Roumania Past and Present, James Samuelson [best novels to read to improve english .txt] 📗

(Ollier), pp. 404-405, where a plan of the Loftcha struggle is given.]

[Footnote 184: It is not clear what these were; probably the tenth and thirtieth divisions, composing the fourth corps. Compare Daily News War Correspondence , vol. i. pp. 443 and 444.]

[Footnote 185: War Correspondence , vol. i. pp. 482-483.]


VI.

We have thus loosely described how the Turks had effectually disposed of the whole Russian attack excepting that of the Roumanians, and now we must turn for a moment to enquire what was occurring at Grivitza. This redoubt is constantly referred to by the correspondents as the most formidable of all the Turkish positions. It is called 'the indomitable Grivica redoubt;' 'the dreaded redoubt;' 'they' (the Russians) 'may bombard it for a week, sacrifice a brigade of infantry, and not succeed in taking it.' 'The Turkish positions,' says one writer, 'opposite to the Roumanian section, are the stronger both by nature and art. But there are but 28,000 Roumanians to 50,000 Russians. It seems logically to follow that the function of the Roumanians is intended to be chiefly of a demonstrative character.'[186] How 'demonstrative' it was we shall see presently.

Already on the 7th and 8th, the Russian siege guns had been pushed forward in closer proximity to the Grivitza, and on the 9th the Roumanians worked their batteries nearer to it; whilst on the 10th their infantry occupied a natural shelter-trench, from which they were picking off the Turkish gunners in the redoubt. On the same day a couple of companies of Russians, thinking the redoubt was evacuated, made an attempt to take it, but when a small party of advancing skirmishers arrived within a hundred yards of the foot of the glacis, they were confronted by a row of rifle muzzles and Turkish heads, and thought it more prudent to retire.

On the 11th, however, the Roumanians, with whom were three battalions of Russians, made their 'demonstration' against the Grivitza simultaneously with the Russian attacks on the other redoubts. Little attention appears to have been paid to them in the slaughter of that terrible day, but on the following the correspondents narrated the result of their operations, and as those not only substantiated the title of the young army to élan and bravery, but really constituted the turning point in the war, we will endeavour to follow their brief descriptions of the events.

'It appears,' writes one of the chroniclers, 'that at half-past two
p.m. the redoubt was attacked by two Roumanian brigades each
consisting of four battalions, and three battalions of Russians.
The Roumanians attacked from the east and south-east, the Russians
from the south and south-west. The attack was made in the following
manner:--First a lino of skirmishers with men carrying scaling
ladders, gabions, and fascines among them. The latter had their
rifles slung on their backs, and were ordered in no case to fire
but merely to run forward, fill up the ditch, and place their
ladders behind. Then followed the second line in company column
formation for the attack, followed by the third line to support the
assault. At half-past two p.m. the attack was made by the
Roumanians, and it is said that by some mistake the Russians
arrived half an hour too late. Be that as it may, the assault was
repulsed, and all retired except two companies of infantry, which
rallied, and, keeping under cover, maintained a brisk fire against
the work.

'At half-past five the attack was renewed by a battalion of the
Roumanian militia, followed by two Russian battalions of the 17th
and 18th regiments. The redoubt was then carried, and the Turks
withdrew to the other redoubt a little to the north of the captured
work. But it was soon apparent that the redoubt could not be held
without reinforcements, and three Roumanian battalions with a
battery of artillery were ordered forward. They lost their way,
however, in the fog, and were thus precluded from rendering the
required assistance; consequently, when the Turks returned to the
attack, the allies were driven out.

'The third assault soon followed, and the work was finally captured
at seven p.m. Four guns and a standard were the trophies of the
feat of arms. More than once during the night did the Turks advance
with shouts of "Allah," but no serious attack was made. Thus, to my
surprise, when I reached the Plevna valley this morning, I beheld a
flagstaff up defiantly exposing the Roumanian flag in that hitherto
dreaded Grivica Redoubt.'[187]

How sanguinary had been the struggle which is here described in a few commonplace sentences is manifest from the subsequent appearance of the captured redoubt.

'The interior of this large work was piled up not only with dead
but with wounded, forming one ghastly undistinguishable mass of
dead and living bodies, the wounded being as little heeded as the
dead. The fire had hindered the doctors from coming up to attend to
the wounded, and the same cause had kept back the wounded-bearers.
There were not even comrades to moisten the lips of their wretched
fellow-soldiers, or give them a word of consolation. There they
lie, writhing and groaning. I think some attempt might have been
made, at whatever risk, to aid these poor fellows, for they were
gallant men, who, twenty-four hours before, had so valiantly and
successfully struggled for the conquest of that long-uncaptured
redoubt; and it was sad now to see them dying without any attempt
being made to attend to them. I could fill pages with a description
of this harrowing scene and others near it, which I witnessed, but
the task would be equally a strain on my own nerves and on those of
your readers.'[188]

But the Roumanians were not contented with holding their position. Within 250 yards of the Grivitza was another Turkish redoubt whose fire commanded the former, and that they attempted in vain to take on the 11th. Nothing daunted, however, they held their ground day after day, and on the 18th they made another gallant but futile attempt to expel the enemy from his position. 'It is said they will renew it,' writes one of the spectators, 'and there is plenty of fight in Prince Charles's gallant young army, but, in my opinion, there is little chance of success unless they work up to the hostile redoubt by sap.'[189] On September 24 they were progressing by trenches, and were only 80 yards from the second Grivitza redoubt. 'Their fighting spirit and cheerful endurance of hardships are admirable,' we hear. And again, on the 26th: 'The Roumanians are pushing forward their works against the second redoubt with a perseverance and pluck worthy all praise, and which is the more remarkable as the Russians are doing absolutely nothing on their side.'[190] This contrast comes from the pen of the chronicler who told the story of the twenty Roumanians being taken prisoners by five Russians, and whose views of the relative merits of the combatants had evidently undergone considerable modification; for he now says of the Russians: 'They are waiting for reinforcements, which are arriving slowly, and which, when they are here, will hardly more than cover the losses by battle and by sickness during the last two months. I think history offers no such example of a splendid army in such an utterly helpless condition. The Roumanian generals are showing far more pluck and energy.'[191]

[Illustration: PRINCE (NOW KING) CHARLES OF ROUMANIA, BEFORE PLEVNA

( From a Photograph taken on the spot by F. Duschek .)]

The Roumanians were unable to capture the second redoubt, but they managed not only to hold their advanced position before Plevna, but to give material assistance elsewhere in turning the siege into an investment. On November 21 they captured Rahova, on the Danube, which greatly facilitated operations against the doomed fortress and aided to make the works of the allies impregnable. In the closing incidents of the investment of Plevna the Roumanians took little or no part in consequence of the position which they occupied. On the morning of December 10, Osman Pasha made his brave but unsuccessful attempt to break through the Russian lines, a struggle in which both sides performed prodigies of valour. One whole Russian regiment was annihilated in the effort to check the enemy, whose general was himself wounded; and after having kept the Russo-Roumanian army at bay with an inferior force for more than four months, he was at length obliged to surrender with his whole army. Here is a glimpse of the final scene, as the wounded hero met his conquerors:--

'The Grand Duke rode up to the carriage, and for some seconds the
two chiefs gazed into each other's faces without the utterance of a
word. Then the Grand Duke stretched out his hand and shook the hand
of Osman Pasha heartily and said: "I compliment you on your defence
of Plevna; it is one of the most splendid military feats in
history." Osman Pasha smiled sadly, rose painfully to his feet in
spite of his wound, said something which I could not hear, and then
reseated himself. The Russian officers all cried "Bravo! bravo!"
repeatedly, and all saluted respectfully. There was not one among
them who did not gaze on the hero of Plevna with the greatest
admiration and sympathy. Prince Charles, who had arrived, rode up,
and repeated unwittingly almost every word of the Grand Duke, and
likewise shook hands. Osman Pasha again rose and bowed, this time
in grim silence.'[192]

[Footnote 186: Ibid. p. 444.]

[Footnote 187: Daily War Correspondence, vol. i. p. 485.]

[Footnote 188: Ibid. p. 487.]

[Footnote 189: Daily News War Correspondence , vol. i. p. 491.]

[Footnote 190: Ibid. p. 495.]

[Footnote 191: Ibid. p. 496.]

[Footnote 192: Daily News Correspondence , vol. ii. p. 153.]


VI.