Year: 1877

25o to protect the camp aud supply wagons All the
time the battery engaged We could soc the fight
going on between the two parts Of the village. Now
the Turks got possession Of tho unburned portion and
again the white tunics there In force The bat
terry retired only when We saw coming through the
maize close at hand four columns Of infantry and
great detachment of cavalry threatening the valley
road


AN UNWILLING RETREAT


Everybody went back suleniy. leaving the camp
and much baggage. The soldiers. all black
with powder, sweaty and dirty, came along
by twos and threes, muttering 'Mnogo Mno-
go!" "Mnogol Mnogor s'rhere are great
many Of them" Not soldier but wanted to stay and
fight II out; no. single man showed signs OF fear.
They would collect and 10 back again and then retire
slowly The iez appeared in the grove, and We disap
pcared in the gully behind the town and were up
through the maize fields upon the hill road General
Leonon went toward tho village, but We had had
enough oi that Out OF the maize We came upon
poughed field, ana here dsmounted and awaited
the Turks In the gully the wounded were being car
ried away. Through the maize came little cart with
the dead body Of a captain, quite naked. uundled
along by four soldiers. Two men. with rifles ashed
together aud tent swung upon them, bore along
comrade bit In the chest. Others limped along, sup
~
got to the Again the shells found US out and as
before. had very ugly way OF dropping a
lew rods short Of rs. making It nervous
work to stand and not hit back. Once over
the next rise and into tho road, we could
nothing of the fight. we fingered and slowly re-
tired with tho until the whole right fell back and
old quarters flied With Turks or the nght In
village alter that know nothing It went on until
dark and We lett the hill by toward sunset Tho
village changed hands that afternoon six separate
times and when at sundowL we collected at the foot
OF the hili General LconoT went back with few men
and took the village once more always In hopes OF
aid from the corps headquarters, only two or three
miles to the rear Gagovo. few shells from the
guns in the camp sent the Turkish cavalry tnat had
been hanging about the right flank back to the hills
again, and every wounded reached Gagovo In
safety. 1t is hoped that were left on the asld,
although It Is impossible to gay. General Vaunonsky,
with olhcrs OF the Czarewtch's staff reached Gagovo
at sunset


LOST.


The day was already lost and the position, tho key
to this part OF the valley OF the LON, was In the
enemys hands A thousand moro men would have
held it; but for some reason they were not sent AS
it was the odds were immense The whole army OF
Rasgrao, less than twenty thousand comprising
strong cavalry force and many guns, thrown upon
a single regiment and one battery and they were kept
at bay twelve hours. AT least twelve thousand formed
the columns OF the advance, and cannon were in
position far Papkio supported by strong Iorces
OF infantay and cavalry The great maize fields
seemed to blaze with the red fez The loss Of tho
position is not irreparabe, but stl 1t was an i'm
portant point and well worth keeping. Tho infantry
and artillery lost officers and 70 msn killed, II off,
GERS and 357 men wounded. 1t Is not yet known
how great the loss IN the cavalry
On the Turkish side the loss must have been very
much greater, for the Russians did excellent work
with their rifles and the Turks fred much at random,
trusting to thenumber Of their bullets rather than to
their direction both sides were under cover frequently
there was little fighting in the open and bayonet
duels that could hear Of The night OF the battle all
slept where they dropped down. had neither break
fast dinner nor supper. SO we wandered about until wo
found our friends tho telegraph station, who gave
us black bread and tea, and wrote my despatch shell
tered from the wind In door Of the hut. The VII
lage oil Karahasankio burned brightly all night and
innumerable 6res twinked all along the hill Al day
break Friday morning the infantry was put in POSI-
ton behind the bushes all along the hill south of Ga.
govo; largo forces Of Turks were seen moving about;
there some picket firing, but the expected attack
did not come. That night all outposts; no
one took of his equipments, but lay down expecting
every moment to have an attack. Generals Baranon
Lconor and myself had little shelter Of boards to
keep of the heavy dew, and we slept undsturbed
ccpt by frequent dispatches from tho different points
along tho line. The particulars OF the visit OF tho
Czarew,tch and of the skrmlsh to-day have already
sent by telegraph. The Turkish advance makes 1t I'm
possible for take the river road to the Kuschuk
Bjeia chausee now and the ride Of nfty miles to
Giurgevo. always hard days work, is now much
difficult than ever, for the first twenty miles
through thckiy wooded, hilIy country, with only a
labyrinth Of cart tracks for roads The only way
mako the distance Is to keep compass In hand and
go ahead duo north. II Is not one Of the pleasant
features OF this campaign that must ba bis own
pOstman.