Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 September 1877 — Schipka Pass. [ARTICLE]

Schipka Pass.

A correspondent, an eye-witness of the battle in Schipka Pass, telegraphs: On the 25th, while riding backward from Schipka through the night, I passed masses of reinforcements, artillery and infantry, hurrying forward. Their strength ought to secure the safety of all the important positions. The same correspondent telegraphs from Bucharest, on the 26th: Information follows me that fighting at the Pass is still raging, having been again renewed to-day; but Radetzky continues to hold his own.. It is now a question of endurance. But I adhere to my impression that Schipka Pass is safe, and unless Suleiman Pasha can run the column through another pass he will wreck his army by thus dashing it continually against Schipka. The correspondent affirms that Schipka Pass consists meiely of a section of- the Balkans, lower than the surrounding heights. There is no pass properly so-called, but merely a track over this lower section or ridge, which is extremely broken and hilly. The highest point of the road is flanked on either side by a spar commanding it, and also a ridge behind the first of these two spurs can rake the road leading to the Russian positions. The spurs break ofi abruptly and precipitously, affording no access to the valleys north of the Balkans. Their sole use to the Turks was the afford, ing of positions from whence to flank the central Schipka riige. It is possible also for troops to descend from them, struggle through the intervening glens, and, climb ing the steep slopes of Hchipka Ridge, give hand to each other or reach die road which runs along its summit. This done, the Schipka position would, of course, be turned, but the advantage would be of

little avail till the road had been opened by carrying the fortified positions on it. Tlie road over Bohipka Ridge constitutes, for an army, the only practicable line of communication in this section of the Balkans. On the 21st, when the fighting began, the Russians were a little over 8/000 strong, with forty cannon. The Russians on this day had mines In front of their trenches, which were exploded as (he head of the Turkish assaulting parties were msssed above them. It is reported that a large number of Moslems were blown into fragments. By the evening of the 23d, the Turks had so worked around on both the Russian flanks that it seemed as thougli the claws of the crab were about to close behind the Russians, and that the Turkish column climbing the Russian ridge would £ve a band to each other on the road in e rear of the Russian position. At this supreme moment the two Russian Generals, expecting momentarily to be environed, sent a telegram to the Czar telling him what they expocted, how they tried to prerent it, and now, please Goa, when driven into their positions they would hold these until reinforcements slibuld arrive; at all events, tney and their men would hold their ground to the last drop of their blood. At six o’clock'there was a lull in the fighting, of which the Russians could lake no advantage, since the reservei were all engaged. The men were beaten out with neat, fatigue, hunger and thirst. There was no water within the Russian lines, and the men lay panting on the bare ridge, reckless of the fact that it was swept by the Turkish rifle fire. Others doggedly fought on down among the rocks, but were forced to give ground. The cliffs resounded with the triumphant Turkish shouts. It was at this juncture that reinforcements, under Radetzky, arrived. Radetzky took command of these, with others who arrived subsequently, which brough up the number of the defenders of the Pass to about 13,000. The road, even in the rear of the Russian positions, along which the reinforcements had to advance was swept by the Turkish fire, and the reinforcements suffered heavily. The object of the battle of the 24th was to clear the Turks from the well wooded position which flanked the Russian positions on the road. The fighting was confined to musketry, and continued all day desperately. The Russians could make little impression by a front attack on the Turks. The correspondent says: Occasionally at some point the Russians would he hurled clean back out of the wood altogether. I could mark the Turks following them eagerly to its edge, lying down while pouring out a galling fire. The troops charged with making this front attack merely succeeded in preventing the Tuikish efforts to work around to the Russian rear. It was therefore decided at noon to deliver a counter flank movement. The two battalions executing this movement had to advance under a tremendous fire from the Turkish mountain guns. The fighting on the Turkish front and flank lasted for a full hour, but at last the Turks were seen withdrawing their battery of mountain guns near the right flank, which was a sure sign that danger menaced it if it staved longer. Their left battery followed the'ir example, which showed that the Russians gained the ridge on the Turkish left also. There remained but the central peak of the Turkish position; that carried, the ridge would lie ours, and our right flank would be set free from dangerous pressures on it. _