A council of war, held the second day after the battle, in the absence of Prince Charles, decided to summon General von Todleben, the ever famous defender of Sebastopol, with the whole of the Imperial Guard; to desist from further assaults until their arrival, and to entrench the positions gained. A few votes (amongst others that of the Grand Duke) were even given for the withdrawal of the whole army behind the line of the Osma. The total want of initiative shown by General Krylow, who commanded the centre, led to his removal from the command of the Fourth Russian Corps, which was then given to General Pomeranzew. Prince Charles assembled his generals in the great battery near Raditschewo, and gave them orders to shorten the line enclosing Plevna; the counter-entrenchments which were ordered suffered considerable delay, however, as the Russian troops carried no entrenching tools. The second Grivitza redoubt was attacked by the Roumanians on the 18th, but Prince Charles, who personally superintended the attack, was compelled to recall his brave troops, as the Turkish fire inflicted annihilating losses on the assaulting columns, who, nevertheless, succeeded in reaching the ditch of the redoubt. The losses amounted to 20 officers and 583 men killed and wounded within two hours. General von Todleben arrived before Plevna on September 30, and at a council of war at once expressed the opinion that the Turkish army could only be forced to surrender by means of a blockade. Plevna must be completely surrounded before a blockade could be enforced, and at least two more Corps were needed for this purpose. A Cavalry Corps under General Gourko was formed to operate on the far bank of the Wid, and to prevent Turkish supply columns from entering Plevna on that side. The Prince thus described the state of affairs in a letter to Princess Elisabeth, dated October 5th, 1877: "The Imperial Headquarters Staff have at last realised the situation, and a large army is now to be concentrated here: several divisions of infantry, in addition to the Imperial Guard!