Prince Charles now quitted Schimnik to rejoin his headquarters at Pojana, near Calafat, where he was better able to superintend the movements of his army. In a letter to the Princess he alludes to the Russian estimate of his army as follows: "The Russians do not want to recognise the services we have rendered them; Grand Duke Nicholas has sent a long report to the Czar, dealing with the course of events from the beginning of the war to the crossing of the Danube, and does not give a single word to the Roumanian army. 'The only thing,' he says about the country, 'is that the Roumanian railways are indifferent.' That may be so; but without our indifferent railways, and without the Roumanian troops, the Russians would not be in Bulgaria by now."
On July 13 General Gourko succeeded in crossing the Hainkioi Pass, after encountering very great difficulties on the narrow mountain paths. The guns barely managed to keep up with the columns. On the other hand, serious news was received from Plevna on July 20, for, though the Russians succeeded in occupying Lowtscha, General von Schilder-Schuldner was forced to beat a speedy retreat halfway to Nikopoli, screened by his cavalry, leaving the Turks in possession of Plevna. The Russian headquarters now requested that the Roumanian army might occupy Nikopoli and take charge of the prisoners of war, but Prince Charles declined to accede to this without some definite agreement about the employment of his troops. The attitude of the Russian diplomats now appeared to suffer considerable change, so far as the employment of the Roumanian army was concerned. Prince Gortchakoff permitted himself to remark to the Princess, with marked sarcasm: "Toujours pas de blessés Roumains!" to which she readily replied: "Non, Dieu merci, nous n'avons que très peu jusqu'à présent!"
The Prince wrote as follows to his consort:
"Yesterday, General Sefcari, commissioned by the Grand Duke Nicholas, arrived here to inform me that the defeat of the Russians at Plevna was caused by us: 'Dites au Prince que les Roumains sont cause que nous avons été battus à Plevna!' The Russian headquarters maintain that a portion of General Krüdener's troops were retained at Nikopoli because we had refused to occupy that fortress and guard and transport the Turkish prisoners. This is true; I always mean to refuse such police duties; my army is too good for that. On the other hand, I have declared my willingness to occupy Nikopoli and advance with the Russians against the 35,000 to 45,000 Turks at Plevna. This offer does not find favour with the Russians, as they do not wish to share a victory with us...."
Roumanian troops, however, proceeded at once to garrison Nikopoli, where the Roumanian flag was hoisted on July 29, and a message was sent to the Grand Duke demanding a separate base of operations in Bulgaria, and the undivided command of the Roumanian army as the only condition which Prince Charles could accept.
A report was received at 4 P.M. on the 31st that the Russians had suffered a severe defeat at Plevna, and were retiring panic-stricken on Sistow; this was confirmed at 9 P.M. by the following despatch in cipher:
"Wednesday, July 19-31, 1877, 3.35 P.M.
"Prince Charles of Roumania.
"Headquarters of the Roumanian Army."The Turks having assembled in great force at Plevna are crushing us. Beg you to join, make a demonstration, and, if possible, cross the Danube, as you wish. This demonstration between Jiul and Corabia is indispensable to facilitate my movements.
"NICHOLAS."
Prince Charles replied that the Fourth Division would hold Nikopoli, and that the Third would occupy the position quitted by the Fourth; the want of torpedoes would prevent the passage of the river, as a Turkish monitor was stationed near Rahova. The headquarters of the Prince were now transferred to Corabia, where the bridge was to be constructed, and a fresh ordre de bataille drawn up in accordance with the altered conditions: