The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-01-11


ing around the cliffs beyond the bridge.
Pleyna had fallen, and Osman Pasha
was going to surrender. The white flag
being hoisted, some OF the Turks on the
bridge walked forward and came to US,
some with guns hung over their shout
ders, others with guns in their hands.
They walked about us and examined us
curiously. Thousands of them are on
the cliffs, not more than fifty yards dis
tant looking down on us with composure,
all with arms in their hands. One we'll
directed volley would thin our Russian
cadres this side of the Vid very appre-
Gladly. for by this time theie must have
been hundred officers gathered here,
and capitulatiOn was by no means ar
ranged as vet. On the heights to our
right we see the Russians moving up to
the redoubt on one side while the Turks
were leaving it on the other. Presently
Gen. Ganetsky arrives, and then the way
is blocked with wagons. dead horses and
oxen. The men have all been carried of,
but besides the wagons, near the BRIDGE
see one young fellow lying, badly wound
ed. He has lain himself carefully
down there, with his cloak wrapped
around him and his rifle and knapsack
under his head. He evidently takes
pride in his gun--a Peabody-for 1T is
very bright and clean, and he has put 1T
carefully under HIM so that it may not
be taken away. He did not think to
part with it so soon. He is scarcely IL,
and the doctor who has dressed has
wound says he will not live till night.
We thread our way cautiously over
the bridge, through broken carriages
and dead bodies of horses and cattle,
and find ourselves among the Turks.
There are several dead lying in the ditch
beside the road. Some wounded are
limping along with us, going heaven
knows whittier, and there are two senti-
neis standing in a trench overlooking
the river, keeping their watch as though
they were looking for an attack at any
moment. AS we advance the crowd gets
thicker. The Turkish soldiers, with
guns and bayonets in their hands, men
of whom we have been shooting, and
who were shooting Mt us two hours ago,
some with savage EXPIRE ssion gaze at
us with scOwl, but there are pleasant,
intelligent faces also, who look at us
with steady, clear, inquisitive eyes.
Gen. Skobeleff, Sen. recalled an episode
of the Hungarian insurrection resem-
bling this, where there was an armistice,
and great number of Austrian officers
crossed over the bridge to the Hunga-
rians, as we did here, when the Hunga-
rian commanding officer opened his
ranks and fired his cannon, charged to
the muzzle with mitraille, on the Aus
trians. Let us hope the two incidents
will not resemble each other in all re-
spects.
When the General is about hundred
yards from the bridge the crush is SO
great that we can advance no
further, and indeed we do not wish to,
for it is in this little house overlooking
the road that Osman Ghazi lies wound
ed. Gems Ganetsky, Strukoff and some
others have gone to see him. / was I'M
able to get in Jwing to the crowd. The
| conference did not last more than few
minutes. The terms of capitulatiop
were easily arranged. The surrender is
unconditional. Osman consented at
once. If surprise be expressed that it
should have been so suddenly agreed it
is only necessary TO state that he could
do nothing else. In order to attempt
sortie, he had TO abandon all the posi-
tons in which he had defied the Rus
slams so long, and to concentrate his
army down on the Vid. These positions
once lost were lost forever, because the
Russians occupied them almost as soon
as he left them. He was down in the
valley; they on the surrounding hills,
with an army three times as large as his.
He had to surrender without delay, for
they were drawing the circle tighter
every moment. His position was like
Napoleon's at Sedan. The disparity in
numbers was greater, and he had not
even the shelter of the village. So Os-
man surrendered Internationally the
gallant army with which he had held
this now-fenlous stronghold for 50 long,
and with which he upset the whole Rus
sian plan of campaign, and with which
he defeated in three pitched battles
Rngsin'a hnast n1rnins