"الحرب الروسية-التركية، ١٨٧٧. العمليات في أوروبا." [ظ‎‎١‎٩] (٦٦/٣٨)

38
May 1 s 77 . The Head-Quarters of the 11th Corps were at Galatz, and Prince
bchahovskoi, its commander, had issued orders for all merchant shipping at that
place and Braila to be clear of those ports by 6 o’clock on the evening of
Saturday, the 28th of April. As regards the other flank of the .Russian
adv ance, up to the 5th of May there was no authentic intelligence further than
that the advanced guard had reached Buzeo (where the road that diverges
from the railway at Marazesti rejoins the line), and that Russian troops pro-
ceeding by rail were passing round Bucharest bound for Giurgevo. Rumour
) P° sltl0 i; s '" erc taken U P and strengthened along the north
ank of the Danube, from Giurgevo to Oltenitza, and that, in addition to the
loops bound for Giurgevo, others moving past Bucharest by rail had gone on
y tiam on the other line towards Krajovo. No troops had entered the town
conflimfr 0 ’ P 01 arG - the . nimours of Russian troops to the west of Bucharest
ihn p - Roumanian troops were moving into position on the Danube on
the Russian right, and had occupied Kalafat with 12,000 men and 24 guns.
ms occupation was about simultaneous with the first exchange of shots
between tlie I urks and Russians, in which some Turkish shells fell into the
Roumanian town of Braila, and did some slight damage. This may have had
some efleet in disposing of the doubtful question of the neutrality of Roumania
In any case, it becomes apparent from this time forth that tha/provinee is to
be considered as an ally of Russia and at war with Turkey.
in cJ'^rr ab °ff t th 1 e T? oumanian troo P s - The Russian Commander-
in-une is said to have offered Prince Charles of Roumania his choice between
distributing Ins soldmrs throughout the Russian Army, and disbanding them
T e Pn, ‘ . eel "l ed t0 do elther ' and th « matter was ultimately compromised’
fhe Roumanian Army was to form a separate force complete in itself underlts
r^::i erte Chief c °r and ° f the t
Rrsskn Armv ’ hatlS t0 Say ’ 0n tlle ri « ht flank thc
Kalafat as abo’ve related a Division was sent to occupy
The exchange of shots alluded to above between the Turks and RusG«n«
Uvn'r ^r i° n t ie 3rd ° f Maj ’ betweenthe Russian batteries near Braila and
no recorl'of m0mt °^ ^ ^ '' as renewed thc following day, but there ”s
0 lecoid of serious damage being done on either side. The withdrawal of thp
,1 * ”' h » ™
n As regards the future, the best information named the central rmGtion
Russtn ^ P ro ^ b,e P oint of for the main bod/of the
Br.i,.”r,s irsz Sztj itt*?™ e l, .7;h“
the whole course o the river* but the concentration does not necessar lt hlnte
i. tt , d,f„,i,.
l Th “ s
Ureicini, and Slohodeim T |,.„ rS’pTC 1 .^^'.;; gLSJ fe
General Chesney, quoted in Confidential Memorandum No. 0622 of this Office