The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-13 00:00:00

banks adjacent, to a considerable extent up and
down the river, were enveloped in thick wreaths
of smoke, through which might be seen the flashes
of the guns. The commanding officers of corps,
on horseback, were seen animating and cheering
on their men as they advanced to the stream, all
pouring in a galling fire on the defenders of the
passage, who returned it with equal vigour. The
latter sustained the attack with great constancy ;
and, while part of the number continued to fire
across the river, others kept up constant discharges
of musketry on those who were advancing in sup-
port of the operations of which it was the theatre.
At this moment the action was so vigorous that the
soldiers and many of the spectators on the terrace
and slopes seemed carried away by the excitement,
and appeared for a moment to think that it was
not a fiction, but that the battle which was raging
harmless below had all the stern reality of war.
In the meantime the brigade of light cavalry
crossed the bridge of Maison at a smart trot,
wheeled rapidly to the left, dashed on towards
Menil, and soon reached Carriere-sous-Bois, where
they menaced the left flank of the enemy, who
were then drawn in order of battle along the
terrace of St. Germain. About 11 o'clock the
garrison of St. Germain, deploying by the bridge
of the Pecq, attempted a sortie on the French
camp. The two brigades of infantry under
Alphonse and Carleuccia advanced hastily along
the road from Chaton to the Pecq, while that
of Repond moved by the Montesson road towards
the same point : each brigade was supported by a
battery of artillery. With such an imposing force
before them all attempt of the enemy at a sortie was
useless ; they were forced to recross the bridge and
establish their artillery on the other bank. While
this was going on the pontoniers and engineers com-
pleted their bridge of boats, the river was crossed by
a brigade which at once attacked the enemy in the
village of the Pecq, and drove them from it ; while
a second brigade deployed on both sides of the
bridge kept in check the enemy, who attempted to
oppose them, and also gained the other bank of the
river. The third brigae, which had remained at
the point near Pecq where the roads of Chaton,
Montesson, and Croissy meet, and which had kept
up a cannonade on the bridge, rushed forward to
cross. The head of the column was at once vigor-
ously engaged ; and it was repulsed, until such
time as the troops who defended the passage were
forced to retire, as the two brigades of French
troops were now in the act of passing the bridge.
The column which had been repulsed crossed it
also, and galled the enemy as they fell back on
the St. Germain road. The now retreating enemy
availed themselves of every advantage of ground, as
they fell back, to oppose the rapid advance of the
brigade ; but the latter, whenever they attempted
to stop, gave them no breathing time, but charged
them with the bayonet, and forced them to resume
their retreat, until they made a stand on the last
heights of St. Germain. In the mean time General
Levasseur, at the head of the two brigades Alphonse
and Carbuccia, joined the corps under General
Repond, and the whole force debouched together
in St. Germain, and moved towards the terrace ;
while the brigades of cavalry, who, massed in
column, remained in reserve at Port Marly, made
a corresponding movement with the infantry.
General Korte, who commanded the cavalry, gal-
loped on to St. Germain by the Versailles road the
moment he saw the columns engaged on the pon-
toon bridge, reached that place nearly at the same
time with General Levasseur, and while the in-
fantry occupied the terrace which served as the
enemy's redoubt, the cavalry followed in the forest
one of the alleys parallel to the terrace. This latter
movement was the last ; it was made in the rear
of the enemy, who, having in front the infantry of
General Levasseur, and on the left the brigade of
light cavalry, had no other alternative than to
capitulate. The capitulation took place on the
usual terms. The action was over about two
o'clock; and soon after both conqueror and con-
quered prepared to defile before Marshal St. Ar-
naud, Minister of War, who was on the spot, and
Marshal Magnan, who had directed the operations.
The defile occupied about two hours and the men,
as they left the ground, marched, with their bands
of music at their head and their colours flying, to
their respective quarters. On the whole the spec-
tacle was most interesting, and at one moment was
really exciting. Though some rain fell in the early
part of the morning, yet the day kept up well. In
order, no doubt, to render the delusion more com-
plete, Marshal Magnan issued a proclamation to
the town, stating, that though it was to be attacked
and the enemy driven from it, life and property
should be protected, and that the strictest orders
had been given against pillage. The number of
persons who went by rail is stated to be near
18,000. Marshal Magian, Marshal St. Arnaud,
Prince Jablonowski, and the other superior offi-
cers, French as well as foreign, were subsequently
entertained at dinner at the Hotel of the Pavillon
Henri IV. The dining-room was the saloon where
I Louis XIV. was born.—Times' Correspondent.