ADDITIONAL MAIL NEWS,

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 239, 9 October 1877, Page 2

ADDITIONAL MAIL NEWS,

(By Telegraph.) [San Francisco correspondent N. Z. Times.'] THE FIGHTING AT PLEVNA. was of a very desperate character. On August 3 1st Osmau Pasha attacked the Russiau entrenchment at Peliset with 20,000 men. The Turks crossed the valley uuder a destructive fire, and rushed gallantly up the hill, reaching \yithin ten feet of the Russian trenches, until a storm of balls drove them back, the slope being covered with dead. A3 the Turks were falling back the Russians charged thera with the bayonet. On the 4th of September the Russians from Poredin attacked the Turks. The skirmishers drove jn the outposts, and getting up to the main ljne terrible fighting ensued, the Russiaus repeatedly charging the enemy's position. The Turks bravely resisted, but were forced back info their lost line of entrenchments. A telegram from Bucharest, dated September 9, says au official bulletin from the Russian headquarters afc Poredin gave the following details of tha operations against Plevna: " At dusk on Thursday the troops of the western column approached Plevna, and I working all night, unobserved by the Turks, erected batteries on the heights surrounding the Turkish fortifications. ' Our siege batteries opened oh Friday with a .cannonade, which continued all day. Tlie commandant of one of our batteries was killed, and two officers wounded. The loss on Friday was not large. The artillery engagement was renewed on Saturday morning with great vigor, and continued all day. In the evening , our left wing succeeded in occupying the [ heights to the south of the town with the loss of 500 men. The village of Erschitza was also occupied. The centre and right wing approached to withiu twelve hundred yards of the Turkish fortifications. The losses of the whple were not great. The cannonade lasted all Saturday mqrning. and Lovatz was captured by the Russians after severe fighting, the Turks retiring to westward." A correspondent, describing the entry of Lovatz by the Russians, says: — The road was strewn with Tlirks, Jwith here and there a Russian- Some of the Turks had been shot first, and then repeatedly bayoneted, The correspondent estimates the Russian loss at 1000. The two masses were not exposed as at Plevna— skill being substituted for brute force. THE AVAR IN ARMENIA. The Turks attacked the Russians in force on August ?sth at the village of Kurakdare, twenty-five miles north-east of Kars, carrying Kujdal, an untenable position, by a cavalry dash. Fighting lasted from dawn to dark. There was a hand to hand contest throughout the combat, the Turks attacking the Russian lines, and the Russians reserving their fire until at close quarters, and, after delivering it, rushing oufc to engage the Turks Avith the bayonet: Mukhtar Pasha burled hia battallions against the Russians witli great pertinacity. General MelikofE commanded the Russiaus. Both armies were splendidly handled, and fought well. The Turks retired. The Russian loss is estimated at 4000 killed and Avounded. By Mukhtar Pasha it was telegraphed that he obtained a victory. Tho Turkish loss ia unknown.

THE FIGHTING At SHIFKA PASS. After General Gourka wag defeated at Eskie Saghra, south of the Balkans, he retreated jiorfch, fortifying Shipka Pass with a garrison of 3000 meu and 40 guns. The bulk of the division with the eighth and fourteenth corps Was posted from Gabroua to Tirnova, resting upon the Grand Duke's army, separating Osman Pasha from Mehemet Ali, and acting as a wedge into the Balkans Shipka Pass had been wrested by Gourka from the Turks, and he commanded the road from Kesanlik to Gabrona, whence the roads fork fco Tirnova, the pivot of the Grand Duke Nicholas' army, and to Selva and Lovatz in a north-westerly direction, where Osman Pasha's right wing was strongly posted. The Russian position was ou the summit of the Pass at a depression in the backbone of the Balkans, approached from both sides at a steep dec'ine by a narrow winding valley, overhung by precipitious cliffs. On the 10th of August Sulieman Pasha advanced on Kesanalik, driving the Russians from the village, and the army marched along the valley of Junga to attack Port Nicholas. On the 21st of August they stormed the outworks, carrying the position to within one hundred yards of the entrenchments. There was heavy loss;. the Russians exploding the mines. Fourteen hours' hard fighting left the Russians in possession of the main works. The Turks by superhuman efforts got guns through ravines into position on high ground covering the Hussiau works. Two long ranges of batteries were erected during the night, and opened fire at daybreak. The Turks swarmed along the wooded spurs, and kept up an incessant fire, battalion af er battalion was hurled against the main works only to fall back shattered, and fresh men were brought up at each assault. The second day left the Turks in greater force on the high grounds, working gradually round the Russians. The third days' fight continued heavy; batteries playing on Fort Nicholas, guns sweeping the road at the rear of the position with a perfect hail of rifle bullets, decimating the ranks of the defenders of the Pass, who repulsed eyery assault. •At night there was no respite. There was no water in the Russian lines and the weather was very hot. Meu were wearing out with hunger, thirst, and fatigue, and had not a moment to prepare food for three days. The position was desperate; the Turks were ready to overwhelm them, when the Itussiau generals sent a telegram to the Czar telling him the situation, and adding that should they be driven into the redoubt they would hold it till reinforced, or, please God, all would die. There was a lull iv the fight at 6 p.m. On the third day the Russians lay pantiug ou the bare rocks swept by the Turkish fire. Some fought amongst the cliffs but were forced to give ground, the Turkish cheers echoed from every cliff. Heavy firing in the rear heralded reinforcements. General Radisky fought his way ahead of the advance guard, the main body arriviug subsequently. The Russians then numbered 13,000 all told. The reinforcements suffered heavily. , General Radisky went into the action, attempting to clear the wooded spurs with musketry, the battle lasting till ten p.m., when a luuar eclipse stopped the fight. General Doroschky, commanding the Pass, was killed at the close of the third day. An attempt to dislodge the Turks in the woods failed. At dawn on the fourth day the combat was renewed with greater fury. General Radisky and his men were thrown into the woods, but were repulsed by the Turks. A repetition of the Russian attacks was repulsed at dawn. At midday the Turks by keeping up a constant cannonade on the heights at a longer range, aud marking up to the entrenchments iv front, soon changed the Russian tactics. Two battalions executed a flank movement under a tremendous musketry and artillery fire. Wheu combined an attack was made by the front on the flanks of the Turks, and after five hours' hard fighting the Turks withdrew their mountain battery. The right flank followed, aud soon after the battery on the left. The woods meanwhile were cleared, and only the central position of the Turks remained. General Radisky led these stormers. The redoubt was very strong, and was surrounded by a tangled mass of trunks and branches of fallen trees. The slaughter was immense, but the redoubt was ultimately taken, aud it' was discovered that the Turks had tortured and decapitated the Russians who fell alive into their" hands, and so the sun went down on the fourth day. Reinforcements poured into both . sides subsequently, till the Russians were estimated afc 30,000. From first to last the Turks had 60,000 Regulars besides aliens. The fighting was continued on Saturday and Sunday, and through Sunday night. On Monday, Sulieman Pasha, who had worked round again to higher ground, dashed his battalions against the Russian' works ineffectually. Heavy siege guns were then got into position, and a regular siege began, varied by sharp musketry and bayonet fighting. The interest of the camp at this time centred wholly at Shipka Pass. If Sulieman Pasha carried the day he would drive the Russians from Gabrona, and effect a junction with Mehemet Ali and Osman Pasha, and force the Russians across the Danube. In the Turkish plan of the campaign, Sulieman Pasha's army supplies the missing line in tho Turkish line of defence from Shumla to Widiu, hence the importance of Shipka Pass to the Russians, and the tenacity of the defence. On the 27th August Sulieman Pasha attacked both flanks from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., when the Turks captured the flanking outworks. On the 28th they were engaged constructing batteries out of range of the Russian guns. These being completed, the battal lions repeated a storming attack, but were repulsed. On September 3rd, Sulieman Pasha having wrecked his splendid army, abandoned a?l bope of carrying Shipka Pass. Thousands of dead bodies created an unbearable stench. Wheu the Turks abandoned the Pass which commanded the road to Gabrona, supplies only reached the Russiaus under cover of night. The Russians report 1200 killed aud 3000 wounded. The Turks admit 7000 killed aud 3000 wounded at Alexandrople,aud -1000 afc Kesauliuk and the hill sides at Shipka Pass on September Ist; Sulieman Pasha was severely censured for exceeding his orders.