to their entrenched lines at Kalafat. The loss on both
sides, especially on that of the Russians, has been very
great.

A most graphic description of the battle of the 6th is
given by the correspondent of the Daily News.
Intelligence having reached Kalafat on the 4th that an
attack was to be made by the Russians on the Turkish
outposts, the Turkish general, Achmet Pacha,
determined to anticipate it; and on the 5th a strong corps
d'armée was despatched for that purpose to the
neighbouring village of Maglovet, where they bivouacked
during the night. Next morning they were under arms.
"As yet no sign had been seen of the Russians. Not a
sound was to be heard in the village, not a sentinel even
was visible, and it was beginning to be conjectured that
it had been evacuated. Six companies of chasseurs,
under the command of Tefwik Bey, Omer Pacha's
nephew, were sent up the hill to commence the attack,
and advanced, firing en tirailleurs, but without eliciting
any response. They were on the point of entering, when
a single cannon shot, followed closely by a whole broadside,
revealed the presence of the enemy, who now made
their appearance, and seemed disposed to contest the
ground on the outside. Some sharp firing followed, but
the chasseurs were pushed on, and close behind came the
four battalions of infantry under Ismail Pacha, with a
battery of field artillery, which opened up a heavy fire,
and with great effect. The Russian gunnery was
execrable; few of the balls hit, and the shells nearly all
burst in the air, and fell harmless. Before the Turks
had fired a dozen shots the enemy retired into the village,
sheltered themselves in and around the houses, and
opened up a deadly fire of musketry upon the advancing
column. Ismail Pacha's appearance at this moment
struck all who saw him with admiration, as it spoke
volumes for his daring hardihood as a soldier, though it
said but little for his prudence as a general. He rode
into the village at the head of the troops sword in hand,
mounted on a white horse, his orders glittering on his
breast, and wearing a white pelisse, the mark for a
thousand bullets at every step. But he seemed to bear
a charmed life, for, though two horses were killed under
him, it was long before he was wounded, and then only
slightly in the arm. As the troops came on the loss
began to get heavy. Men were falling on every side,
and a rush was made on the houses with fixed bayonets.
The conflict which followed was terrific. The Russians
contested every wall and room with desperate courage,
and were literally massacred en masse. No quarter was
asked or given; the Turks, enraged by the resistance,
slaughtered all who came in their way, and, to do the
Russians justice, they sought no mercy at their hands.
The officers were seen, in some instances, pulling down
their caps tightly on their foreheads, and rushing
madly on their death, scorning to yield. In little more
than an hour the high road, and the space round the
houses, were covered with dead, 'heaped and piled,'
and the blood ran down the hill, literally in rivulets.
The conflict raged in this way for nearly four hours,
and the loss on both sides was heavy, particularly on
that of the Russians, who had about 1000 dead. On the
five companies of Turkish chasseurs, one was annihilated,
numbering 100 men, while of the remainder of the
force, upwards of 150 were killed. Towards twelve
o'clock, every house had been carried at the point of the
bayonet, and the enemy fell back along the road, but
found themselves intercepted by the Turkish cavalry,
two regiments of which had advanced along the ravine
on the right, and stationed themselves in the rear of the
village. Being thus cut off, the Russians had no resource
but to fling themselves into the redoubt, carrying their
artillery with them. This they were enabled to accomplish
in safety. It was now about twelve o'clock; and another
half hour would in all probability have seen the destruction
of the remaining Russians, if the attention of the
combatants had not been distracted by events of weightier
importance in another part of the field. As was feared,
intelligence of the attack reached the Russian forces at
Musisi and Baylesh, and other villages, and towards
noon they were descried advancing towards the scene
of action in large black masses along the plain fully six
miles distant. They approached rapidly, no doubt
incited by the sound of the sharp firing in the village, and
by half-past twelve they had arrived within a couple of
thousand yards of the Turkish reserve, which was quite
prepared for them. It was now easy to estimate their
force, consisting of nine battalions of infantry, a
regiment of Hulans, and a regiment of the Paskievitz
Hussars, with sixteen guns, in all about 10,000 men. Four
battalions advanced in line, three in column, as a second
line, and two as a reserve: the cavalry and artillery
were placed on the flanks, and their march was directed
towards the Kalafat road, as to cut off the retreat of the
Turkish troops completely, and, in fact, to place them
between two fires. Five Turkish battalions of reserve
were all that remained at the foot of the hill, and with
these Achmet Pacha resolved to repulse this new attack,
by making front in his rear, a movement of great danger,
which few troops in the world have the steadiness to
perform. The report of an enemy in the rear is
generally sufficient to spread a panic through the bravest
and best disciplined army. In this case there was no
other resource, as the position was one of desperation.
On the side of the hill below the ravine on the right was
a sort of old fence, enclosing a square space of ground,
probably used by the villagers as a sheepfold, but a long
while ago, as the ditch is half filled up, but enough still
remains to make it a position easy to defend. The
Turkish troops were deployed to the right, above this
enclosure, three battalions in line and two in reserve,
the right wing behind it, and the left extending into the
plain; on the right flank was placed a battery of four
twelve-pounders, and on the left one of six field-pieces.
The cavalry at the village was recalled, and in
conjunction with those of the reserve, was stationed on the
left, one regiment a little in advance of the rest. The
time occupied in making these arrangements was one of
painful suspense; and even when all was completed, the
smallness of the force, as compared with that which was
advancing with ponderous steadiness to attack it, was
enough to make the stoutest heart quail. There was no
retreat; defeat was death. Nothing remained for the
Turkish troops, in case of a reverse, but to retreat on
the village, and then sell their lives as dearly as they
could, and this was the resolution formed by every man
on the ground. The advance of the Russians was an
imposing sight. Nothing could exceed the steadiness of
their march, every line and column stopped in time as
one man, and all the distances were as accurately
observed as if they were parading at St. Petersburg. As
they began to get nearer, three or four officers rode out in
front to reconnoitre the ground, and then hastily retired;
immediately afterwards the two battalions of reserve
changed their position, and advanced with two pieces of
artillery towards the ravine on the right of the Turks,
but as soon as they became aware that it was impassable
they halted. The artillery on the right now commenced
its fire, and the manner in which the guns were served
would have been laughable, if anything could have been
laughable in a scene so awful. The balls flew over the
heads of the Turkish troops without ever shaking them,
sometimes at such a ridiculous great distance as to make
one fancy they were fired at random. They did no
damage whatever, except killing two troopers who were
passing from one part of the field to the other, in a place
where no one would have expected a shot at all. I am
now literally stating a fact. The Russian artillery
appears to be about the worst in the world. That of the
Turks now opened its fire, and the first shot showed to
what perfection they have brought this arm of the
service. One could watch each ball in its course from
the moment it left the gun till it plunged into the
Russian column, opening a lane through the living mass.
Then came the confusion amongst the men, and the
gradual dressing up of the line, till other balls played
the same havoc. Too much praise cannot be bestowed
on Hadji Mustapha, the officer commanding the Turkish
artillery, for the admirable manner in which he worked
it. All was not sufficient, however, to check the advance
of the enemy, who moved on with the same stolid audacity.
At last one of their balls struck one of the Turkish
field-pieces, and dismounted it: the fire slackened
momentarily, while it was being set to rights. The
Russians taking this as but the prelude to a total
cessation, suddenly closed up into a serried column, and
prepared to make their final advance with the bayonet