THE WAR TELEGRAMS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 236, 5 October 1877, Page 4

THE WAR TELEGRAMS.

" Austria " writes in the Auckland Herald : — Owing to the break in tbe cable, the telegrams which have come to hand during tbe past ten days are so contradictory, that it is a matter of extreme difficulty to point out the exact positions of the different armies. Prom Bombay on the 21st instant, we hear, through the correspondent of the Daily News, that the attack on Plevna has been abandoned. Later on we hear that the bombardment and blockade still continue. Earlier telegrams inform us that 30,000 Turks had arrived midway between Sophia and Plevna, and that an escort, consisting of 5000, conveying munitions of war, had entered Plevna. Again, according to telegrams of the 24th instant, it is stated that 15 battalions and 3 cavalry regiments of Russians had attacked this escort, but had been defeated. The inference togbe drawn from these contradictions aro: that the position occupied by Oaraan Pasha at Plevna and in its neighborhood bas never been completely surrounded; that the Vid, or Supul, which runs in the rear of Plevna, has been the hindrance; still the bombardment continues, and the Russians, having now absolute possession of tbe Grovitza Redoubt, which lies in front of the entrenchments, are endeavoring, by means of Biege operations, so to advance their works that they will be enabled to deliver a final assault with less risk, and may be with more apparrent chance of success. On tbo other hand, we know for certain that the Turks recaptured on the 12th instant all the positions lo6t after the great bombardment and assault of the llth. Theae redoubts are distant from four to five miles of Plevna, and in front of the entrenchments so admirably described by the correspondent of the Daily News. With the reinforcements which by this time must have joined Osman Pasha, and his army again amply supplied, it will be indeed extraordinary if at. the eleventh hour he allows himself to be driven from such a formidable position, and from which he at aoy moment could strike a serious blow at his opponent. Again , if Hafiz Pasba has arrived at Dubnik (" Dubruck " mentioned in telegrams) with the reinforcements stated to be under his command, viz., 30,000 men, there is uo reason to disbelieve the news wbioh states that Osman Pasha has been ordered from Constantinople to assume the offensive; for Dubnik is scarcely 14 miles from Plevna, and with 30,000 extra men, probably the corps lately brought up from Bagdad — all of them tried soldiers — he would be, as far as numbers are concerned, iu equal force to the Russians now besieging him. The army of Sulieman Paßha, lately stated to have been in possession of Fort Nicholas, and of Gabrbva, commanding Trajan's Road, now appears to have made an unsuccessful attack on Fort Nicholas is uanaccountable. There oan be no doubt that the difficulties of procuring reliable information from this army have materially increased since it worked round tp the rear of the Shipka Pass by Trajan's Road. The distauce alone would require five or six days' riding ere the main telegraph stations are reached. As yet there is no reason to disbelieve the telegrams from Russian sources, which say it was evacuated for strategical reasons, and tho Turkish official account, which states that it was captured on the 16ih inst. Unquestionably this array has suffered most severely in its repeated attacks on the position occupied by the Russians in the Pass, which positions were eo wantonly deserted by those entrusted with the duty of defeudiog them. Still the fact remains that Sulieman Pasha is at the present moment in rear of Shipka, and consequently severs the communication of the Uussiaus from the source of their supplies. Slowly, but surely, the winter is creeping on. Already the cold at jnight time must q intense, for the altitude of the Pass [ a from 4500 to 500 feet, and the equipment of the Russiaas, meant only for a summer campaign, must be of the lightest description. With the evacuation of Tirnova and tha line of the Jantra to Biela all hopes of a speedy relief have vanished. The army of Mrhemet Ali, according to telegrams of the 25ih instant, published in our iropres-ion of Thursday, unsuccessfully attacked the Russian positions at Cheikovna. It will be remembered that this army was divided into two corps, and was converging on the Juntra towards Bielu by two different routes — the one corpa under the personal command oi Mehemet, advancing in a southeasterly direction from Papaskoi, to the Bankalom, and from theuco along " the River Juntra to Biela; the other corps under tho command of Eyoub Pat ha, after defeafiug the Twelfth Russian Army Corps at Kizaievo, were advancing in a due easterly direction on Biela at which place thoy were supposed to unite and force the Russians back ou Sistova. The indecisive flighting on the 21st inst, (Friday), ia as yet all that has been actually telegraphed by Baron Reuter. Wo havo as yet to learn which of thess corps attacked the Russian position. That it could not havo been the main array we can easily gather from the fact that the telegram states that they were obliged to fall back. " the supports failing." It would therefore appear tbat the advance guard of, the Turkish array suddeuly came upon the Rus.iaus nt Cherkovna and immediately attacked them finding them strongly entrenched, were coca-

polled to retire and watt for reinforcements. There ia evidently a rumour io Sydney ihat the Russian array on this day met with a crushing defeat, in which vast numbers were slain and many prisoners were taken, The Sydney Morning Herald special says the accounts of thia fighiing at Biela were greatly exaggerated. We have as yet received no definite news of a second encounter on that day, nor can we expect to hear any for gome days to come, as the cable between Singapore aad Batavia was interrupted on Wednesday afternoon, and sincß then no direct communication with London has taken place. In fact, the whole of the telegrams received in town on Saturday appeared to have been forwarded from Singapore to Batavia by steamer during the previous interruption of the cable —as wo have received direct news from Bombay on last Thursday up to the 25ih September, aud those now published, are of the 24th iost. Therefore, the news of the great Turkish victory must be received with caution. In Asia Minor tho Russiana seem to have reaasumed the offensive, and General Tegukassoff claims to havo defeated Ismael Pasha with great loss. The news of this fighting comes from Russiau sources; it givea no date or name of \ tho place where the battle took place; but from the former position of the Russian army, it would be in the direction of Bayazid. !