The Virginia Gazette

From the Daily Gazetteer, Aug. 24.

Yesterday arriv'd a Mail from Holland, with the following Advices contained in a Journal of the Imperial Armies in Servia, Hungary, and Bosnia, from the 19th of July, O. S. to the 27th.

Count Seckendorff having Advice on the 19th, that a great Detachment of Turks, commanded by one Bashaw, was arrived in the Neighbourhood of Widdin, and that another was on the March towards the River Timoc, with a Design as it appeared, to set Fire to the Magazines of Forage there; it was resolved, without staying till the Turks had evacuated Nissa, to detach several Thousand Men to block up Widdin, and to send another Detachment to guard the Forage.

On the 20th News arrived, that an Independent Company of Rascians had taken the Town and Castle of Pirot, on the Road to Sophia, after having put the Garrison to the Sword, except 4 Men whom they took Prisoners.

On the 21st the Count de Khevenhuller marched with 6 Regiments of Horse, 100 Hussars, 20 Companies of Grenadiers, and 4 Pieces of Cannon to invest Widdin.

Next Day the Garrison and Inhabitants of Nissa, to the Number of 20,000 Men, Women, and Children, began to march out.

On the 23d a Spahi, who was taken in the Neighbourhood of Widdin, reported, that he was sent out of the Town, with 300 others, to observe our Motion; and that the Garrison of the Fortress consisted of 5000 Janissaries, all pick'd Men and well arm'd, and near 2000 Spahis, but most of 'em dismounted; that they had Provision and Ammunition of all Sorts in Abundance; that they resolved to make a vigorous Defence, upon a Promise from the Grand Vizier, that he would not fail to send them Succours, if they held out but 3 or 4 Days; and that the Merchants, and the better Sort of Inhabitants, desired Leave to retire, with their best Effects, but the Governor refused it. The same Day the Bashaw, and the rest of the Garrison of Nissa entirely evacuated that Town; in which we found 134 Brass Cannon, and 10 Brass Mortars, with a great Quantity of Rice, Barley, Wheat, and Rye, belonging to private Men, which we bought at a reasonable Price. Nissa appears to be Half a League in Compass, is fortify'd with irregular Bastions, fac'd with Free Stone, and the Mason's Work very good. The whole Parapet consists of Embrasures covered with Gabions, but there is no Ravelin. The Ditch is very narrow, as is also the covered Way, which ranges all round the Town, and is very well pallisadoed, but has no Traverses.

We had so far advanced our Approaches this Day before Bagnaluck, that we were just ready to storm the covered Way, when News came that the Turks who had been reinforced with some Infantry, were but one March from us, upon which the Storm was deferred.

Accordingly, about 10 o'Clock next Morning, the Turks appeared on the other Side of the River of Verbas, not far from the Troops that were posted there under Major-General Baranyai, who was thereupon ordered to retire to the Bridge we had over the Verbas, and some Battalions of Germans and Croatians, and a Regiment of Dragoons, were posted up and down that River, with some Field Pieces, in order to defend the Troops under the General, by their Fire, if he should be attacked in Flank. These Orders were no sooner performed, than down came the Turks from the Hills, with a mighty Shout, and fell upon the General's Troops with terrible Fury; but the Fire from the small Arms, and from the Artillery placed on this Side of the River, did such Execution, that the Turks were obliged to retire towards the Hills, leaving a great Number behind them, both of kill'd and wounded. Mean Time, as they did not go far, and were preparing to rally, the Prince of Saxe Hildburghausen resolved to send his Army over to attack them; and in Pursuance thereof, 5 Battalions that were next at Hand, immediately passed it, and the General Baranyai began to form them into a Square Battalion, together with the Infantry he had before, posting the Horse behind the Foot: but he had not quite formed it, nor had Two German Regiments that were to follow the said Five Battalions yet passed the River, when the Turks returned to the Charge, and fell with even more Fury than before, upon General Baranyai's Front and Flank: so that first the Hussars, and then the Carabineers and Horse-Grenadiers were put to Confusion and Flight, by which the Infantry was so disordered likewise, that they endeavoured to return back over the Bridge, but were prevented, and obliged to face about before the Bridge, when they defended themselves with extraordinary Bravery; so that being supported as they were during the former Shock, with the Fire of the Artillery, and of the small Arms of the Troops that were on this Side of the River, the Turks, notwithstanding what Advantage they had gained, were obliged to retire a second Time.

During both these Attacks, the Turkish Garrison in Bagnaluck, made 3 Sallies upon our Trenches, but were as often repulsed by the Gallantry of Major-General Browne, who commanded there. They also made several Attacks upon 400 Germans and Croatians who were posted near the Town-Bridge, and were as often repulsed.
Pursued; but the said 400 Men were at last obliged to retire, and to abandon a small Iron Mortars they had with them to the Turks, who also took a Field Pieces, in the first Confusion they put the Body under General Baranyay.

During this, the Prince of Saxe Hilburghausen, our Commander, perceiving the great Number of the Enemy; which was reported to be 60,000, tho' in Truth they were but 20,000, was such that we could not invest the Place on all Sides, nor hinder the Garrison from receiving continual Supplies; that the Ground and the Hills, to which the Turks had always a safe Retreat. did not permit us to attack them how and when we pleased; and that our Horse were liable to be cut off, if they went to forage on the other Side of the Verbas. it was resolved to raise the Siege, and to retire to Machin: and accordingly the whole Army decamped the following Night in very good Order, and arrived the 26th in the said Camp, which is near the River Gianca in Bosnia, with a Design to stay there for observing the Enemy's Motions, and to cover the Frontiers of his Imperial Majesty's Dominions. The Turks perceiving our Forces were decamping, endeavour'd to disturb us in our Retreat, and attack'd our Infantry 3 Times successively in a narrow Pass; but they were repulsed each Time by the Grenadiers and the Cavalry.

In these 2 Actions we had killed of the German and Croatian Foot, 2 Colonels, a Major, 7 Captains, 3 Lieutenants, 6 Ensigns, and 476 Subaltern Officers and Soldiers; And of the Horse, 2 Captains, 4 Lieutenants, and 162 Subaltern Officers and Soldiers. Of the Infantry, there were wounded 5 Captains, 2 Lieutenants, 3 Ensigns, and 180 Subaltern Officers and Soldiers: And of the Horse, 2 Captains of Dragoons, 2 Lieutenants, and 68 Subaltern Officers and Soldiers.

The Loss of the Turks must be 4 Times greater than ours, because in both Attacks they received the Fire of the Artillery and small Arms of the Troops that were posted on this Side of the River. We took 2 of their Colours, and a Horse Tail; and 'tis believed, that 1 of their Seraskiers was kill'd, because after their first Retreat, we found in the Field of Battle some rich Accoutrements, and a white Turban adorn'd with precious Stones, which none are permitted to wear but the Seraskiers.