New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-09-13
THE BATTLE OF AIARs.LA-TOUR.

THE BATTLE OF AIARS.LA-TOUR.
The French sAttacse! Again and Sur
brised-The Frepch Fight to Escape,
&nd Fail-The Prussians Fight to
Destroy, and Succeed-IIow Fighting
il Done.
Especial Correspondence ofthe Cincinnati Gazette.]
VERDUH, France, August 19.-Another
battle yesterday, and singularly like its pre-
deceseOrs, in the tactics Of the Prussians, IN
the attitude of the French and IN the
bloody fighting of both. The tactics OF the
Prussianswere sudden onslaught from the
woods, to the surprise of their enemy; the
attitude of the French was that OF fighting
for existence. It has been just so from the
beginning. Mcmahon denies making the
attack at Woerth So every attack, except
the baptismal one upon Saarbruck, has been
made by the Prussians-One, two, three,
four, five, six attacks in all, not including
those upOn unfOrtified towns and the
~watching" of Strasburg.
For one whole week Bazaine has been
doing his utmost to get away from Metz and
fall back upon ChalOns, but every attempt
at retreat by the French has been attended
by an attack of the Prussians.
The battle of yesterday was battle of
this description. The army Of Bazaine, fail
ing to follow in the footsteps of the Empe-
rOr, yesterday morning covered the heights
of St. Priyat and Maric-aux- Cheves, about
ten miles from Metz, which is the hub of all
this weeks terrific fighting. Perhaps it will
be called the battle Of Mars-la-Tour.
Before the French army, and stretching
to it's right and left in the shape of tan,
was the forest of MOyeuvres. Suddenly, at
about the middle of the morning, the woods
(as usual began to move. And las usual)
the French were startled by the presence OF
the Prussians. The woods glittered with
their bayonets, and the bushes rustled with
their sturdy tread. They seemed to bring
at the bidding of VonMoltke. Even the
forests obey him, and the oaks catch the
awful spirit Of his columns, and fall into
their resistless ranks. The sun was burn
ing without respect of persons upon the
bayonet.of chassepot and needle gun alike,
just as the rain fell upon the just and the
unjust (whoever they are,) the victors and
yanquished, the other night, in the valley of
the Moselle The French had the advantage
las usual Of position. They were strongly
intrenOhed and favOrably posted on line
of steep and rugged hills. The Germans
had the advantage las usually in numbers
Though this is disputed by prisOners), and
In strategic audiences Of movement.
At about ten o'clock the Prussians opened
fire with musketry. The French returned the
fire. The Prussians came nearer; the French
stood still. There was a tremendous rattle
Crack-whiz, sullen cloud of smoke, and
a pause that made the blood in the veins
pause. The Prussians came on; the French
waited. Crash, boom Crash, crackle,
whiz, boom! Boom, boom! One continual
boom! One continual crackle and whiz
Music rising in the lulls. You hear little
drum, trumpet blare, bugle echoing over
hill and dale. Then q confusion of terrify
ing noises. The senses are stunned. Numb
ness comes over the nerves, dumbness upon
the lips, deafness into the ears, blindness to
the eyes.
! Human beings are transformed into wild
beasts, rushing upon one another, with sa-
bre and gun and bayonet. Cavalry riding
cavalry, infantry shooting down infantry.
YOnder is wrestle for a. hill. The Prus-
slams dash up and are hurled down. Dead
bodies roll over and over till they lie still at
the bottom. The assailants try it again.
The French shout. The Prussians are so
still as to be formidable on that account.
Their silence strikes more CONSERVATION
than all the yells of the demon Turcos. 1t
Ia q terrible, murderOus wrestle for the hill.
The vines are trodden fiat 1t is about even
as to numbers. But see how steady, as well
40 6AACAty IAC 0CAMduS dIC. 4LCS dIC lihC
an India rubber wave, rising and falling,
ebbing and fowing-never breaking, always
bending.
The French waver; waver more. break
into small squads. Yield, fall back, faster
and faster, turn and run. Many drop their
guns. The hill is covered with PrusSans,
still silent, but still active. They blaze
away at the flying enemy.
On other parts of the field there are other
encounters as determined and as sanguinary.
The artillery on both sides is managed with
skill. 1t is a reaping machine; reaping
down men by scores, hundreds, thousands.
1t opens wide roads through the dense
masses of troops. Can anybody be left !!
Such wholesale ravages upon human life,
such massacre, such squirting Of blood, such
squirting of gore, such hideous noises of
victory and despair and pain, such awful
crashing and laundering, such mad hurry
ing to and EO-what q spectacle: what
carnage!
But it goes on and on. Hour follows hour
and still it goes ON. Steinaetz must hinder
the retreat Of Bazaine. Poor Bazaine All
the victory he can get is to save his army
from humiliation. 1t is life and death
contest with him How grandly the French
light They are rash and head-strong and
disorderly, but o how brave, and with
what towering spirit they rally again and
again to the charge. And the Prus-
slams are equal to them in courage, and
80 it is Greek meet Greek, as far as obstin-
acy of valOr is concerned.
But look at one thing about the Prussians.
They stop at no sacrifice. They hesitate at
no cost. They give every thing for any
thing. They are after success, and no
amount Of blood is too great to pay for it.
They have an end, and no expenditure of
Life is more than they will give for its
achievement. They have made plan, and
no obstacle made of dead bodies shall pre-
vent their carrying it out. Its horrid; it is
astounding; it is sickening to see how they
taH and perish OF their way to the object Of
their fighting.
= All day long waged and roared and doomed
and shrieked the battle of MARSHA Tour
1t covered several miles. 1t Redeemed many
vineyards. 1t lasted about ten hours. The
sun went down over Paris, it was twilight
III the pretty valley of the Mouse before the
massacre ceased, and the remnant of the
armies rested from their strife. The stars
came out and all was still
Who was victorious! You probably know:
] do not. 1t is vexatious that a correspond
ent . at the front" should be obliged to de-
pend for results upon editorial headquarters
5000 miles away. wish there were no light
ming.
Letter from Vice-President Coifax.
A dispatch to the Western press gives