Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-09-08
IUreign.
The Battle Of Metz.

tI.5 mn on Tuesday morning, describes
VS. hattie which took place at Metz, on
sunday, Aug 14th:
oU ,at one o'clock Sunday afternoon the
r.,ncb army, one hundred and eighty
.bonsand strong, was encamped around
w. w. Since the day previous battle was
.'l.rsdered imminent. Several attempts
ga Seen made to draw the enemy out of
Ia" woods they occupied. The Prussian
"" ~ of Prince Frederick Charles, or
w the corps now united in the field
~ Marshal Stenmetz, one hundred
.Ih ',T strong, had taken its position on
.Lo road to Barlay, at the point intersect-
w. tbat TO Barnay. The road from Bel,
i iD5 and Barnay, up to the forest Of that
I Ii-I was occupied by Prussians, a part of
!bsir divisions being concealed b. woods.
furnishing had been going or all the
,'nrring, but it was not probable that q
a serious engagement would take place.
A. half past one the French troops re-
.o;yed ordes to retreat from their position,
~ % in the direction of Verdun, it Is said.
=, Two o'clock the Avont Garde division
rsra crossing the Moselle on pontoon
Fr;Ipe thrown across q few hours preyi-
,rsIy. and the luggage, material and pro-
visions of the army was crossing other
briioes in the direction of Tongueville.
Tbs eauipage of the Emperor had already
IAN and Prince Napoleon first, and half an
Sorr after the Emperor himself, were leav-
,na Metz on horseback in the same direc-
i'm At o. m, the Third Corps de
I.in) the Fourth Corps ('Admirauit), and
IA G1rde Imperial (Courdami) were pre-
rsring also TO leave their encampments,
chen suddenly the Prussians were seen
,ranaring for offensive movements in front
# tbe woods of Barney and in the direc-
lion of Grey and Mercy les Metz. The
French troops under the command OF
Marshal Bazine were composed of the
Third and Fourth Corps and the Garde
Imneriale. They were fronting Barney,
Grey, and Mercy les Metz, the Imperial
Garde forming the reserve near the fort
At quarter past four the attack COM
menced, A heavy fire Of artillery was at
ooce heard in every direction. The soldiers
nj the Prussan Landwehr headed the Prus-
sian corps d'armee. The mitrailleuse began
their deadly work on each side. For me,
4 was confusion all around-men falling in
evary direction, columns whirling around
rs and bullets whistling their deadly work
through the ranks. A battery OF artillery,
with a mitrailleaur, was making fearful
havoc in the Prussian ranks. | heard
frantic braves announcing its new exploits.
The fire was so we'll directed and the pre-
csion so great that each fire was positively
moving the Prussian ranks, who were
fighting in desperate way; their artillery
replying to the other and destroying French
battalions right and left.
AID. N. the Prussiens were making a
movement of retreat. A mitrailleuse had
been twice taken from the French and al
though it is only one Of the hundreds of
Incidents of the battle, ! mention it, as it
led toimportaut results For the last hour
one of the greatest efforts of the French
bad il for its object to dislodge the Prus-
slams from the woods of Barney, their
troops being protected by that natural
rampant. The brave colonel OF the Forty
fourth infantry of the Second division, in
Yyaking the mitrailleuse, was the cause OF
an immense body of Prussians emerging
Suddenly from the woods and precipitating
Themselves, as an Infatuated torrent, on
French divisions. 1t was only q pretext,
IN it was expected that the Prussians
would follow the same tactics as at For
bach and Froschweiler, which consisted OF
keeping out of sight their masses their best
divisions, and when the result of battle seem
il favor Of their opponent, to change de-
feat into victory, by that powerful move
uent Of immense bodies of troops plung-
Irg suddenly on the enemy, But this time
Bazane had prepared a match for them.
The Imperial Guard, commanded by Baum
baki, had been kept IL reserve. Their ar
tllery from a strong position, began the
defensive. The grenadiers advanced, and,
rom that moment until quarter 10 nine,
You might have thought you were in the
midst Of Mount Vesuyius during an erup-
tI0n-Fort st. Quentin sweeping, with Its
powerful batteries, the flank OF the ad.
NgCing columns. and regiments OF cav
airy charging on the wings. At quarter
to nine precisely, the Prussians were re-
treating, leaving from twe2ty-three thou
sand to twenty-four thousand men hors
do combat The French lost close on to
forty thousand men killed and wounded.
One hundred and forty thousand Prus-
slams took part in the fight, against seven
iy thousand Frenchmen. Owing to Fort
Quentin slaughtering the enemy, the
guards, except its artillery and brigade
Of grenadiers, did not fight. They were
kept in reserve to the last. During the
combat the rest of the French army was
retiring on the route to Verdun. AT nine
o'clock followed the Imperial Guard, To-
treating in the Same direction.
General de Caen has been wounded IN
the leg, General de Cartguay has an arm
.1t and Marshal Bazaine himself received
a slight confusion on the head. | heard
that the Champs de Battaille was horrible
ID the morning. In retiring they marched
over the dead bodies, which were in heaps
" some spots
BERLIN, Aug 20.-The Stats Anzeiger
Of this morning publishes a fuller account
d the battle before Metz last Sunday, The
French army, on the morning OF the 2ltl,
stood in front Of Metz, on the east side,
I.rN tha rDir4 yrhera tha r1, ! from 81,