Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-08-07
THE GERMAN WAR.
Cavalry Battle at Sanr-The Prussien
Lancet n Close Contest with IA Hus-
sar swords OF Austria.
[Neu.tadt Only 10y COrresp.nIcnce Of London
Times
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SURPRISE.
The monotony of the march was re-
lieved by a spirited cavalry skirmish in
the little town of Saar, which is about
six miles to the west of Neustadt. Last
night the Austrian Hussars of the regi-
ment of Hesse-Cassel held Saar. The
Prussian cavalry was to proceed to-day to
Gammy, about a mile in front Of Saar,
and the Eleventh regiment of Uhlans
formed its advanced guard on the march.
The Austrians intended to march to-day
to the rear towards Brunn, and the Hus-
sars were actually assembling for parade
previous tothe march when the first patrols
Of the Prussian Uhlaus came rafting
into the town.
TIE LANCE AND swoRD-AN EXCITING
SCENE.
In the market place an ex-
citing contest at once began. The cele-
brated cavalry of Austria was being at
tackled by the rather deprecated horsemen
Of Prussia, and the lance, the "queen Of
weapons" as its admirers love to term it,
was being engaged in real battle against
the sword. The first Prussian soldiers
who rode into the town were very few in
number, and they could not attack before
some moro come up. This delay OF a few
minutes gave the Hussars a short time 10
hurry together from the other parts of the
town, aud by the time the Uhlans received
their achievements the Austrians were
nearly formed.
AS soon as their supports came up the
Lancers formed a line across the street.
advanced a few yards at a walk, then
trotted for a short distance, their horses
feet pattering on the stones, the mems
swords iingling, their accoutrements rat
ting, and their lances borne upright,
with the black and white flags streaming
over their heads; but when near the
| opening into the broader street, which is
called market place, q short, sharp word
of command, a quick, stern note from the
trumpet, the lance points came down and
were sticking out in front of the horses
shoulders, the horses broke into q steady
gallop, and the lance flags huttered rapid
" from the motion through the air, as the
horsemen, with bridle-hands low and
bodies bent forward, lightly gripped the
slaves, and drove the points straight to
the front.
DAk " AtA E4C 44ASELAls UEIdL 10 ELl-
lop the Austrians were also in motion.
With q looser formation and a greater
speed they came up, their blue p~elissee,
trimmed with fur and embroidered with
yellow, flowing freely from their left
shoulders, leaving their sword arms dis
encountered. Their heads well up car
ried the single eagles feather in every
cap straight in the air their swords were
raised bright and sharp, ready to strike as
their wiry little horses, pressed tight by
the knees of the riders, came bounding
along and dashed against the Prussian
ranks as if they would leap over the
| points of the lances.
The Uhlans swayed heavily under the
shock of the collapse, but recovering
again, pressed through only at a walk. In
front of them we're mounted men, striking
with their swords, parrying the lance
thrusts, but unable to reach the Lancer
but the ground was also covered with
men and horses struggling together to
rise; loose lines were gailOping away;
~dismounted hussars, in their blue uni
forms and long boots, were hurrying off
to try TO catch loose horses, or to avoid
lanee-points. The Uhlan line appeared
! unbroken, but the Hussars were almost
dispersed. They had dashed up against
the firmer Prussian ranks and they had
recoiled, shivered, scattered and broken as
p wavo is broken that dashes against a
| cliff. In the few moments that the ranks
we're locked together it seems that the
horsemen were so closely jammed against
each other that lance or sword was hardly
used. The Hussars escaped the points in
rushing in, but their speed took them 50
close to the Lancers breasts, that they
had not even room to use their swords.
Then the Prussians, stouter and t. Her
men, mounted on heavier horses, mostly
bred from English sires, pressed hard on
the light frames and smaller horses of the
Hussars, and by mere weight aud physi-
cal strength bore them back and force
them from their seats 10 she ground, or
sometimes, so rude was the shock, sent
horse and man bounding backwards, to
come down with o clatter on the pave
ment.
rrrr 1900