Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1866-07-28

'ho iho iu 'he roau, anG the adj
vancing cheers of the Prussians showed that
they were gaining ground. Then, while tbe
exchange of shots was still proceeding ra,
pidly between the window gratlngs of the
farm m-house and the Prussian firing parties
who had extended into corn field on the
right of the highway, there was sudden
pause in the firing on the road, for the ia.
gers, supported by the thirty-frst, had made
a dash, and were bearing the Austrians back
beyond the farm house to where the cottages
OF the village closed on each side of the
road, and where the defenders had hastily
thrown some hewn-down willow trees as a
barricade across the way
| .u F| TERRIBLE FIGHTING. e..
Then the tumult oe the fight increased.
Darkness had completely closed in and the
| moon had not risen; the Prussians pressed
up to the barricade, the Austrians stoutly
stood their ground behind it, and, three
PAGES distant, assailants and defenders poured
their fire into each others breasts. Little
could be seen, though the flashes OF the
discharges cast a fitful light over the sur
| ging masses but in the pauses of the firing
the voices of the officers were heard encou-
| raging their men, and halfstihed shrieks or
| gurging cries told that the bullets were
truly aimed. This was too severe to endure
The Prussians, firing much more quickly,
and In the narrow street, where neither side
could show their whole strength, not feeling
the inferiority of numbers, succeeded in
tearing away the barricade, and slowly
pressed their adversaries back along the
village street. Yet the Austrians fought
bravely, and their plans for the defense of
the houses had been skillfully though hastily
made; from every window muskets flashed
out fire, and sent bullets into the thick ranks
OF the advancing Prussians, while on each
balcony behind wooden barricade Jagers
crouched to take their deadly aim but in
the street the soldiers, huddled together and
encountered with clumsy ramrods, were
unable to load with ease, and could return
no adequate fire to that of the Prussians,
while these, from the advantage of better
arm, poured their quick volleys into an al
most defenseless crowd.
FIGHTING IN THE STREETS.
AS the battle in the street was pushed
inch by inch toward the Iser, the Austrans,
in every house which the foremost ranks Of
the Prussians passed, were cut off from their
retreat, and were sooner or later made pri-
soners, for the houses of the village do not
join on to each other, but are detached by
spaces of few yards, and there is no COM
munication from one house to the other
except by the open street. The whole of
the Prussian force was now up, and, extend
ing between the houses which the first COM
batants had passed by, cut off the escape of
their garrisons, and exchanged shots with
the defenders. '-.
HORRIBLE MIDNIGHT SCENE.
With shrieks and shouts, amid the crash
ing of broken windows, the heavy sounds
of falling beams, and heperpetual rattle of
the firearms, the battle was heavily pressed
down to the narrow street, and about half
past eleven the moon came up clear and full
to show the Austrian rearmost ranks turn
ing viciously to bar the Prussians from the
bridge. The moonlight, reflected iE the
stream, told the assailants that they were
near the object Of their labor, and showed
the Austrians that now or never the enemy
must be hurled back. Both sides threw out
skirmishers along the river bank, and the
moon gave them light to direct their aim
across the stream, while on the first plank
of the bridge the Aus:rians turned at bay,
and the Prussians pausing some short PAGES
from them, the combatants gaZed at each
other for few moments. Then they began
fercer fight than ever. The discharges
were more frequent, and in the narrower
way the bullets told with more severe effect.
Herr Won Drysaski, leading the fusilcer bat
TALON Of the thirty-frst, lieutenant colonel
of only two days standing, went down with
two bullets in his forehead, and captain at
his side was shot in both legs; many men
fell, and the gray horse of q Prussian field
officer, with a ball in his heart, fell heavily
against the wall, kicking amid the ranks;
but he was soon quoted forever, ana at the
moment men regarded but little such wounds
as could be inflicted by an iron-shod hoof,
even in the agonies of death. The Austri-
ans stood galantly, and made an attempt to
set fire to the bridge; but the difference of
their armament: again told upon them here
and it is said that, CALLED by their hard for
tune, they charged with the bayonet, but
that the Prussians also took kindly to the
steel, and this charge caused no change in
the fortune of the fight; certain it is that
the defenders were ultimately obliged to re-
tire across the bridge.
RETREAT OF THE AUsTRIANs.
While this combat was proceeding slowly
along the street, another fight was carried
on upon the railway almost with an equal
progress, and with an almost similar result.
A party of the Austrlans fell back from the
point where shots were first exchanged, and
where the railway crosses the road, along
the line. They were pushed by some Prus-
sian detachments, but neither side was here
in strong force, and the principal fighting
was done upon the road; but here, too, the
needle gun showed its advantage over the
old-fashioned weapons of the Austrians, for
the. latter fell in the proportion of six 10
one Prussian. The railway bridge was not
broken, but the fines were torn up by the
retiring troops, and the line is not now pas
sable by trains. The Prussians pushed over
both bridges after the retreating Austrians
the latter threw strong detachment into
large unfinished house, which stands by the
chaussee, about quarter of mile beyond
the bridge, and again made stand but not
of long duration; they had lost many killed,
wounded, and prisoners; many % their Off
GERS were dead or taken but they stood till
they could gather in all the stragglers who
had escaped from the houses of the village,
and, harassed by the pursuing Prussians,
drew up sullenly by the main road to
Munchengratz Thus terminated contest, |
which, fought upon both sides with the
greatest of yigor aud determination, yet re-
suited in clear victory for the Prussians
for when the last dropping shots ceased |
about four o'clock this morning, there were |
no Austrian soldiers within three miles of
Podoll bridge, except the wounded and the
fakan Thara WAS no artiIIary ON oaoa1 an |