WAR NEWS BY MAIL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 450, 8 October 1877, Page 2

WAR NEWS BY MAIL.

When General Gourka was defeated at Eski Saylira, south of the Balkans, he letreate I nonh, lon ifymg Shipka Pass with a .Si l'i-on of 3000 men and 40 g-ms. TJie bulk < f his division, the Sth anil 14th corps, were posted at Gabrova to Tirnova, r -sting upon the Grand Duke's army, separating Oc.ni n I'a-ha from Meli miet Ah, an I acting as a wedge into BJkans. Had li ii * Ua I'ass been wrested from Gourka. the Turks would have commanded the road trom Kezuilik to Gabrova, whence the roads fork to i iruova, tlie pivot of t!ie<irand Duke Nicholas' army, t > Sclvi an I Lovatz in a noi\hwe terly dire;.ion, where Osman Pasha's right wing is st ongly posted. The Russian pos.tion is at the summit of the Pass, in a depre-sion in the back-bone of the Balkans, approached on I oth sides by a steep incline up a liairow winding valley, overhung with precipitous clill's. At the re.ir are wooded spurs, and a lofty ridge, with a-.-e -ssible s e. p ravines, buc exposed t>> the Russian li e. 'I he l.ussians occupied the Parses east and west of • hlpka, to prevent a Hank movement.

Un August 1 ho Kith, Sulieman Pasha advanced to r czanltk, cleuiug the Russians out of ihe vilhgeot Sliij k.i. Hi-.army tlien marched to the Valley of Tundja, to attack l'ortisi holas. On Alight 21 the stunned the works carrying a position within a hundred yauls of the entrenchments, hut with heavy loss, the .Russians exploding mines. After 14 hours' hard light ng, he left the Russians in | ossession of tin; main works. The 'l inks, by snpt ihuman ifloits, got their guns up ilie ravmos into position on toe li gli ground, covering the Russian works. I wo .ong-range batteries erected during the night, opened the at daybn ak. 'I he links swarmed the wooded spurs, and kept up an ii.ee •f-ant rilie fire. l.at;a ion after battaIn n woim huiled against the m an woik to fall hack shatte e<l. Fresh men were required f >r each a-i.-ault. I he second day h it the Turks in greater force on the high ground, working gradually loin d tiie Russians. I'll the third day the light continued, heavy b.tteries plaving oil Fort .Nicholas, and mountain guns sweeping the ro.al near the Rus-ian position ; and a pert- ct hail of rifle bullets decimated the ranks of the defenders of the l'ass. who repulsed every assault. Mght brought no respite. 1 here >\as no water in the Russian lines, though t.,e wea her was very hot, an the men, worn out, wuh liunge , tnir.-t, and fatigue, had not a nioinent to prop..re foo i for three uays Their pos tion was despetaie 'I he I inks were Jeady to overwhelm the when the flu sian general's t legram reached tl;e Czar, te ling him the si uati m, and adding that he thouhl be it iven into the redoubt, which he would hold till reinforced, or, please Ood, they all died. There was a luil in the light on ihe third day. The Rursi.'Ut lay panting on the bare re ks, swept by the Tuikish fire, while others fought am >iig the ciifTi but were forced to give ground. Turki-h cheers echoed trim every cliff, when heavy lighting in the 'ear lu'i-a'deil tl.e ariival it run orcrments. (General Radetski fought his way at the head of tlie advance gua.d. tie main body arriv ng suhsequen ly, the Russians then numbering I3,u0l) a.l tolil. 'lhe reinforce ments sullered lieavi:y. Radi-tsky went into action attempting to clear the wooded spurs A musketry batil- lasted till 10 p.m., when a lunar Ci lipse stoi ped the lijjht General I loroschir-ky, coniniauding the Pass, was kil ed at the close of th r thiid day in an nil uceessful attempt to di-lodge the lurk" from the woods. At dawn on the fou th day the conila. was lenewed with greater lury. lladetsky threw his men into the woods, but was repulsed by the Turks. A repetition of the Russian attack was also repulsed, from dawn t> mid day the Tuiks keeping up a constant cannonade irmn the height "at long <ange, and working up to the J entrenchments in trout. At hoon, a change was made in the Rus?iau tactics ; two battali lis executed a llaiiK. movement under a tremendous n.usketry and artillery lire, when a combined attack was made on the front and Hanks of the Turks. Alter two hours' li rd lighting, the I uiks withdrew then- mountain battery on the right Hank, fol owed soon by the battery on the left. The woods wvre me liwhile cleared. The central position of the i uri\.s remained. Radetsky lei the stormers to the redoubt, which was very strong, surrounded by a tangled mass of trunks and brandies of fallen trees. '1 he slaughter was immense. Ultimately ic was taken, and it was then di-covered that the 'lurk- had tortured a. d then (Kcapitated the Russians who fell into their hands alive. Thus the sun went down on the lourtli day at Shipka Pass. Reinforcements were pou ed into it from both sides subsequently, till ihe Russian strength was e tim t d at 30 O(K). i'roni iirst to last, the Tuiku hail GO, ojo regulars, besides Albanians. Tlie fighting continued oil >aturday a.id .Sunday, through Sunday night to Monday. >u:ieinan, who had worked round a aiu to higher gr und, dashed his battalions aguust thj Russian w. r s ineli'cotua ly. iieavy siege guns were got into position, and a regular siege began, varied by s a p musketry and et fights. The interest of : the whole campaign lor ihe tune centred in 1 Ship <a Pass. It au lemau had carne i it, lie I cou.d dnve the Russians from Gabro.a, j effect a junction with Meheinet Alt and j i >s.nail Pasha, and toree thj Russians aero s j the Danube. Tins is the Turki h plan «»f j the campaign. fcu.ieman'.s a-tny would | tupply the nnssiiig link in the Tmki h line I of defence, Shumla to Widdin. Hence the |

j importance of the Pass to the Russians ; i Teruakitz' defence held Tiniova, and secure.' I 1 the covering of the army fronting Plevna. On August 28. hj, Sulieinan attacked both fl.uiks from I) a.m. till 6 p in. The Turks captuivd a flanking outwork, and on the 2Sth were constructing batteries out of range of the Russian guns. These completed the daily bulletins. Repeated storming attacks were re: ul<ed, and on September 3rd. fc>ulieman Pasha liaving wrecked a si lend id army, abaiulone I the hope of capturing Shipka Pass. '1 he th usands o dead bodies created an unbearable stench. When the Turk* abandoned the Pass, they commanded the road to Gabrova, supplies only reaching the Russians under cover of night. 'I he Russian* report 1200 killed and 3000 wounded. The Turks admit 7000 killed and 300(1 wounded at Adrianople, and 40.10 at Kezanlik lik and the hill-sides of Shipka. On September I sr. Sulieman win severely censured for exceeding orders, and Mohammed Damad Pasha was removed Irom the War Ministry for giving instructions to "cirry the Pass. The Cz r piv-ented Radetsky with a sword set brilliantly, for hi* defence at Shijika. as ail ever-m -mot able feat of arms in fighting at close quarters.