Year: 1878

A BATTLE IN THE CLOUDS.


War Pictures in the Balkan Mountain


"A Panoramic Pandemonium.


The following brilliant sketch is from
the correspondent of the London News
writing at the headquarters of Genera
Rauch, near Orkhanie:


The mountain sides were echOing with
the sounds of heavy cannonading ano
brisk musketry as ! rode along the Sofs
road southwark, yesterday morning
across River Mali Isker, and past the vii
lage of Osikovo, the present headquarters
of General Gourko. The day was perfect
A warm sun was shining in the almost
cloudless heavens. Seen through the
clear air, the distant troops could be
discerned among the precipitous noun.
tain paths.


The sun was already low in the heav-
ems, and the cannon smoke began to take
delicate purple tinge, when the enemy's
battery away down near Pravca fired
rapidly, and the echoes Of the shots be-
hind the range down in the valley
hidden from us resounded through
the gorge. Rauch was over the
mountain and would soon be in
sight, we hoped. Suddenly we saw
away to the right of the opposite
range, puffs Of smoke in the crest of the
fat-topped peak, and then even before
the reports of the shots reached us, a
close line of men rose up against the sky
on the top of the earth-work, and anoth-
er and broken line struggled quickly
down and away from the first, one or
two men stopping to fire, but generally
running down the steep declivity into the
underground. The black masses which
had been lying there all the afternoon
were suddenly animated as the horizon
became alive with the forms of Russian
soldiers, and they swept in mass down
the incline, little puffs of smoke burst
ing from nearly every rife, for they
fired as they ran. The line of Russians
stood moment on the earthwork, firing
rapidly, then leaped down and skirmish-
ed after the flying Turks, almost within
bayoneting distance. This was the at
tack of General Rauch, and it was as
unexpected and welcome to us as it must
have been surprising and discouraging to
the Turks. Almost Immediately solid
formations were visible on the peak, one
company to the left on the further side
and short line of skirmishers, followed
by two companies advancing along the
path on one side of the mountain toward
us, now in deep shadow. They disap-
peared behind the base of the nearest
summit. This brilliant little episode,
occurring as it did in full sight of all
troops, just as if it were enacted on
stage in an immense theater, caused the
greatest enthusiasm and excitement
among them. The batteries took the
first note of the fight on the mountain
as signal to fire volley. after volley into
the redoubts on the west end of the
the range, and the narrow gorge
echoed and re-echoed again, and
the mountain sides repeated and magni-
fed the awful sounds of the shells as
+l,-y pore their way through the thin air
The shrapnel ratified and cracked all over
the summit, where the Turks, now ex-
cited, kept up a constant rifle fire
and the peaceful quiet of the twilight
hour was changed to pandemonium by
the changing and screeching of the shells
pounding the mountain top. A cool
breeze springing up from the north, be-
gan to drive the low lying clouds
through the valleys, just while Rauch's
advance appeared on the mountain, and
soon great masses of mist poured through
the gorge, rising higher and higher, and
sweeping over the Turkish redoubts.
Just as they were seen to direct their
fire with redoubled energy down into the
valley towards Pravca, there came up to
us a sharp popping of musketry below
and we knew it was the Moscow regi
ment. 1t had accomplished its march,
and was making its contemplated move
ment around the range along the road.
The fog hid the valley and Pravca from
our sight, but until the opposite side
was shrouded in the drifting mist, We
could tell exactly how far the infantry
was advancing by the direction of the
Turkish fire from the redoubts. Rauch's
engagement was literally battle above
the clouds. In a few moments both those
below aud those in the clouds were en-
veloped in the same great mass of Opaque
mist, and the firing ceased.


We are now on an island in great
gray sea, for the clouds had driven in on
all sides, hiding completely the earth
below, and even the adjacent peaks. A
faint streak of yellow still fingered in
the western horizon, and all about us rose
out of the rolling sea of mist the sharp
purple peaks like islands in frozen Are
tic sea. The soldiers lighted their camp
fires among the bushes, and we were all
prepared to bivouac there. Perfect quiet
reigned. The moon rose grandly out of
the clouds and lighted up the weirdly
impressive landscape. On came great
rolling waves of mist, appearing solid as
snow in the cold midnight.


Around us were the forms of horses
picketed in the underground, groups of
soldiers gathered about the fires, solitary
sentinels motionless at their posts. 1t
was a picturesque scene to be long re-
merbered.


About Z o'clock we heard hurrahs on
the range opposite, and the victorious
cheering was taken up and repeated all
along the line, from peak to peak and
down into the valley; but the redoubts
were not taken, and the quiet of the
night was broken again.


At 2 o'clock we heard distinctly


through the mist, rs if very near us, first
a few shots, then the cries of the sur
prised Turks, and the Russian soldiers
shouting TO one another, some to let the


Turks run away if they chose, some tt


bayOnet them on the spot. The oaths
the groans, and the smallest words came
clearly to our ears, and We knew the re