The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-01-06


weak on the Sofia road, and thought
another road along the vld was virtual
" open. 1t did not seem possible that
he eould have been 30 badly informed,
and / am inclined to think that the
train was taken to serve special put.
pose In the fight. Indeed, the first thing
the Russians perceived when daylight
broke was line Of wagons drawn by
bullocks advancing upon them In close
order across the plain. The. smooth
open level offered every facility for
such mannuyre. The Turks were
behind these wagons, which. piled full
afforded very fair protection from bull
let's.
THE aRENADIERs MEET DEATH.
The attack was directed against the
positions held by the grenadiers. north
Of the Sofia road, whose lines extended
from the road TO q point opposite
Heumanian curving line through Sust1r-
la. Il is said the attack was made with
10000 men. but / doubt this, as there
was really not room for 80 many TO de-
ploy unless they had descended from
the heights OF Opanes and taken the
Houmanian Positions, and | have not
heard that they did this. Nor did they
even attack the Russian positions south
Of the road. as they would probably
have done had they attacked In such
force. At any rate the attack was q
most brilliant and daring one. The
Turks advanced as far az they could in-
der cover Of their wagons, while the Rus
slams poured In terrible fire on them
from their Berdan breeeh- leaders,
scarcely less destructive than the Pea
r,ts n rrtr ~ ~ Ya.sftx
with shell and shfapnel, The Turks
then did a splendid deed Of bravery, only
euualled by SkebelotT's capture of the
two famous redoubts. Probably finding
their cover beginning TO fail them, ow-
ing TO the cattle being killed OF getting
frightened and running away, they
dashed forward with q shout upon the
line Of trenches held by the EibrersHy
or Siberian regiment, swept over them
like q tornado, poured into the battery,
bayoneted the artillerymen, officers
and men, who. with desperate heroism
stood to their pieces TO nearly q man,
aud seized the whole battery. The 81
brershy regiment had been overthrown
broken the first circle that held them
In. Had they gone on they would have
found two more but they did not have
time TO GO on. The Russians rallied al
most Immediately.
HAND TO HAND.
Gen, StruHeff. Of the Emperoi's staff,
brought up the first brigade Of gtena-
diers, who. led by their general forget
his name, but the Russians will remen-
Der it-hung themselves upon the Turks
with fury. A hand to- hand fight en-
sued, man to man, bayonet to bayonet,
which is said to have lasted several
minutes. for the Turks elung to the cap.
tured guns with logged obstinaey.
They seem to have forgotten in the fury
Of battle that they had come out TO es.
cape from Plevna, and not TO take and
hold a battery. and they held on to the
guns with almost the same desperation |
with which the Russian dead around
them had shown few minutes
before. Nearly oil the Turks In the
battle were killed, Those IN the flank
ing trenches open 10 tie Russian fire
had, OF course, very little shelter, and
were soon overpowered and began q re- /!
treat which, under the murderous fire
sent after them, instantly became a |
broken wagons, and returned the fire
Tor time; but the majority made for |
he deep banks Of the Vid, where they |
'ound ample shelter from the Russian |
shells and bullets. They formed here
behind the banks, and Instantly began |
% return the Russian fire.
THE LAST F1aHT.
IT was now about half-past 9. and the
Turkish sortie was virtually repulsed,
,ut the battle ragged for four hours
UnHeT. Fhe tosses inflicted from This
lime forward were not great on either
tide. for both armies were under cover.
The Turks were evidently apprehensive
hat the Russians would charge and
irive them back In mass into the
yorge. The Russians were resolved to
prevent another sortie, and 80 both
,ides kept 1t up. Indeed. there seemed
1t first every probability that the Turks
would try 1t again, though it was evi-
lent to any one who knew the strength
II the Russian lines, and had seen this
ltfair, that escape was hopeless from
he first, even though Osman Pasha
lad had twice the number Of men. For
our hours the storm Of lead swept on,
ts one hundred guns sent forth flame
md smoke and iron. During all this
ime we were in momentary expeeta.
ion of. seeing one side or other rush
o the charge. We could hardly yet
ealize that this was to be the last fight
We should ever see around Plevna, and
hat when the guns ceased firing 1t was
he laat time we should hear them here.
7 was o strangely Impressive spectacle.
Behind us the plain, stretching away to
he horizon, dark and sombre, under .
he dull lead.colored clouds of the black
November day, Before us the gorge
eading up to Plevna. Hanked on either
ide by steep, high cliffs. and between
8 and them the smoke and roar and
re of battle filling the air with It's /.
lighty thunder, a battle on which hung
he fate, not of Plevna-for the long. Z
eleaguered town was already in the :
ands Of the Russians-but Of Osman /.
'asha and his army.
SILENCE THAT WILL REMAIN uNBRoKEN.
About twelve o'clock the firing began
} diminish on both sides, as II by mu-
lal agreement. Then it stopped en-
rely. The rolling crash of the infantry G
nd the deep-toned believing Of the t
rtillery were heard no more. The I
noke lifted, and there was silence t
silence that will not be broken here Z
n many long year. perhaps never v