Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-08-19
THE WOERTH BATTLE.

\ correspondent gives the following ac-
count of the battle of Wocrth
The second day after the battle Of Wcissen-
hourg came that of Woerth, and the Grown
Prince gained "A great victory over the abiest
General in the French army. 1t is admitted
that the French fought with reckless courage,
and that they inflicted heavy losses on their
opponents, but the effect OF this hard fighting
and this heavy loss shows how serious was the
defeat sustained by Mcmahon. traverscd
the battle fcld while the dead still lay I'M
buried on the trampled ground, and could
form Il good idea OF how the fight had gone
by the ehastly evidence which remained
Woerth is at the bottom of a fertile valley.
between two ridges of cultivated ground
There is a quantity of wooded land in the
neighborhood, and especially behind the
French position. On the western side OF the
valley there is a strip Of forest, which forms
a cover for the rttreating troops
The little river of Bruden, not big enough
in summer time to float skiff, flows through
the village and the high road from Cowes
winds down toward the village, on the eastern
side of the valley fankcd by trees. Here
was the Prussan position, stretching far to the
right and left Along the road may be seen
cart loads of needle guns collected under the
trees at distance.
The French musketrv fire told more heavily
than the Pru,sian and heard that the Prus-
sian artillery had been very well served. But
though the hurying parties are busy with The
German dead on the eastern side of Noerth,
there was more than an exchange of slaught-
erous work on the western side. Here the
Prussians and Bavarians had pu he'd forward
in strong force. and their fire had told fear
fully upon the French. The high spirits and
AZ. - it,,A Inc n
than match for the desperate resistance of
the other. Whole companies OF Frenchmen
have been moved down in their wild attempts
to check the enemy in advance.
There had been terribly equal fight IN
some places. for the ground was strown with
German dead, but more Frenc!Imcn had fallen
in proportion.
The black lures and wide trousers of the
Zouaves lay thick at many points. There
were still brca,t-platcs and brass helmets
scattered thickly on the line of retreat, while
dead horses in all directions might be counted
by hundreds, and so westward through the
" Gods went the traces of increasing disaster.
Officers and men were lying primly where
they had fallen. some of them in quiet shady
spots, as though they were pic-nicers asleep,
and there were pools of blood where the
lay.
The Turcus might be seen who had closely
fought to the last, and had tried to fire AS they
lay Frcnchmen of the line regiments here
and there had fallen in numbers, as though
having fallen and faced about in regular order,
but the aspects of the fields beyond the wood
seemed to indicate hasty retreat.
Wagons were overturned. baggage thrown
nut upon the roadside, and many knipsacks
we're to be seen. No one who had passed
over the battle ground of Woerth when | did
Gould have failed to realize what great disas-
er had betailen 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 /
,xact loss sustained. However, see no rea- +
son to doubt the official return on the German .
side, which gives about 1000 Frenchmen and
1000 Germans -du-combat, and about 1000 .
prisoners were taken by the vlctors-4ooO IN
battle and 5000 more in pursuit. These losses,
with further loss of cannon and colors, made
W oerth an evil day for Frame
Well might the wounded Germans raise
to cheer the Crown Prince as he
passed, and cry that Germany was safe. 1t
will often be told how the armies met onthe
9Th of August, and how McAlahon made his
unsuccessful effort to rpel the invasion of
Alsace. How the Prussians held the left Of
the line, and the Bavarians and Wurtembur- /
gers the right, and how the few Baden troops /
held in reserve by the Crown Prince, were !
Drought up just in time to share the honors of
the day.
There was a fierce attack on both sides, it
being difficult to say which party began it, and
gradually as the German troops pressed round
upon their opponents line OF retreat, the
French were forced to make SO hasty retro
grade movement that the retreat became very
nearly a route.
The needle gun proved itself to be fully the
equal of the Chassepot and something more
SO at least say the German soldiers, with APP
parently good faith.