WAR NEWS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 241, 11 October 1877, Page 4

WAR NEWS.

[Correspondent N. Zealand. Times.']

San Francisco, Sopt. 12.

THE DESTRUCTION OF ESKI SAQHBA.

The New York Tribune's Constantinople correspondent, describing the destruction of the city of Kski Saghra, captured by Sulieoian Pasba, says: — As the Turkish troops approached the city the Moslem inhabitants began to issue forth ;from their hiding places, and before the troops hnd fairly entered the place, the Moslem citizens began to break in the doors of the Buigarion bouses. It took hardly ten minutes to pillage five hundred boaseß, There was a continuous and rapid fire all over the city. At the same time the Turks say the Bulgarians fired from the houses and churches on the troops. There are no Bulgarians left to give their version of the story. All the Bulgarian men seem to have been killed as if by pre-arrangement. The women and children were spsred as a general thing, but a hideous pillage, accompanied by firing and shrieks and shonts, ota icu d all night. The great districts of the city were burning, as if all other horrors were not enough. At daylight Sulieman Pasha ordered all Moslems and Jews, whom the Turku protect as if they were their own people, to leave the place, since his contemplated operations rlid not include the defence of Eski Baahra. So the Turks loaded up their loot and women and children in waggons, and went to the nearest, railway station, followed by what seemed an endless train of Bulgarian womea auu children, who had lost ali. These poor creatures could see ia the Turkish waggons (?oo<ia stolen from tlieir houses, but they dareed not ask for them. Eski Saghra was left to thfi flames, and in its streets and surrounding villages the rattle of rifles was constant for three ov four days. It Beeme<l to be tha purpose of the Turka to kill every Bulgarian male over ten years of age. The fair city set on a hil!, used once to look over the plain, which teemed with a busy peasantry at work in fertile fields. Now from a scarred and blistered bill you look over the plain, and its forty villages were blackened ash-heaps, foul from the hund of death. No one will ever know the exact loss of life at Eski Saghra. Seven thousand women and children of its Christian population aro dependent on charity in Adrinnople, and to-day theae people believe that all their relatives are killed. Eski Saghra is entirely wiped out of existence. Two American missioourieg, the Reva.Bond and Mftrsb, with their wives and five smr.ll children were in Eski Saqhra during the tuking of the placa by the Russians, and sheltered some poor wretches who were in danger nt the hands of the Bulgarian mob. The missionaries r<jso fed some of their Moslem neighbors. In consequence, of this, and other kindness, their Moslem neighbors rallied around them during the destruction of the city, and saved their lives. Atone time the Circassians drew (heir swords and came at the missionaries to kill them, but the Turks withstood them, and between entreaties un'i reactance kept the ruffians away, although in one ease the missionaries had to pay the Circassians 60 dollars in gold aa a ransom. The Turks then got word to the Governor of the city, who at ouce came to see the missionaries, anl provided them with a guard of regular soldie:s, which kept off all marauders ; and thirty or more Bulgarians were saved from death in their houses, These missionaries lost everything they posi3£Bßed, eecapiug to the railway with only the clothes they had ou, and on tha road sleeping for threa liights ou the bare ground- and living on raw wheat. As to

MEHEMET ALls OPERATIONS,

The accounts of the battle before Eski Djutna are very fragmentary aud coi-flieting. Tha numbers engaged do not appear lo have been vary great although the battle was stubbornly contested. A Viemia special says the Rußsiuns numbered 7000 and the Turks 17,000; Aecordiug to a Russian offiei-.tl account the Turks look i,h^ defensive in jzreat (orc^i on August 22nd, a»J drove back two Russians biiitiilions from Jas'ari. The Russians subsequently retook J.-slari. Skrimisli. ing continued t:nuu»hoiit tbe insist aad uext uuy tiio 23; d i.he Tutks made. tfi!>e aitii.ks in iho Deighboihooi! of Juslari, but were bnl.'Uutly ropulsed. A dispatch 'dated Eeki Djurnu, Thursuay night, reports Lhat '• steady fi^bimg was t;OK)g ou for the last thirty -3ix hum a between the Turkish advance posts und the Rusaiatis, svho are atlueking iv force along the line from J-ielari to Popskoi. The Turka were at first ■iriveu iv, but were rtiuforced, aud retook their original position, which they hold at this moment."

The London Times correspondent with tha Tmkish aim/ telegraphs the iol'.owing with re^urd to the battle, made !rom poraoaal observation : — Eaily thia morning Meojib Pasha advancad fsotn Adukenj, ueai- liASgrad, with three tiriguatiß of infantry, two batteries of artillery, and two equaJrona of cavalry, with one brigade ot infantry ia reserve. Mehemet AH and Prince Hassan took up their posiiioaß with their staff oa b high hill immediately north of Yeneko, which commands ao uninterrupted view from Itasgrad to beyond Gaiaan Bazar. Tbe Rusaiana from their batteries behiud Sadova opened n're about 9 o'clock advancing on the Turks. Neojib steadily advanced und euterei the burning village ot Saiova. By 11 20 a.m. the ltussians were hotly

pressed and they retired preoipitataly to Ktrassan, where they made a vigorous siand. Ssfvet Pasha created a divortion by attacking Haidarnkoi. The Russians had a battery of three guns to their right near Haidarakoi, and made splendid practice at the advancing Turks ; but these cleverly opened out, and advanced right and left of the villogo in a workmanlike style. The engagement now became general, and extended over oome fifteen miles. The heavy and continued roll of fire of the skirmishers was heard all along the ridges from Bosisherder lo near Sselon. By 4 o'clock Kurassan was in flamea. Tha Russians gradually gave way, and tha Turka reJoubled the energy of their attack. At 5 o'clock the enemy were scampering from Haiderarakoi, and the horses were trotting to take off the guns of the battery. The Turkish batteries were making splendid practice. The Turka cheered and dashed through the blazing village, and away to the left of Popukoff, like a pack of hounds. The Russian camps were hastily cleared out, two guns covering their retreat, and raakhig excelleut practice ; but th 9 Turks and Egyptains still scampered over the ground in fine style. The Russians were now in full retreat in every direction, and by aunsefc the Turks ha I proved themselves, for the second time, not only capable, of meeting the Russians in the open fietd, but also of driving them from strongly entrenched positions. In ton days the Russians have lost the magnificent double positions of Lorn andKaralom. What may happen nest no one knows. It is impossible to tell what forces the Russians had engaged, nor cau their losses yet he estimated. Probtbly they were not, heavy, except arouud Karnssan, by which name this- engagement is designated by the Turks.