The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1870-09-03
The Battle of Gravelotte.

one of the "great" European bat
ties:
''The battle fought to-day, Au-
gust 1S, we call the battle of
Gravelotte. 1t began at 1Oo'clock,
A. NJ, aud lasted until after 9 r.
NJ. Until noon it was an artillery
duel. The French lines were
stretched along the hills covering
two roads leading from Metz to
Verdun, having on their right
flank a farm house known as La
Villette, with a walled garden,
which they held in great forces.
A sunken road led straight from
Gravelote to the center of their
position on the French left. The
road wound over the crest of a
hill on which twelve earthworks
had been thrown up. Eight mi
trailleuse, besides artillery, were
posted to command every ap-
proach to this strong position,
and their guns swept the crow1l-
ing hills along which the French
lines ran, and the valley reach
ing from Gravelotte, eastward by
which the Prussians. had to ad-
vance. Behind this line OF strong
defense, lay forts st. Quentin and
Carriers, u position apparently Of
inpregnable strength and COM
pletely protecting it from the
French The rear position at first
held by the Prussians was to the
cast Of the French, facing toward
Metz, occupying the southern
most road from Metz to Verdun.
and reaching over the chain OF
hills lying between GravelOtte and
Rezonville.
T. "This result of artillery contest
was to compel. the French to aban-
don their most advanced positions
and the line by which they hoped
to cover both roads, was pierced
and driven back at noon.
"The Prussians were able to
rush forward their artillery, the
French finding their guns unable
to resist the weight OF the Prus-
sian fire, and the Prussian bat
teries shortly after noon were in
position on either side of Grave
lottc, so that neither of the roads
which at that point branch off to
Verdun, north and southwesterly,
we're any longer open to the
French army.
II reached the field just as this
forward movement Of the Prus-
slams had been accomplished. The
ground was favorable for Il good
view of both positions, and it was
apparent at a glance that the
French had already relinquished
line of defense: important to
them technically as well as stra-
geticaliy. BY 2 o'clock, the
French batteries covering the Yer
dun road from the north and east
were silenced, and Prussians had
advanced so far south of that road
as to occupy a farm house at NAL
maison, Il little northwest from
Gravelotte; twenty minutes later
tho French fire so slackened and
wavcred that the Prussian bat
teries were pushed forward and
took up /, new position in front of
GravelOtte. .. ,
"At twenty minutes past 3, the
Prussian cavalry, under Il hot fire
from the French guns proceeded
capitally. An attack was made
on a considerable force by Uhlans,
cuirassiers and huzzars. but they
were at first without infantry SUP
port, and could make no serious
impression on a position naturally
strong and still held in force by
all arms of the French; but half
an hour later, it being now nearly
4 o'clock in the afternoon, por-
ton of the Third Prussiau corps
had come upon the ground. The
infantry regiments were formed
as fast as they came into position,
from which serious attack was
to be directed upon what appeared
the key of the French lines.
cat 4 O'Clock the Thirty-third
Regiment Of the Prussian line was
launched against the same posi-
ton which the Cavalry had failed
to reach. 1t moveS forward with
the utmost determination, but tho
French by this time had reinfor-
ced their defense more strongly
!