The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-17 00:00:00

WAR NOTES.

THE HEIGHTS OF SPEW HEREN.-If any of my
readers happen to know Aldershot as well as I do, they
will ....ilea a certain height called Cnsar's Camp,
the scene of many a mimic combat. Well, that is
as like the hill which on the great day was three
times stormed before it could be wrested from the
French as I can describe it—with, be it understood,
not quite so bluffs a summit, and here and there a
tree on it. This centre hill was flanked on either side, a
little to its rear, by two others, thickly covered by fir
trees. In short, a stronger position for a division to take
up it is impossible to imagine. In front of these hills are
open plains for at least a quarter of a mile, which the
Prussians had to traverse under fire before they could
come to the charge. To give you an idea of the
steepness of the absolute hill itself, I can only say that I
was obliged to dismount and lead my horse up it. The
whole ground for a mile in circumference was strewed
with knapsacks, pouches, helmets, rifles, kepis,
and the thousand and one accoutrements that
complete a soldier's kit. As I arrived a
party of countrymen were disinterring the body
of a captain in the Prussian army, under the
superintendence of the clergyman of Saarbruck, I,to whom
his sorrowing relatives had written, begging that his body
might be sent home to them. Three French officers were
found to have been interred with him, whose picturesque
appearance even four days in the earth had hardly
destroyed. Poor fellows, they were gently laid
back in their last resting-place, and the little cross, with
"Three brave French officers rest here "inscribed on it in
pencil, was stuck again at the head of the grave ; and so
we left them. I should estimate that the Prussian loss
must have been fearful, as the ground was strewed with
helmets—certainly ten helmets to one kepi—and it only
shows with what indomitable courage these troops are en-
dowed, though twice beaten, to be able to carry such a
position.—Times Correspondent with Second Prussian
Army.

THE FIGHTING AT WOERTII.—The loss of the French
m killed, wounded, prisoners, and cannon at Woerth ex-
ceed their losses and gains at Solferino. Their killed
and wounded are now computed at 12,000, prisoners
9,000. The fighting seems to have been most
obstinate and bloody. Officers and doctors agree
that Sadowa was child's play in comparison. The
heights stormed by the German troops were a steep
ascent of 200 feet, the slopes of brushwood, and the
summits wooded. There was a bloody struggle at the
foot of the Gipfel, occupied chiefly by Zouaves and
Turcos placed under cover. Three times the German
troops were driven back. Twice the French forced them
back out of Woerth. At one time they held the victory
so assured that the Cuirassier regiments were ordered
to the front for pursuit. They were met by two salvos
from the Prussian artillery, which sent them flying
in wild disorder in the woods. These two cavalry
regiments are described in other letters as having got
entangled in the vineyards and been literally
destroyed, a colonel and some of his staff alone
being taken prisoners. A flank movement of the
Bavarian troops posted on the right contributed to the
victory. The retreat of the French troops degenerated
into great disorder. Their numbers are set down at
80,000 ; if this is correct, they4vere encountered by supe-
rior forces, as regiments of three Prussian army corps
were engaged, besides Bavarian and Wurtemburg troops.
—Times Frankfort Correspondent.

FoRBAcH.—The French town of Forbach is one
of some little importance in these parts ; it lies on the
extreme edge of the French frontier, close to the enorm-
ous iron manufactory of Stiring. The French troops lay
here for about four weeks, and haveatbsolutely eaten
everything and drunk everything. The shops were
all closed, so were the private houses ; and I also
heard that they had robbed the town of 10,000
francs worth of tobacco. The people are in
the greatest possible distress, and how they are to keep
starvation from their doors this winter I know not. The
country looks desolate and bleak, the corn is trampled and
carried off, the potatoes are dug up in the field and every-
thing looks like a desert. The road ,was choked up with
two endless rows of baggage
waggons, carrying food for
the army—for they are forced to take everything with
them, the French having left nothing behind except a
store of meal and grain which the French took at nor•
bach.—Garrespondesi of Telegraig.