SERVIA. 



729 



which both sides sustained heavy losses, the 

 Servians occupied positions at Raptcha, en- 

 abling them to turn the difficult rocky gorge 

 of the Dragoman Pass. The pass was then 

 evacuated. The Bulgarians concentrated at 

 Slivnitza, half-way between Dragoman and 

 Sofia. The advanced troops occupied positions 

 in front of that place, while the Danube divis- 

 ion established itself in the pass. The Shu- 

 madja division under Col. Benitsky advanced 

 upon the right to Bresnik, carrying four re- 

 doubts and taking 400 prisoners. The capture 

 of Bresnik gave the Servians command of a 



1 second road to Sofia. The troops of Col. Be- 

 nitsky, the flower of the army, thus threatened 

 either to descend upon the capital or to flank 

 the Bulgarians at Slivnitza. Radomir was 

 taken after a severe engagement. The Morava 

 division made a wide detour southward as far 

 as Kostendil, and then turned northward again 

 until at Izvor it was in communication with 

 the Shumadja division, which had its advanced 

 guard at Radomir. King Milan's aim was to 

 maintain his position in the center before Sliv- 

 nitza until the other two divisions should effect 

 a junction and fall upon the Bulgarian rear, or 

 until they should capture Sofia. 



On the 16th of November, before his de- 

 parture for Slivnitza, Prince Alexander tele- 



, graphed to the Grand Vizier, declaring his 

 entire submission to the Sultan, and saying 

 that he had ordered the complete evacuation 

 of Eastern Roumelia on the 14th. He asked 

 the aid of the imperial forces in repelling the 

 invasion of his province. King Milan, flushed 

 by his easy victories, began to enlarge his de- 

 mands. He proposed to annex the Bulgarian 

 area of the international railway route, so that 

 Servia would be able to complete the junction 

 with the Turkish line, and also the Widdin 

 district, to enable Servia to construct a railway 

 to the lower Danube to connect with the pro- 

 jected Roumanian line from Krajova to Kala- 

 fat. The area of the international railway 

 route includes Sofia and its district and the 

 territory beyond, as far as Tatar Basardjik in 

 Eastern Roumelia. When he obtained posses- 

 sion of the Dragoman Pass and forced the Bul- 

 garians to retreat upon Slivnitza, King Milan 

 expected within two or three days to surround 

 and overwhelm them there, and to seize their 

 capital. Such might have been the result if a 

 bold and successful assault upon the two divis- 



1 ions in front of Slivnitza, which formed the 

 Servian center, just before the other two divis- 

 ions effected a junction with the Drina and 

 Danube divisions, had not suddenly changed 



, the whole face of the war. The original plan 



. of the campaign was to remain in the positions 

 before Slivnitza until General Leschjanin had 



! come round by the Genci Pass and Col. Topa- 



' novich by way of Bresnik to cut off the retreat 

 of Prince Alexander's forces to Sofia. 



On the 17th, while the Servian troops be- 

 tween Slivnitza and Dragoman were resting, 



, the Bulgarians, at ten o'clock in the morning, 



under cover of a fog, attacked the position 

 on the Servian left held by the Danube divis- 

 ion, commanded by Col. Mihilinovich. The 

 sentry service of the Servians was HO neglect- 

 ed, that the enemy completely surprised them 

 and came close to the positions of the left 

 wing. The Servians were the better armed, 

 and received the Bulgarians with sharp fusil- 

 lades at long range, frequently changing their 

 ground; but the fog enabled the Bulgarians to 

 charge with the bayonet into the Servian ranks. 

 The Danube division, subjected to heavy artil- 

 lery-fire and flanking infantry attacks, was un- 

 able to hold its ground until the cavalry force 

 of Praporcetovich could come up to check the 

 Bulgarian onset and permit the infantry col- 

 umns to develop their line of battle. The Ser- 

 vians were disconcerted by the hand-to-hand 

 conflict with the stout Bulgars, and suffered 

 heavy losses in their confusion. Yet the Ser- 

 vians, who were much stronger than the at- 

 tacking detachment, rallied and drove the Bul- 

 garians back to their intrenchments at Slavonji ; 

 but in the afternoon they were re-enforced by 

 the Danube regiment and regained the lost 

 ground, and slowly forced the Servians back 

 in a stubborn combat that lasted till evening. 

 The Servians advanced against the Bulgarian 

 center in extended infantry lines, after placing 

 their artillery in position. A hot artillery and 

 infantry fire was opened on both sides. The 

 main position of the Bulgarians, which the Ser- 

 vians attempted to storm, rendered over-confi- 

 dent by their earlier successes, was one of great 

 strength. The Bulgarians had Krupp guns, 

 whereas most of the Servian guns were infe- 

 rior, and few of the shells reached the Bulga- 

 rian lines. The Bulgarians had excellent forti- 

 fications, and suffered but little damage, while 

 inflicting heavy losses on the Servians, who 

 kept up the attack with great fortitude. The 

 Servian Krupp guns were silenced as soon as 

 they were brought into position. The right 

 wing advanced, and the fight became general, 

 but it was impossible to storm the Bulgarian 

 position, as at no point could a breach be made 

 in the line. About five o'clock the Servians 

 began to draw back, although the firing con- 

 tinued for two hours longer. Bulgarian re- 

 enforcements arrived during the day, and en- 

 tered the battle after long marches. Prince 

 Alexander directed all the dispositions of his 

 troops. In the evening the Bulgarians ad- 

 vanced about three miles and dislodged the 

 Servians from their nearest positions. 



At half-past seven o'clock in the morning of 

 the 18th, the Servians renewed the attack vig- 

 orously on their right, where the Bulgarian 

 line was weakest, and executed a feint against 

 the center to prevent the re-enforcement of 

 the left wing. Fresh troops had arrived during 

 the night. A force of 4,000 men was quickly 

 sent to the threatened point, and the attempt 

 to double up the Bulgarian flank ended in a 

 hasty retreat of the Servians, leaving dead and 

 wounded on the field. At noon light detach- 



