The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1878-01-24
HOW PLEVNA FELL.
Graphic Pen Picture of the Attempted
SOrtiS.

| from the lCn''n ifdli5 HeNesl
Osman Pasha had duriiig chs tight
abandoned all his positions from Grivica
TO the Green hill, and concentrated the
greater part of his army across the Vld,
ayef Ihish lie passed on two bridges,
lately constructed. He took paft Of his
artillery, some three batteries, and q
train of about five hundred or six hun
dsed carriages drawn by bullocks. He
succeeded Ii Settibg bis. army, the ar
tillery, and part of the train GEet t5 dsy-
break. The Russians say that to have
started with so large train is proof
that he Yves deceived with regard to the
nutbef of the Russian forces, and that
he believed The htlssish line, owing to
the absence of Gen. Gourk6, Vas very
weak on the Sophia road. and thought
another road along the Vid was virtually
open. It does not seem possible that
he could have beeii SO badly informed,
and l am inclined TO think the train wis
taken to serve q special phfpose In the
fight. Indeed, the first thing the Kus-
| slams perceived when daylight broke was
line of wagons drawn by bullocks adj
vancipg Upon them in close order across
the plain. The smooth Open level Of
ferred every facility for such & fhaneuvef.
The Turks were behirs iSese wagons,
which, piled full of baggage and effects
of various kinds, afforded very tar pro-
lection from bullets.
The attack. was directed against the
positions held by the gfenadiets; north
of the Sophia road, whose lines extended
from the road to point opposite Opanes,
where they wefe joined By the Rouman=
ian curving line through Susurla. 1t 10
said the attack was made with 10000
u en-, but I doubt this, as there was
really not room for SO many to deploy
unless they had descended from the
heights of OBanes and taken the Rou-
fnanian positions, aid I have not heard
| that they did this. Nor did they even
| attack the Russian positions south of the
read, as they would probably have done
had they attacked III SUCH force. Atany
rate, the attack was a most brilliant and
daring one. The Turks advanced as far
as they could under cover of their wagons,
while the Russians poured in a terrible
| fire on them from their Berdan breech-
| leaders, scarcely less destructive than
/ the Peabody, and opened en the adyanc-
ing line with shell and shrapnel. The
Turks then did a splendid deed of
bravery, only equaIed by SkobeleTs S
/
Probably finding their cover beginning
| to fail them. owing to the cattle being
killed or getting frightened and running
away, they dashed forward with a shout
upon the line of trenches held by the
Sibrersky 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
man, and seized the whole battery. The
/ Sibrersky regiment had been overthrown
and nearly annihilated. The Turks had
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.
Gen. Strukoff, of the Emperor's staff,
brought up the FIRST Brigade OF Grena-
diers. who led by their General for
get his name, but the Russians will re-
member it-fung themselves upon the
Turks with fury. A hand-to-hand fight
ensued, man to man, bayonet to bayonet,
which is said to have lasted several min
utes, for the Turks clung to the captured
guns with dogged obstinacy. They
seem to have forgotten, in the fury of
battle, that they had come out to escape
from Plevna, and not to take and hold
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
all the TURKS in the battle were killed.
Those Ia the hanking trenches open to
the Russian had, of course, very little
shelter, and were soon overpowered, and
began a retreat, which, under the muir
derous fire sent after them, instantly be-
came flight. Some took shelter behind
the broken wagons and returned the
| fire for time; but the majority made
for the banks of the Vid, where they
found ample shelter from the Russian
shells and bullets. They formed here
behind the banks, and instantly began
to return the Russian fire.
| 1t was now about ha1f-past 8, and the
Turkish sortie was virtually repulsed,
/ but the battle ragged for four hours Ion
! ger. The losses inflicted from this time
! forward were not great on either side,
| for both armies were under cover. The
| Turks were evidently appreheDsive
| that the Russians would charge and
| drive tt EN- back in a mass into the gorge.
The Russians were resolved to prevent
another sortie; and SO both sides kept it
| up. Indeed, there seemed at first every
| probability that the Turks would try it
| again, though it was evident to any one
who knew the strength of the Russian
lines, and had seen this affair, that escape
was hopeless from the first, even though
| Osman Pasha had had twice the num-
Der of men. For four hours the storm
of lead swept on as 100 guns sent forth
! fame and smoke and iron. During all
| this time we were in momentary expecta-
| ton of seeing one side or other rush to
the charge. We could hardly yet realize
| that this was to be the last fight we
should ever see around Plevna, and that
when the guns ceased firing it was the
! last time we should ever hear them here.
It was astrangely-impressive spectacle.
! Behind us the plain, stretching away to
| the horizon, dark and somber under the
! dull, lead-colored clouds of the black
! November day Before us the gorge
leading up to Plevna, fanked on either
side by steep, high cliffs, and between
us and them the smoke and roar and fire
| of battle, filing the air with its mighty
thunder, battle on which hung the
! fate, not of Plevna-for the long
t leaguered town was already in the hands
/ OF the Russians-but of Osman Pasha
and his army
About II O'Clock the firing began to
diminish on both sides, as if by mutual
/ agreement. Then it stopped entirely.
The rolling crash of the infantry and the
deep toned believing of the artillery
/ were heard no more. The smoke lifted,
and there was silence-a silence that
will not be broken here for many long
year, perhaps never again, by the sounds
of battle The firing had not ceased
more than half an hour when white
flag was seen waving from the road lead.
/ ;Dr oroupd tbo oI1frc havou1 tho hri1oa