Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-09-03

division was concentrated to Maigilly.
At that moment six batteries were engaged,
, with Others in reserve, to extricate and
sustain Gluner and StaIstrow. At O'Clock
Waynach's brigade was sent to attack the
, enemy's right near near Calumby The
The brigade, with splendid bravery,
drove the enemy, enabling Osten's bri-
J gade to occupy the woods at the north of
Columby. The 9th brigade rema ned
intact in reserve. At o'clock the enemy
withdrew at all points. Meantime the
seventh corps, with the advance of the
first, advanced under cover of the caval-
rY to the rear to the roads connecting
Avalc with Metz and Etiny with Metz
The corps opened the track with the first
division, near MOntbois, and the second
division, near Maisserville. The
enemy in force attempting to advance on
the latter point, was repulsed by the
prompt service of the corps of artillery
and the reserve of infantry. Darkness
closed the fight on the extreme left. The
1st division of horse approached Mucvl-
haut, the battery advancing with pauses
to fire. The 97th regiment of the 9th,
belonging to the left wing of the I'd
army, had advanced on the east on the
same line. At the extreme right the Sd
divivision advanced to Ogg, where its
battery opened on the enemy north of
Seigny. At s o'clock the enemy retired
at all points from the left bank of the
Moselle under the guns of Metz.
Pursuit was stopped by fire from the
guns of the fortress. The field was covered
with French dead. A few prisoners were
taken and few trophies, owing to the &C
tvity of the fortress, the heavy fire of
which tore through the Prussian masses.
Gen. Steinmetz who came in. was in time
to give orders for the night and the follow
ing day to prepare for a renewal of the
conflict. The result was that the enemy
in one quarter was driven from the bank
| Of the river to the fortress; in another quar-
ter heavy body was left to retreat on
Paris and fall into the hands of the second
army, which was moving rapidly on the
left bank Of the Moselle, leaving the first
corps and second division of cavalry on the
east of Metz. The army next day moved
to the left without resistance, passing the
Moselle at Alvey and Barnay.
On the 18th the corps was beyond |
Ansue Moselle; the 6th and 9th corps at
OOlSC hL1AC LuC ~ Amy was
rapidly towards Melton the Verdun road. |
After the victorious fight at ViOnville and |
Flaniguy, the task of the 1st army this |
day was to act as the right of all lines of |
attack, holding the left bank of Moselle, |
while the I'd amy moved so that the |
French would extend from north to-
wards east, thus bringing in the 1st and |
I'd armies between them and Paris.
On the 18th offensive movements were |
made, the Prussians being in a sheltered |
position near Grauellette, the Seventh |
corps cOntending itself with repelling a /
slight reconnaissance near the forest of /
Varu At this moment Gen. Steinmetz
Is accommodating to the South of Grauel-
lette, in the forest of Agroet he discovered
the enemy, three corps strong, er clmped
on the heights north of Grsuellettf, and |
the farms of St. Huburt and Point Dusoir
were occupied. About noon Gen. Steinmetz
heard csnnonade VionVille and sup
posed that the head of the corps was en-
gagged. Giving orders to resume its at
tack, the seventh corps deplOyed on the
south and east heights of GranelOtte. A |
formidable artillery practice followed,
presenting an imposing spectacle. Fifty
cannon, presently augmented to eighty,
opened on the enemy's battery, while adj
vancing steadily along the high road was
a mitraileur from whence the fire opened
on the accommodating party. Strong out
posts, well sustained, were placed. The
enemy made no serious attack that day.
On the 18th the first army remained
quiet, the enemy equally so, while the
second army advancing to Vionville, |
Aube, Maine and Auxchenes, to renew
the fight up the hill, Steinmetz and staff
remained by the batteries under shower
of projectiles; but hardly had an hour
passed before the French batteries grew
silent and the French began to retire.
The infantry of the seventh corps mean
time rested in a woody gorge between
GravelOtte and Point du Jour; but Galtz'
brigade, posted near AIRS to guard
Moselle Valley, was actively engaged
in the combat. 1t took rhe village
of Vaux and the heights of Pussy, where
it sustained itself. In the meantime, the |
7th and 9th corps, coming from Reson-
vile, opened the attack with heavy ar
tillery practice, while the 1st division of
cavalry took the first sheltered position
behind it, and the infantry attacked the
enemy in the wood of Gemvaux. Again
the enemy's guns were silenced, while the
infantry encountered an obstinate resist
ance in the Gemvaux woods, where the
fight continued for hours.
Owing to the density of the woods, the
hostile forces intermixed, and the German
and French frequently fired into their
ronLo Ernorn,iY,o ut Loot fro,,, L. /
woods, the Prussians carried the heights
and the farm of st. Hubert, with severe
loss. Further advance was impossible.
On this side the French artillery was with
drrwn, and the Prussisns' became silent
about 8 O'Clock. Supposing the enemy
had gone, Steinmetz ordered Harlmannis |
cavalry to cross the defle with two horse
batteries and the 4th Uplauds, and pur-
sue. Ii
This was effected at 4 P. NJ. The
Prussians found that the enemy had not
yet retreated, but was sheltered from the
by the troops which had sd-
vanced. Our men encountered murder
Gus fire from chassepots, cannon aud nit
raileuse. The dead and wounded in
stantly encountered the road. The Prus-
sian batteries soon re-opened, sheltering
he cavalry. The duel continued until
lark, when, leaving force on the field,
he Prussian main body fell back.
At 4 o'clock in the afternoon the Prus- l
;ian artillery re-Opened, the French re- t
plying until silenced. At the left, be- I
ween Vionville and Arneavillas, the in
'antry fire alone was felt at first, but ]
joon the artillery began showing the sp- :
1roach of Prince Frederick Charles. The
German infantry held firmly, awaiting
he support of the artillery, and kept the
'nemy busy.
The French used the chassepOt all day 4
rom the trenches at 1900 yards, inflict-
ng disniay and severe losses, but they
we're nevertheless in desperate condition, :
md, being surrounded and attacked on all I
ides, their only chance was to retreat to 1
he fortress. At z O'Clock in the evening 7
hey made one more effort to cut through c
)ur lines to Paris.
Line after line of rihemen, firing over {
zach others shoulders and shouting wildly, C
ushed from the heights to the ravine L
trough the trees. The Prussian artillery v