Year: 1877




tcn'ber Iaih BEFORE PieynR.


He had four regiments Of the line, ard
four battalions OF sharpshooters. Still
keeping up his murderous fire, he formed
under it's cover two regiments, the
Vlsdmiraki and the Zcozolski, in the
little hollow at the foot OF the low hill
on which was built the redoubt, together
with two battalions of sharpshooters, not
more than | 200 yards from the scarp.
Then placing himself in the best position
for watching the result, he ceased fire
and ordered the advance. He ordered
the assauting party not to fire, and they
rushed forward with .hcir guns on their
shoulders with music playing and ban
ners flying, and disappeared in the fog
and smoke. SSobeleff is the only general
who places himtelt near enough to feel
the pulse OF a battle. The advancing
column was indistinctly seen, dark
mass in the fog and smoke. Feeling, AZ
it were, every tbrob of the battle he saw
this line begin to waver and hesitate.
Upon the instant he hurled forward q
rival regiment to support, and again
watched the result. This new force car
ried the mass futher on with its momen.
tum, but the Turkish redoubt famed
and smoked, and poured forth such
/ torrent of bullets that the line was again
shaken. Skobeleff stood in the shower of
balls unhurt All his escort were killed
or wounded, even TO the little Kirghiz,
who received bullet in the shoulder.
Again he saw the line hesitate and waver,
and he flung his fourth and last regiment,
the Libausky. on the glacis, Again this
new wave carried the preceding ones
forward, until they were almost on the
scarp; but that deadly shower of bullets
poured upon them; men dropped by
hundreds, and the result still remained
doubtful. The line once more wavered
and hesitated. Not moment was to be
lost, if the redoubt was to be carried.


Skobelef had now on y two battalions
of sharpshooters left, the best in his de-
tachmenis, Putting himself at tie head
of these, he dashed forward on horseback.
He picked up the stragglers; he reached
the wavering, huctuating mass and gave
it the inspiration of his own courage and
instruction. He picked the whole mass
and carried it forward with rush and
cheer. The whole redoubt was mass of
flame and smoke, from which screams,
shouts and cries of agony and defiance
arose, with the deep.mouthed believing
of the cannon, and above all the steady,
full crash of the deadly rifle fire
Skobeletf S sword was cut in two in the
middle. Then moment later, when
Just on the point of leaping the ditch,
horse and man rolled together on the
ground, the horse dead or wounded, the
rider untouched. He sprang to his feet
with shout, then with formidable,
savage yell the whole mass OF men
streamed over the ditch, over the scarp
and counterscarp, over the parapet and
swept into the redoubt like a hurricane
Their bayonets made short work OF the
Turks remaining. Then a joyous cheer
told that the redoubt was captured, and
that at last one of the defenses of Plevna
was in the hands of the Russians.


Having seen as much as | have seen of
the Turkish infantry fire from behind
trenches and walls, thought it was be-
yond flesh and BIZ cd to break it, a belief
which had been strengthened by Kirlof's
repulse, which ! had Just witnessed.
Skobelef proved to the contrary, but at
what a sacrifice! In that short rush of
few hundred yards, 5000 men had
been left on the hill side, vn the glacis,
the scarp and the ditch-one-fourth OF
his whole force. believe Skobeleff
looks upon such attacks upon such
positions as almost criminal, and disap.
proved highly of the whole plan of the
attack on Plevna; but he believes that if
any attack is to be made it can only be
done in this manner, and that, although
the loss of men may be great, it is better
that the loss should be incurred and the
victory won, than 10 lose the half with
certainty OF defeat. Skobelef seems to
be the only one among the Russian gen
erals who has studied the American war
with profit. Dispatch to London Nees