INCIDENTS OF THE WAR.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 191, 14 August 1877, Page 4

INCIDENTS OF THE WAR.

(From the Home News,) Bombardment of RusTCHUK.—6a June 24 ihe Russian batteries batween Slotttiiia^and Giurgevo opened a brisk fire upon the shipping collected at the the Lorn,' and upon the batteries ofr'*the Turkish side. Nine batteries were gradually drawn ioto the -'-fie&"3?he-.TarkV J aDtiw&fed from all their batteries on the Danube, and ,in about an hour's" time the Russian fire became weaker, the Turkish cannonade in the meantime growing more furious. The .latter was directed against the • : ; 'fl*|fif« k batteries and the maaa of shipping near Giurgavo. Several pro(jtft&lea.feji in Ruatchuk and Giurgevo, though ihe damage in the meantime canuot be ascertained. t . During the cannonade the English "Consulate was destroyed, while, the * 'French 'arid G'ermSn 'Consulates, the Konaky-and several hospitals were >. much damaged. The Bulgarian quar- ,. itfiv oi the town suffered most. Nobody <„.... a Lft D y P^ Consulates, was harmed. Of the ciyi| population a hundred were killed and wounded, together with five soldiers. The Consuls are drawing up J 'a profek against the conduct of the Russians as being against all principle of international law. ...^.The Wab in Asia. — A battle has been won by the Russian troops under "General Tergukaaoff between Zaydikan ccaudtDelibaba.- The tight Qatik of the TireksJJias been defeated, 'and Ferjk Mahmoud Pasha killed, A number of bulletins come from Constantinople, all . favorable to the — firat, a confirmation of the news tnai Ba^azid has been retaken, then the rapulse of an attack by the Russians on Bfttpum oa the 23rd and 24ih insiant. ll wubal6Bs of over 2000 dead. I^ASSAORE OF TrJBKISK CavALKX. — y^ c Cfiflcem"ing"this affair, the corxespond-'^"tofrof-thie 'Daily Telegraph at Erzerouin telegraphed oa June 2 as follows : "I have to record the most terrible S event, of the present war. Two nights ago, 4,000 Circassian Cavalry, of Mukhfcar. Pasha's army, commanded by Mbssa' Pasha, were ordered to proceed . towards l£ars, entirely unsupported by -. infantry or artillery. Having madd considerable progress to iheir destina- ! 'tion^ and v overcome by fatigue, they " rested for the night at Bekli Ahmed, in the plains. Meantime the 'Russians', ..informed by spies of the defenceless -position of the Circassians, secretly organised a povverfal force to attack them. The more effectually to c irry ■ out their plan, iniautry were mounted - behind the Russian cavalry, and thus a lairge force during the night invested the village in which the Circassians - were halting, unconscious of the proximity of the enemy. The line of investment being complete, and whilst 4arkness prevailed, the Muscovite sol*diers commenced the massacre. Directly the Circassians discovered their dea.perate condition, they accused the of treachery, and having found -some Russian spies they were immediately shot. The combat then begun with fury-; the assailed, being totally of the disposition of the attacking force, fought at great disadvantage, which was increased by the .; suddenness of the onslaught. Though .^theip numbers, were rapidly lessened by the well directed fire of the Russian infantry, and all chances of escape cut off by the enemy's cavalry, the Circassians resolutely refused to surrender. , They determined to die hard, and, : standing back to back, it is stated they * lought. with deaperate courage. Bat all in vain; the Russians gradually -narrowed the investing circle, aud brought their destructive fire closer aud closer to their victims. The smaJ, but _ : devoted, band of survivors still .eoutiu,ued.their- unequal fight with a desperation and a heroism described as marvellous, their only weapons beiug Winchester rifles and swords; tbey fell where they stood. At last, with a shout, the Russians closed in on the surviving Circassians, and a general massacre succeeded. Wo quarter was given, Only about five per cent, of the entire force of 4 7 000 Circassians escaped the damage. Mussa Pasha is among the missing. Tiiis is a terrible was to the Turks here. Alukhtar pasha's cavalry is now almost entirely destroyed by this fearful slaughter. Mukhtar Pasha's array is afc Ziwin g<JiQK to Koprikoi. The Russians are advancing in several columns, endeavormg to intercept him. He will be sorely pressed by waut of cavalry." Hob art Pasha's Tactics. — A n a val ollicer in v letter thus speaks ol

the Turkish Admiral:—." flobart Pasha has just arrived on a cruise to see how the Black Sea forts are able to stand attack from the sea. I was present this rooming aYn meeting between the admirul and the civil and military cora< maudarits here. It appears that there ia a certain amount of ill-feeling .between the War Minister and ' 6ur fellow-countryman,. the admiral. The War Miuister thinks that the place for the admiral ia Constantinople. The Admiral thinks, not unnaturally, that the Black Sea just now offers the beat field for his exartiona, The War Minister ia reported to have said," 'You shall not go into the Black Sea.' The Admiral's answer was — 'Gat up steam; Black Sea !' and hare he is. This is all very delorable — jealousy, intrigue,misunderstandings. It ia divulging no secrets now to say that , when I was herb before there .was a scarcity of guns, but that now has been remedied. A large number have been 89nt up since I w»s last here, and they aie still arriving. lam happy to say that Hobart Pasha's general view of the situation hare is, 4 Lat them come!' " The Turkish Ironclads.-— Lloyd's agent at Poti writes uaieV d^te of May 28:— "Turkish ironclads pass the roads almost daily, and a few shots have been exchanged between thqm and the Russian batteries at the mouih of the Rhion, but without effect. Torpedoes are Uid along' the coast, and opposite Poti they extend. ,abput two cm'lea tfoaa the beach, seaward. A Greek brig, un<W the Ruasian flag, has lain off since the declaration of war. She is dtaeried by her grew, and has hitherto remained unmolested, 'A'he Turks look upon her aa a trap or decoy duck, and give her a wide berth. The whole of the goods have been oleared out of the custom-house at Poti, and forwardod to Kutais, sixty mijjes inland. The town ia deserted ; shops closed j the inhabitants have flad into the in-, terior ; and ouly a few soldiers remain to oppose the landiug of Circassians from the Turkish transports." Tukkish Soldiers. — A military correspondent at a Turkish camp. sends the following :—" I will now permit myself to any a word or two upon the general appearuiica and characteristics of Turkish soldiers; To begin at th& buae, I have everywhere found the rank-and-fiie sound. Take. your samples whencesoever you like— either from the Egyptians at Varna, the Arabs at Kuaicliuk, or tho mixed racea here, among cavalry, artillery, or infantry, and the result is (he same. You" get tough, broad-shouldered, patient-look-;u^, and.obeiiaut soldiers. ' They have their vices, but their especial streugh lies in their perfect sobriety. With a camp of, I will uot aay how maoy -men, out with a great camp like this, overwhelming this little towu, the keepars are simply beiug ruiuad because mere is no busiueae, and tbo streets are as quiet aa the City of Loudon on a buuduy afternoon. I have sma other armies, aud not one that I httve kuovvn baa nail that virtue. Ia this respect our Irieuiis across the Danube are very heavily haudicapped. Thug, among the Russians ueiug marched into the trains at Bucharest the other day, I counted sdven staggering meu at eight in (he tnoruing, und the officers took no notice whatever of their condition. ISo much tor the Turkish private, who is as good a piece of raw ututl to uiuke an army uut of as the most exacting tuartiuet would wiah to haudla. But tuny do uot loruf aa army yet. The officers do not, impress one at all favourably, partly oevtiUdd most of thorn are so evidently uew to their buaiuess, two out of ihree uuving bbeu nowly promoted Irom the rauks without any pluvious iruiniug, uuii partly (tow tuo aunosc total absence ot tuat .'gentle iiauly' bearing which uioro or lesa sots ita stamp upon mun uoidiug v comuiisaioa in must Hiuro^eau • imiea. M<my of the Suluu's officers aeeai to oe co inuuy good pi i vales spoilt. They aie also uiuch given to too couaumpuoa. of ' maatic ' and mnumoraultj tiuy cupa of black coff ;o. Mttitiii ia a suit of l'urkiah imiutiuu ot a.'&imhe, auJ id I uiu iulormeJ, evcu luoro JoloLtJiiuud ia iis etfduts. Nob iuiii L huvo tiVnc SBea uu oilioer exuedy aruuk."