The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-09-09
THE BATTLE OF BEAUMONT.
A Graphic Account.

LONDON, Monday, September S.
The New York Tribunes correspondent at
The Kings headquarters sends the following
account of the battle of Beaumont, on Tues
day, August go:
TIE PURSUIT OF M'hAHoN.
Up to Thursday evening, August rs, at 8
o'clock, we all thought we were going to CON-
tinue our march Pariswards, without turning
to tine right or left. But on Thursday evening,
when the officers of the staff were at dinner,
In the refectory Of the Lyceum at Bar-le-due,
an orderly came in with important news. Two
officers Ilimped up from the table and rode of
north In the direction of Ciermont. The news
that had come was indeed important, namely,
that McMahon who had quilted Chalons ana
taken ND very strong defensive position at
Rheims, was In full march to relieve Bazaine
at Metz.
Our route for next morning was, therefore,
changed, and we started OF for Clermont,en-
hon and Steinmetz. After tedious marching,
bad quarters, and wretchedly cold wet wealth
er. we reached the village of Grand Pre- on
Monday evening, August %.
On Tuesday morning, started early from
Grand Pre-, the Kings headquarters, to see the
battle which was expected to take place on q
line from the village of stonne to stenay,
nearly midway passing snroagn beau%onI te nsS ~,
to Metz according to his plan OF catching
Steinmetz between himself and Bazalne. But
the Prussians were always Just th1rty-slx hours
In advance Of Mcmahon from the time he LETT
Rheims.
had not gone far on my road to the front
before fell In with the Crown Princes stan,
his Royal Hlghness riding at the head Of his
aides-de-camp, In the plain uniform OF M pras-
,,It
sPouT la Merits" and the iron cross. For
that matter, however, any Prussian offeer ssn
who wears these two is not permitted TO dis
play any other. We rode slowly over the nils
until we reached an eminence above the val
ley of the Bar, small stream Whicn, On tne
French map, is honored as river. On this
hill we sat for terrible long time, and own
began to think we had come on wild-goose
chase. One we'll known English correspon-
dent created small excitement by calling at
tantion to French shell, as he called 1t,
bursting on hill to our right. AS this news,
had 1t been true, would have shown that the
French were getting between us and Metz, all
glasses were Instantly levelled at the smoke,
which came from dying camp fire.
THE BATTLE BEGINS.
But at l2:l5 o'clock there was suddenly 8.
puff OF white smoke from nill about two
miles In front of US, and before we had fairly
Time 10 Ou IuO util clCuSu
battery of six guns opened on the Prussian
columns advancing in the road below. So In
effectual, however, was their fire, that it was
not thought advisable to send up Prussian
battery TO reply, especially as we did not wish
to let the enemy know what our forces was,.
and whether we were a corps d'armee or
merely an advance guard. After a little more
than half an hours firing, the French
batteries ceased to fire, limbered up. and re,
tired down the hill to gain the highroaa. .ho "
Beaumont. Our scouts discovered that lug nf
French were in full retreat In the dlrec4a y,
Stonne, where they again took up pSstbhi S tbsir
later in the day, and that the cause ., cae ~
rapid retreat on Stonne was the Van1 aavanGe IN IN
our right wing, Prince Albert o. pa 5Avy Weyon "A
command, between Beaumont aue .ha tue Tran"bl
fhreateninr to turn the flank OF tne rIenca
left on the ridge of the hili on @ Wnlcn @ les
stonne The enemy made t No., oao ~ 'e detar
tack from the Prussian rlgat was 30 oeIeI1 ;
Mined that the French could offer no ehectual
naS;stoncs on this hill, yet they had very
strnnS nos!tiou, somewhat resembling that oc-
s,In,e5 by them on the hill above Gravelotte
ou out.S the memorable 18th OF August.
TIE ARMY RIsKED TO SAVE TIE EMPEROR:
They had two mitrailleurs, and fired a.
dozen rounds or 80, with what object IL wac
Continued on Fourth Page.l