Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-09-10
THE BATTLES OF METZ. v.
The Country Ablaxe with the Fir
ing-The sharp Shrek of the Nit.

The Country Ablaxe with the Fir
ing-The sharp shrek Of the Mit-
.raf1leuse-1ts Terrible Execution.
From the Courier de Moselle.l
For the last three days the army OF
Marshal Bazaine, concentrated round the
walls Of Metz, offered battle to the Prus-
slams, who, according to their tactics,
occupied the surrounding woods. Yes
terday "a the order for departure was
given, and at daybreak the troops com
menced retreat on the road to Verdun,
in order to cut the advance of the Prus-
SLAMS on their way to Paris. The bag
gage having filed off through the city, at
clock Prince Napoleon and a great
number of generals quilted the city by
two gates, followed by the carriages Of
the Emperors household. Yesterday at
8, his Majesty and the Prince Imperial
attended mass and said adieu to the
Bishop; at they left the place in car
riage by the Thionville gate, escorted by
the Cent? -Gardes, and followed by seven
generals and some troops. At the same
time the cavalry and infantry filed off
on two wooden bridges thrown over the
Moselle at st. Symphorien. The En-
peror alighted at Longeville, at the resi-
dence of Colonel Hennoque, where he
was to pass the night From the hight
of the Esplanade, infantry, cavalry and
artillery were seen marching on the
plain toward the island of Saulcy; clouds
of dpst we're rising on the Moulins road
which leads to verdun. The enemy
from the top of the positions could per-
ceive this movement, and believed in q
complete retreat. But what he did not
see was that the French army, instead Of
turning to the left to take the road to
Verdun, was marching by movement
of conversion to the right, toward the
island of Chambiere, to recross to the
right bank at st. Julien. Toward four
o'clock a strong cannonade was heard.
The enemy, falling into the trap, rushed
upon the troops remaining on the
right bank, forced them to recoil,
and would have thrown them into the
Moselle, had it not been for the turning
movement which we have indicated. AZ
ready the Prussians, sure of victory,
found themselves all at once engaged
with forces which they thought already
far off on their way to Verdun, and were
repulsed in their turn. From the RAM
parts Of the town, kept by the National
Guard, the eye might follow the general
course of the action. All the country
between the forts of St. Julien and
Queulen was seen in blaze with the fir
ing People watched with feyerish
anxiety the forward movement Of the
French, which was evidently forcing the
enemy from st. Julien ON the fort of
Queulen. Toward o'clock the guns of
this last began to take part in the terri
BILE concert, and the detonations sue
ceeded without intermission With the
heavy booming the cannon, resembling
the FIRE of two ranks of infantry, was
mingled the sharp shrek of the mitrail-
leuses. Towards S:l5 o'clock all was
over as night separated the combatants;
unfortunately so, for with two hours
more the defeat Of the enemy would have
been complete. The enemy's forces, es-
timated at one hundred thousand men,
commanded, as was supposed, by the
Prince de Manteuffel, and belonging to
the army of Prince Frederic Charles,
occupied three leagues of ground. On
the French side, the Third and Fourth
Corps alone took part in the action, the
Guard being in reserve. The regiments
engaged were, if we are well informed,
the Fourteenth and Fifteenth foot chas-
seurs, the Thirty-third, Forty-fourth, Fif-
ty-fourth Sixtieth, Sixty-ffth, Eigh-
tieth, Sixty-ninth, and Ninetieth of
the line, and the Eighth, Ninth and
Tenth batteries of the First Regi-
ment of Artillery. If we are to be-
lieve military surgeon present at
the battle, the loss for France may be
set down at twenty-five hundred men
killed and wounded and that of the
Prussians at from ten thousand to twelve
thousand men. The mitrailleuses APP
pear to have done terrible execution. |
The Prussian battalions, which followed |
each other without intermisson, we're
literally moved down by these formida-
BILE engines. In certain places the
corpses formed veritable ramparts, which |
prevented the artillery from advancing.
As we are speaking of the French gun
ners, let us hasten to pay them a just
homage. All the military men who took
part in the action agree in saying that
their sang .froid was admirable, and that
though under terrible fire, they took
aim as regularly as at the polygon.