The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-08-24

special correspondent a. the headquar rteTs
OF the Crown Prince of Prussia writes on the
18th instant: The more we gather of the details
of the battle Of Woerth. the more clearly does
it appear that there vas no miracle about the
afrlir-no sudden surprise as though new
weapon had been discovered. From the vii
lages in the rear Of the field gather Far raoro
OF the French movements than can be learned
from the prisoners or the villagers on the field
itself.
1t would seem that the Imperial commanders
in this quarter we're altogether out-man9uvrcd
by the Grown Prince, and that whatever the
merits OF the respective small arms, the tac-
tics Of the two armies will not bear compari-
son. Some say even now that the chassepot
| is better riffs than the needle gan; but be
that ss it may. the French allowed themselves
to be so placed es to have required no common
amount Of fighting to save them at all. First,
cries of "a Bergi,,,' while they were really in
in desperate danger. Then came the news OF
the surprise at Weisssnburg, and of the death
OF General Douay. He was posted il corner
of the French territory, with mass OF Ger
man troops collected on both his TANKS, and
was much further from his supports than pru.
dence warranted in the face of such On enemy.
commander would have e1tricated his men
with less loss than they actually sustained had
he Erel 10 direct them, for he fell by one OF
the first discharges OF artillery.
rhus was q step gained by the German g..
Ihey had CALAMITY s'ormed the position at
Weissenburg and had begun to shetter the
enemy in detail. McMahon and De Failly
were nav called on to act. The former march
ed AGAINST the Crown Prince with his whole
corps d'arme,, and, Us was believed among the
French soldiers, expected De Failly TO support
his left in case OF q check. Here again was
the impetuous over-confdeuce which French
men are apt to show. The second opportunity
OF meeting them in detail was given to the Ger
maus, and bloody battle WAS the result.
Ths Prussiaus and BAvarians together far
outnu n nbered the corps OF McMahon. We may
estimate that the Grown Prince had at least
half as many again Of disposabe troops on
Au rust 6 as his opponents. l have hear
twalye to seven mentioned IS odds in the fight
at Woerth, and before McMahon had been long
engaged he was sending aides-de-camp to beg
help from Do Failly. The distance was not
great to Bitsche, and the messages must nave
arrived in time 10 bring tina needed help,
If only everything had been in readiness. But
here again over-confdence had prevailed. One
French corps was destroyed before the other
came to its support. have heard that on
Sunday, the day following the blttle. large
force was about in the rear OF where Mcbahon
had fought. People who saw it tell with Won
der Of the rush Of the beatel army westward,
and the advance Of angry and almost incred.
ulous troops toward the front. II was too late
to renew the battle. too late to save the five
regiments Which lay strewn over the fields at
Woertb. The more desperate their resistance,
the more they had been slaug ltered; and at
the last there had been o sort OF panic.
Freuchmen are bad hands at retrcating after
q dc feat. 1t seems certain that the fuShyes
from Woerth were in great disorder, even when
passing through villages ten miles IN the rear.
The corps OF De FaiDy could only have slcrl-
feed itself useIessly when once McMahon's
soldiers had been demorallzsd. To have fought
q secoud battle OF W erth would have been to
,,iay ilsu the hands OF the Grown Priuce. who
would navy ,ik!l nothing better than TO engage
tue whole Frcuch army IN detail and beat them
co ,secstlyeiy. "de is the better general who
has the larger force present IN the DICK OF
time"
with nniIed Germany. The little places which
hold few hundred mon, and did We'll enough
in old times, are useless against modern
artillery, There for instance, au ancient
fortress among woUd-corcred bills, Quaint,
uicl ure,uue strongi OIL OF Alsace, called LA
Petite Plerr.' I'm The Vosges Mountains, eight
miles N. y. W. OF Save. ne.) Oace it was much
esteemed as check to an invader c9ming
through the Vosges, but now il is abandoned
without hr,ng q shot. The black and white
colors of Prussia wave over the citadel, and
quantity OF military stores were captured
tueroln. 1t was not ready for defence when
the Prussians came. The outer and more i'm
por,aut work was unfinished. Therefore La
Petite Pierre was abandoned to tue great re-
lief of it's inhabitants. who had feared destruc-
ton, and the Prussians quietly marcned on.
Now il strong fort, say IN iron-c ad tower,
had been upon thi. ni, the Grown Prince
would have required heavy guns against it.
do NOT mean to say that any mere fort by q
roadside would hinder the German invasion,
,.NI ia, 1;,t,o tortrsaa of Ia Petite Pierre.