The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-08-24

from there to the commanding emI-
nence. The French held their enc,
mics fairly beneath them and poured
upon them a searching fire.
"The French guns we're In position
far up by Metz. hidden and covered
by number Of trees. There wa5 not
an instant of cessation of the roar.
Easily distinguished amid all was the
curious grunting roll of the mittrail-
leurs.
THE Prussian artillery was posted
to the north and south of the village.
the guns on the latter side being nec-
essarily raised for an awkward, half
vertical fire. The French stood their
ground and died.
The Prussians stood their ground
and died both by hundreds. and l had
almost said by thousands, and this
for an hour or two that seemed ages,
so constant was the slaughter.
The hill where l stood command
ed chiefly the conflict behind the vii.
lage and to the south of it, the Prus-
sian relntorcements coming up on
their right, fled out of BOis De Ag.
nous, and it was at that point, as they
marched on to the field, one could,
perhaps, get a view of the battle
through our glass. The brigade re-
sembled huge serpent, bending with
the undulation of the fields. But it
left dark track behind it, and the
glass restored the dark track into fall
ing. dying and. dead men. As the
horrid significance of that path, SO
traced, came upon me. l gazed on 1t
more intently. Many of those who
ha6 kaf sas1a
forward little way, striving still to
go on with the comrades Of those who
went backward instead of forward.
There were few though who fell as
they painfully endeavored to follow
the Advance.
Il don't know whether, after the
vain effort of that brigade, anoth
er movement was attempted from
within the road, but half an hour af-
terward great numbers of troops be-
gan to march over the hill where j
was standing, and moved forward to-
ward the field where SO hard a strug-
gle had been so long protracted.
These also were, ] think, a portion of
Gen. Goeben's troops, who had been
directed upon less dangerous route.
THE conflict from this point on the
Prussian left, became so fierce that it
was soon lost to us. or at most lost By
reason of smoke. Now and then
thick clouds would open a little and
and drift away on the wind, and then
we could see the French. / tried to
get better view of this part of the
field, and went forward about half a
mile, aud from my new stand point
found myself not Ear from Malmaison.
The French line on the hills was
still unbroken, and to all appear
ances they were having the best Ofthe
battle, but this appearance was due
perhaps to the fact that the French
were more clearly visible on the
broad height and fighting with such
singular obstinacy, that they plainly
silenced a Prussian. battery now and
then. The Prussian line was also
strengthened by degrees on the north
ern points. Infantry and artillery
were brought up and from the rear.
away seemingly in the direction of
Vionvitle. Shot and shell began
reaching the French ranks, these
were the men and guns of Steinmetz,
who then and there effected his june
ton with the army of Prince
Frederick Charles, and completed
the investment of Metz to the
northwest. With reinforcements thus
continually arriving on both sides
the battle grew more and more obs j.
nate. There could be no doubt that
the French understood the meaning
of the new movement OF the Prus-
slams, and Of the gradual developme of
of their line to the north. Steinmetz
was able to extend his line gradu
ally further and further, until the
French were out hanked, and began
to be threatened, as it appeared, with
an attack on the rear Of their extreme
right wing. So long as the smoke
from the Prussians' guns lowered
only over their front, the French clung
to their position. The distance from
| the headquarters, where the Prussian
flank attack stretched forward, was
great, and to add to the difficulty of
clearly seeing the progress of the
battle, the darkness was coming on.
| know not how long the French held
out, nor at what precIse moment the
Prussians onset became irresistible.
What | saw was this: The puffs Of
smoke from the French guns,
mingled with flashes, Frightening
as darkness increased; receded grad
ually the very serious pillar of cloud
and fame from the north, and gradu-
ally and steadily appro ached, and
with that advance the French fire
grew every moment more slack.
1t was not far from 9 o'clock, when the
ground was yielded finally on the
north, and the last shots fred on that
terrible evening. were heard in that
direction
Especial 20 the WorId.l
LONDON, Aug. 23.-AlI the news
from Paris to-day confirms the state
ment that Bazaine succeeded in with
drawing the bulk of his army from
Metz. 1t seems still uncertain wheth-
er he is still Inoving to St. Manehold
TO join McMahOn. or awaiting the co
operation of McMahon. In the latter
case, he is supposed to intend falling
in force on the Grown Prince, while
the latter attacks SteInnetz and
Frederick Charles at Metz Credit
able authorities assure me that Stein
metz and Frederick Charles lost over
100, 600 men, leaving them no more
than 10000 men to hold the line
from the frontier to Metz.
The feeling in Berlin is of undeni-
able horror and depression. The war
threatens to last, and already the
flower of North Germany is decimat.
ed. The railroads are so taken up
with the wounded as to delay the
movement of reinforcements. A
boat service is organizing on the
Rhine, and three steamers are already
converted into hospitals.
A special messenger from ST.
Petersburg has arrived with import.
ant instructions to the Legation here.
Russia insists upon the clearest in
timation that Prussia shall be held to
her original pretext.