The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-09-01
THE BATTLE AT METZ.
A description of the Fight-Inter-
est1ng Details.

A description of the Fight-Inter-
estlng Details.
New YORK, August 30.-A CORE
spondent of the London Standard, who
writes from Verdun on Tuesday morn
ing, describes the battle which took
place at Metz OH Sunday, August l4th.
At one o'clock Sunday afternoon the
French army, 10000 strong, was en-
camped all aroupd Metz. Since the
day previous a battle was considered
imminent. Several attempts had been
made to draw the enemy out Of the
woods they occupied Marshal Stein
metz had taken position on the road
to Bombay, at point intersecting that
to Borny. The road from Bellenolr
and Borny mp to the forest of that place,
was occupied by the Prussians, parts of
divisions being concealed by the woods.
Skirmishing had been going on all the
morning, but it was probable no serious
engagement would take place.
At half past one the French troops
received orders to retreat from their
position. to go in the direction Of Yer
dun. 1t was said at two o'clock the
a0ant gards division was crossing the
Moselle on a pontoon bridge thrown
across few hours previously, and the
luggage, material and provisions of the
army crossing other bridges in the di-
rection Of Longeville. The equipage Of
the Emperor had already left, and
Prince Napoleon first, and haitian hour
later the Emperor himself, leaving Metz
on horseback in the same direction.
The French troops under command of
Marshal Bazaine was composed Of the
Third and Fourth Corps and the Garlic
Impcriale. They were fronting Borny,
Crazy and Mercy. les-Metz the Imperial
Guard forming the reserves near Fort
dc Quintan. At a quarter past four the
attack commenced A heavy fire OF
artillery was at once heard in every d.
rectioB, the soldiers OF the Prussian
landwehr heading the Prussian Corps
d Armee. A battery OF artillery with
a mitrailleuse was making fearful havoc
in the Prussian ranks. heard frantic
braves announcing its new exploits.
The fire was SO well directed, the pre-
cision so great, that each fire was posi-
lively moving the Prdssian ranks, who
were fighting in desperate way, their
artillery replying to the other and de-
stroying French battalions right and
left
At7P. NJ. the Prussans were max
ing a movement Of retreat. A mitrall-
leuse had been twice taken from the
French; although it is only one Of hun
dreds of incidents of the battle, men
ton it as it led to an important result,
For the last hour one OF the greatest
efforts of the French had for its object
to dislodge the Prussians from the
woods Of Borny, their troops being pro-
tected by that natural rampant The
brave Colonel of the Forty-fourth in
fantry, SecoLd division, IN recalling the
mitrailleurs was the cause OF an i'm
mense body OF Prussians emerging
suddenly from the woods and
throwing themselves, as an infuriated
torrent, on the French divisions. 1t
was only pretext, for it was
expected that the Prussians would fol-
low the same tactics as at Forbach and
FroshweiIer which consists of keeping
out of sight their masses, their best
divisions, and when the result ofthe
battle seems in favor Of their opponent,
to change defeat into victory by that
powerful movement Of immense bodies
of troops, plunging suddenly on the
enemy. But this time Bazane had pre-
pared match for them. The Imperial |
Guard, commanded by Bourbaki, had
been kept in reserve. Their artillery
from a strong position began the defcn- !
.sive. The grenadiers advanced, and
from that moment until quarter TO
nine you might have thought YOU were
in the middle OF an eruption Of Mount !
Vesuvus Fort lie Quinton, sweeping
with its powerful batteries the flank /.
of the advancing columns-regi |
ments Of cavalry charging on
the wings At a quarter TO
nine the Prussians were retreating
leaving from $4,000 10 24,OOO men h0rS
du combat The French have lost close
on 1900 (?) killed and wounded. One
hundred and forty thousand Prussians
took part in the fight against seventy
thousand Frenchmen, positively, owing
TO Fort Quintan slaughtering the
enemy. The guard except its artillery
and brigade of grenadiers, did not
fight. They were held in reserve. Gen.
De Caen has been wounded in the leg
Gen. De Castasuay had his arm cut,
and Marshal Bazaine received slight
confusion on his head. The sights of
the Champs de Battaile were horrible.
In retiring they marched over the
dead bodies who were in heaps in some