the lion of the russian army - Florida State University

Russian army now could take up positions along the Trajan’s rampart without any threats
from the rear. 50 Prince Peter immediately ordered the construction of a bridge at Girsov
to move the troops over the Danube. 51 He then turned to the siege of Ismail, one of the
most formidable fortresses in the region. Bagration was dissatisfied with indecisive
actions of the current commander and replaced him with Major General Ivan Zass.
Thus, within a week of the campaign, Bagration had captured two major
fortresses and besieged two others, eliminating potential threats in his rear. General
Langeron noted, “The new plan of campaign was well conceived and the operations were
directed with energy and skill.” 52 General Aleksey Arakcheyev, head of the imperial
chancellery, wrote Bagration that Emperor Alexander “was extremely pleased to read the
reports about the capture of Macin and Girsov.” 53
However, Bagration was concerned with the developments in the other theaters of
operation. Platov’s scouts detected 5,000 Turks at Rassevat and the army of some 50,000
men at Shumla. The Turks also had over 40,000 men garrisoned in different fortresses,
including 20,000 men at Silistra and Ruse, 15,000 men at Vidin. In addition, a Turkish
army of 45,000 men was engaged in Serbia. In total, the Turks had over 130,000 men in
the region. 54 Bagration was also informed that a Turkish flotilla of two fifty-gun frigates,
one 74-gun ship-of-line and over seventeen lesser vessels sailed from Constantinople to
50 Langeron, Recollections, Russkaia starina, 134 (1908): 684.
51 Since the region was devastated by the war, Bagration had to request materials from
Russia. The ropes and anchors were transported from as far as Sebastopol. Bagration also set up a
ferry for a temporary crossing of his army. Bagration to Alexander, 18 September 1809, Ibid., 72;
Dubrovin, “Materials for the History of Reign of Alexander,” Voennii sbornik, 10 (1864): 39;
Langeron, Recollections, Russkaia starina, 134 (1908): 684.
52 Langeron, Recollections, Russkaia starina, 134 (1908): 682.
53 Arakcheyev to Bagration, 15 September 1809, Voennii sbornik, 10 (1864): 38. Alexander
advised Bagration to choose several people from the surrendered towns and send them into Ismail
to persuade the garrison to surrender.
54 Petrov, Influence of the Russo-Turkish War, 241-43. The Turks were well informed about
the Russian actions by Philipescu, the head of the Diwan of Wallachia.
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