New-York tribune., 1870-08-20

of those French victories The remarks of the Minis
ter received enthusiastically by the Deputies
THE DEFEAT OF MCMAHON.
THE FRENCH UTTERLY OUTGENERALED-MAC-
| MAHON ATTACKS LARGELY SUPERIOR NUM-
| BERS-DE FAuLY'S CORPS ARRIVES TOO
| LATE-A FORTRESS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
| MARCHING ON"
| lBY TELEGRAPH TO THg TRIBUHBl
| LONDON, Friday, Aug. 10, 1870
The specal correspondent of THE TRIBUNE at the
Headquarters of the Crown Prince writes on the
| 18th inst: "The more gather Of the details OF
the battle of Worth, the clearly does it appear
that there was no miracle about the afair-no sud
den surprise as though new weapon had been dis
covered. From the villages in the of the field
] gather far more of the French movements than
can be learned from the prisoners the villagers
| the field itself
ut would seem that the Imperial commanders in
this quarter were altogether outmaneuvered by the
Crown Prince, and that whatever the merits of the
respective sma-arns the tactics of the two armies
| will not bear comparison. Some say even now that
the chassepot is better rifle than the needle
but be that as may the French allowed themselves
| to be 80 placed as to have required no common
amount of fighting to save them at all. First we
hear of their blind confidence, and of their cries of
|
danger Then came the of the surprise at Weis-
senburg, and of the death Of Gen. Douay
| He was posted in corner of the French territory
with mass of German troops collected on both his
fanks and was much further from his supports than
prudence warranted in the face of such an enemy.
| IL can never be known whether the French COM
| mander would have extricated his men with less
loss than they actually sustained had he lived to
direct them for he fell by of the first discharges
| of artillery
| "Tbus was step gained by the Germans. They
had calamity stOrmed the position at Weissenburg
and had begun shatter the enemy in detail. Mac
Mahon and De Failly were now called on 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 Faily to support his
left in case of check. Here again was the impetu-
| ous oyer-contidence which Frenchmen are apt to
| show. The second opportunity of meeting them in
detail was given to the Germans, and bloody battle
| was the result.
| "Tbe orussians and Bavarians together far out
| numbered the corps of MacMahOn. We may esti-
mate that the Crown Prince had at least half as
MANY again of disposable troops on Aug. o as his
| opronents have heard twelve to seven mentioned
"a the odds in the fight at Worth, and before MacMa
hon had been long engaged, he sending aides-de
camp TO beg help from De Failly. The distance was
not great to Bitche and the messages must have
| arrived in time to bring the needed help, II only
| everything had been in readiness. But here
again over confidence had prevailed One French
| corps was destroyed before the other came
20 ma support. | have heard that on Sunday, the
dav following the battle large force was about in
the rear of where MacMahon had fought. People
who saw il tell with wonder of the rush of the
heaten army westward, and the advance of angry
and almost incredulous troops toward the front. 1t
xVas too late to renew the battle too late TO save
the five regiments which lay strewn over the fields
at Worth The moreidesperate their resistance, the
| more they had been slaughtered; and at the last
| there had been sort of panic
! "Frencbmeu are bad hands at retreating after
| defeat. IL seems certain that the fugitives from
| Worth were in great disorder, even when passing
through villages ten miles in the rear. The Corps OF
DE Fally could only have sacrificed itself uselessly
when once MacMahons soldiers had been demoral-
| ized. To have fought a second battle OF Worth
would have been to play into the hands OF the
| Crown Prince who would have liked nothing better
than to engage the whole French army in detail and
heat them consecutively. He is the better general
who has the larger force present in the nick of time
France is not properly fortified for war with
united Germany. These little places which hold
few hundred men, and did well enough in old times,
ara useless against modern artillery There is, for
instance. an ancient fortress among woodcoyered
hills, a quaint, picturesque stronghold OF Aisace
called Ia Petite Pierre fin the Vosges Mountains
| eight miles NN.W. of Savernel. Once 1t was much
| esteemed as check to an invader coming through
tbe yosees but now it is abandoned without firing
| sbot The black and white colos OF Prussia wave
over the citadel and quantity of military stores
we're captured therein. Il was not ready for de
fense when the Prussians came Ihe outer and
more important work was unfinished. Therefore La
petite Pierre was abandoned to the great relief OF
ts inhabitants who had feared destruction and the
pr,ssaps quietly marched Now II a strong fort,
cav an ron-cIad tower had been upon tins hill, the
| Crown Prince would have required heavy guns
oca;nst IT, do not mean to say that any mere fort
hv 4 roadside would hinder the German invasion, but
,hs ltte fortress of La Petite Pierre, among its
,,ooa.c covered hills illustrates two points of the
Ersncbyoen,s unreadiness-tbe fort was old-fash-
oned and insufficient, and 1T was not equipped for
defense. r..itI as Ls5t s,-t. q,
"Tbe movement of troops is incessant, though no
one is told whittier they are going, and with each
advance the Prussans bring forward their teld-pcst
and their military telegraph more perfect organic
zation il ia difficult to imagine. The trains OF pro
visions creep like great serpents over the country
The active detaehments Of telefraph-men push On
with their light poles set mp at intervals and Their