The New York herald., 1870-10-14

Il
tne ground From Metz TO Aesleres mere " . l0Ag
trough win nat bottom the alluvial margin OF the
Aoselle This tract u about four English miles
wide. Ontne west 10 II bounded by the heigntsi
have already named, ana nearer Metz by Nortvy and
saulny. On the east II Is bounded BY . lower
series OF hluiIs on which stand the yil-
lagos Of oigy ana Marcy but between
them runs tne MoseIle. inrtnGing considerably on
the nat exDanse just opposite Olgy. Across tho Dot
tom. the narrowest part tbas formed lies series
or villa6cs--the two Tapes and Strsmy, with MAxe
and Ladonchamps. respectively. Ggnuy 70 the cost
and west OF the mont, more or less. There were
Prasslan troops In oil these places. The dIsp0s-
tiens dssailed 70 me BY the star e,cer mad been
substantially maintained.
BAzAlNR's PLAN o. ACTION.
Bazaine had laid his scheme with great art. Under
cover Of the dense fog he bad made mis- dispositions
with such adrotncss that wnsn 1t lifted. little
psst one O'Clock, they were sArsady all but CON-
plete.e In the nIut instances directed strong as
sault on Ladonchsmps. 1na lsndwehr outposts
held the place a. II tney were 10000 instead Of 100
men, and the French sent their infantry swarm
ing into IL with their atilery piacs1 upon
IT.. "Only An attempt TO reoscupy Ladon9 mps'
quoth my friend Of the stan as he lit fresh cigar,
.'Tne guns win teach them the folly Of that.n And
as we came back 70 orr arbor ceYtainly IL seemed
sian artillery must be 50. The white spurts
OF smoke were visible all round the valley
on the right rront The batteries at Freneeourt
were hard at work, and also Others nearer
the town, while the great guns ct Frenecourt were
sendlng shells at low range right over Laden
champs in among the advapcing French Then, on
our LETT at Amclange, two other batteries were
maintaining semi-cross nre, and from the blufrs on
the other side Of the Mosele. between Olgy and
Malroy, the Prussian field artillery were roaring.
n, ,'.,r r.-, TIN rsEscH ADvAscg. -. -
But my friend Of the ssafr was not for an hour or
two at all events, 20 see the arbor. fhe attack on
Ladonchamps was q diversion. suddenly the vii
lages Of Grande aud Petite Etapes OF stremy and
Make were overwhetmed bya cataract OF French
men,. The Fifty.nintn lsndwehr In stremy would not
fan back, as Il should have done In common pru-
dence, hut stood up there IN the strcetspntil the
French, bavng played upon A. with their artillery
and rained Chassepet and rlnitrnileuse bullets
finally pushed backwards she shattered remnant on
to the Ohausee by dint OF sheer numbers. The fusi
Ter battalion Of the Fifty eighth occupied Grande
Etspes and IT occupies Grsnde Etapes now; but the
occupation consists OF the dead and wounded. The
battaion UouldBot give ground. and may be said 10
have BEEN annIlSlateda - ~ Stood the men being
with their naakHto the wall and their faces to the
fos. The Other ps,falions Of the same regiment sur
fered terrfbly "a asah H0 ss7q sisa8ttg lse sss
r + & 4, - TsnronAaY SUCCESS or THE FRENCH II
a So far Baxaine had succeeded: be mad occnpie d
the chain Of villages athwart the valley ana mad
got aew batteries OF artillery ont on their 'front.' TO
reply 70 the Prussian nre; but the statu quo he
bctther wished 70 nor could retain. The Prus-
Sian artillery, throwing their proJectlles from
three sides Of the paraneiogran. intsrfersd with
comfortable realization OF the latter conception
e~~~> -.
would not have done what he had II he did not col.
template something more. That something, Ihave
not the remotess doubt, was . sortie TO estap-
fish connections with Thionville his tactics
were wen conceived From S.remy and
the two Etapes ne kept tho Prussisn line
engaged WIN Inusketrs ana artillery. he sent
Forward from Grande Etapes great swarms OF tirael
leurs who Jared extremely III at the hands OF the
landweh men; but besides this he massed great
body OF men, nearly $1,000 In s on the bank Of me
Moselle. under cover OF uhe houses Of Makes ana
sent them FORWARD 70 cut tfrqush the Prussian en-
vronnent where It was weakest CLOSE to the rfvsr
ARRivAL or GERMAN REINpoRcnMRNrs 30
THO moment WA q critical one. The andwehl
had all been sent forward sgslEsr The villages, viii
the exception Of QUE brigade that was In reserve
| Rgt the Tenth agmy corps mad been crossing tht
ponoon bridges and massing between the river anc
| mand OF operations in the rear. and gave
orders for several regiments to advance. II
was sight never to be forgotten.
First came the fusieels, extending at
rapid run into skirmlsbing order, and covering
the whole plain with their long, thin lines; then
the dense columns OF companies Of the gTenadicrs
the bands playing and the colors unlured. Oa-
wonted sight! But all the work was not lett for the
infantry to do. The artillery entered the village
alone and concentrated their fire on the French
columns advancing along the MoselIe.
THE MTRAfLLEURs AT WORK.
Bazaine Is singularly weak Ia field artillery and
the only reply came from the sullen sides OF Mount
St. Julian or from the ramparts or Fort st. f,loy
But the mltrailleurs venomousIy sounded
their angry whr compelling the skir-
mlshers 10 recoll as they crossed The
line Of fire and tearing the chasseurs
In the front OF The solid masses OF which they were
the forerunners. The artillery aud the skirmshers
were enough for the French. The dense columns
staggered and then broke. Through nv glass
could see a continuous quj peM into the VII
lage sf Make; bur when they had once got stone and
lime between them and the Prussisns the reilows
were obstinate and would 60 no further.
An OBSTINATE STRUGGLE.
In vain the Prnssan artillery fred on the Village
advancing closer and closer In alternate order OF
batteries, with precision and rapidIty that could
not have been exceeded on parade. That obstinate
battery In front Of Grande Etapes wound not shut up
and the French tirnilleurs still lined the chaussee
In IT'S 'front.' BY This time II was nearly
four O'Clock. A gallant captain Of cavalry
pulled up as ne gaoped past me 70 swear
at tne French for spelling his dinner, which had
been ordered for four All The captain will want
no more dinners He had not gone a hundred ysras
70 my right, when q shell from st. Julien lighted
and pnrst right before him and blew himself and his
horse into fragments. This same shell disturbed a
hare. which bounded from It's form and
rushed across the battle Held right in line with the
guns FIRE. The landwehr men reused at the sight.
and but for the restraint OF The ocers believe that
several would have quilted the shelter Of The en-
trenchments to go in chase.
GENERAL ADVANCE or THE p.ussfANs.