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СНАР. XI.

RUSSIA. Opening of the Campaign between Russia and TurkeyThe Russian Fleet takes Sizeboli-The Turks are defeated in an attempt to retake it-The Russian Army, under General Diebitsch, crosses the Danube, and marches against Silistria-Skirmishes as it advances-The Russians invest Silistria-The Grand Vizier moves from Shumla to attack General Roth-Battle of Eski-Arnautlar The Russians retire, and the Grand Vizier besieges Pravadi-Count Diebitsch marches from Silistria with part of the besieging Army to support General Roth, and relieve Pravadi-He joins General Roth, and they occupy the Defiles in the rear of the Vizier, without his being aware of it-Battle of Kulertscha―The Vizier forces open the Road to Shumla, and takes up a new position-The_Russians renew the attack, and the Turks take to Flight-The Vizier regains Shumla-The Russians offer to open Negotiations-Silistria surrenders, and the besieging Army joins Count Diebitsch before Shumla-The Russians prepare to cross the Balkan, leaving a Corps to watch Shumla-They effect the Passage of the Kamtschick, and reach the summit of the Mountain, before the Vizier is aware of their Movements-They descend the Southern Side of the Balkan— They take Mesembri, Bourgas, and Aidos, defeating, at the latter, a large body of Turks-They take Karnabut and Sambol, and push their advanced Guards towards Adrianople-The Vizier leaves Shumla by a circuitous route, and reaches Selimno on the Road to Adrianople-The Russians attack the Turks at Selimno, defeat them, and carry the Town-They advance to Adrianople, which capitulates, the Turkish Garrison dispersing-The Fleet takes Vassilico, Agathopolis, and Ainada on the Euxine, and a detachment of the Army occupies Enos on the Mediterranean-Opening of the Campaign in ASIA-The Turks form the Siege of Akhalzik, but are compelled by the Russians to raise it-The Pacha of Trebizond is driven from his Camp-Count Paskewitsch succeeds in crossing the Mountains, to advance on Erzeroum, and defeats the Turks in two separate Actions-Erzeroum surrenders to the Russians-Return of the English and French Ambassadors to ConstantinopleThe Sultan refuses to accept their Mediation on the terms proposed regarding Greece-State of the Capital as the Russians advanceCommissioners sent to Adrianople to treat-A suspension of Hostilities takes place-Peace is concluded between Russia and Turkey—— Terms of the Treaty. PERSIA.-Massacre of the Russian Ambassador and his Suite at Tehran.-GREECE.-Progress of the Greek Army in Western Greece; they take Vonizza, Carvassara, Lepanto, Anatolico, Missolonghi--Protocol of the three Powers regarding

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the Boundaries and Settlement of Greece-They request from the Greek Government a suspension of Hostilities, which is refusedDissensions among the Military-General Church resigns the Command of the Army-Meeting and Proceedings of the National Assembly-Negotiations at Constantinople for the Settlement of Greece-The Sultan, in the Russian Treaty, accedes to the Protocol of the Allies-Conferences at London to carry the Protocol into effect-The three Powers resolve that the Sovereignty reserved to Turkey, by the Protocol and the Russian Treaty, shall be abolished-They fix the Limits of the new Greek State.

THE campaign of last year, between the Russians and the Turks, had been honourable both to the conduct and the valour of the Ottomans. They had made good a resistance which Europe had not expected from them; Russia had been compelled to close the campaign, after suffering most grievous losses, by hurrying back her armies to the north bank of the Danube, retaining possession of no place of importance on the Turkish side, except Varna and Pravadi. She opened the campaign of the present year with greater caution; intending, before she should venture her troops deep into the interior, to reduce the strong fortress of Silistria, on the right bank of the Danube, which had defeated and disgraced her arms in the previous campaign. To the bad success, too, of that campaign was probably to be ascribed the change which took place in the command of the invading army. Count Wittgenstein, who had gathered no laurels by his operations, was graciously allowed by the emperor to retire from his burthensome post; and general count Diebitsch was placed at the head of the Russian troops. Every exertion had been made, during the winter, to repair the losses of last year, and to secure

victory, so far as it could be secured by numbers and equipment.

The first operations of the campaign were performed by the fleet, and took place on the coast of the Euxine. In the end of March, a detachment of the Russian fleet, under admiral Kumany, having taken on board a large body of troops, made a descent on Sizeboli, a Turkish sea-port, situated at the eastern extremity of the gulph of Bourgas, the possession of which increased the means of keeping up with any army, which might march into the interior, those communications on which the safety of such an army would necessarily depend. The place was neither strongly fortified nor garrisoned; the descent was unexpected; and the enterprise succeeded. The Russians made themselves masters of the town, and proceeded to strengthen it by additional works, before the Turks from Bourgas could march to its assistance. Hussein Pacha, however, having collected in the neighbourhood of the latter place about 5000 infantry, and 1500 cavalry, attempted to re-take it. On the 9th of April, he attacked an intrenched hill in the immediate vicinity. The assault was acknowledged by the Russians themselves to be dreadful. Though the guns of their batteries were pouring cannister

shot among the assailants, and were supported by a heavy fire of musketry and grenades, some of the Turks climbed the breastwork and entered the trenches. Their main body had made their way to the gate of the trench, when the Russians, who had formed within the place, sallied at different points, and the Turks, attacked on every side, besides being exposed to the fire of the works, were compelled to give way, and fall back upon Bourgas. Alarmed at this new establishment of the enemy on the shores of the Black Sea, the Sultan ordered his fleet, consisting of twenty-one sail, to proceed into that sea from the Bosphorus, with the intention, it may be presumed, of fighting the Russian squadron. It entered the Black Sea on the 20th of May, the Sultan himself accompanying it as far as the last port in the Bosphorus. Shortly afterwards it fell in with four Russian frigates and a brig. A brief action ensued, which ended in one of the frigates being taken, the other three, and the brig, making their escape. The Turks, instead of assuming courage from this first success, put about so soon as they learned that the Russian fleet had sailed to meet them, and returned with their prize in great triumph to Constantinople, only a few days after they had quitted it. In the mean time, the divisions, composing the principal Russian army, had broken up from their cantonments in the middle of April, and, crossing the Danube at different points, were collected in their camp at Czernowody, in the beginning of May. Preparations were immediately made for undertaking the siege of Silis

tria; general Diebitsch, although in so infirm a state of health that he required to be borne about in a litter, having hastened forward his head quarters to direct the operations in person. On the 13th of May, he advanced towards Silistria, at the head of twentyone battalions, sixteen squadrons of cavalry, and some regiments of Cossacks. The advance was slow and difficult, owing to the badness of the ways along which the troops were compelled to march, as the great road was under water, in consequence of an inundation of the Danube. By the 17th he had arrived within five versts from Silistria, without encountering any opposition; but, next day, his first division fell in with the enemy, posted along a ridge of rising ground, and in some intrenchments which the Russians had thrown up during the siege of the preceding year. An attack by a regiment of Cossacks upon a mass of Turkish cavalry posted upon the heights, was the signal for a general battle. The Russian infantry charged; the enemy was broken, and, in less than a quarter of an hour, driven from all the works which he occupied on that point. The left column, under general Krassoffsky, met with greater resistance. The general, having given his troops an hour's rest, led them against two strong redoubts, which, though very advantageously situated, were soon taken; and the Turks, driven back at every point, sought refuge within the walls of the fortress. The result of these operations was, that Silistria was completely invested. The works were immediately begun; and, by May 26, the first parallel was completed.

two other regiments, and four field
pieces. In an instant the two re-
giments were surrounded by the
Turkish horse; the whole of the
Turkish infantry advanced, sup-
ported by the fire of ten pieces of
artillery, attacked the square into
which the Russians had formed
themselves, and would have anni-
hilated great part of it, had not a
fresh body of Russians attacked
them in front, while one of the
regiments, already engaged, took
them
them in flank. The combat was
kept up with unexampled fury,
till at length, about eight in the
evening, the grand Vizier, having
been engaged from three in the
morning, retired into the valley of
Neutsha. The Russians admitted
that they lost, in this close and
obstinate engagement, 1000 men;
they estimated that of the enemy
at 2000. The Turks, on the other
hand, stated the loss of the Rus-

The grand Vizier, Redschid Pacha, was posted at Shumla with an army said to amount to 35,000 men; and to him the governor of Silistria applied for assistance,so soon as it was seen that the investment of that place was as yet the serious and principal object of the invading army. The vizier determined, in the first place, to cut off the communication between the besieging army and the Russian troops, which occupied, under general Roth, Varna and Pravadi, and which, moreover, he could not prudently leave behind him in marching to Silistria. General Roth had been for some time concentrating his forces; and a village called Eski-Arnautlar, five versts from Pravadi, was occupied by six battalions, and some Cossacks, with twelve field pieces. That position was attacked early on the 17th of May, by the grand vizier, at the head, according to the Russians at 3000 men, and claimed sian account, of 15,000 men. The Russians, though so inferior in numbers, baffled every attempt of the Turks to break through their lines, and strong reinforcements were soon brought to their assistance. On the arrival of these fresh troops, the Turks appeared to make preparations for retiring, and the affair seemed to be at an end; but the Vizier, having likewise been joined by another corps of his army, renewed the attack. With 4000 cavalry he advanced towards the heights, situated between the Russians and Pravadi, with the intention of turning the left flank of general Roth. The latter, to oppose this movement, advanced against the Turkish cavalry, at the head of two regiments, and six pieces of artillery, supported by two battalions of

the victory. General Roth, instead of advancing after the battle, fell back; and the Vizier immediately formed the siege of Pravadi. More important than any immediate results of the conflict was the fact, that, for seventeen hours, the Turkish infantry had sustained an obstinate and bloody combat with regular Russian troops.

General Diebitsch, at all events, felt, that the results of this action rendered his position under the walls of Silistria unsafe, and general Roth was now confessedly too weak to prevent the Vizier from advancing. Having learned, therefore, on the 4th of June, that the Vizier, for ten days, had been investing Pravadi, he marched from Silistria on the 5th, with the corps of count Pahlen, to reinforce Roth

and relieve Pravadi, leaving general Krassoffski to continue the siege of Silistria. The march was difficult and toilsome, from the nature of the country and the state of the roads; but the Russian general conducted his operations with so much caution and skill, and the Turks displayed so much carelessness or inexperience, that Diebitsch effected his junction with Roth on the 10th of June, in front and towards the left of the grand Vizier, without the latter being aware of his approach. At the same time he rapidly occupied the direct road from Pravadi to Shumla, thus cutting off the retreat of the Vizier, who was not even aware of the vicinity of the Russian troops, till they were in possession of all the defiles on his left and in his rear. He was, therefore, now in a position, in which his defeat would leave Shumla defenceless; for the only roads, by which a defeated army could retire upon it, were in possession of the enemy.

The grand Vizier, imagining at first that his communications were merely threatened by a body of general Roth's army, instead of being already actually cut off by the whole force of count Diebitsch, broke up from Pravadi for the defiles of Kulertscha, hoping to destroy this corps. While he was doing so, count Diebitsch, on the morning of the 11th of June, with a view to pass still farther to the rear of the Turkish army, made a reconnoissance with 10,000 men, and some artillery, in the direction of Marasch; an operation which, if it had succeeded, would have completely cut off the grand Vizier from all access to Shumla. The latter, seeing the importance

He

of this movement, and still believing that he had only a detachment to deal with, sent forward a body of 3000 men to attack it; but, as the Russian columns came up one after another, he learned the truth of his critical situation. There seemed, however, surprised as he certainly was, to be no hesitation in his measures, and no confusion among his men. brought forward his whole army; they were formed in regular squares of infantry, and well disposed columns of cavalry, supported by artillery. The numbers on both sides were nearly equal, and an obstinate and sanguinary conflict ensued. At the very beginning, count Diebitsch found himself obliged to bring up his reserve, and throw it into the hottest of the fire. By this movement he gained some superiority; but, so far from having made any important impression on the Turkish army, the grand Vizier, after a murderous combat of four hours, disappointed the operation of the morning, forced open the road to Shumla by Marasch, and retired a short distance to an advantageous position covered by a wood. The Russian commander, instead of disturbing him in that movement, took advantage of this interval of repose to substitute fresh troops for those which had been principally engaged, and to form a new reserve. Having completed these arrangements, he immediately renewed the attack. The first discharge of his artillery blew up some of the Turkish ammunition waggons, and this circumstance hastened a retreat on which the Vizier had already determined. As the Russian columns came on in quick time, the Turks, after one

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