The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-08-27

on the right. Passing through the village and
ascending the high plain beyond. l. found my
self suddenly In battle field, ,:strewn thickly,
as far as my eye could reach, with dead bodies.
In one or two parts of the field companies were
still burying the dead, chiefly the Prussians.
The French, being necessarily buried last,
were still lying In vast numbers on the ground
few OF those that l saw were not yet dead.
AS ! hurried on, q splendid regiment OF cav
airy came up from behind me, and when they
reached the brow of the hill they all broke out
with wild hurrah and dashed forward. 4
few more steps and gained the summit and
saw the scene which had evoked their cry, and
seemed to thrill even their horses.
THE BATTLE FIELD.
1t would be difficult to imagine grander
battlefield. From the hill 10 which l had
been directed by good authority to come, the
entire sweep OF the Prussian and French cen
tres could be seen, and a considerable part of
their wings. The spot where I stood was
fearful. 1t was amid ghastly corpses. and the
air was burdened with the stencil OF dead
horses, of which there were great numbers.
was standing on the battlefield of the 16th-
ed like silver thread the road to Verdun-.
to Paris, also-for the possession of which
this series of battles had begun. 1t was
between the lines Of poplars which
stood against the horizon on my left; and on,
as far as the eye could reach, toward Metz,
with military regularity. strung on this road
like beads, were the pretty villages, each with
It's church tower, all of which are really only
a hl4ndred yards apart. although they have
sepa rate Names -Mars.L La-Tour, Flayigny, q
llttle south of the road, Vionville, Rezonville
and Gravelotte, which is divided into Great and
Little Grayelotte. On my right werethe thickly-
wooded hills behind which lies the most I'm
portant village Of the nefghborhood, which
had lust left-GorZe. So environed was the
foreground OF the battle, which should, one
for it was mainly over and around that devoted
little town that it ragged. The area have in
dicated Is perhaps four miles square.
SPECTATORS OF THE BATTLE.
/ arrived Just as the battle waxed warm. 1t
was about noon Of the 18th. The headquarters
OF the King Of Prussia were then at the spot
which have described. The great represen-
tative men of Prussia, soldiers and statesmen,
were standing on the ground watching the
conflict Just begun. Among them Recognized
the King, Bismarck, Gen. Won M0ltke, Prlnce
Frederick Charles, Prince Carl, Prince Adai-
bert and Adjutant Kranski. LieutenantrGene-
raj Sheridan, of the United states army: was
also present At the moment the french were
making most desperate effort to hold on to
the last bit of the Verdun road-that between
Rezonville and Gravelotte, or the part of Crave
lotte which in some maps is called st. Marcel.
The struggle was desperate, but unavailinS, ior
every one man in the French army had two to
cope with, and their line was already beginning
to waver. Soon it was plain that this wing,
the French right was Withdrawing to new
position. This was swiftly taken up under
cover of continuous fire of their artillery
from the heights beyond the village. the
movement was made in good order, and the
position, which was reached at l o'clock and
thirty minutes, would, believe, have been
pronounced, impregnable by nine out OF ten
military men. When once this movement had
been effected, the French retreating from the
pressure Of the Prlssian artillery fire, and the
Prussians as rapidly advancing, the battlefield
was no longer about Rezonvllle, but had been
transferred and pushed forward TO Gravelotte,
the junction of the two branching roads to
Verdun The fields in front OF that village
were completely covered by the Prussian re-
serves, and intermlnable lines Of soldiers were
steadily marching onward, disappearing into
the village, and emerging on the other side OF
it with flaming volleys.
THIS SECOND BATTLEFIELD
was less extensive thap the first, and brought
the opposing forces into feartully close quer..
ters The peculiarity Of It is that 1t consists OF
This woody ravine Is over one hundred feet
deep. and at the top some three hundred yards
Wide The side Of the chasm next to Grave
lot:e, where the Prussians stood, is much lower
than the other side which gradually ascends
TO great height. From their commanding
emInence the French held their enemies fairly
beneath them. and poured upon them scoreh-
ing fire. The French gun, were IN position
far up by the Metz road, hidden and covered
among the trees There was not an instant's
cessation of the roar. Easily distinguishable
amid all was the curious grunting roll Of the
mitrailleur The PrussIan artillery was post
ed to the north and south Of the village, the
guns on the latter side being necessarily raised
for an awkward half vertical fire.
THE CARNAGE.
The French stood their ground and died
the Prussians stood their ground and died
both by hundreds, Ihad almost said thousands.
This, for an hour or two that seemed ages, go
constant was the slaughter. The hill where
stood commanded chiefly the conflict behind
the village and to the south Of IT. The Prus-
sian reinforcements, coming up on tEeir right.
filed ont OF the Bois DIES 0gnons; and 1t was
at that point as they marched on 10 the field
that one could perhaps get the best idea
Of the magnitude Of this invading army now
In the heart Of France. There wes no break
whatever for four hours in the march OF men
out of that wood. 1t seemed almost as If all
the killed and wounded revived and came
back and marched forth again. Birnam Wood
advancing to Dunsinane Hill was not more
ominous sight to Macbeth than these men Of
General Goebens army to Bazalne, shielded as
they were by the woods till they were fairly
within range and reach Of their enemies guns.
So the French must have felt; for between
and o'clock, they concentrated upon that
spot their heaviest fire. massing all available
guns, and sheling the woods unremittingly.
The fire reached the Prussian lines and tore
through them; and though the men were steady,
it was test to which no general cares to sub
ject his troops long. They presently swerYed
q little from that line Of advance, ana there
was no longer continuous column OF Infantry
pouring OUT Of those woods.
THE PRussIASs Receive A CHECK.
The attack of the Prussians In the centre
was clearly checked. About o'clock, how
ever, brigade of fresh infantry was again
formed n the wood and emerged from It's
cover Once out from under the trees, they
advanced at double quick. / watched their
movement. The French guns had not lost the
range Of the wood, nor of the ground IN front.
Seen at distance, through a powerful glass,
the brigade was a huge serpent bending WIN
the undulation of the Geld. But it left dark
track behind it. and the glass resolved tie
dark track into falling and dying and dead
men. As the horrid significance OF that path,
so traced. came upon me, gazed on more N.
tently. Many of those who had fallen leaped
up again and ran forward q little way, striving
still to 20 on with their comrades. Or those
who went backward instead OF forward there
were few. though many fell as they painfully