Page:Decisive Battles Since Waterloo.djvu/82

52 At a distance of two thousand yards from the fort the Russians began their trenches. On the right the line reached to the Danube, but the left could not be brought to the river, being still held by the Turks. For four weeks the hostile armies retained this position; excepting a few sallies of no consequence there was no break in their relations. At midnight of August 28th the Russians made an assault upon the Turkish forces encamped on the two heights nearest them (A and B), and drove them away. The Turks lost about five hundred men. On August 10th a fleet of thirty-six Russian ships appeared before Silistria, but without engaging the fortress. The besiegers were considerably reduced in numbers by the withdrawal of two divisions, who were ordered to Shumla on the 15th of September. The troops suffered from disease, and besides they were poorly fed. There was no ammunition, and the one hundred and twenty guns which the Russians had were useless. Winter was near, and the siege was raised on the 10th of November, after a desultory cannonade lasting forty-eight hours. Part of the besieging force crossed the river with great difficulty, and the rest retreated through a devastated territory, the Turks following in pursuit. Thus ended the so-called siege of Silistria in 1828. It was poorly planned in every way, feebly carried on, and was in every way a failure.

OPERATIONS AGAINST SILISTRIA IN 1829. The campaign was opened by General Diebitsch, who laid siege to the fortress, which he deemed it necessary to take, because it had a large garrison distant but a march of two days and directly flanking the army in the Balkan Mountains. As the shortest route (by Rassova) was impracticable by reason of floods, the rugged and circuitous road by Kusgan was followed, and the army arrived before Silistria on the 17th of May. The Russians had learned at Brailov, during the preceding year, what was