The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-31


Eventually, the 9th Division being drawn into
the fight, the whole 5th Corps found itself in
volved in the sanguinary conflict rigging along
the heights west of Woerth.
"At x p. NJ. orders were given to the 1st
Bavarian Corps (Von der Tann) to leave one of
its two divisions where 1t stood, and, sending
on the other as quick as possible by Lobsann
and Lampertsloch, seize upon the enemy's front
in the gap between the I'd Bavarlan Corps at
Langen-Salzbach and the 5th Prussian Corps at
Woerth. The 11th Prussians were ordered to
advance to Elsasshausen, skirt the forest of
Niederwald, and operate against Froschwiller.
The Wurtemburg Division was TO proceed to
Gunstett and follow the 11th Prussians across
the Sauer the Baden Division was to remain at
Sauerburg.
cat o'clock the combat had extended along
the entire line. 1t was severe struggle. The
5th Prussians fought at Woerth, the 1ith Prus-
slams near Elsasshausen. In his strong position
on and near the heights of Froschwiller, the
enemy offered us a most intense resistance
The 1st Bavarian Corps reached Gorsdorff, but
could not lay hold of the enemy fast enough;
the I'd Bavarian had to exchange the exhausted
troops of the Division Bothmer, who had spent
their ammunition in the fierce fights of the
morning, for the Division Walther. While the
Division Bothmer fell back, the Brigade Scleich
of the Division Walther marched upon Langen-
Salzbach. The Wurtumburg Division approached
| Gunstett
"At o'clock fresh orders were given. The
| Wurtemburg division was to turn towards
| Reichshofen by way of Ebersbach to threaten
the enemys line of retreat. The LIST Bavarian
| was to attack at once and dislodge the enemy
| from his position at Froschwiller and in the
| neighboring vineyards. Between and o'clock
| the enemy bringing fresh troops into the field,
and advancing with consummate bravery, as
sumed the offensive against the 9TH and 11th
PIussian Corps. But all his assaults were beaten
off Thus the fight was, briskly going on at
| Woerth, neither party making much progress,
till at length the brilliant attack of the list Bava
rian Corps at Gorsdorff and of the 1st Wurtem-
burg Brigade on the extreme left at Ebersbach
decided the fate of the day.
| Towards the close of the battle the French
attempted a grand cavalry charge against the
9th and 1lth Corps, especially against the artil-
lery of these troops. Our artillery awaited
them with severe loss. The infantry did so
likewise. This last experiment having, failed,
the enemy at o'clock evacuated Froschwiller,
and retreated through the mountain passes in
the direction of Bitche. The cavalry of all our
divisions were despatched in pursuit.
"The cavalry division, which on account of
the difficult ground, which allowed little scope
for its manouvres, had been left at Schonberg,
was ordered at 81 o'clock to advance to Gun
stett. On the morning of the 7th this cavalry
corps began the pursuit in the direction of Ing
weller and Bronstweiler. All the troops who
had taken part in the engag ment bivouacked
on the battlefield, the cavalry at Gunstett, the
Baden division at Sauerburg.
"Our losses are great, but cannot as yet be
exactly estimated. The enemy lost 5000 un-
wounded prisoners, thirty guns, six mitrail-
rayed against us were General MacMahon's
army and the I'd and Sd Divisions of the 9th
Corps"
The official account of the action at Forbach
| is as follows
| "On the forenoon of August the 7th Corps
| d'Armee pushed its vanguard to Herchenbach,
| IL German miles northwest of Saarbruck, with
| outposts stretching as far as the river Saar.
The preceding night the enemy had evacuated
its position on the drilling-ground of Sarr-
bruck.
Toward noon the Cavalry Division under
General Rheinhaben passed through the town.
Two squadrons formed the van. The moment
they reached the highest point of the drilling
ground, and became visible to spectators on the
south they were fired at from the hills near
Spicheren.
"The drillipg-ground ridge overhangs q deep
valley stretching towards Forbach and Spiche-
rem, and bordered on the other side by the steep
and partly wooded height named after the latter
dicuiar ascent several hundred feet above the
valley, form a natural fortress, which
needed no addition from art to be all
but impregnable. Like so many bastions the
mountains project into the valley, facing it
on all sides, and and affording the strongest
imaginable position for defense. French officers
who were taken prisoners on this spot confess
to having smiled at the idea of the Prussians
attacking them in this stronghold. There was
not man in the I'd French Corps who was not
persuaded in his own mind that to attempt the
Spicheren hills must lead to the utter annihila-
tion of the besiegers.
Between 12 and the 14th Division arrived
at Saarbruck. Immediately proceeding south
it encountered q strong force of the enemy in
the valley between Saarbruck and Spicheren,
and opened fire forthwith. Upon this General
Frossard, who was in the act of Withdrawing a
portion OF his troops when the Prussians ar
rived, turned round and reoccupied the Spiche-
rem hills with his entire force. division of the
Sd Corps, under General BaZaine, came up In
time to support him.
''The l4th Division at first had to deal with
far superior numbers. To limit the attack to
the enemy's front would have been useless
General Won Kamecke, therefore, while en-
gaging the 'front.' also attempted to turn the left
flank of the enemy by Stirring; but the five
battalions he could spare for this operation were
too weak to make an impression upon the much
stronger numbers of the French. Two success
sive attacks on his left were repulsed by Genera
Frossard. Toward 8 O'clock when all the troops
of the division were under fire, the engagement
assumed very sharp and serious aspect
Eventually however, the roar of the cannon
attracted several other Prussian detachments
The division under General Won Barkenow wa:
the first to be drawn to the spot Two of IL
batteries came dashing up at full spread to re
lieve their struggling comrades. They wer
promptly followed by the 10th Infantry, unde
Colonel Rex, and three squadrons of the 9tl
Hussars. At this moment the vanguard of tn
5th Division was eeped ON the Winterberg Hill
General Stulpnagel, whose van had been statione'
at Sultzbach the same morning, had been ordere
by General Won Alvensleben to march his entir
division in the direction from which the soun,
, of cannon proceeded. Two batteries advance,
, in forced march on the high road The in
fantry were partly sent by rail from Nuenkirchel
, to Saarbruck.
. SAT about $50 o'clock the Division Kamecke
had been sufficiently reinforced to enable Gene
raj Won Cohen, who had arrived in the mean
' time and assumed the command, to make