The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-11-23
SUMTER s. G, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 49, 1912
DUlGARS AGAIN v|CT0RS.
LONDON CORRESPONDENT SO
ANNOUNCES IN DISPATCH.
Turks Forced 10 Retirc--Ashmcad
Bartlett Sends News of Severe Set
Lack tO Turkish Forces.

London. Nov 20.-Ashmead Bart
lett. the war correspondent Of the
Daily Telegraph. In a dispatch dated
November is and sent from the front
by way of Constanza. claims that the
battle before Tchatalja Sunday and
Monday resulted in a great Bulsa-
rian success.
Early Monday morning no sound of
firing came from the front. Instead
there was an ominous silence lasting
several hours. A gendarme brought
orders for Bartlett to leave imme-
diately for COnstantinople, saying
that any hour the Turkish army might
be in full flight. as they had suffered
disaster in the night.
Instead OF obeying. the corre-
spondent squared the four guards and
returned towards the battlefield. From
an officer he learned the following de-
tails:
At o'clock in the morning the Bull
garians concentrated their infantry
against the advanced lines and de-
livered night attack with a decisive
effect, the whole works falling into
their hands as me result of As min
utes' fighting at the point of the bay
onet
This was the disaster to which the
gendarme referred.
Having cap .ured the outer works
the Bulgarians devoted the entire day
TO a tremendous bombardment of the
remaining works.
The early morning mist made the
fire on the camps ineffective but
later when the day cleared shooting
became painfully apparent among
the troops OF the first army. A steady
dribble of men began to leave the
lines making for shelter and soon
whole battalions began to clear off in
masses and the whole army corps
| showed signs Of breaking up and re-
tiring in confusion.
throughout the morning the Turk
ish artillery hardly replied to the en-
| emy's fire being either chary Of dis
closing their positions or short of am
munition.
AS To the positions OF the combat
ants when he left the field Monday.
MIR. Bartlett says:
The Bulgarians occupy all the ad-
vanced works. where their artillery is
established and is engaged in bonn
harding the centre of the main lines
OF defense around Hademkeui, evil
| IDENTIFY with the intention of delivering
an infantry attack late in the evening.
or perhaps at dawn.
Should this attack succeed, the ia
nous lines are won. The Turkish
army has no alternative but retire
ment to Constantinople.
IL the army retreats 1t will break
up altogether. There will merely be
repetition of the scenes after the
battle of Luleburgas with the army
arriving at Stamboul instead Of Tchat-
ALA"
Bartlett was unable to stay until
nightfall. as he was placed under ar
rest and escorted to the rear and or
dered to proceed under guard to Con-
stantinople. He planned. however, to
break away in the morning and pro-
ceeded across the country to witness
tho end Of the battle.
The correspondent in a dispatch
fully confirms the terrible cholera
scenes. the horrors of which, ne says,
can not be driven from his mind. AS
there were no medical arrangements
the victims were simply thrown out
To die. The dead bodies were hastily
covered with a thin layer Of earth.
The valley. in which Hademeui
lies ne said. viewed from the hills.
Is the VALLEY of the shadow of death. -
4 enNuDgaunnanuuunzz