The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-27

cry to the rank of colonel. He went early
into the Servan war as chief of staff of
the Fourth Army corps, and captured
Saitchar. When peace was concluded he
was made field marshal (mushiT. Ii was
said of him that wherever he was he won
the esteem of his superiors, no matter in
what circumstances he was placed
He went into the Russian war in 1877 in
command of the Fifth army corps. At
Scalevitze he suffered defeat. Then he in
trenched himself at PleVna. The Russians
had made unexpected progress over the
Danube, camping on the southern side
early in July. and soon afterward had
passed the Balkans. At PleVna they re-
ceived their first repulse. Orders had been
given to the Russian army to occupy
| Plevna as soon as possible, but Osman
made that time a long way off. Gen. Schil-
der-Schuldner undertook the mission first
with $500 men, but was engaged by SUI
perior force before he reached the city and
was defeated with loss of nearly 5000
killed and wounded. The Russians got up
some reinforcements while the Turks
went on strengthening PleVna, and on July
] another assault was made by the besieg-
ers, who met another defeat, losing no Of
! tlcers and 7,1S6 men. They were put upon
the defensive
Happily for Russia, the Turkish army
had no competent leader T. W. Knox
says in his Decisive Battles Since Water
loo 'or the army of the car might have
been captured or drowned in the Danube. -
Instead of forcing the fighting, Osman
Pasha continued to fortify Plevna. The
car at once ordered to the front 10000
regulars, 10000 militia, and 400 pieces of
artillery as reinforcements The Turkish
army in the field, in three divisions, con-
sisted of 10000 men, of whom about $1,000
were at PleVna. By the end Of August the
Russian forces were in such numbers that
$4,000 Russians and Roumanians, with 40
guns, set out for another advance on Plev-
ma, where it was estimated Osman Pasha
had sc, 900 men. A continuous bombardment
from Sept. to Sept II was followed up
by an assault on the town, which resulted
| only in the capture of one redoubt (Which
| Gen Skobeef held for one day, waiting
for reinforcements, which did not get to
HIM at a loss of $1,000 to 10000 men. The
Turkish loss was 5000 less.
Then the real siege was begun-the eff
| fort to starve Osman Pasha out. Ii took
nearly two months to complete the invest
ment of the city. on Nov. all the roads
entering Plevna were occupied, and the
besieging host numbered 10000 men. There
were forces of Russians and Roumanians
| within three miles of the city by Nov. y.
and on that day Osman Pasha was called
upon to surrender. He refused, decidedly,
He boosted that he had provisions enough
to last until spring. The people in the
| city, however, were in straits, aud INSULT
| cient hospital facilities and a large num-
| Der of deaths In the army resulted In the
spread of disease in army ana town
At last, forty-five days after the com
| plete investment of the town. sixty days
after the arrival Of his last supply train.
and IA days after his own arrival there,
| Osman Pasha decided, on Sunday evening,
! Dec. 9, to make a last sortie. He aband-
oned some of his redoubts that night, and
! early the next morning his forces threw
| themselves against the besieging line with
such terrific fury. that ina few minutes
| they had captured a battery and almost
annihilated a regiment of grenadlers who
| we're defending it. Under the fire of the
| second investment line the Turks Waged
| for fifteen minutes a bayonet fight with
| the grenadiers, who had essayed to re-
capture the battery, and many men were
killed The Turks were finally
| driven back, but the battle, which had be-
| gun at o'clock, was continued until 1890
when both sides ceased firing. Half an
hour later Osman Pasha sent word that
| he was willing to surrender, and the terms
| of capitulation were arranged in fifteen
minutes. In half an hour the Turks had
| aid down their arms Ii had been thought
/ that Osman Pasha's intention was to cut
| his way through without artillery or bag
gage, but 1t was found that he had started
with 500 carriages and a large artillery
force.
In the sortie Osman Pasha was wounded
| in the leg, but not seriously He was
| treated with great consideration. His sor-
| tie was declared a brilliant one, but one
| without hope of success, and il was sup
| posed that he made it to satisfy his idea
of duty, and not in the belief that 1t could
| be successful. He has been several times
! since then minister of war, and for the last
few years grand marshal Of the palace,
where II is said that part of his duty was
to taste the sultan's food.