Norfolk Gazette And Publick Ledger

TURKS AND RUSSIANS.

St. PETERSBURGH, July 25.

The supplement of the Court Gazette of this day, contains the following intelligence respecting the engagement with the Grand Vizier:

"On the 11th of June, old style, the commander in chief of the forces on the other side of the Danube, attacked, with the army under his command, the troops of the Grand Vizier, who were encamped on the heights of Schumla. After an obstinate resistance, the enemy were driven from the woods and heights, and compelled to retire under the walls of the fortress, with the loss of three stand of colours. The right wing of our army possessed itself of a height covered with a thick brake of briars, which being close to the Turkish entrenchments, seriously menaced them. The Turks did not desist until the approach of night, from their efforts to regain possession of this height.

On the 12th of June, the Turks made a new attack upon the height with the greater part of their force. Lieut. gen. Lewis formed a grand hollow square on the right, and posted the troops under adjutant general Prince Teuzenkoi, in two hollow squares on the left. The enemy consumed the whole of the day in repeated and desperate efforts to break our square on the left, incessantly supporting his troops with fresh reinforcements, and the fire on both sides was tremendous; but the victorious troops of his imperial majesty frustrated all these efforts with distinguished gallantry, defeating the enemy, and compelling him to retire within his entrenchments with considerable loss.

The centre and left wing of our army, which could undertake nothing of importance against the Turkish entrenchments, which were strongly fortified, made various movements in advance, occasionally firing with their artillery upon the town, as they proceeded; but nothing could divert the enemy from his attacks on our right wing. About 3 o'clock in the afternoon a body of Turkish cavalry, nearly 5000 strong, rushed out of the fortress, and a part of them charged our left wing in front, while the rest endeavoured to turn it; but by the well directed fire of our artillery, and a successful charge of our cavalry, they were twice defeated, and driven back upon Schumla.

Our loss amounts to 1000 men, and to the regret of the whole army we have among them lost the highly esteemed and experienced major general Popondopolo, who fell on the first day by a cannon ball. The loss of the enemy must have been uncommonly great.

On the 16th of June, major general Zysrew, pursuant to orders from the commander in chief, had to change the position of the troops belonging to his detachment, to watch, not only Varna, but also the coasts of the Black Sea, upon which three of the enemy's vessels of war had arrived. This movement could not be concealed from the enemy. Six thousand of them made a sally from the fortress and furiously attacked our troops, who, however, instantly took up advantageous positions on the heights, and received the enemy with the greatest bravery. This hard fought action lasted from three in the morning until 11 o'clock; but after the failure of all their attacks, with great loss, the remains of the Turkish bodies betook themselves to flight, in which they again suffered a very considerable loss from our cavalry, who pursued them, and a brisk fire from the fortress; by which they endeavoured to prevent the approach of our troops, without any consideration for the safety of their own. Our loss is not yet ascertained; but thanks to the Almighty it is not great. The loss of the enemy in killed was immense, almost the whole of the field of battle being covered with their dead bodies.

On the 18th of June, lieut. gen. Lewis, after a few skirmishes, took possession of the town of Oshum, on the road from Schumla to Varna.

On the 21st, lieut. gen. Woinzow, and major gen. count Surognow, were ordered to fall upon a body of 2000 cavalry, who had come out of the fortress to forage. They executed their orders with the most distinguished ability and intrepidity. The enemy abandoned the forage they had collected, and fled with the loss of 200 killed, and 3 officers, and 100 rank and file made prisoners.

On the 22d June, the general of infantry, count Kamenskhoi, took post with the corps under his command, on the road leading from Schumla to Constantinople, by the way of Tschelekawy.

Maj. gen. count Suhoto, who passed the Danube on the 5th June, and effected a junction with the Servians, commenced his operations in the most successful manner, and on the 15th gained possession of the fortress of Persa Palanka."

[It is not difficult to perceive, (says the London Courier) through the disguise of this official narrative, that the Russians suffered most severely in these incessant attacks. The final advantage, however, must be acknowledged to be on their side, if it be true that they have got into the heart of the position at Schumla and placed themselves between the Grand Vizier and Adrianople.]