The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1885-11-20
THE DOGS OF WAR.
Let Slip By King Milan Over the
Bulgarian Frontier.
The Initial sktrmish Disastrous to the Bull.
Earlansv-AdvancIng On Dragoman Pass.
Where Sanguinary Conflict
Is Inevitable.

the Balkan provinces. Servia Is at 1t |
In earnest, and there is not to be child's
play. A dispatch received last evening
says the first actual battle occurred on or
about noon yesterday at Tru, little VII |
lage on the Bulgarian frontier, on the |
road to Viasina, by & advance guard |
coming unexpectedlyfu upon body of
Bulgarian sklrmishers. The Servans'
advance was compelled to halt under the
heavy fire of the enemy. Reinforcements
were hurried forward and were met by
large body of Bulgarians who had come
up to support their skirmishers.
The Servians formed and |
CALAMITY charged the Bulgarian
position, forcing them to retreat after a
hot fight. The pursuit. ~as kept up for
some distance. The ca aalties are not
known yet but from what van be ascer-
tanned the Bulgarlans slffered severely.
This first victory greatly elates the Ser
vians, who are pressing Forward with all
speed. The first great battle is expected
to take place this Sunday morning,
when the advance forces expect to reach
Dragoman Detile, a rocky gorge on the
frontier. A large force of Bulgariaus
have been concentrated in this pass and
have thrown up intrenchments A
bloody and sanguinary conflict is ex-
pected.
AT Belgrade it was officially announced
yesterday that force of Bulgarians on
Thursday attacked a body of Servians near
Viasina. The Servians returned the fire.
Ten Bulgarlans, killed or wounded, were
left on Servian territory, Several of the
SeTvians were wounded. In consequence
of the attack of the Bulgarians, the Cabi-
net on Friday decided to declare war.
Accordingly peace ended and war began
Yesterday morning, when the Servian
army moved over the border. King
Milan has assumed command of the
Servian army and active operations will
be begun at once. The Servian army has
commenced moving forward and an ad-
vance on Sofia is anticipated. The
troops displayed much enthusiasm.
The Servian army Is marching in three
divisions on Sofia. General Horvatovitch
yeania the right and King Milan the
center. The whole force Is expected
to concentrate at Sofia on November 22d.
The roads are covered with snow, re.
tarding the progress of the army.
Dispatches from Belgrade state that
King Milan has informed the powers that
Servia has declared war against Bulgaria
because Bulgaria arbitrarily attacked
| position which the Moravia division of
| the Kings troops held in Servian terri
tory, opposite the Bulgarian frontier.
King Milan has also issued a procla-
| nation, which is in substance as follows:
| "Servia can not allow Bulgaria. which
| has already proved hard neighbor, to
| disturb the balance of power in the Bal
| kans to her exclusive advantage" He
then alludes to what he calls the unjusti-
| fable Bulgarian customs duties on the
| frontier; the unlawful seizure of Bregova
and the encouragement by Bulgaria of
| the Servian rebels condemned for high
treason. (King Milan here refers probably
| to Peko Pavlovich, the Herzegovinian
chief, and Pashico, the Servian Radical
leader who was expelled by King Milan
from the Skupstschna. Copies of revo-
| lutionary proclamations signed by these
men and distributed throughout Serva
were recently found by Servian officials,
and the latter claimed that they were
disseminated by the rcvolutionists under
Bulgarian protection. This Bulgaria
denied, claiming that the men were manv
miles distant from the Scrvian frontier
intcrned in fortress.)
| King Milan also alludcs to alleged ILL
treatment of Scrvian cmigrants in Isul-
| garia; the blockade OF the frontier by
Bulgaria, and alleged attacks by undis-
| siplincd Bulgarian volunteers OH the
| oSIfidn IbtoibC anu itoOpo. HI
| the King says: 81 cannot suffer these in
territorial provoeations, and I therefore
| adopt the policy of open hostility which
has been forced upon me by Bulgaria.
Servia's just cause now rests on the arbi-
| trament of arms, the bravery of her
army, the protection of the Almighty.
rely upon my peoples patriotism"
The various forces of Servia are as
follows: Field army, 62,0SS men with
264 guns; reserve formations, 1856
men with "a guns; reserve army, OF
landwehr, 52,270 men with l20 guns;
landstrum, 45, 900 men, or total of l7o,.
4I2 officers and men, and 4l3 guns. The
infantry is armed with the Mauser rife,
improved by Major Mecovanovitch, which
Is of a calibre of 1918 millimetres. The
artillery is variously armed with muzzle-
leaders and Krupp guns. The total cav,
airy force included In the above, numbers
4,600 men.
The Bulgarian field army consists of
$4,000 infantry, l,400 cavalry, two regi-
ments and one company of artillery, 2,3tC
men; a battalion of engineers, $50 men
detachment of train, 1900 men, and o
force OF gendearmerie, l, 600 men; or Q
total force of 80, 220 men with 104 guns
The Infantry is armed with Berdan rifles
and the batteries have Krupp guns ant
guns VI buc idtcSt huSSIdu pdbleTu. 10e
reserve force consists of $4,000 men.
There are also twelve battalions of land
strum of 600 men each, or 1900 men
making total force of 10000 men
There is no want OF arms, but there ii
scarcely sufficient force of cavalry ant
artillery. The cavalry numbers 1850
men. The scarcity of officers, since man
of the Russian officers returned home, i
also serious matter. Prince Alexande
is an ao'e and energetic soldier.
The Eastern Roumelian army CON
prises Is, 224 men of the first levy, 49,
1877 of the second, 2S,197 of the reserv
and Q, 422 men of the active reserve, max
ing total of 1850 men. The numbe
of officers available is altogether out q
proportion to the number of men. Their
is no scarcity of arms, as there is abou
$4,000 Kruka, 1000 Berdan and 600
Martini Henry rifles in the province
The artillery consists of four guns. Th
Bulgarian arsenals at Ruslschuk an
Rasgrad contain good supply of arms
uniforms and equipments. The arsena
at Rustschuk is turning out 10000 Bel
dan cartridges per day in addition t
ammunition for artillery.
AT FLA.
SOFIA, November 15.-The followin
has been issued by the Government
"The Servians having invaded Bulgaria
, to-day near Tsaribrod, before declarin
war, Bulgaria has decided to uphold tn
W. al IL all n.