New-York tribune., 1870-09-07
THE FIGHTING BEFORE METZ.
A FULLER ACCOUNT. &c..
fFRnM DIR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT I

HEADQUARTERS OF GEN. BARNEKow, Aug
17-7 p m.The battle on Tuesday of which have al
ready % short account one OF the most bloody
and hardly contested fought witnessed the last
decisive hour of it from hill about four miles off, from
which the positions Of the two armies could be so well
seen that could watch the progress OF the battle after
dark knowing where TO look for flashes OF French and
Prussan guns and could watch The latter gradually ad
vancng Yesterday visited the battlefield. and send
you good account time permits, as there Is fight
ing now going on, and soon as the General
starts with his staf, I go with him to the scene
OF action The battle on Tuesday began in the
woods the hills above the village OF Gore, or
GoerZ, about eight miles (Englishl s. W. OF Metz on
stream running into the Moselle at NoyeaDtauxPres
From Gore to Grayelotte and Rezonvie, about four
miles due north of Gorze the first two miles Is covered
with dense woods intersected by deep valleys, In some
places like ravnes, and almost unassailabe. Al
10 a. m the battle began by the army ds Of Gen. stein
metz advancing from Gore. The Eighth Corps OF Gen.
Stenmetz's army was the one most engaged. The
Prussians pushed into the woods, gradually by dn OF
numbers and sheer hard fighting, driving the French
skirmishers from the woods What happened in this
part OF the battle knows or can know as 1t was
entirely intbe woods and valleys, and no general view
of it could be obtained. Therefore, all accounts
OF mainly due to the fertile brains OF correspond
ents. Gen. BarnekOw himself told me that no general
either French or Prussan what happened except
that at about D. the Prussans had cleared the woods
found themselves In 'front.' OF an open pEiln
the battle proper began. The French posOn here was
most formidable one and the wonder is, not that it
took the Prussians hours TO take it, but that they
ever got il at ALL The woods above Gore extend to
within about miles TO GravelDte, behind which viii
lage the French lay in the morning also at Recon-
vile, another village higher up ON the road from
Metz to Verdun. Nearly the whole of the Prus-
sian position was backed by the thick woods
they had got possession of in the morning The PLAN on
4 he hal wa
Verdun road, about mile and half and is about
three miles in length On the French right the grouni
rises gently and this the key of the position as the
artillery which could MAINTAIN itself there swept the
whole field. More toward the center are two small
valleys of which, being deep, most useful to the
Prussans in advancing troops In the center Of tho
field is the road from Gore to Rezonve and Gravelote,
joining the main road to Verdun between thetwo villages
From the woods to Rezonv on the Nerdun road there
is cover except cottage on the Gore road This
cottage held by a half battery of French mitrai
lcuses which did fightfu execution in the Prussian
ranks they advanced from the wood. At p m when
the Prussians got the plain, Gen. Stenmetz rode
round the nights the Prussian left TO observe
the position of the enemy. After few minutes consul
tation the nth Regiment Of the Line ordered to ad
along the road the French center, having for
their object the low cottage the road have spoken
Of simultaneously the 45th 67th 69th, and the other
regiments were ordered to advance the for
tilted nights on the French right. This, as said,
was the KEY OF the position, hence the num-
Der quite sent against it at once All this
by the aid of a good glass could see from my post,
except the Prussanm up the furze walk where
the woods ntervened and could only tell the troops
were advancing by the motion The French, knowing
how vitaly important it TO keep possession OF the
hill their road, soon as their troops began to fall
back in the woods, had thrown up hastily made earth
work 10 shelter their infantry lying down. Behind them
the 62d Regiment OF Line lay with several batteries OF
rdriuO eads ca n
the slope but were several times repulsed andit
not till after IS hours fighting that they drove the
French from the nights, and their own artillery was
dragged up them AS battery after battery OF krupp
guns clambered up the hight, the gnners using their
spurs cutting whips freely. could see that il was
all over with the French, and that however bravely
they might fight Gand the Prussians all allow their
enemies fought splenddiy), they must ultimately give
way. The French batteries, driven from their first
position. retired to the hill dividing the two valleys
have mentioned their right, and regular artillery
duel place between their batteries and those of the
Prussians their recently conquered hill The short
distance only about yards enabled frghtfuly good
practice to be made The hills strewn with debris Of
men, guncaIIiages, lmbers and horses, the latter in
greater number many OF them literally blown to pieces
The ground is pOwed with Shells and is even now
dangerous to walk ON, there being many unexploded
shells about after about hours cannODade saw the
French guns retire to the highs over the uncovered
took place the latter of gaoped to the French
position as as they had driven the enemy from it,
In the mean time charge after charge made the
Gorze road by the lower cottage and the
half battery of mtraleuses, which were admir-
ably served and did frightfJl execution as the
PTussans The nth Regiment, which
the first TO charge the French, went into action
1900 strong Qt had lost heavily at Spcheren and
in the evening only 200 answered to their
spite of the greatest bravery and the most splendid
conduct the PussIan side they unable 10 drive
back the French until their artillery gained the hill on
the French right of which have spoken the key Of
ther position. This took place about p Then the
French retired to the side behind them and made q
desperate stand, regiments OF the Guard having
been brought up, hacked by the 21st Regiment
OF the line and two Chasseur battalOns. All
agree in pra.sing the conduct of the French in
their defensive position. This hill looks quite red
from the scarlet-pantaooned bodies which cover II.
Here the French maintained themselves with rightful
loss till p. when they retired under OF the
dark. From my hill could the flashes OF the many
guns and know by the only occasional firing the
French guns that they protecting the retreat Of the
infantry The Prussian loss is admitted to have been
frightfu new fight, small scale, took place on
Wednesday and all the time on the field OF battle
the mtraeuses were growing away TO our right, and
occasional ball singing heads the Prus
sian supports Of cavalry and infantry advanced
Tuesdays battlefield have much write but
the field post is going. Impossible 70 telegraph. "a aI
TWO HOURS HALT.
SHARP EARs-INoUIsITIvE GENDARMEs-THE
PRUssIAN SYSTEM OF RRQUIsITIoNs.
lPRoh our SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE ..