The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-25
THE BATTLE OF FORBACH.
Another American Account-Terrible Scene
Of Mo ssacre-The Complete ROut of tn,
French.

Another American Account-Terrible Scenes
Of Mo ssacre-The Complete ROut of tho
French.
The correspondent of the New York Times,
writing from Metz under date of August 2, gives
the following description of the battle of For
bach-
The following is an account of the battle at For
bach, which heard from the officer who brought the
news to the Emperor and his star, and who reached
Metz in a railway tender after General Frossard's
night from the scene of action To those of nv
readers who remember what took place at Saarbruck
It will be easy to form an idea OF the position held by
the French troops after the advance OF the I'd Au-
gust. On Friday evening report was spread in
the French camp to the effect that the Prussans
frontier town Of nearly seven thousand inhabi-
tants, situated at distance Of about ten miles,
same distance southeast OF Forbach General Eros
sard, learning this, abandoned his position on the
that tl which he held upon the hill Of Arneyai and
withdrew the whole OF his forces to the heights OF
Spkeren and to the Au6erge de Ia Breme dor,
west OF Spikeren, and built half on French and half
on Prussian SOIL believe that l have mentioned
in previous letter that Saarbruck is protected
on the way by range CT hills, and in order to
understand thoroughly the Prussan advance,
it will be necessary to state that these
hills had never been recopnotred by the French
army. They extend from SaaTbruck as far as Merle
bach, which is small village about two miles from
far as Stirring Wendell, large iron foundry, less
than mile across the frontier, by immense woods
into which the French have never penetrated. This
Act is very important as in the opinion OF French
military men 1t is almost solely on account of the
WOODS not having been properly reconnotred that
the troops under General FrOssards command ex-
perienced such a disastrous defeat on the 9th of
August
OPENING OF THE ENG lGEMENT.
Early on Saturday morning a recounoitrlng party
was sent out by General Frossard in the di-
rection OF saarbracBSbut 1 am told by the person
from whom got my Information that not single
man ever returned to the French camp. At IL
o'clock the Prussans, leaving their position the
heights behind Saarbruck, quietly took possession
OF the hill OF Arneyal and OF that which masks the
lery then descended into the valley and commenced
sheling the French position on the
heights OF Spikereb, from which the French
were forced TO retire, after a brilliant resist
ance, az O'Clock In the afternoon The
French artillery retreated behind the hill leaving
number OF guns, among which were several mtrail-
lenses behind them but on joining the troops sta
toned at the Auberge de la Breme dor commenced
orderly retreat along the high road In the direc-
ton OF Forbach. They had, however, only Just
OF Spikeren, when large number OF Prussians sud
denly out of the woods on the hill TO the west
and bringing their mtraeuses to bear upon the re-
treating regiments, Kept up a murderous fire upon
them as they advanced along the high road At q
short distance past Stirring Wendell, the point
Joined by reinf0rcements from St Avoid at between
| BH and O'Clock. In the meanwhile a large body OF
Prussians had descended TO the road from the hus
on either sde and attacked the French In the
The French army, encouraged by fresh troops,
turned upon the enemy, and during three hours a
most bloody battle was fought on the high road be-
tween the iron foundry OF Stirring Wendell and the
entrance TO Forbach. IL has been reported by the
4 French Government that the Prnssans had fred
upon the hospitals az Foroach, but am told that