wonder
full aptitude which the Turks have shown In maintain
ing their teegraphic communications and In making
roads for tho passage OF their troops and artillery
Wherever Mehemet All goes he hasa telegraph instru-
ment under his fingers and Is IN direct communion
tion with Constantinople The along poles,
stretched from tree to tree along the whole line Of
advance, and the moment that the camp moves the
telegraph staff keeps pace with it. the poles set
up and the wire stretched with rapidity that could
not be surpassed anywhere The telegraph IL one oil
tho few western Institutions which have taken 6rm root
In Turkey and its value IS thoroughly appreciated. The
language singularly lends itself 10 teegrnpby, and
am told that the pachas and generals delight n sit
ting at each end OF wire and having chat Of hours
In the intervals between their coffee and cigarettes.
1t is good sign. In roadmaking they equally TO
the 'front.' have mentioned how, in q marvellously
snort space OF time, roads cut through the thick
woods up the difficult heights OF Kirichen ridge
looking Popkeui and the Valley Of the Lom. and
Krupp guns dragged to the top Of the and
TO the summit OF tho Sakar Tope, It's highest point
Tho mere presence OF guns on that commanding post
ton would have rendered the village Of Popkeui un-
tohabe, without the necessity OF attack the
valley and the Russians were evidently taken by sur
prise when the puts Of smoke darted out from tho
peak, toward the close Of the battle oil karahassan
and the Turkish guns rained down shells upon them
from elevation OF 700 feet The roads
well and soldly constructed ana practicable for the
heaviest field guns strong batteries being thus eslab
accessible 10 artillery No sooner the roaa Gu. aud
laid 10 Tho required point than gunpts and shelter
trenches are dug aud powerful redonbs thrown up IN
twlnklnR, anu thus, in the course OF single night,
the edge oil ridge or the top OF ni which was be-
foro an unbroken forest or smooth field. will brstle
with krupp guns and suddenly become an impfegna-
Bile stronghold. In tho use OF the ned telegraph and
in the construction OF military roads and earthworks
the Turks level with the advanced Powers OF
Europe, ana their proficiency in those important mat
ters brought and developed by the present war.
will no doubt be recognized when It's history comes to
be written.
The moment heard Of the decision TO advance the
my quarters at Kopatche and install myself at
Voditscha, largo village which lies nj short dis
tance from the Bjca road, and Is like all the other
villages along tho route traversed by the Russian
army IN 'ts retreat empty and desolac, the whole OF
the bulgarian population, men. women ana chdrcn,
having gone over to the enemy whom he frst arrived
in the negnborhood. The men doubt doing
good service or their hberaors drivers OF wagons,
hewers OF wood and drawers OF wafer; to deal with
the women aud children was perhaps more diflcult
and delicate matter; | suppose they have been DIS
trbutcd the villages which ilc on tho belt Of
country OCCUPIED by the Russlans and have
taken up lhcIr homes in the quarters from
which the Mussulman Inhabitants lled when the
tide OF INVASION rolled toward them Since tho
defeat OF the Russians the LON and the advance OF
the Turkish army across the river, thore has Dcen
steady How OF Turkish villagers ia its wake Some of
them are returning to theIr own villages, and u thor
homes happen TO have been burned lncy tako up their
quarters IN The Bulgarian houses, which were, oi
course, spared by the Russlans The advanced guard
Of those returning refugees consisting OF parties OF
dozen OF bashibazouks, invariably follows close
on The heels OF the Russians, and immediately takes
possession OF village soon as they have evacuated
~. The bashs proceed at 10 "oop the Bulgarian
quarter OF all the grain ana odder ana TO carry oil
IRON the houses every portable article that remains
GLIMPSE OF THE ENEMY.
have already mentioned that the rcconn distances
OF Sacn and Baker Pacna has resulted "ioeiing'
the enemy, aud nnding hm established in force, APP
parently prepared 10 bar our 1urther advance upon
BJcla resolved, therefore, although correspondents
are not expcctedn to approach the positions OF the
army before BATTLE to make little reconnaissance
on my own account and, " possible, get glimpse oil
the enemy IN our front aud make Few notes TO the
general topography VI the country So started carly
yesterday morning and rode up to tho plateau on
which mo hoaaquaIter camp is pitched, giving the
camp Itself wine BERTH and keeping clear OF the
small detachmcnts OF cavalry winch were stationed