The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-09-19
REZONvILLE.
Detailed Aecount-vh he stormIng of Sc. Privat
a staff OfIlcer's sketch.


detailed Aecount-yhe storminG of Sc. Privat
"''"'" "a siaH O6iccr's sketch.
The Berlin Aug. Sc) Correspondence of the London
TO Mi up the outline Of the battle of Rezonville
transmit some detailed accounts we have received
from the front. AS they will speak for themselves,
] refrain from adding so much as word OF COM
ment. The first Of the subjolned letters refers to
the part Of the Attn Brigade OF the Guards consisting
"Queen Augusta" took in the battle. The writer is
stan oiGer, and the portion Of his graphic sketch
am going TO lay before your readers describes the
storming Of St. Privat on the right flank OF the
French :-'St Privat is a village on a steep and
lofty cliff, which commands the ground for many
miles around. The village has many stone buildings
of considerable height, which offer the most valuable
facilities for defensive purposes. Both its position
and its houses had been turned to excellent account
by the enemy on this towering height the French
perfectly bare Having so stationed themselves that
The attacking party would be unavoidably exposed
to the 9 erect Of her guns guns oSS as soon as IL copd oe
enough, and might confidently await coming events.
Our artillery consisting of at first nine, aHd after
wards eleven batteries, under the command OF
General Prince Hohenlohe, began the attack. To-
wards four oclock-that is, after an incessant
nonade of three hours, the enemys guns were slen-
ced by batteries, when the infantry ordered
to advance. 1t was essential to come to cose quar-
ters before dark, because the enemy might
otherwise have effected his retreat without any very
serious losses, and forced another battle upon us the
day after. AT O'Clock our brigade, which formed
the first line of the assaultng party left the ravine
in which It had sought shelter so long, and marched
against st. Privat No sooner did the enemy notice
our march than he opened fire upon us It was the
most destructive quick fire you can imagine. After
a few minutes we had numbers of our comrades
lying on the ground and the nearer we proceeded
the greater became our losses. Nor had the satis
faction of retaliating upon our adversAries, Sta
crouching in ditches they were perfectly Invisible
to us and could not have been fired at even If
pments The % Ist and I'd Brsades on net our Ieft
Jared no better. All the generals and star
the attac king party and after short time were
either shot or had their horses killed under them
The enemy's fire was like hal-stOrm of lead, eX-
tending over distance of at least 1900 PAGES in front
OF the hills. The noise it made perfectly drowned
our commands, and the smoke rendered it impos-
sible for our men to handle their weapons with any
thing like a chance of success, Yet the Guards
never hestated for moment on they went,
| strewiDg the ground with their deal and wounded
determined to conquer or to succumb. Long before
we had reached the enemy our losses attained
! snch tremendous proportions that the Prince OF
Wurtemberg, the Commander of the Guards, gave
orders to halt until.the Saxons had made some I'M
! preston on the right wing OF the hostile position.
! This and another engagement OF our artillery who
were again sent to the front and resumed operations
against the solid masonry OF the village delayed our
progress for time. AT last the village began to
burn, and we had some hopes OF being able to pene-
still falling as fast and thick ever. At 60 we re-
sumed the charge. The enemy though his flank had
been turned by this time by the Saxons still fought
with desperate valor, and defended every single
house in the place. Within fifteen minutes we dis
lodged him entirely, when his ranks suddenly broke
and the whole mass, which had made so long and
obstinate resistance, all at fed in confusion
towards Metz. But the cost Of victory this time
brigade were either dead or wounded The rank and
file had likewise supplied frightfu quota of casual
ties, Every one OF us lamented the death of q rela.
tiOn, friend, or an acquaintance. We had certainly
succeeded in ntercepting the enemy his march to
the capital but had done at almost too great a
sacrifice. We passed the night on the battlefield,
good many OF us sleeping In the tents which the
ciptate fight. Wonderful luxures and comforts
we discovered in the tents OF the French officers.
Beds and chairs and rockers and curtains and car
pets adorned the temporary abodes OF these refined
gentlemen Even perumery belonged to their in
dispensables, and there was certainly no want of
lookng-glasses. What contrast to us, who sleep
on the bare ground, our generals lying down with
the rest whenever we cannot find shelter in a vii
lage! When we looked at the French tents and the
| numerous inpedimtntd contained in them, we quite
understood why the French cannot march so rapidly
as we do. But, to give them their due, they fought
well while under cover. AS long as they kept behind
AS to assuming the offensive and coming to close
| quarters they never thought of it, They
are brave soldiers, and slaughtered in the most
terrific manner; yet there is no denying that they
have lost the elan that formerly distinguished then
and place greater confidence in ditch and long
range gun than in anything else. The day after the
burying the dead and while we heaping corpses
upon corpses our bands played the old beautiful
choTae, "Jesus meme Zuversicht" AS we stood
| around the pits had dug in the ground, and
looked at the dead lying at our feet in silent
Tows there were few among us who did not fee
the tears coursiDg down their cheeks. Nc
one that sts quietly at home and reads the
reports from the fields in the papers can have
the faintest idea of what the horrors OF war really
are. Life and limb, treasure and property alike
melt away In the furnace of battle. Eternal dis
grace to the Infamous wretches who have coniured
| up all this misery! Towards O'Clock our friends
! the saXons passed the improvised cemetery Cheer
ful and good .natured as ever, they marched to
spirited tune that broke strangely upon our ears
but they had awakened the musical propensities o.
some of our men, and hymns and national anthems
filed the rest of the evening""