The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-09-21

will try to have his resting place properly
marked, or obtain some clue to its locality.
But headquarters move on tomorrow, and the
place, now deserted by the army, where he
fell is many miles away.
THE CAVALRY CHARGE e.
Let us leave the scene of the cavalry charge
Never can forget the prelude. When 1 saw
the French who had lined the advanced
trench on the first retiring to what now see
was another epaulement, where they were
again raked by the fanking batteries of the
outer ridge and pounded and brayed by the
mamelon guns, did not know how they had
suffered and could not perceive why they
retreated. The Prussians coming up from
Floing we're invisible to me. Never can 1
forget the sort of agony with which 1 wit
messed those who first came out on the pla-
teau raising their heads and looking around
for an enemy, while, hidden away from view,
thick blue band of French infantry was
awaiting them, and brigade of cavalry was
ready on their flank below? l did not
know that Floipg was filled with advancing
columns. There was but wide, extending,
loose array of skirmishers, like a flock of
rocks, on the plateau. Now the men began
to fire at the heads over the bank lined by
the French. This drew such flash of mus
kerry as tumbled over some and staggered
the others, but their comrades came scram-
bling up from the rear, when suddenly the
H1Sb DlOCk OI uOISe III the hollow SHOOK lCSelt
up, and the line, in beautiful order, rushed
up the slope. The onset was not to be with
stood. The Prussians were caught en- fragrant
delI Those nearest the ridge slipped over
into the declivitous ground; those in advance,
running in vain, were swept away. But the
impetuosity of the charge could not be stayed.
Men and horses came tumbling down into
the road, where they were disposed of by the
Prussians in the gardens, while the troopers
tba loft of ha yhO lox tba
lane in a cloud of dust, were almost extermi-
mated by the infantry in the village There
was also regular cavalry encounter, l fancy,
in the plains below, but cannot tell at what
time; the Cuirassiers, trying to cut their
way out, were destroyed, and a charge of
two Prussian squadrons, which did not quite
equal expectations, occurred The feat of
these unfortunate cavaliers only cleared the
plateau for little time. In q few minutes
up came the spiked helmets again over the
French epaulement, crossing their sabred
| comrades, and therefore, all alive to the dan
| ger of cavalry. They advanced in closer
| order, but still skirmishing, and one long,
| black parallelogram was maintained to rally
| on. As the skirmishers got to the ridge they
| began to fire, but the French ia the second line
| of epaulement soon drove them back by rat
tling fusillade. The French rushed out of the
epaulement in pursuit, still firing. At the
same moment splendid charge was executed
on the Prussians, before which the skir-
mishers rallied, on what seemed to me to be
still long parallelogram. They did not
form square. Some Prussians too far on
were sabred. The troopers, brilliantly led,
went right onwards in cloud of dust, but
when they were within couple of hundred
yards of the Prusslans one simultaneous vol
ley burst out of the black front and flank,
which enveloped all in smoke. They were
steady soldiers who pulled trigger there. Down
came horse and man; the array was utterly
ruined. There was left in front of that deadly
infantry but a heap of white and grey
horses-a terrace of dead and dying and dis
bled at every instant. More total dissipa-
tion of bright pageantry could not be.
There was another such scene yet to come.
covld scarce keep the field-g glass to my eyes
as the second and last body of cavalry
which was composed of light horse also
came laundering up out of the hollow. They
were not so bold as the men on the white
horses, who fell, many of them, at the very
line of bayonets. The horses of these
covered with carcasses, and their line was
broken, but the squadron leaders rode straight
to death Once again
THE CURLING SMOKE spURTED
out from the Prussian front, and to the rear
and right and left flew the survivors of the
squadrons. The brown field was fecked
with spots of many colors, and, trampling on
the remains of that mass of strength and cou-
rage of man and horse, the Prussians, to
whom supports were fast fastening up right
and left and rear, pressed on towards the
inner epaulement and became engaged with
the French infantry, who maintained for
some time steady rolling fire in reply to the
volleys of the Prussians. To me the French
force seemed there very much superior in
number. But they had lost courage, and
what was left of it was soon dissipated by the
advance of a prussian battery, which
galloped up to the right flank of their in
fantry and opened very rapid
fire, to which there was no French
battery to reply. The French left
the epaulement and made for a belt of
wood, dropping fast as they retreated, but
facing round and firing still. In few mo-
ments more the plateau was swarming with
battaons of the 18th Corps, and the struggle
there was over. Only for minute, however,
because from the fianks of the wood came out
a line of French infantry. The musketry fire
was renewed; but it was evident the Prus-
slams were not to be gainsayed Their ad-
vance was only checked that they might let
their artillery play while their columns as
sisted it by incessant volleys. AT the time 1
stated in my former letter the plateau over
Floing was won. A fierce onslaught by the
French, made after they had retired behind
the wood, only added to their losses.
The Crown Princes army, notwithstand-
ing the cavalry success at the outset,
had by o'clock won the key of the position
of the French right with comparatively small
loss 1t was startling to be addressed, just as
was about leaving this part of the position,
by an English voice. There stood the speaker
| &c H. Houaa Of G0napoono I.,,f n oa,,o