The New Orleans Daily Democrat

THE BATTLE OF PLEVNA.

The Terrible Disasters of the Russian Defeat.

London, Aug. 4.—The Daily News' correspondent with Prince Schachowsky's force, telegraphing from Simnitza, August 1, gives an account of the retreat. He says the road from Plevna to Bulgarieni was cumbered with broken and retreating troops, wholly destitute of order. Officers without soldiers, soldiers without officers, all without cohesion and mostly without arms.

At the narrow bridge near Bulgarieni, there was wild confusion and a complete block; tumbrils, ambulances, wagons, provision wagons, officers' caleches, led horses and carts filled with wounded—all were jammed in indescribable chaos.

There had been wounded all along the road, but the bulk of the wounded begun a little way beyond Bulgarieni and extended in unbroken line for seven miles along the road to Sistova; they were mostly carried in ox carts, severer cases in ambulances, and large numbers tramped on foot: immense numbers of wounded had tramped the whole way from the battle-field and were already entering Sistova at 6 o'clock yesterday morning. They must have walked forty miles in twenty-four hours, wounded as they were. Nearly all of these wounded, however, consisted of men who had somehow managed to walk out of battle.

The bad cases were mostly left where they fell. Staff officers, with whose estimate I am inclined to agree, think the whole force lost between 6000 and 7000 men in killed and wounded.

A brigade of the Thirty-second Division has suffered most heavily: besides a terrible loss of men, it sacrificed the imperial banner of one of its regiments.

The whole of the Thirtieth Division has been smitten very sorely. All of the three brigades of Prince Schachowsky's command are for a time in a state of disorganization.