The New York herald., 1870-08-20

~
worse. Hence can give you only such particr ,nrs
as are collected in The ways nave mentione a AS
Frenchman, believe In the success OF an French
arms. but know not why the advo .eea columns
have withdrawn again uader the wa - Of The fortress
This morning Monday ther q were reports OF
heavy aftliefy 1oYards Thic eye. but all IS again
quiet We only Know b a sundays conn,cs was
not decldve and tha... ;ruthcr battle is imminent
The troops are n,ver AT rest. ManGuvres In
one direction CT anouner are going ON con-
staidy. Orders have this morning been issued
Wat no civilian shah leave the city on any pre-
text Two shots from Fort ST. Quentin have just
demolished the head OF the Thionville railway
bridge at Metz station. am told 1t was done to cut
OF detachment Of 500 Prussians encamped at
J Montiguy, who attempted to cross the Moselle and
We're seen from the fort.
Montigny is two Kilometres distant from Metz.
AZ seven O'Clock this morning two Prussian cuiras-
sers entered that town. They were followed by four
Others, and breakfast was served To the whole SIX.
They promenaded the town till eight O'Clock and with
drew not only unmolested by any body but carrying
off two prisoners-a st. Cyr pupil and one orderly
All this at mile and half from Metz will give you
q notion OF the dash and bOldness OF the Prussan
cavalry. Last night we thought we heard the Prus-
slams shouting victory, Notwithstanding the defeat
we believe they suffered. But it seems some OF their
ments from their military bands-a custom they
have observed from the battle Of Leuthen, where
they advanced TO the charge singing Luther's hymn
They follow 1t with hurrahs. We heard them dis
tnctly.
The Emperor and his staff, the Prince Imperial
and all are at Longevile.
AS write there passes a close carriage escorted
by pcquet or hussars, In command OF captain of
the stan. 1t contains Prussian Envoy, recon-
Quoted to his own lines Our ofcers say he brought
request for an armistice, and admitted that the
Prussian losses were considerable, but he did not
| tell his errand.
day.
The encounter before Metz, on Sunday, was an
attack upon the rearguard Of the French, and o re-
pulse OF sOrte from the fortress by the troops OF
the first Eastern Prussian and seventh West
phalia army corps. The commanders OF these two
army corps, Won Manteunel and Won Zastrow,
having directed the movements. 1t is probable that
the siege OF Metz VIII begin at once The siege train
Mt Magdabourg has left for France already Ton Satur
day. and other siege artillery is to follow It, Stras-
bourg 1t is supposed, viii be besieged exclusively
by South Germans, chiefly Baden troops. An
early surrender Is, however, anticipated, after
the earnest Of the siege will have been suni-
cienty shown; but the impression is not 80 in the
case OF Metz.
THE FIRST BATTLES.
special correspondent at the Headquarters of
the Crown Prince Of Prussia writes, on the 18th
inst
The more that we gather Of the details OF the bat
tie OF W0eth, the more clearly does It appear that
there was no miracle about the affair-nO sudden
surprise to military critics. as though weapon
had been discovered. From the villages In the rear
Of the field, gathered far more OF the French
movements than could be learned from the
prisoners or the villagers upon the field ITSELF il
would seem that the imperial commanders In this
quarter were altogether outman9uvred by the
Crown Prince, and that whatever the merits OF
the respective small.arm fire may have been
there was no comparing the tactics OF
the two armies. Some say even now that
the chassepot Is better rife than the needle gun.
But, be that as it may, the French allowed
themselves to be SO placed as to require
no common degree Of fighting to save them.
First, we hear OF their blind confidence
and Of their cries "a Berlin,n while they were in
desperate danger Then came the news Of then sur
prise at Weissenburg and OF the death Of General
Abel Douay.
He was posted in corner OF the French territory
with mass OF German troops collected
upon his nanks. and was much further
from his supports than prudence warranted
never be known whether the French commander
would have extricated his men with less loss
than they actually sustained had he lived to
direct him, for he fell BY one Of the first
discharges OF artillery. Thus was step gained
Dy the Germans. They had gaanty stormed
the position at Weissenburg, ana had begun to
shatter the enemy in detail MacMahon and De
Fally were now called upon to act. The former
marched against the Crown Prince with his
whole corps d. armee, and, as was believed
among the French soldiers, expected De
Failly to support his left in case Of q check.
Here again was the impetuous, over-conndent
which Frenchmen are apt to show. The secend op-
portunty OF meeting them In detail was given to the
Germans and q bloody battle was the result
The Prussans and Bavarians together far out.
numbered the corps Of MacMahon. We may take 1t
that the Crown Prince had at least half as
many again dsposable troops on August
as his opponents. l have heard twelve
to seven, on good authority, mentioned
as the ODDS in the fight at woerth and before Mac.
Mahon mad been long engaged he was sending an
aid-de-camp after TO beg help from Failly.
The distance was not great to Bitche and
the messenger must have arrived In time to
bring the needed help IL only everything haa been
ready; but here again overconfdence prevailed.
One French corps was destroyed before the
other came to its support. have heard
that on Sunday that is on the day fol-
lowing the battle, large force was about
In the rear OF where MacMahon had fought. People
who saw 1t tell with wonder Of the rush of the beaten
army westward and the advance Of angry and al
most incredulous troops toward its front. 1t was
too late to save the five regiments when lay strewn
over the fields at WOerLh.
The more desperate their resistance, the more
they had been slaughtered, and at last there had
been a sort Of panic. Frenchmen are bad hands at
retreating after defeat. 1t seems certain that
the fugitives from W0erth were In great disorder,
as they passed through villages ten miles In
the rear The corps Of Failly could only have sacr
feed themselves uselessly. When once MacMahon's
corps had been demoralized, and to have fought