Daily Kennebec journal., 1870-08-27
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,,ot;on or the ground to which earlier IL
the day they had been driven back. AT NJ
,;me did they seriously strive to regain thu
westerpmost line of hills which had beer
theirs in the morning. At no time did they
recover or seek to recover by any vigor
ons forward movement to the junction o.
tbe roads at Gravelotte. From seven te
eight O'Clock the weight OF the battle tend
ed more and more to the north OF the road
There was a lull, the meaning of when
the French failed apparently to interpret
By seven they may have believed them
selves partly victorious. They were still,
perhaps. In condition to renew on the NOR
row the struggle that had gone on all day
for that fated road from Metz TO Nerdun.
If they had not gained the road or the bat
lie they had not clearly lost the latter.
Two hours later they had lost both.
A BLAzING HOUSE ILLuMINEs THE FINALE.
little before eight Il large white house
nm the height beyond Gravelotte caught
fire. 1t seemed through the gloom to be
. church Its spire grew into flames. and
n vast, black cloud of smoke arose, con
tras,,ny strangely with the white smoke OF
the battle More and more picturesque
grew the whole field. As evening fell the
movements OF the troops could be followed
now by the lines of fire that ran hlck"rnS
along the front of a regiment As 1t went
into action. Tongues OF fire piereed through
and Illuminated the smoke ont OF the can
mons mouths. and the fuses OF the shells
left long trains of fire like falling stars, Ne
general likes lighting by night Ia ordinary
circumstances. for chance takes iaen the
place of skill: bu, the f'anking movement
on the French righ; had been resolved on
by daylight. and II was the Necessity az
moving troops. to great distance oreE Ssli-
ficuir gruund Which dehayed iss execs2sson
and hrourhs ahoat whss seemed 8 renew al
of the battle after the day was done
4 NIGHT ATTACK,
To leave the Preach IN sAgeig pcrs5tioTl
during the nigai waazsa have been u ligi-
ys,s-.l the gsaz qH wklch sne rrassian com
.sss-slssr fsaa resolved. 80 hecwetsn and
81 aa q. aha t,eiisf8e blow WIS sSrnttk,
M,yssll TIRE 1agtGit ni GSrawelotie had at'ti,ai-
sr fsndsA. VIZ knew THAI the friissllrs
l,fSiil she strung ii,piri,ss issvond the Bn,s
ar Tafrx. which commanded the surround
ing country H. the limits of artillery ralgt
frnm Atetz sge knew thai two great i.rns
san afzsies BAY across the nnly road by
whiels BazaSre cosisd march o. Paris 10
fts re1Fes. or for lsss own4esea,se WE knew
that a FietoYy greater than thstt Of Sunday
ami saare decisive than tbe triumph Il
Tuesday. had been won. We heiieveC
that the French army. which had fourlli
M w,niiautis and ss vainiv AZ before, wtls
ptsw hsneslt.=siv shut III in ifs fortress.
~ 4
20 MASS 7t,t aiirin. ] turned af 1be last
pSsins - Boea upon lhs bartie iieid. III
was i1zg xxrsis- i,.Esspa ElDud witt 1wo
vast fire< OF asrwaasr aaIlldinrs vi either
end. The day h&s3 1.esn feautiful as ta1
as Nature was eSoaeer2ed- EDd THE stal's
looked down in spgeasSsor Gpan work e4
agony and death szseA a 10 sns could
ever wish to see agAsl-
The following further particulars are
telegraphed by the same speeial CORES
pondent of the Tribune respecting the bat
tie of the 18th:
A reconnaissance made the day previous
(l7th) showed that the French army was
retreating on yerdun. The column was
cut in two BY the advance of the Germans,
and the last part was driven back between
Gravelotte and Metz 1t was resolved to
attack there, as the retreat OF the French
to Verdun was cut off The Germans
were posted in northeast direction from
Gravelotte, commanding the road from
Briey to Metz. The Seventh Prussian
corps formed the right Of the line. Next
came the Eighth, posted on the road to
GRAY elotte; then the Ninth and Twelfth
corps. The Guards were on the extreme
left The Third, First and Tenth army
corpse were held in reserve. The fire was
kept up along the whole line from eleven
o'clock.
THE TRIBUNE CORRESPONDENT Is
CAPTURED.
The Prussian artillery seemed overpow-
ering, and the French batteries were grad
ually driven bach on second line. push
ed over to the left of the French line,
thinking that their position was abandoned,
but to my surprise found the enemy was
still there and myself a prisoner. OF what
happened afterward can give but little
account The cannonade was renewed or
both sides, losting till nearly 10 O'Clock
when the French appeared to be retiring
and the Prussian guns alone maintained
their fire.
l was treated kindly by my captors
who who went off through the woods, los
their way in the darkness, and slept unde
the trees. While they slept escaped, ant
reached st. Marie, which was in posses
sion of the Germans. In this village
many of the houses are battered down
Every available spot was covered witt
wounded men. Even the streets were
covered with straw, and the French and
German wounded were lying there in
masses together Iwent on foot to Rez-
onville, where the King had bivouacked
for the night.
Beyond Rezonyille the country is stripped
bare. No conveyance nor food is to be
had. Metz is completely surrounded by
the Prussian forces. The fourth army
corps having moved round from the east
to the north, the Saxon corps of pioneers
has been sent to the front.
Four Prussian corps will be left about
Metz to carry on the siege. The remain
der of the army is to advance toward Ver'
dun. The Kings headquarters will be
moved in a day or two to the southwest