On the other hand, the Ruffians fay, that the retreat from Choczim was made in great order, and without any lofs. It is however certain, that the Ruffian army was in a very bad condition at the time of its repaffing the Niefter, and ftood in great need of reinforcements and fupplies of every kind; and that the Turks not only attacked them on their croffing the river, but that, it is faid, they were now grown fo confident, and were fo emboldened by fuccefs, that large bodies of their cavalry fwam over the river, in fight of the Ruffian bridges, and attacked them on the other fide; and that they continued to purfue and to harrass them upon every occafion in their re treat. CHA P. IN. Prudent conduct of the late grand vizir, procures his difgrace; Moldovani Ali Pacha, is appointed his fucceffor. Great loffes fuftained by the Turks in their rash attempts to cross the Niefter. Turkish army break up their camp, abandon Choczim, and retire tumultuously to the Danube. Ruffians overrun the provinces of Moldavia and Walachia; Greek inhabitants of thofe provinces acknowledge the empress of Ruffia as their fovereign, and take oaths of fidelity to her. Unfuccessful attempt on the citadel of Brailow. Count Panin fails in his defign upon the city of Bender. Difpofition of the Ruffian troops for the winter. Preparations made by the Grand Signior for carrying on the war. WE have already taken notice pleat the vizir's fyftem. The grand of the prudence and caution which apparently directed the measures purfued by the late grand vizir in the profecution of the war. The good effects of this conduct became every day more confpicuous, and the time feemed now to approach when he was to reap all the fruits of it. The Ruffians were harraffed and waited by a continued fucceffion of fmall and bloody engagements, fought with various fuccefs, incapable by their nature of producing any decifive effect, but fatal to them by the lofs of an infinite number of men. The confequences that attended the unfortunate fiege of Choczim, feemed finally to determine the fate of the campaign, and at the fame time to illustrate and nearly com Turkish force was fill whole and intire, and feemed now only entering into action in its full ftrength and vigour, while the Ruffian army bore all the marks of a ruinous campaign, and was obliged to repafs the Niefter with lofs and difgrace. A perfeverance in these meafures would probably have proved fatal to the Ruffians. Such mea fures were however but ill adapted to the temper of the licentious army which the vizir commanded, and to the weakness of the councils that prevailed in the feraglio. The janizaries and other foldiers, unufed to fatigue, and impatient of the hardships of a military life, upbraided their general with cowardice, and cried loudly to be led against against the enemy, eagerly wishing for a general engagement, as the only measure that could release them from labours which they abhorred, and from a restraint and difcipline which they could not endure. While the camp was thus in a continual ftate of mutiny and diforder, numberlefs complaints were tranfmitted to Conftantinople, where the outcry against the grand vizir grew as loud as in the camp, and the intemperate violence of a licentious foldiery, became the measure of conduct to be obferved by an ignorant and unfteady court. The grand vizir acAug. 12. cordingly became a facrifice, and Moldovani Ali Pacha, a man of a fierce and violent courage, and who feemed to think that no other qualifications were requifite to a general, was appointed his fucceffor. Several other changes took place in the camp at the fame time. The prince of Moldavia was depofed and sent to Conftantinople, and the principal dragoman, or chief interpreter of the porte, (an office of great truft, and always bestowed on a Chriftian) was degraded. A few days before these changes took place, an event happened in the camp, which as it ftrongly marked the cruel ferocity of manners that fill prevails among the Turks, was alfo productive of two noble inftances, of the moft heroic valour and inviolable attachment. Caraman Pacha, who we have before mentioned, and who had also a command in one of the late actions near Choczim, having gone to meet the vizir on his march, that general, as foon as he saw him, flew into a moft violent paffion, and immediately ordered his head to be cut off. The unfortunate bafhaw endeavoured to retire, and, at the fame time drawing his sword, defended himself bravely, but being foon furrounded and overborn by numbers, was cut to pieces. In the mean time his felictar, or fwordbearer, fired with rage and indignation at the fituation of his maiter, fuddenly drew out a piftol, with which he attempted to shoot the vizir. It happened fortunately for the vizir, that a faithful domeftic having feen the motion of the felictar's arm, ftepped fuddenly between his mafter and the shot, which he received in his own body, and fell dead at his feet. The felictar was foon cut to pieces, and the heads of the bafha, and of his friend, were exposed together to public view. It does not appear, what real or fuppofed crime excited the rage of the vizir. Caraman Pacha feems to have been a brave officer; and it is faid, that of 2000 Albanians which he commanded in the late action, he brought but an hundred out of the field; a circumftance which feems to indicate his deferving a better fate. No well-founded opinion can be formed, from the accounts that have been published, of the fituation or difpofition of the Ruffian army, for fome time after its repaffing the Niefter. We are as much in the dark as to the motions of the Turkish army, for fome time after the new vizir had taken the command. All we know with any degree of certainty is, that the Turkish detachments which purfued the Ruffians into Poland, were bravely withstood by the latter, and after being repulfed and [C 4] defeated defeated upon feveral occafions, were finally obliged to repafs the Niefter. During these transactions, general Romanzow committed great devastations upon the Turks in the borders of Bender and Oczakow, where he plundered and burnt feveral towns and villages, defeated a Turkish detachment, and carried off a great booty of cattle. The Tartars alfo committed great ravages in Poland, where they almoft totally deftroyed the palatinate of Bracklaw, befides doing much mifchief in other places. It appears probable, though we have no detail of the particulars, that prince Gallitzin ufed great diligence in reinforcing his army, as well by drawing ftrong detach ments from that under the command of general Romanzow, who had no enemy to engage his attention, as by calling in thofe that were in the neighbouring parts of Poland. We accordingly find that, in the beginning of September, the Ruffian army was again pofted on the banks of the Niefter, and effectually defended the paffage of that river against the Turks, whofe whole army under the command of the new vizir was arrived on the oppofite fhore. In this fituation, 8000 Turks, confifting intirely of janizaries and fpahis, the names that distinguish the two celebrated corps, of their bravest and beft difciplined foot and horfe, paffed the Sept. 3: river in the night, and at the break of day attacked a body of Ruffians who were encamped on this fide. Prince Repnin, who was posted in the neighbourhood, marched immediately to the relief of this corps, and attacked the Turks at the head of four regiments with fixed bayanets. The engagement was fu rious and bloody, and the Turks were drove back and purfued to the river, which they attempted to repafs, in the greatest disorder and confufion; having in this ill-judged attempt, above 4000 of their num ber either killed or drowned. This fatal inftance of the danger of fending detachments across a great river, in the face of a powerful enemy, without communication, or a poffibility of fupport, might have been a falutary inftruction to any general who was capable of benefiting by experience. This was not the cafe of the viziṛ, whofe rafhnefs and obftinacy, made him equally incapable of acquiring knowledge, or receiving inftruction. He knew that extreme caution was the only charge that could be brought against his predeceffor; the direct contrary was therefore to be the rule of his conduct. Upon this principle he was determined to fight, and would wait neither for time nor the occafion; but, blinded by his own impetuofity, would force every thing to fubmit to it. The vizir accordingly having laid three bridges over the Niefter, the Turkish army, without any pretence of stratagem or deception, began to pass the river in the face of the enemy. Prince Gallitzin having perceived this motion early in the morning, immediately atSept. 9. tacked those troops that had croffed the river in the night, who confequently could neither chufe their ground, nor have time to extend or form themfelves properly where they were. Notwithtanding thefe extreme difadvan tages, tages, the engagement was very fevere, and continued from feven in the morning till noon. The Ruffian accounts, which are the only ones we have of this action, confefs that the Turks fought with great and unusual obftinacy. They were however at length totally defeated, and obliged to repafs the river with great lofs, and in the utmost disorder and confufion. It was computed that about 60,000 Turks croffed the river, before, and during the time of the engagement. Prince Gallitzin charged at the head of five columns of infantry, with fixed bayonets, who destroyed the flower of the Turkish cavalry. It is faid, that the lofs of the Turks in this battle, amounted to 7000 men that were killed upon the fpot, befides the wounded and prifoners, and a great number that were drowned. Several pieces of cannon were taken by the Ruffians, and a confiderable number of horse tails, and other trophies of victory. This dreadful carnage, the fignal and immediate punishment of folly and rafhnefs, would have ftruck any mind, that was not fo totally perverse and incorrigible as that of the vizir's. It feems unaccountable, that the foldiers who were fo turbulent and ungovernable under the late vizir, fhould now bear the continual destruction that attended this extravagant conduct, without flying into any act of violence or extremity. It perhaps ferves to fhew, that there is nothing that an army will not attempt or endure, for a general who keeps the foldiers warm in continual action, if at the fame time he directs his conduct in fuch a manner, as to leave room for hope to operate in his favour, The vizir, immediately after this action, began to prepare for another operation of the fame nature. He now laid but one bridge over the river, which he had the precaution to cover with large batteries of cannon, and prepared to pafs the whole army over. All thefe attempts were made in one particular part of the river, in the neighbourhood, and nearly within fight of Choczim; and the perfeverance in this inftance was fo obftinate, that it seemed as if it would not have answered the views of the general, to have effected a paffage either higher up or lower down. Eight thousand janizaries and four thousand regular cavalry, the flower of the whole Ottoman army, had already paffed over Sept. 17. with a large train of artillery, and the rest of the army was in motion to follow, when a fudden and extraordinary fwell of the waters of the Niefter, carried away and totally destroyed the bridge. Thus were twelve thoufand brave men hemmed in, between a great and implacable hoftile army on one fide, and an impaffable river on the other, with, out time to fortify or entrench themfelves, or without the poffibility of a fingle hope to arife from their courage. The Ruffians loft no time in making ufe of fo extraordinary an advantage. An engagement truly defperate enfued, in which the affailants fought with all the boldnefs of affured fuccefs, and the defendants like men who only wanted to fell their lives as dear as poffible. The feverity of the Turkish manners, which has not admitted of the civilized and humane car tels, tels, established among the Europeans in their wars, together with the pride and difdain of the janizaries, prevented a capitulation from being defired, or any propofal made to lay down their arms. The flaughter was accordingly prodigious. We have no account what number of prisoners were made; but as they were only taken fingly, and in the heat of action, they could not be very numerous; probably they were moftly officers. Not only the field of battle, but the river, over which fome few hundreds of Turks made their escape by swimming, was for feveral miles covered with dead bodies. The Ruffians took 64 pieces of cannon, and above 150 colours and horfe tails. The agitation of mind and diftrefs, which the Ottoman foldiers must fuffer, who were the unhappy fpectators on the oppofite fhore, of the cruel flaughter of their friends, may poffibly be conceived, but cannot be described. Perhaps to a feeling mind, the momentary agony was more poignant to the looker on, than to him who was the immediate fufferer. While the contest continued, the whole army was buried in a profound filence; but when the flaughter was finifhed, and all hopes and fears were now at an end, they expreffed their rage and grief, by the loudeft cries and lamentations, and the bittereft curfes and imprecations upon the vizir. Under this impuife of grief and fury, they immediately broke up the camp, and cafting off all obedience to a command which they defpifed and detefted, abandoned the strong fortrefs of Chocaim, with all its ftores and a nu 5 merous artillery, and retired tumultuoufly towards the Danube. The following extraordinary inftance is faid to have been given upon this occafion, of the unconquerable ftrength and violence of thofe paffions, which in certain fituations take poffeffion of the whole human mind; and is a more apt illuftration of the temper that prevailed in the Turkish army at the time, than any defcription of it that could be attempted. A thousand Turks, under the influence of a blind rage and fury, after the action was intirely over, croffed the river upon rafts in the face of the conquering Ruffians, and there became voluntary facrifices, in this unavailing effort to revenge the lofs of their friends. Thus was the fortune of the war totally changed, and the grand Turkish army intirely ruined in the space of one fhort month, by the folly and temerity of a fingle man. And thus the Ruffians have finished a doubtful, if not a lofing campaign, with great advantage and glory, and have ftruck a panic through the whole Turkish empire. Caft down by repeated misfortunes and disgraces, the haughty Ottomans feem to have loft all fpirit and refolution; and in the engagements that have fince happened, their numbers have only added to their lofs and difgrace. It was computed that they loft 28,000 of the best and bravest of their troops, within little more than a fortnight; and that 40,000 more abandoned the army, and totally deferted, in the tumultuous retreat to the Danube. As it may be confidered the greatest misfortune that could befal the grand vizir, |