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Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday February 18, 2010
Turkish forces were called into Europe to resist the Tsar of Russia whose troops had occupied Moldavia and Wallachia the previous July. The Turks crossed the Danube in four places and established themselves at Kalafat. They then pushed forward, forcing the Russians to retreat at Slatma. Between Slatma and Krajowa, the Russian commander, General Dannenberg - who had already tasted defeat at the hands of the Turks - had 30,000 to 40,000 troops covering the road to Bucharest. The Turkish forces in Lesser Wallachia, on the right flank of the Russian army, had about 12,000 men but they were expecting reinforcements.The Russian warship, Vladimir, having won a victory the previous November against the Turkish 10-gun steamer Pervaz Bakhri, went back on patrol in the Black Sea and returned to Sebastopol with two prizes: a Turkish passenger steamer with a cargo of pepper, and a 10-tonne Egyptian steamer, Pervasy-Bahri, which had been taken despite strong resistance from the Egyptians.The Turks captured a Russian soldier at the fort of Shefkatii on the frontier of Asia Minor. They offered him a deal. He was to make a statement that the people he had encountered were enthusiastic about the Ottoman government and that the Turks had not executed Christians. In return, he could spend a few days in Constantinople and could then go back to his own headquarters. The soldier said he would not do it because he did not know what would be in store for him. The Turks said he would be able to return to his family. The soldier said that was not an option because he had last seen his family 18 years before when he was separated from them. He did not know whether they were alive or dead.
© 2010 Sydney Morning Herald