Daily Kennebec journal., 1870-08-27

SPECTATORS OF THE BATTLE.
arrived Just as the battle waxed warm.
1t was about noon OF the 18th. The head
quarters of the King of Prussia were then
at the spot which | have described. The
great representative men of Prussia, sol
ders and statesmen, were standing on
the ground watching the conflict just be
gun. Among them recognised the King,
Bismarck, General Won Moltke, Prince
Frederick Charles, Prince Carl, Prince
| Adalbert and Aljutant kranski. Lieu
tenant-General Sheridan OF the United
States army was also present. AT the mo-
ment the French We're makinga most des-
perate effort to hold on to the last bit Of
the VerClun road-that between Recon-
vile and Gravelotte, or that part OF Gra-
yelotte which in some maps Is called St
Marcel. The struggle was desperate but
unayailing, for every one man III the
French army had two to cope with, and
their line was already beginning to wayer
Soon il was PLAN that this wing, the French
right, was Withdrawing to new position.
This was swiftly taken up under cover o!
continuous fire Of their artillery from the
heights beyond the village. The move
ment was made in good order, and the
position, which was reached at one O'Clock
and thirty minutes, would | believe, have
been pronounced impregnable by nine
out of ten military men. When once this
movement had been effected, the French
retreating from the pressure OF the Prus-
sian artillery fire. and the Prussians as
rapilv advancing, the battle field was no
longer about Rezonville. but had been
transferred and pushed forward to Grave
lotte, the junction of the two branching
roads to Nerlun The fields in front of
that village were completely covered by
the Prussian reserves, and interminabe
lines OF soldiers were steadily marching
onward, disappearing into the villa &c,
and emerging on the other side Of it with
flaming volleys.
TIE SECOND BATTLEFIELD
was less extensive than the first, and
/ brought the opposing forces into fealfully
close quarters The popularity Of it is
that it consists of two heights, intersected
by deep rayine. This woody ravine is
over one hundred feet deep, and at the top
three hundred yards wide. The side OF
the chasm next to Gravelotte, where the
Prussians stood. is much lower than the
other side, which gradually ascends 10 Il
great height From their commanding
emncnce the French held their enemie,
fairly beneath them, and poured upon
them scorching fire. The French guns
were in position far up the Metz road,
hidden and covered among the trees.
/ There was not an instant'S cessation OF the
roar. Easily dstinguishabe amid all was
the curious grunting roll of the mitrall-
leuse. The Prussian artillery was posted
to the north and south OF the village, the
guns on the latter side being necessarily
raised for an awkward half vertical fire.
THE CARNAGE.
The French stood their ground and died
the Prusians stood their ground and died
/ both by hundreds, ! had almost said
/ thousands. This, for an hour or two that
seemed ages, 50 constant was the slaugh-
ter. The hill where stood commanded
chiefly the conflict behind the village and
to the south OF it. The Prussian reinforce
ments, coming up on their right, filed out
of the Bois DIES OgnOns; and it was at that
Point as they marched on to the field that
one could, perhaps get the best idea OF
the magnitude of this invading army now
in the heart Of France. There was no
break whatever, for four hours in the
march of men out of that wood 1t seemed
almost rs if all the killed and wounded
again. Birnam Wood advancing to Dun
shame Hill was not a more ominous sight
to Macbeth than these men of General
Goebens army to Bazane. shielded as
they were by the woods till they were fair
/ ly within range and reach OF their enemies
| Guns. So the French must have felt; fol
| between four and five o'clock they concen-
trated upon that spot their heaviest fire
massin~ all their available guns, and she'll
ing the woods unremittingly. Their fire
reached the Prussian lines and tore through
them; and though the men were steady,
it was a test to which no general cares to
subject his troops long. They presently
swerved little from that line Of advance,
and there was no longer Il continuous col
umn of infantry pouring out OF those
woods.
THE PRU USSIANS RECEIVE A CHECK.
The attack of the Prussians in the cen
tire was clearly checked. About six o'clock,
however, II brigade of fresh infantry was
again formed in the wood, and emerged
from its cover Once out from under the
trees, they advanced at double-quick. Th,
French GUNS had not lost the range of The
wood, nor Of the ground in front. Seel
at distance, through powerful glass
the Drl9auc was II nuTe serpent, DcHulHe
with the undulation Of the field. But i
left dark track behind it, and the glass
resolved the dark track into falling and dy-
ING and dead men. Many of those who
had fallen leaped up again, and ran for
ward little way. striving stu to go on
with their comrades. OF those who went
backward instead of forward there We're
few though many fell as they painfully
cndeavored to follow the advance.
Hall an hour afterwards great numbers
of troops began to march over the hill
where was standing, and moved forward
toward the field where so hard asstrugglt
had been so long protracted. These alsC
were, l think, portion of General Goe
bens troops, who had been directed upor
a less dangerous route.
TIMELY ARRIVAL OF sTEINMETz.
The battle from this point on the Prus
sian left became so fierce that it was sooi
lost to us, or nearly lost, by reason of thu
smoke. Now and then the thick clouc
would open little and drift away on thu
wind, and then we could see the Frencl