Next day occurred the third and greatest battle of Plevna--a battle in which the enormous value of the breech-loader when backed by entrenchments was fully demonstrated, as were also the magnificent pluck and endurance of the Turkish troops.
The Third Battle of Plevna--Turkish Genius for Fortification--How the Redoubts were built--Description of an Earthwork--Sleeping Underground--Living Men in Holes in the Clay--The Triple Tier of Fire--Commencement of the Battle--The "Mammoth Battery"--Lauri and the Live Shell--Radishevo on Fire--The General Assault--Turkish Civilians join in the Fight--Attack on the Grivitza Redoubt--The Brushwood Shelter takes Fire--I visit the Redoubt--The Sight from the Parapet--A Word to Sadik Pasha--I ride towards Krishin--Turkish Fugitives from our Redoubt--A Compliment from a Civilian--Panic among the Troops--Fall of the Grivitza Redoubt and Capture of Two Krishin Redoubts by Skobeleff--The Counter-attacks--Parapets of Dead Bodies--Tewfik Bey Invincible--The Krishin Redoubts recaptured--A Glorious Victory--Delirious Excitement--Russian Sortie from the Grivitza Redoubt--Repulsed with Terrible Slaughter--Hospital Work heavy once more--Some Stoical Sufferers--Russian Bravery--Osman Pasha and the Wounded--Departure of Drew Gay to run the Gauntlet--A War Correspondent and his News--Perilous Ride from Plevna.
Those two factors in the Turkish defence, _viz._ rapid rifle fire and complete field fortification, were justly regarded by the Russian general, Todleben, the principal defender of Sevastopol, to have been the chief causes of the overwhelming defeat of the Russians in the third battle of Plevna.
During the six weeks which had elapsed since we entered Plevna from Widdin, I had plenty of opportunities of watching the natural genius of the Turks for fortification unfold itself. The pick and the spade were never idle night or day since our tired troops first camped on the Janik Bair; and now on the eve of the great battle the splendid result of their labours was apparent.
Plevna was defended by a line of earthworks of tremendous strength, drawing a ring of fire almost completely round the town. The chain of redoubts extended in the form of a horseshoe, the toe of which, pointing due east, was formed by the Grivitza redoubt, while one heel was at Opanetz in the north, and the other at Krishin in the south. Plevna itself lay, as it were, in the "frog" of the foot, the nearest earthworks on either side being the Bukova redoubts on the north, and a double redoubt facing the "Green Hills" and dominating a long stretch of sloping vineyard on the south. It was round the Grivitza redoubt in the toe of the horseshoe, and this double redoubt close into Plevna in the heel, that the fiercest fighting of the whole protracted series of engagements was centred.