The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1870-09-01
Thr 8ullrtin.
FRANCS.PRUSSlAN WAR.
THE BlrTLEs az METZ AND MARS
Ia TOUR.
The Fight nj saarbruck.

.
At one o'clock Sunday afternoon. the
French army, 10000 strong, wa.
| encampcd all around Metz. Since the
day prcviou. n battle had been considered
imminent Several attempts have been
to draw the enemy out Of the wood, they
occupied.
The Prussian army Of Prince Frederick
Charles, or rather the corps now united
under Field Marshal Steinmctz had taken
its position on the road to Baulay, at the
point interscctng tina, to Borncy.
The road from Dclionir 10 Borncy, up
TO the forest Of that place, was occupied by
Prussiaus, part Of their division being con-
ccaled by woods.
Skrmishing had boon going Oh all the
morning but II was probable no serious
engagement would take place.
At 1880 the French troops received orders
TO retreat from their position TO 20 in the
direction Of Ncrdun II was at = o'clock
the avant guarded vision were crossing
the Moscllc on pontoon bridge, thrown
across n few hours previously, and the lug
gage, material and provision. Of the army
were crossing other bridge ia the direc-
ton Of Longucyillc.
The equipagcs Of the Emperor had all
half an hour after the Emperor himself
We are leaving on horseback in the same
direction
At pm. the 81 corps, Dccaen. the III
corps, Ladmirault, aud the gardc imperial,
BourbaLi, were preparing also to leave
their cncampmcHt when suddenly the
Prus,ians were seen 20 prepare for battle.
Some other were preparing often five
at ~ f.. Of ka 81 III
ney, and in the direction of Griscy and
Mercy Les Metz.
The French troops under the comman.
Of Marshal Bazainc were composed Of u,
"a and 4,h corps and the Gnrde Imperial.
They were fronting Borney, Grisoy ant
Mercy Les Metz the Imperial Guar.
forming reserve near ,hc Fort :.
Quentin.
Alta quarter past four clock the a,tac;
commenced. 4 heavy fire. Of artillery wai
at once heard Ia every direction. III,
soldiers VI the Pru.sian lhnlwphr heading
the Prus.ians corps farmcc.
The mi,raillcurs began their deadly work
on each side. For me there wa. con-
fusion all around Men were falling 10
every direction. Columns were whiF.ing
around n bullets were whistiing their
deadly work through their ranks
4 battery ofar,licry, with mitraillcur
WAS making fearful havoc in Pru.,.au
ranks. heard frantic brayOs announcing
its new exploits. The fire wa, 50 well
directed and the precision 20 great that
each fire was positively moving the Prg,-
sian ranks. who were fighting in desperate
way. their artillery replying I" III" other
and destroying French haiiallons right
aud len.
~ seven o'clock IN the afternoon the
Prus, sian. were making movement Of re-
treat. A miirailiclIsc had been twice
taken from the French and althoug il
Is only one u the hundreds of case of the
battle, ! mention u, rs IL lei t. M i'm
portant result.
For the last hour one Of create, eiTori,
II the French had FOR .. object iodi.loay
ILe Pru.sians from the WOODS uf Borney
their troop. being protcctclby Tia. natural
rampant. n
The brave Colonel of the 4i,h infantry, I
second division, IN rctakins the nitraileur
va. the cause OF an immense body oi Prus-
-ian, emerging from the wood. aud Prccipi-
Eating themselves a, m iutIriatcd tOrrcnI
upon the French division.
/, was only aprctcXb for i Wa expected
hat the Pru.sians would follow the same
tactics rs at Forbach. which consist, Of
Keeping ont Of sight their masses, their best
divisions, and when the result .! battle
seems Ia favor OF their opponents, 80
change defeat into victory, by that power.
ful movement of immense bodies of troops
suddenly on tue enemy.
But this time Bszaine had prepared y
match for them. The Imperial Guard,
commanded by Bourbaki, had been kept In
reserve. Tie artillery from n strong po-
,ition, began the defensive. The grcua'
iiers advanced; and from that moment
ill quarter 10 nine, you would have
thought YOU were in the middle Of an crup-
ton Of Mount Vesuyius; Fort de Quentin
sweeping with its powerful baiteric. tbs
Hank of the advancing columns, regiments
of cavalry charging ON the wing.
At quarter 10 nine precisely, the Prus'
SLAMS were retrcating leaving from 5000
TO $4,000 men hOrs du combat. The
French have lost close on 10 10000 men
killed and wounded.
One hundred and forty thousand Prus-
S Ian, took part in the fight, against sew
enty thousand Frenchmen positively,
Owing to Fort do Quentin s!aughier!ng
the enemy, tho Guardc, except II. arlil-
lery and brigade Of grcnadicrs, did not
fight. They were kept in reserve to the
last.
During the combat the rest ofthe French
army was retiring on the route to Nerdun,
and at 0 o'clock followed the Imperial
guard retrcating in the same direction.
General Do Cacn has been wounded in
the leg; General De Castagny had an arm
cut, and Marshal Bazaine himself received
q slight confusion on the head.