The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-02-27
THE STORY OF THE WAR.
Lending Incidents Of tho Struggle Between
Russia and Turkey.

Leading Incidents Of tho SsruREle Betweei
Russia and Turkey.
The Russo-Turkish war OF 1877-8 il
properly only the development of the
troubles of 1861 in the Herzegovina
and Serbia. A year ago Serbia had beer
heated down by Turkey, and the Con
stantinople conference had begun itf
labors. On the 18th of January, 1877, i
submitted its "irreducible minimum,
which required small addition of terri
tory to Montenegro, peace with serbia
on the status quo ante, the nomination
by the Porte, in concert with the powers,
of governors Of Bosnia, Herzegovina and
Bulgaria, and the appointment by the
powers of commissioners to superin'
tend the carrying out of the reforms.
These proposals the grand councils re.
jected on the 18th, as "inconsistent
with the independence, integrity and
dignity OF the empire" and on the 2Oth
the conference was declared to be at an
end. Mr.. Layard succeeded Sir Henry
Elliot at the Porte. and Turkey yielded
to the powers in the matter of the peace
with Serbia. The conclusion of this
peace WAS Midhat Pashs's last official
act for on the 9th OF February he was
banished, and Edhem Pasha, the mask
of Mahmond Damad, succeeded him in
the grand viziership. On the same day
Prince Gortschakof inquired of the
powers what action they intended to
take because of the Porte's action, a
provisional declaration of war, since no
other power was prepared to join in the
coercion of Turkey, On the 31st Of
March q protocol was signed at London
by the representatives of England. Rus
sia, France, Germany, Austria and Italy,
with an addition by Lord Derby with.
drawing his signature should Russia
declare war, an event hardly doubtful
despite the vague phrases of the pro.
tocol. This protocol was Immediately
transmitted to Turkey by Gortschakof,
who made an ultimatum of it. On the
10th of April the Turk, rejected it, on
the 29d the Russian troops crossed the
Roumanian frontier and next day war
was formally declared by the car, who
had already massed a large army in
Bessarabia in the immediate neighbor-
hood of the frontier. At the same time
an army invaded Armenia. On the 26th
Roumania approved the convention al
ready concluded with Russia by her
prince, and on the 30th England issued
her formal proclamation of neutrality.
On the 9th of May Earl Derby's dis
patch declaring that England neither
concurred in nor approved Russia's ac-
ton, was received at St. Petersburg, and
on the 9Th Lord Derby addressed note
to Count Schouvaloff defining the "Brit-
ish interests which England must de-
fend if they were affected by the war.
On the 18th the Russians we're repulsed
with loss. On the 18th the Circassian
risings began, and on the 18th the Rus
siane stormed Ardahan. On the 30th
Prince Gortschakoff replied to Lord
Derby that the emperor would not e1.
tend the war beyond what was required
for the declared object fer which he took
up arms.
On the 18th OF June Suieiman Pasha
succeeded, after much fighting, in re-
| victualling Nicsics. On the 21st Fagi
Pasha defeated Melikoff with severe
loss, and the Russians retired on Kars.
On the 23d the Russians crossed the
Danube and captured Matchin. Four
days later they, crossed at Simnitza.
July their cavalry. under Gourko, oc-
cupied Tirnova. On the 10th, though
they relieved Bayazid, for some time be-
sieged by the Turks, they were compelled
to raise the siege of Kars.
The removal OF Abdul Kerim and
Redif Pasha, July J3, preluded more
active operations. Next day Osman
Pasha entered Plevna, while Gourko
crossed the Balkans by the Hahn Bog haz
Pass. On the 18th Nikopolis fell into
Russian hands. On the 10Th the Shipka
Pass was occupied after some fighting.
Next day, however, the Muscovites met
their first decided check in the defeat OF
General Schilder. Schuldner's attack on
Usman Pasha's position at Plevna with
heavy loss, while on the 31st Krudener's
assault was repelled with loss OF 5. 600
men. Next day august y, the Rus.
slams, after defeating Reouf Pasha at
Eski- -Sagra, were driven ont of town by
Suleiman Pasha. This series of reverses
induced them to send forward the whole
Imperial Guard on the 4th, but matters
did not mend materially, as on the 23d
Czarewitch' 8 army, after two days en-
gagement, had to retire to the left bank
of the Lom. Suleiman Pasha. however,
was now engaged in his desperate ten
days endeavor to force the Shipka Pass,
while in Asia Loris Meikoff, on the
2Sth, inflicted severe defeat on h.uktar
Pasha at Kizil Tepe. The Roumaniau
forces had Joined the Russians before
Plevna, and on the 31st two days at
tack by the Turks on Pelischat, not far
from thence, ended in the retreat of the
assailants, while the Cesarewitch's ad-
vanced guard fought warm but deci-
sive battle with Mehemet Ali.
September did not open inausplciously
for the czar, as ON the third his troops
took Loftcha, while OF the 9Th, Nicsics,
the oft-revictualled, surrendered to his
plucky and effective allies, the Monten-
egrins. But three days later the Russo
Roumanian forces butted their heads
for the third time against Plevna, and
were again hurled back with tremendous
slaughter. After this the besiegers were
content to invoke the genius Of Todle-
ben, and surrounded the army of Osman
Pacha with earthworks to wait for
famine to do its work. Fighting still
continued in the Shipka Pass, where on
the 18th Fort St. Nicholas fell. It was,
however, retaken Immediately by the
Russians On the Dist there was a
keenly-contested drawn battle fought at
Tcherkova, near Biela. On the Oath
Mehemet Ali began his retreat from the
Banicka LON. He WAS removed ten
days later, and Suleiman Pasha placed
in command of the Army OF the Danube.
October 2i and 81 Mukhtar Pasha was
hotly en-. aged at Kizil Tepe; on the 9th
he abandoned his position there and fell
back to the Aladja Dagh, whence he was
driven with great loss on the 10Th.
Gourko, at the other extremity OF the
long line of operations, was also success
full, for on the Oath he tork strong po-
sition near Gorni- -Dubnik, on the Sophia
road, and on tue 2Sth ut Telicho. Mukh.
tar Pasha was being resolutely followed
mp: On the 4th of November his posi-
ton at Devi-Borun, near Erzeronm was
forced, and on the 18th came the begin
ming Of the end with the fall of Kars,
stormed by the Russians, and taken af-
ter twelve hours fighting.
This great success WAS followed by
some minor ones, On the 21st the Rou-
| mon;ons who had all through the war