The weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1869-18??, 1870-09-07
August 31st, 1870.
Correspondence of the Daily News.l
The Battlefield of WOerth After the
Struggle.


Struggle.
The swift and skillful movements against |
Wissembourg, resulting in complete success
TO the German arms, was but a foretaste of |
the storm which threatened the northern
part of Alsace. On the second day after
Wissembourg came the battle of Woerth,
and the Crown Prince gained a great victory
over the ablest General in France. 1t is adj
mitted that the French fought with reckless
courage, and that they inflicted heavy loss
on their opponents; but the fact of this hard
fighting and of this heavy loss shows how
serious a defeat was sustained by Mcmahon.
/ traversed the battlefield while the dead
still lay unburied on the trampled ground,
and could form q good notion of how the
fight had gone by the CHASTITY evidence
which remained. Woerth is at the bottom
of fertile valley, between two ridges of Gull
tivated ground There is quantity of
woodland in the neighborhood, and especi-
ally behind the French position, or on the
western side of the valley, there is strip of
forest which forms a cover for retreating
troops The little river Bruder, not deep
enough in Summer time to float skiff, flows
through the village, and a high road comes
winding down toward it on the eastern side
OF the valley, fanked by trees. Here was
the German position, stretching far to the
right and left Along this road was heaps
of spiked helmets to be seen, and carloads
of needle guns collected under the trees At
distance the French musketry fire had
told more heavily than the German, and l
heard that the French artillery had been
very well served. But though the buryirg
parties were busy with the German dead on
this eastern side of Woerth, there was more
than en- exchange of slaughterous work on
western side Here the Prussians and Ba-
yarians had pushed forward in strong force,
and their fire had told fearfully upon the
French. The high spirit and rigid dlsci-
pline of the one army had been more than
a match for the desperate resistance of the
other Whole companies of Frenchmen had
been moved down in their wild attempts to
check the enemy's advance. 1t had been a
tolerably equal fight in some places, for the
ground was strewn with German dead. But
more Frenchmen had fallen in proportion.
Black Turcos and wide-trowsered Zouaves
lay thick at many points, and the Curas-
siers had suffered much. There were steel
breast-plates and brass helmets scattered
thickly on the line of the retreat, while the
dead horses in all directions might be count
ed by hundreds. And so, westward, through
the wood, went the traces of increasing dis
aster; officers and men lying grimly where
they had fallen, some of them in quiet,
shady spots as though they were pic
nickers asleep; pools of blood where the
wounded had been found, knapsacks, rifles,
and oYercoats, either thrown away in flight
or left BY the wounded on the field. Then
came q spot where the French had rallied,
and where the dead of both sides lay thick.
Turcos might be seen who had evidently
fought to the last, and had tried to fire their
pieces as they lay. Frenchmen of the line
regiments had here and there fallen in num-
bers, as though having halted and faced
about in regular order. But the aspect of
the fields beyond the wood seemed to ia
dictate hasty retreat. Wagons were over
turned, baggage was thrown out upon the
roadside, and many knapsacks were to be
seen. No one who had passed over that
battle-ground of Woerth when did could
have failed to realize that a great
disaster had befallen the French arms,
though at time when most of the wounded
had been removed, and on so large scene OF
action it would have been impossible to
Judge of the exact loss sustained. However,
see no reason to doubt the official return
on the German side, which gives about 10,
900 Frenchmen and 1000 Germans hors du
combat, and about Z 900 prisoners taken by
the victors-4, 600 in the battle, and 5000
i more in the pursuit. These losses, with the
further loss of cannon and colors, made
Woerth an evil day for France. Well might
the wounded Germans raise themselves to
heer the Crown Prince as he passed, and
nv that Germany was safe. 1t will often b.
Did how the armies met on the 9th of Au
LIST. and how Mcmahon made his unsuc
,ssful effort to repel the invasion of Alsace
low the Prussians held the left of the line
the Bayarians and Wurtemburgers the right
and how few Baden troops, held in reserve
by the Crown Prince, were brought up JUS
in time to share the honors of the day
There was fierce attack on both sides, il
being difficult to say which party began
and gradually as the German troops pressed
round upon their opponents line of re
treat, the French were forced to make
so hasty retrogade movement that the
retreat became very nearly rout. The
acknowledgement proved itself to be fully thu
equal of the Chassepot, and something
more-so at least, say the German soldiers
with apparent good cause. Then, moreover
the Prussians knew their weapon better
having long been accustomed to it, and thu
Crown Prince handled his army so as te
make most of the deadly fire of his infantry
The cavalry was not used for an attack in
the first instance, but was sent in pursuit
when the enemy began his retreat. 1t wal
victory due the patriotic ardor OF the Ger
man troops, as much as to anything in theil
discipline or tactics; but we must not forge
that the French showed ardor likewise, an6
that the scale was turned for the Germans a
Woerth by their intelligent understanding
of the breach-loader drill, and by their stead
mess in firing. These matters take time t.
learn, and l hope that our volunteers will
have chance Of learning them before the,
are called upon to face foe who NAV havI
learnt the new weapon at his leisure w,
see the glorious results which Germany i
reaping from her careful preparation.