The New York herald., 1870-08-24

sSuSCo, TIE likely W NC lnaue
by Prussia IN case Of successful termination Of the
war;
The time arrives when Germany must be freed
rom French interference and penaces and have
long period OF unbroKen peace. mere change OF
Dynasty In France would not be sufficient to insure
THIS, tor the next sovereign would seek as soon as
possible 70 recover the lost military prestige Of
France and the burdens Of an armed peace would be
perpetuated. suppose France should issue from
TINS struggle with strength unimpared and with
her strOnghOlds. whence she menaces the valley OF
tne Kline and the Paiatinate Intact, the war; from
whlcn the ncapacty or the French generals and the
bravery OF the German troops have delivered us,
VIII be renewed. There can be no trustworthy
peace. Not thus must this costly struggle termi.
nate. We will only resign our arms when we have
Deen guaranteed security against a fresh contest
whenever u may SUIT the political necessities Of
French ruler 10 resume II.
The Battle Of Gravel 0tte- First Evidences of
the Defeat OF the Frcnch-scenes by tho
Wnysde OH the Field-Mnngled Bottles and
Prisoners.
LONDON, August 23, 1870.
The following detailed account OF Thursdays great
battle at Cravelotte. August IS, was received this
morning In London from special correspondent,
who witnessed the battle at the headquarters and
stood by the side Of Bismarck and the king
The first realization we had at t-a-Mousson,
where found myself on the 18th, OF the extent to
which hghting had been going on Tuesday and Sun
day last at the 'front.', was the coming In OF wounded
men. AT 1rst II was surmised that those mad been
wounded In skirmshes, but on the 10th, late IN the
was becoming warm. on that evening sol
diers with ghasty wounds walked about the
market place IN Pon-a-Mousson, surrounded by eager
groups OF their newly arrived comrades, and told q
story OF the disaster. Poor fellows 1t surely was
disaster to them, borne away, as they had been,
IRON dh tne ned without having heard o. any result.
STOOD among these groups, and the narratives
OF the men all amounted TO their having
been sent to confront much larger force than
their own, and that their division had been cut up.
was struck by the fact that though there was some
dissatisfaction suggested by their tone OF voice, /
heard no word uttered by the narratOrs listeners
which accused anyone. They dwelt rather on the
fact that they had dealt heavy blow on
the l4th, and that though the Tenth division had
sold its life dead. On the nth the wounded from
the preceding day began to pour into POn,-a-
Mousson. They were brought in in long un-
covered grain carts, lying upon hay From
my window, which overlooked the main street
aud commanding also view OF the market
place, counted more than ninety Of these long
carts, each holding on an average about ten men,
II was strange TO see them as they passed amid files
Of French unable to conceal their JOY the one
hand. and the Prusslan soldiers on the other But
now came tile other SIDE OF the account The streets
began to swarm with other wagons with other
wounded, the wearers OF red trousers, and now and
then came batch OF unwo1ndel prisoners.
AT length arrlved.a carriage with French gene
ral II was followed by vast crowd of French,
and :or little time 1t seemed as If there might be
collision between the Inhabitants and the Prussians
80 earnest were the demonstrations OF the populace
but II was now at least evident that the struggle
was very serious at the front.
AT midnight, little after the 18th and 1sth all
the trumpets for miles around began to sound.
such wild music. Trumpet answered to truml-
pet through all the b!vouacs around the little
city. For several days previously there had been
troops almost perpetually marching through, but
now the tramp through every street and Dyway
made, between midnight and dawn, perpetual
roar
] ran OUT and managed to get a seat on a wagon
that was going in the direction OF the front, which
was now understood 10 be mile or two beyond the
mi tonf fyn,,,
siderable batch of French prisoners, who were
the continuous lines OF German soldiers with
whom we advanced. but only one or two offensive
was SO BLOCKED with wagons that naly concuSeS %e
could DO the SIX or seven miles remaining on foot
better nS 50 got out 9, my carriage and began to
At Mouvieul, on the Mosere, about half way to
Metz, found vast bodies Of cavalry, Uhens and
and narrying at the top OF their speed
heard prfe ne OF he ssp
range Of hills on tLs .:si', passing ihrongh the
village and ascending the high plane beyond. and
ally as far as my eye could reach with dead bodies
In one or two parts VI the field companies were still
burying the dead, chiefly Prussians.
The French being necessarily buried last, were
still lying in vast numbers on the ground lew Of
these l saw were not dead. AS hurried on a
when they reached the brow OF the hill they all broke
out with wild hurrah and dasned forward n
lew more steps ana gained nhe summit and saw
the scene which had evoked their cry and seemed TO
thrill even their horses. 1t would be difficult TO i'm
agine greater battlefield. From the hill TO which
bad been directed by good authority to come the
entire sweep Of tire Prussian and French centres
could be seen and a considerable part OF their
wings. The spot where | stood was fearful.
IL was amid ghastly cOrpses and burthened with the
stencn or dead horses, OF when there were great
numbers. was standing on the battle field Of the
l6th the Prussian side thereof. On the left.
stretched like o silver thread the road to verdun
to Paris asO for the possession OF which this series
OF battles had begun. 1t ran between lines OF
poplars. which stood against the horizon on my
LETT and on as far rs the eye could reach toward
Metz, with military regularity. Strung on this road,
its church tower which, although they have sepa.
rate names, are only few hundred yards apart
Mars Ia Tour Flavigny, little south OF the road
Vionvelle, Reg0nvelle and Gravel0tte, which ia
divided into great and little Gravelotte. on my right
were the thicky wooded hills, behind which lies the
most important village Of the neighborh0od the
one had just left Gorze. SO envlroned was the
foreground OF the batt!e-which should, one would
say. be called the battle Of Gravelotte for it was
mainly over and beyond that devoted town that it
raged-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
warm that is, about noon Of the 10th. At that time
the headquarters OF the King of Prussia were at the
spot | have described. The great representative
men and soldiers Of Prussia were standing on the
ground watching tile conflict just begun.
Among them recognized the King, perhaps Bis
Charles, Prince Carl Prince Adalbert and Adjutant
Krauski. Lieutenant General Sheridan, Of the
United States Army WAS also present
most desperate effort to hold on TO the
last bit Of the verdun road, that between
ReZOnvllle and GravelOtte or that part of Grave
lotte which, IN some maps, Is called st. Marcel.
Desperate but unavailing, for every man in the
French ranks had two to cope with, and
their line was already beginning to waiver.
soon 1t was plain that this wing, the
French right, was Withdrawing to new position.
This was swiftly taken up under cover OF continu-
fire OF their artillery from the heights beyond the
village. The movement was made In good order
and the position, reached at haf-past one, believe
nine military men out OF ten would have pronounced
lmpregnable wnen once this movement had been
effected the French retreating from the pressure or
the artillery fire, and the Prussians as rapidly ad
vanCed.
The battlefield was no longer about Recon-
vllle but had been transferred and pushed
forward to Gravelotte, the junction OF the
two branching roads to Verdun The fields in
front Of that village were completely covered by
the Prussian reserves and over 1t interminabie