New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-12-10

The line seemed to extend right athwart the neck of
the loop of the river
THE FRENCH PLAN DEVELOPED
At Champigny, am informed, that Wsrtembcrg-
ers, after desperate fighting had driven the French
out not long after o'clock, to be In turn subjected
to violent attack and partial expulsion. The sharp
shooters dashed into the thicket lining the foot Of
the rising ground, and scrambled through. The
troops behind them followed seuied column
Whence had they comet They had crossed during
the night and occupied the loop. Their bridges must
have been between Joinville and Nogent; and the
notification Of Be enabled the utilization at later
hour Of bridge between Bre and the railway
viaduct.
The Bots de Grace, Tying IN front south Of
Champs, afforded favorable cover for detour into
the rear Of Yilhers which, evidently, was the point
for which the French advance was intended. Their
15fe9= refer exclusively TO that section Of 1t that
threatened Villers-Inust have been at least 10000
How large was the force with which the Wttrtem-
bergers had to deal toward Champigny, had no
means Of ascertaining. In thoee dense columns
standing in support under Nogent, there c0uldpot
have been less than 10000 There were 10000 Of
the left advance, with whom 10000 Saxons had to
cope-not with them alone, but with those terrible
proieeues storm of which necessarily clashed into
the upper ground where Yiers stands, and into the
| glades behind.
| The French skirmshers were thrown out with as
much regularity rs if the days work had been but
| peaceful parade. The forces were deployed with
surprising rspidity and apparent discipline; but
there appeared considerable looseness in their for
nation; total want of intervals, and, indeed, in
places an overlapping of battahons. Had there been
nothing else for the Saxons to do but to repulse
assault on viiers directed solely against it, the task
would have been comparatively simple and not very
sanguinary notwithstanding the artillery fire by the
French But the advance, threatening, as it did, In
the evolution by which it was depl0yed, tosweep
right on, overlapping Villiers up the space between
that place and Noisy. and TO get through upon
Champs called for other tactics. Viliers could only
serve as position which to lean the Saxon left
il became necessary TO meet the French In the open
space. -
From behind Villiers several lGemanl regiments
came out to the right of the brow of the hill under
the shell-fre. AS the French came up the gentle
activity, the guns of the forts continued playing
| without interruption. So narrow was the margin
between the cOmbatants that question much
whether n shell OF two did not fall in the French
ranks. stood by the 1OSth Regiment as it quilted
position in which it had found some shelter. Two
heutenants gayly shook hands with hussar aid-de-
camp who had just rode up with an order, as they
passed him to 20 ont into the battle On went the
regiment in dense columns of companies, shells now
| crushing into the ranks now exploding in the In
| tervals.
The line was formed rear files closing mp at the
! double-quick, aud in twinkling less
than 90 yards separated the combatants.
Then came volley, then sharp firing by file,
and the French broke and gave ground, only TO get
back to the next dip of the ground to let the guns of
the fort 20 to work again The saxous had to find
what cover they might. When the regiments came
bsck-they had not been gone 20 minutes-S5 officers
out of the As had gone down. Neither Of the blithe
lieutenants were TO the fore. Now there came luli
IN the musketry fire. 40 few moments before there
I had been lull in the cannon. The Saxons could
not get their artillery into action with advantage.
! The ground itself was unfavorable, while the fre
from the forts must have speedily Elenced their field
guns: therefore this great advantage was lost to
! them.
All this took place before noon After little
time the artillery fire from the forts sackened con-
! siderably The French infantry made no demon
stration On the German left, however, about Cham
pigny il was evident that hard fighting was going
on About one o'clock the French made another adj
vance having received considerable re6nforcements.
| The Saxon infantry confronted them with the old
result but different policy was this time adopted
II was plain that the only escape from the thunder
bolts of the forts lay in getting at close quarters
with the French infantry, unless, indeed, a retro
! grade movement was TO be made, and that was not
TO be thought Of So when the French fell back the
Saxons followed on if they would settle the ques-
ton with the bayonet's point. 1t the old cry,
Voyyrarts timer ro,1cdrtSn but the rorcars was
very slow.
What happened in the next hour could only guess,
nv the constant cracking of small orns The forts
confined themselves apparently for the chief part to
! firing into and over Champigny and Nilliers AT
length the French were slowly and stubbOrnly fall
ing back across the north side of the neck of land,
the saxons pushing them hard; the French ever and
anon rayiug On this position of the plain south OF
/ Brie there was q prolonged struggle The Saxons
were striving to get at and cut the pontoon bridge
but this became an impossibility when Fort Nogent
went 10 work again with the fnghtful accuracy of
| which the short range admitted. The combatants
parted about o'clock, both sides falling back The
fire of the fort continued some little time longer
THE RESULT AND THE LOSSES.
! What shall say of the RESULT Not much have
! the saxons gained. Was there much to gainf The
/ WHrtembergers hold one end Of Champigny. Br1e
stands empty and desolate; there were French in 1t
this morning; later there were Saxons That Is all
| But look at the bloody side Of tho picture The num-
/ Der dead / cannot ascertain, but the German
! wounded were over 1000 The French IL they lost
fewer killed and wounded, lost 1000 prisoners. Had
| II been possible for the Saxons TO hold Brie the
French advance would have been impossible; Its
aanking fire would have prohibited breasting the
slope toward Viliers The French had mitrailleuse
somewhere in the plain. At any rate the days work
WAS the final failure of the French hopes. The Ger
| man line stood everywhere unbroken. Paris was no
more free than before.