THE RUSSO-TURKISH WAR.

Inangahua Times, Volume IV, Issue 31, 26 September 1877, Page 2

THE RUSSO-TURKISH WAR.

EVENTS OF THE CAMPAIGN IN KUKOI'E. , Eussuid reverses in Bulgaria are all trawaWe to the disaster at I'leuw. Tie purpose- 0$ the Kvwsian Genei/als. obviously wm to wlu-wl aroundi their lu'lkt and left wings to a line- parallel with tl*e Balkans, tuking Tirnovu as. a, pivot, and thus forte Osuiiitt Pasha mid Mebemet Aii b-aek ' jicm'Ovss tlie mountain.!*— their respective lines uf re-treat. Tins accomplished, aad Osman Pasha and Mehemet Ali prevented fi'orn efTeotiug a junction by th& farces under General Gourkn v which were iv the meanwhile to estiiblisli themselves south of the Balkaus the Hussian oampaign. would have beeu in &o danyi'ir of failure or serious int en upturn. The piromenado aorus.-) l hj Danube and ovor t lie* Iklkuns while tlie Turks remained idle iv their stamps nnd loi-tressps was sufficient to ( jn.siily tic idea of the iiussians tfi.it they hud only lo advance to ensure tint the Turks would refrenc. It was this fpcliwr that l<i.l the .lUissiiins into (she fain I ambush at Plevna, and a^'fiin sent an j mid -ior forct! 10 uveiifj^ that, di. suiter cm a ,■ ' ' ir ■■■•- i r . u y in lurn'R u\ |i.)siti--ns. I' ■ i ■ mi wi\t |li!<(- < lie l'uj«ians limvi> 'i i-'i ■■'•••i i;i ..I in their cuniDuiun, iin-l ,!.;>! nii'-i'iv proyross until thny have , ■ •!•■ ■■ ■:' '<■ >\> 'M"l .' '''■ Il.il '').--!>'.lP

Pasha from their fl inks, and mean while Gourka's army was defeated by the concentration and organisation of Sulie» man Pasba'e army. The Turkish plan w believed to be for Osman Pasha to fight his way eastward, and Mehemet Ali to advance westward up to Sistova, whilo Sulionvm -Pasha endeavours to force the Russia n position nt Sliipka. But in doing this, Osman Pusha must expose his left flink to the risk to deing turned from the direction of Nicopolis thu* facilitating the Russian plan of pivoting oh Tirnova, and forcing him to rotiro behind the Balkans. Mehemet Alt would incur tho same dnnger from the Russians between Rnstehuk and Rasgrad, while Sulienvw Pasha must attack the Russians aid it by mistakes, like those at Pfovnn, but it may, with skilful handling, nerves- to keep the Russian* in chock uulil the campaign' ing season is over, which would he fo Turks the next thing to absolute victory. Both Russians and Turks are submitting to a terrible strain on their resources to win a decided advantage in this campaign 1 6 wcuhf seem, from apparently well authenticated reports of murder and rapine by BashiJ-Biizouks, Bulgarians, and Cossacks, that tho vnr h fast asaumng a character of savage cruelty, " which threatens to mule* it a war of extermination for all th. inhabitants of territory involved whether Christian or Mahomedan. Official accounts state that the capture of the Shipka Pass by the Russians was very discreditable to the Turks. General Goarka attacked the Turks in Shipka Pass at the Ritkans after burning Yeni Saghra and eapturning Kezaclik. The first crossing was made at one of those places known only to. the- Bulgarians, and 'the object of the attack on the- Shipka Pass wu> to secure a better passage for artillery and waggon trains. The first attack on the Pass was repelled by the Turks, and the Russians suffered heavily j but ©m the second day reinforcements arrived,, amongst* which was Monsky's regiment, which had already distinguished itself during the passage- of the Danube. Thfl prisoner* captured on. the second 1 day by the Kussians, aftor tho signal defeat of tfce Turks, stated that there were 14 battalions occupying splendid position!!, one behind the other, alili through Shipka Puss,, nil of which were- abandoned 1 in a most unwarrantable manner by the Turks, wero so well fortified tlwit the Russians eouild not help admiring their construction. The Russian, troops capfcurod a Invge quantity of army biscuits, five mountain , mins. Eve Kniipp gum, three regiiuent&l standards, and) a number of tents. A com pn risen of the Russian with the hite-r- Turkish accounts make it poixible to fix with certainty on the rmite by which General Gourkn and hi.'* adranco corps croft^od the i&ilkan*. It was by the Hum Bigaz, Nomctimes colled tho llaim* koi» which is nt its southern nutlet., fit (he first I'uwian ricspatoh th<B village was culled Hninkoi, whichisat. its sotithorn ©utlefc^ In the- first l!us*i«n despatch this village wtii culled TCchinkoi ;■ it is just >&orlli of tho river Yund,|jn k ;il»out hnlhvMf hel wfrn Kpzuilik and Selinvio. Thiij s« a puss. Hi tic u^ed except, by the country iM«np|«\ n* if i< niolhing l>»t » bridli* w-t-v. It h the middle one of tlnvi» pn«si»s lying bi'two^B those of Slupka and Du.nir Iv.ipu. The Turkish fv«'<nini ut' t lie cross.itig shown tbut (T.'ni»r«l (iourki iiii-l his corps wiM-e not expocteit by that rouAe j; mid we Inrthw Wntn from thn liutsinn luiilleli-iv that »Ih» OitomniM had occupied the foviiftfrd defiles of Slii.pJta. or -Shibka Gai^vi\l (rdurkfl ndvanivdiiipoii [u^.Kilik in o*l l w to take Uvt 1 ddtMidiiu; force in tho n«tr» and no. oiH»n Hit* lar>4t-r and mnro «Hin.veiiWiit pasw in hi.* c-»mrade.«« on the ol he* side. The Tirnova bulletin, referring to the- Rttii»s{ 04i Sunday l»<t south of the lialkans, says Ikat the parties engagix) were a OiMsnek tbice on the one aido, n»d soiaao detachment* °' Bashi-Bnzouks and Cirfassians, supported by throe tabnpn ot inlaufcry,. on the otb*r. Tho Turks helil theiw ground until the Kaann. dragnnns and n buttery of artillery seat fe»v General Gourlca c-mio up, when the Turks ftod, and a flag» s^teial standard-bearers,, nnd a quantity of iirnas were captured!. In an English iM»co«at from a pro-Turlkißh sowirco pi^Wished in Londoft on J'lbly 16, it was represented that the Huaiians were d»feiitedj with 1 great Rla-ughr&r,. an 1 driven out of feho 'jasH. According to a Constantinople tetetfponr of a inter date, ltiouf Pasha; is encarnp^l at S^limno. 'Hie liisfsians are admitted 1 to be- south of the Balkans, uad ; lire aaki to be ah Hainkoi.