The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-08-19
The Battle of WOertf,.

The special correspondent of one Of the
New York papers writes on Thursday Q1th)
from the headquarters of the Crown Prince
an account of the battle of Woerth, which
has just been telegraphed from London.
The correspondent says:
The swift and skilful movement against
Weissenburg, resulting in complete success
to the German arms, was but toretastc OF
the storm which threatened the northern
part OF AlSace. On the second day after
that of WciSSenburg came the battle of
Woerth, and the Crown Prince gained q
victory over the ablest General in France.
1t is admitted that the French fought with
reckless courage, and that they Inflicted
heavy loss on their opponents; but the fact
of this hard fighting and of this heavy loss
shows how serious defeat was sustained
by MacMahon.
BATTLEFIELD SCENES.
l traversed The field while the dead still
lay unburied on the trampled ground, and
could form a good notion Of how the fight
had gone by the CHASTITY evidence which re-
NAMED. Woerth is ut the bottom of a fer
tile valley, between two ridges of cultivated
ground. There is much of wooded land in
the neighhorhood; and especially behind
the French position, or on'the western side
of the valley, there is Il strip of forest which
lOIlllS II COVER IlOOpSs
The little river Bruder, not big enough
through the village, and high road comes
winding down toward the village on the
eastern side of the valley, fanked by trees.
Here was the Prussian position. Stretch
ing far to the right and left along this road
were heaps of spiked helmets to be seen,
and cart loads OF needle guns were collect
ed under the trees. At q distance the
French muSketry fire had told more heavily
than the German, and / heard that the
French artillery had been very well served.
PILES OF THE DEAD.
But though the burying parties were
busy with the German dead on the eastern
side of .Woerth, there was more than an
exchange Of the slaughterous work on the
western side. Here the Prussians and Ba-
varians had pushed forward in strong force,
and their fire had told fearfully upon the
French. The high spirit and rigid disci-
pline of the one army had been more than
match for the desperate resistance OF the
other. Whole companies of Frenchmen
had been moved down in their wild at
tempts to check the cnemy's advance. 1t
had been u tolerab!y 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 cuiraisseurs had sui.
fered 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 where they had fallen.
Some in quiet, shady spots, as though upon
a 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 the wounded on the field. Then |
came upon a. spot where the French had
rallied, and where the dead of both sides
lay thick. Turcos were there who had eyi.
IDENTIFY fought to the last, and had tried to
lire their pieces as they lay. Frcnchmen OF
the line regiments had here and there fallen
in numbers as though they had halted..an
taGea about In regular order.
But the aspect Of the fields beyond the
WOOD seemed to indicate Il hasty retreat
| Wagons were overturned, baggage was
throWn out up"n the roadside many knap.
sacks were to be seen. No one who had
passed over that battle-ground of Woerth
| when did could have failed to realize that
| great disaster had befallen the French
arms, though my observations were made
when most of the wounded had been re.
moved. "a Us
THE LOSSES ON BOTH SIDES.
On SO large action it would have
been imposaif 5ndge of the exact loss
sustained. q SEQ reason, however, to
doubt the official return on the German
side, which gives about 10000 Frenchmen
and 1000 Germans h0rs du combat, and
about 1000 prisoners taken by the yictors-
1900 in the battle and 5000 in the pursuit
These losses, with the further loss Of can.
non and colors, made the battle Of Woerth
an evil daY for france,