The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-09-24


torn to pieces by the batteries posted on the
mamelon. Men of the Thirty-second French
and of the Elghty-third Prussian, the Thirty
seventh and Eighty-ninth French, were lying
together. few Prussians scattered on the
trampled earth indicated the site ofthe first and
successful charge. Further on towards the river
there was evidence Of the terrible retribution.
Such heaps of horses, gray and white And
here were the luckless riders as they fell.
Chasseurs d'Afique, in light blue; men with
red kepis, marked 81" with blue band, and
peaks lined with green, whom conjecture to
have been hussars; and men In light blue, with
white facings; the luckless Fourth Regiment
Of Lancers, the Eighth Lancers, not more for
tunate, what once belonged to the life and
the lance against the needle-gun. Among
these bodies, which were not thick, but scat
tered all over the plain, lay men of the Sixth
Artillery Regiment. Near them was q sort Of
earthwGrk, very rude, with embrasures, six in
number, for mttrailleurs, with profusion Of
empty cartridge cases all about 1t, The dlrec-
ton of the two charges-the very formation
of the Prusslan companies which met them
could be traced, and then the course Of the
flying cavalry round the tanks In vain at
tempt to escape and reform. On this field
there were here and there wounded men NOV
Ing uneasily In the blankets around them, and
waiting for the arrival of the cac0lets and am
GERS were going over the field together.
THE CAVALRY CHARGE.
Let us leave the cavalry charge Never cam
forget the prelude. When / saw the French,
who had lined the advanced trench on the lst
retiring to what now see was another epaule-
ment, where they were again raked by the
hanking batteries of, the outer. ridge and
pounded and brayed by the mamelon guns, L
did not know how they had suffered, aud
could not conceive why they retreated. The
Prussans coming up from Floing were invisi-
BILE 10 me. Never can forget the sort OF ago
ny with which I witnessed those who first
and looking around Ter an enemy, while, hid
den from view, a thick blue band of French
infantry was awaiting them, and a brigade Of
cavalry was ready on their flank below. did
not know that Floing was filed with advancing
columns There was but wide, extending
lutse array OF skirmlshers,, like flock OF
rocks, on the plateau Now the men began to.
fire ut the heads over the bank line by the
French. This drew such a flash Of musketry
as tumbled over some and staggered the others,
but their comrades came scrambllng up from
the rear, when suddenly the first block ofhOrse
in the hollow shook itself up, aud the line, In
beautiful order, rushed up the slope. The
were caught en- fragrant DELFT. Those nearest
the ridge slipped over into the declivitouS
ground; those In advance, running In vain,
were swept away. But the impeluosity Of the
charge could not be stayed. Men and horses.
came tumbling down into the road, where
they were disposed Of by the Prussians In the
gardens. While the troopers on the leG Of the
dust, were almost exterminated by the infan-
try in the village. There was also o regular
cavalry encounter, fancy, in the plains below,
cut cannot tell at what time; the Cuirassiers,
trying to cut their way out were destroyed, !,
and charge of TWO Prussian squadrona,
which did not quite equal expectations, oc-
Cured The feat of these unfortunate cava-'
In few minutes up came the spiked helmets
again over the. French epanlement, crossing
their sabred comrades, and, therefore, all alive
to the danger Of cavalry. They advanced in
closer order, but still skirmishing, and one
long, black parallelogram was maintained to
rally on. As the skrIaishers got to the
ridge they began to fire, but the
French in the second line of epaulement
soon drove them back by rattling tusil-
ade. The French rushed out 0fthe epanlement
In pursuit, still firing. At the same moment
q splendid charge was executed on the Prus-
SLAMS, before which the skirmishers rallied, on
what seemed to me to be still long parallelo-
gram. They did not form square. Some
Prussians too, far On, were sabred. The troop
ers, brilliantly led, wentright onward In a cloud
of dust, but when they were within couple OF
hundred yards Of the Prussians one simultar
neous volley burst out of the black 'front.' and
flank, which enveloped all In smoke. They
were steady soldiers who pulled trigger there.
Down came horse and man; the array was
utterly ruined. There was left In front Of that
deadly infantry but heap of white and gray
horses-a terrace of dead and dying and dis.
mounted men, and flying troopers, who tum-
bIed at every instant. More total dissipation
of a bright pageantry could not be. There was
another such scene yet to come. Icould scarce
keep the 1eld-glass to my eyes as the second
and last body Of cavalry-which was composed
Of light horse also-came numbering up out
oil the hollow. They were not so bold as the
men on the white horses, who fell. many OF
them, at the very line of bayonets. The horses
of these swerved as they came upon tner
ground covered with carcasses, and their line
was broken, but the squadron leaders rode
straight to death. Once again
THE CURLING SMOKE sPURTED
out from the Prussian front, and to the rear
and right and left few the survivors OF the
seuadrons. The brown field was aecked with
spots of many colors, and, trampling on the:
remains OF that mass OF strength and courage
OF man and horse, the Prussians, to whom sup.
ports were last fastening up right and left aud
rear, pressed on towards the inner epaule-
ment and became engaged With the French.
infantry, who maintained for some time a
steady rolling fire In reply to the volleys OF the
Prrlsslans. To me the French force seemed
there very much superior N number. bu1
they had lost courage, and what was lett OF It
was soon dissipated by the advance of Prus-
sian battery, which galloped up to the right
flank Of their infantry and opened very
rapid fire, to which there was no French bat
tery to reply. The French left the epaule-
ment and made for belt of wood, dropping
fast as they retrested, but facing round aud
firing still. In q few moments more tne
plateau was swarming with the battalions ol
the Eleventh Corps, and the struggle there was
over. Only for a minute, however, because
from the fanks of the wood came out line OF
French infantry The musketry fire was re-
newed; but it was evident the Pruss!ans were
not to be gainsayed. Their advance was only
checked that they might let their artillery
play while their columns assisted it by inces--
SAINT volleys. At the time stated In my for
mer letter the plateau over Flolns was won.
A fierce onslaught by the French, made atter
thew had retired behind the wood, only added
to their losses. The Crown Princes army, not
Withstanding the cavalry success at the onlset,
had BY three o'clock won the key OF the posi-
tlon OF the French right with comparatively
small loss.
Now we arrived on the Bavariau's field OF
action. which extended from BIzeilles to Be-
dan. In their gallant and most injudiclous
attack they lost 5000 men. 1t Is said there
was q misunderstanding. Their advance col
umn seized the railway station at Sedan. 1t Is
maintained at headquarters that there were
explicit orders given that they were not to de-
yelop their attack till the Crown Prince Of
Saxony had come out on their right, but the
authorities orthelr own corps declare the Or