Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-08-25

miles from Pont-a Mousson. On the way
we met considerable batch of French
prisoners, who looked upon us with con-
siderable curiosity.
There was a continuous line of German
soldiers, with whom we advanced, bat only
one or two offensive cries toward the pris-
oners were heard The way was so blocked
with wagons that I finally concluded I
could do the remaining six or seven miles
on foot better, so / got out of the carriage
and began to walk and run swiftly ahead
At Montiept, on the Moselle, about half
way to Metz, found vast bodies of cavalry,
Uhlans and Hussars crossing the river by q
pontoon bridge and hurrying at the top of
their speed toward Gorsa. Hurrying nv
own steps, I soon heard the first thunder
Of the cannonade, seemingly coming from
the heart of a range of hills on the right
Passing through the village and ascending
high plane beyond, found myself sud-
denly on the battlefield strewn, literally as
far as the eye could reach, with dead
bodies. In one or two parts of the field
companies were still burying the dead,
chiefly Prussians. The French, being
necessarily buried last, were still lying in
large numbers on the ground. @
A few | saw were not dead AS hurried
on, splendid regiment of cavalry came
on behind, and when they reached the
brow of tbs bill they all broke out with
wild hurrah and rushed forward. A few
more steps and gained the summit and
saw the scene which had awaked their cry
and seemed to thrill even their horses.
1t would be difficult to imagine grander
battle field. From the hill to which had
been directed by good authority to come,
the entire sweep of Prussian and French
centers could be seen and q considerable
part oftheir wing. The spot where stood
was fearful. 1t was amid CHASTITY corpses
and burthened with the stencil of dead
horses of which there were great num-
Der. was standing on the battle field of
the 18th, the Prussian side thereof. On
the left, stretched like silver thread, the
road from Verdun to Paris, and for the pos
session of which this series of battles had
begun. 1t ran between lines of poplars,
which stood against the horizon on my left,
and as far as my eye could reach toward
Metz with military regularity. Strung on
this road like beads were the pretty villa
ges, zach with its church-tower, which, al
though they have separate name. are really
only few hundred yards apart. Mars La
Tour, and Flavigny, little south of the
road; Vionville, Rezonviiie, and Grave
lotte, which is divided into little and great
Gravelotte. On my right were thicklJ
wooded hills, behind which lies the most
important village of the neighborhood, the
one 1 had Just left, Gorsa. So environed
was the foreground of the battle, which
should, one would say, be called the battle
of Gravelotte, for it was mainly over and
beyond that devoted town that it ragged.
The area have indicated is perhaps four
miles square.
Owing to having come on foot rather
than along the blocked road arrived just
as the battle waxed warmest-that is, about
noon on the 18th. At that time the head
quarters of King William of Prussia were
at the spot have described
The great representative men and SOL
diers of Prussia were standing on the
ground watching the conflict Just begun.
Among them l recognized the King, Bis
marek, Gen. Won Moltke, Prince Freder-
ick Charles, Prince Carl, Prince Adelbert
and Adjutant Krauski. Lieut.. Gen. Sheri-
dan, of the United States army, was also
present. At this moment the French were
making a most desperate effort to hold on
to the last bit of the Verdun road-thst
between Rezonville and Gravelotte, or that
part of Gravelotte which in some maps is
called St. Marcel. 1t was desperate but
unavailipg; for every one man in the
French ranks had two to cope with, and
their line was already beginning to waver.
As soon as it was plain that this wing
the French right-was Withdrawing to a
new position, the place they had abandoned
was swiftly taken up under cover of the
continuous fire of their artillery from the
heights beyond the village. The move
ment was made in good order and the posi-
ton reached at half past one o'clock.
believe that nine military men out of ten
would have pronounced the place impreg-
nable. Once this movement was effected
and the French retreated before the pres
sure of Prussian fire, and the Prussians as
rapidly advanced. The battle-fi field was no
longer at Rezonville, but had been trans
ferred and pushed forward to Gravelotte,
the iuncture of two branching roads to
Verdun. The fields in front of that village
were completely covered by Prussian re-
serves, and over it interminable lines of
soldiers were perpetuslly marching onward,
disappearing into the village and emerging
on the other side of that into the flaming
valley.
This second battlefield was less ex-
tensive than the first, and brought the two
opposing forces into fesrfully close quar-
ters. The peculiarly of it is, that it con-
sists of two nights, interseoted by deep
ravine. This woody ravine is over 100 feet
deep, and the top some 300 yards wide.
The side of the chasm next to Gravelotte
where the Prussians stood is much lower
than the other side, which gradually as
eended to the great height. From their
commanding eminenoe the French held
their enemies fairly beneath them, and
poured on them a scourging fire. The
French guns were in position far up by the
Metz road, hidden and covered among the
trees. There was not an instant cessation
of the roar. Easily distinguishable amid
all was the curious grunting roll Of the
mitrailleurs. The Prussian artillery was
posted to the north and south of the vii
lage, the guns on the latter side being
necessarily raised for an awkward half ver-
ticle fire. The French stood their ground
and died the Prussians stood their ground
and died, both by hundreds had almost
said by thousands-and this for an hour or
two, that seemed ages so constant was the
slaughter.
The hill where stood commanded a
view chiefly of the conflict behind and to
the south of the village. The Prussian
reinforcements coming upon their right,
filed out fof Bois ne Ognous, and it was at
that point, where as they marched on to
the field, that one could perhaps get the
best idea of the magnitude of this united
army now in the heart of France. There
was no break for four hours in the march
of men out Of that wood. 1t seemed almost
as if all the killed and wounded had revived
and came back and marched forth again.
100000 Prussians Killed and
Wounded.
New YORK, Aug. PA special and a
Paris private dispatch report great revul-
sion Of feeling in France, and that the be-
lief is widely prevalent through the empire
that from this time the whole course of the
war will be changed. Many believe that
the Prussians will be driven over the Rhine
before three weeks. The loss Of the Prus-
SLAMS is said to exceed in killed and wound
ed 200. 900 men, and all the corps which
have been engaged in the late battles are
frightfully cut up.
A special to the London Telegraph says
the Prussians have, for the first time since
the breaking out of hostilities, become
doubtful oi success, and that one grand
I aoII r.