New-York tribune., 1870-09-07
TRIBUNE WAR LETTERS.
GRANELOTTE.

ror BALLs--A COMIC gINcIDFNT-RENEwAL
OF THE ATTACK-FRENCH BRAVERY AND
- PRUsSIAN LOSSES.
.IFRoM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT tf II d
In CAMP ON THE BATTLE-FIELD OF AUG.
Sl9-I called off this morning by false alarm Of
battle and unable to finish my account of yeser-
lays fight However, profted by the fact Of my
being anew at Gravelotte to ride forward over the
French position Of yesterday In the first half Of this
etter. had got far the momen-2:3S when the
Prussisn left began to make steady advance AT that
me the Prussian batteries Malmaison had almost
,enced the French batteries occupied in sheilhg 'e
'srn-hOuse; at 245 the Prussan right had puSheu
go far forward, that the left, as / nave salu,
also advancing, the troops on the right were COM
pelled to retire little in order that the cross hre
from their left might not reaeo 'hen' one
~ their batteries was brought from the right
aank 10 the center and opened sharp fire on the Verdun
coach This happened OF $3.50 at tsoeock the russian
infantry opened sharp fire both on the Verdun roadand
against the French sharpshoOers inthe woods beneath
H. BY 3l5 the Prussian center advanced in front OF
Graveote and Of the sharpshoOters crep up the
hin and exchanged shots with the French behind their
intrenchments. But this advance premature, for
the French returned to the attack the burning farm
house Mamaison, aud sheled It that the Prussian
troops compelled To leave and wheel 90 the left
Prussian battery, however soon compelled the French
to mind themselves, and forced them to leave Nal
maison alone. At $3.50 the Prussian cavalry was
advanced both on the right and left in order
to he ready to charge up the road from Grave
lotte TO the French hin. On the left flank,
as they-the two regiments Of Cuimssis, two OF Uhans
dancers and Of Hussars-wheeled by fours in
squadron the right Gn parade order hada splendid
sight Of them being some yards behbd the Grave
lote rold As they wheeled TO the right TO gain the
road fle batteries Of the Imperial Guard above Mama
son pitched half dozen shells among them very neatly
was So close to them that could with the naked
the shells bursting in their ranks One was too high
and clean the cavalry, and burst about eighty
yards front OF From the sharp angle at which 1t
fell it did little damage, except to the potatoes. The
cavalry going at a gallOp soon gained the shell
of the houses Gravelote. Now began the grand
attack on tie French position A tremendous fire
Of artillery from 100 pieces was kept up all along
the line the French works. and after about half an
hours shelng the S3d Prussan Regiment dashed up the
Hill. When they got half way up the mitrailleuses
opened them and did erbleexeeutiOn at close quar-
The men, however, pressed on, though they fell
literally by hundreds they actually got in the works,
and half battery of 4pounders, which had followed
them, got more than half Iway up the hill But the
French their mraeuses 400 yards further back be-
fore they could be caught and from them and their guns
which had been drawn back couple of hours before,
opened deadly fire that the SD was compelled to re-
tire down the hill The ten French mitraeuses were
dragged forward again. and poured terrible fire into
the retreatng infantry. The halfbattery endeavored
30 return their fire, but it silenced, and all the
horses being either killed wounded, the guns
had to be left the hillside OF their breech-
pieces withdrawn, that they useless to the
French who besides did dare TO take them,
the Prussan tiraileur fire being far too Then
attempt made to charge the hill with cavalry, the
Curassers and Uhans dashing up hesrOad at the bat
tores but rolled over the hollow road
and they were in turn compelled TO retire. Then an
other infantry regiment the G7th of the Line tried the
attack, different prncp ple-that is, in skiTmsh
ing order, instead of in column Their men cTept from
bush to bush and from rock TO rock, taking advantage
of the slightest inequality of ground to shelter them
selves. Another attack then tried up the road,
cred by tremendous artillery fire; but though the
again got to the French works, they again shot
down in such numbers that they could not hold their
ground. In fact living being could exist the road.
At the King rode slowly along the Graveotte road
looking very serious and doubtless grieving the ter
rb,e slaughter of "nen Kinder as he loves to calthem
Al $50 there partial cessation in the firing The
Prussans brought up more ammunition and got a bat
tery hc so in position just to the right of the Grave
lotte road and about 800 yards from the French post
They then commenced shelling the farmhouse OF La
Vilette, which commands the entire road, and from
inside which, and from its garden, terrible destruc-
tive fire had come There wall about five feet
high just behind this battery, and behind this wall
I got leyeling my glass over the top, and
watched the attack. One OF the soldiers warned
me that an occasional ChassepOt bail came the
wall, ard that two had been hit;
picked up two knapsacks and placed them each
side OF top OF the wall, looking between them
had not been there long before wild shots
singing heads, high In air, striking the cottage
roof behind and smashing the tiles. But having my
knapsacks in 'front.' me, paid attention TO them.
until at last having gone along this wall TO speak TO
soldier and get little better view, left my and
talking a soldier, when swish came ball between
our two heads, which were than six inches
apart. 49," said the man, "nicht ve1wundete, Men-
heir" he clap my hand to my ear, which sung
again. And then be advised to 90 back 10 my KNAPP
sack again. which did for Ave minutes, and then got
excited watching the attack that forgot all about the
ChassepOts and left my cover again until comic incident
reminded ofhOw nearly this espOndence had been
brought to a melancholy end German parson who
had been attending the wounded in the village up
and asked for my glass for moment. As the good
man was peeIing up the hll exposing himself, just
where my particular ball had come it occurred TO me
that might be the father of numerous family, and
that the next ball might be better aimed, and that after
ALL parsons are not ike correspondents fair game for
balls SO just told him TO get behind my kDapsacRs as
ball had come where he was standing andseveral over
our heads YOu should have the worthy mans head
20 down under the wall. "Do you think am safe
here ?" he said, peering up at safe enough from
balls not nom Shells where shall gOp "Oh,
there won't be any shells; the French have
none TO waste you and me-" 'Ob, but it would be
very sad TO DC hit" the worthy retired, to the
great amusement Of the soldiers. At 63j the firing had
greatly slackencd, and confined to the skirmshers
on either side The Prussians brought up
nton nearly all their batteries being short of powder
and shot, and $50 another tremendous attack began
The 72d Regiment brought up ready to charge, and
again the artillery gam especially firing at the farm
house OF La Vilette, which by this time in flames
though garden still held by the French troops
At great attack be gan; the 72 charged mp the
slope followed aterward by a regiment Of HussaTs
After than hours fighting in the dark,
the French began TO retire, the mitraeuses pro-
tectng their retreat. At this time occurred a curious
incident The village OF Vabrasen, which had been
slowly burning all day, burst out into OF flames
ishle far and wide the summer ght The Prnssian