Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-08-26

treat a Route-Over a Hundred Thou
sand Mem Engaged.
The special correspondent of one of
the New York papers writes on Thursday
(11th) from the headquarters of the Crown
Prince an account OF the battle OF Woerth,
whioh has jus. been telegraphed from
London. There is nothing yet printed
here from the Prussian side. The cores
pondent says: n. sa.
Tho swift and skiilfnl movement against
Weissonburg, resulting In complete success
to the German arms. was but foretaste Of
the storm which threatened he northern
part of Alsace. On tho second day after
that of Weissenburg came the battle of
Woerth, and the Grown Prince gained
It is admitted that the French fought with
reckless courage, and that they inflicted
heavy loss on their opponents 4; but the
fact of this hard fighting and Of this heavy
| loss shows how serious defeat was sustain
ed by Mchahon.
| BATTLEFIELD SCENES.
traversed the field while the dead still
lay unburied on the trampled ground, and
could form O good notion Of how the fight
had gone by the ghastly evidence which
remained. Woerth is at the bottom of
| vated ground. There is much Of wooded
land in the neighborhood /; and especially
behind the French position or on the
western side of the valioy, there is strip
| of forest which forms cover for retreat
ing troops.
| The little river Bruder, not big enough
in summer time to float a skif, flows
| through the village, and high road comes
winding down toward the village on the
no cid oF kbor rAo1o 1yn2f ~
Here was the Prussian position. Stretch
| ing far to the right and left along this
road were heaps of spiked helmets to be
5een, and cart-loads of needle-guns we're
| collected under the trees. At @ distance
the French musketry Ere had told more
heavily than the German, and heard that
the French artillery had been very we'll
served.
PILES OF THE DEAD.
But though the burying parties were
busy with the German dead on the eastern
side of Worth, there was more than an
exchange OF slaughterous work on the
western side. Here the Prussians and
Gavarians had pushed forward in strong
force, and their fire had told fearfully' upon
the French. The high spirit and rigid
discipline Of the one army had been more
than match for the desperate resistance
Of the other. Whole companies of French
men had been moved down in their wild
attempts to check the enemy's advance
It had been tolerably equal fight in some
places, for the ground was strewed with
German dead but more and more French
men had fallen in proportion. Black
Turcos and wide-trowsered Zouaves lay
thick at many points, and the cuiraissiers
had suffered much. There were steel
breastplates and brass helmets scattered
thickly on the line of retreat, while the
dead horses in all directions might be
counted by hundreds
And so westward through the wood went
the traces Of increasing disaster officers
and men lying grimly whore they had
fallen. Some in quiet, shady spots, as
though upon picnic. seemed asleep
Pools of blood remained where the
wounded had been found. There were
knapsacks, rifles and overcoats, either
thrown away in flight or left by tho
wounded on the field. Then came Upon
spot where the French had rallied, and
the dead of both sides lay thick. Turcos
wore there who had evidently fought to
as they 10y. Frenchmen Of the line regi-
ments had here and there fallen in nam
bers, as though they had halted and faced
about IN regular order.
But the aspect of the fields beyond the
wood seemed to indicate q hasty retreat.
Wagons were overturned, baggage was
thrown out upon the roadside many
knapsaeks were to be seen. No enc who
had passed over that battle-ground of
Woerth when I did, could have failed to
realize that O great disaster had befalIen
the French arms, though my observations
we're made when most Of the wounded had
been removed.
THE LOSS ON BOTH SIDES.
havo been impossible to judge OF the ex-
oct loss sustained. SEQ no reason, how
ever, to doubt the official return on the
German side, which gives about 10000
Frenchmen and 1000 Germans hors du
combat, and about 1000 prisoners taken by
the victors-4, 900 in the battle and 5000
in the pursuit. These losses. with the fur
ther loss Of cannon and colors, made the
battle of Woerth an evil day for France.
We'll might the wounded Germans raise
themselves to cheer the Grown Prince as
he passed, and cry that Germany is safe.
It will often be told how the armies met
on the 9th of August, and how McMahon
made and unsucce ssful attempt to repel the
invasion of Alsace; how the Prussians held
the left of the line, and the Bavarians and
Wurtemburgers the right, and how few
Baden troops held in reserve by the Grown
Prince were brought up just in time to
SlRFC IuO uOuOEB O1 Lue u6y' Au6r5 WdS q
fiercc attack On both sides, it being diff
cult to say which party began the fight.
Gradually. as the German troops pressed
round upon their opponents line Of re-
treat, the French were forced to so hasty q
retrogade movement that the retreat be-
came very nearly rout.
THE NEEDLE GUN AND THE CHAssEpoT.
The needle gun proved itself to be fully
the equal of tho chassepot, and perhaps
more than that-at least so say the Ger
man soldiers, with apparently good reason.
Moreover, the Prusslans knew their wea-
pom better, having long been accustomed
to it, and the Grown Prince handled his
army SO as to make the most OF the deadly
FIRE of his infantry. The cavalry was not
used for an attack in the first instance,
but was sent in pursuit when the enemy
began his retreat.
It was victory due to the patriotic
ardor of the German troops as much as to
anything in their discipline or tactics, but