The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-08-17
1881.


of even 80 francs are difficult to pro
cure.
The Prussians are steadily advanc
ing, and are now within six hours o
Paris, say twelve hours atthe outside
PrepaI Rtions for the defense OF Parl
are progressing rapidly; and the beau
tiful iron gateway, at the entrance O.
the Bois de Boulogne, at the end OF
the Avenue Do L'Imperatrice, is re-
moved. Blocks of trees have been
cut down. The wall Of circumvalla-
tion is nearly fnished, uniting the two
formerly open spaces, and is
pierced with loops holes. The
great ditch has been dug across
the road, and the draw bridge
ready to be thrown across it. Earth
works are also being thrown up in
front of what were gates, and will
now be only entrances, guarded by
sentinels instead OF custom house
officers. For all their preparations,
an impression prevails that the
French victory, which is looked for
| quite certain. the neutrals will inter-
fere and make peace, and that Paris
won't be bombarded.
Our special correspondent. on
Thursday, from the headquarters of
the. Crown Prince, sends an account of
| the battle Of Woerth, and the swift
and skilliul movement against Weis-
senburg, resulting in the complete
success of our arms.
1t was but foretaste of the storm
which threatened the northern part of
Alsace.
On the second day after the battle
of Weissenberg. came the battle of
Woerth, and the Crown Prince gained
a great victory over the ablest Gene.
raj in the French army.
It is admitted the French fought
with reckless courage, aud that they
inflicted heavy losses on their oppo-
nents. But the effect of this hard
fighting and of this heavy loss, shows
how serious a defeat was sustained by
Mcmahon. traversed the battle
field while the dead still lay unburied
on trampled ground and could form a
good idea Of how the fight had gone
by the ghastly evidence which re-
NAMED. Woerth is at the bottom of
a fertile valley between two ridges of
cultivated ground. There is a guam
tity of wooded land in the neigh
borbood, and especially behind
the French position. On the west
ern side Of the valley there is a strip
of forest which forms cover for re
treating troops. The little river Bru-
den, not big enough in Summer time
to float a skiff. flows through the val
leys, aud the high road comes wind
ing down towards the village on the
eastern side of the valley, hanked by
trees. Here was the Prusslan's posi-
tion, stretching far to the right and
left Along this road were heaps of
spiked helmets to be seen, and cart
loads of needle guns collected
under trees. At a distance
the French musketry fire had told
more heavily than the Prussiap, and
l heard that the French artillery had
been very well served, but though
burying parties were busy with the
German dead on the eastern side of
Woerth, there was more than an ex-
change Of slaughterous work on the
western side. Here the Prussians
and Bavarians had pushed forward in
strong force and their Gre hadtold fear
fully on the French. The high spirit
and rigid discipline of one army had
been more than a match for the des-
perate resistance of the other. Whole
companies of Frenchmen would be
moved down in their wild attempts
to check the enemy's advance; il had
been a toleTably hard fight In some
places, for the ground was streWn
with German dead. but more French
men had fallen in proportion; the
black Tarcas and white troWser ZOu-
aves lay thickly at many points, the
cuirrieurs bad suffered much.
There was still breast plates and brass
helmets scattered thickly on the
line of the retreat, while dead horses
in all directions, might be counted by
hundreds, and so westward through
the woods went traces of increasing
disaster, officers and men laying
where they had fallen, some of them
in quiet shady spots as though they
were picnicers asleep, and in pools of
blood; where the wounded lay, were
found knapsacks, rifles, and over
coats. either thrown away in fight or
left by the wounded on the field; then
came the spot where the French had
rallied. and where the dead of both
sides lay thick, the Turcos might be
seen. who had clearly fought to the
last, and tried to fire their pieces as
they lay.
Frenchmen of the line regiments
had here and there fallen in numbers, |
as though having halted and faced |
about in regular order; but the aspect |
of the field beyond the woods seemed |
to indicate a hasty retreat. Wagons
were overturned. baggage thrown up
on the roadside, and many knapsacks
were to be seen. No one, who had
passed over that battle ground Of
WoeTth when / did, could have failed
to realize what great disaster had
befallen the French armies, though
at time when most of the wounded
had been removed; and on so large a
scene of action, it would have been
almost impossible to even Judge
of the actual less sustained.
However, [ see no reason to doubt
the official return on the German
side, which gives about 700 French
men and z, 900 Germans hOrs du COM
bat, and about 1000 prisoners taken {
by the Victors, 1000 in battle and
I, 900 more in pursuit. These losses,
with the further loss of cannon and
colors, made the work an evil day Tor !
France. Well might the wounded
Germans raise themselves to cheer
the Grown Prince as he passed, and {
crv that Germany was safe. There
was a fierce attack on both sides, it q
being hard to say which party began. I
Gradually, as the German troops passed >
round upon their opponents line.
IF retreat the French were forced
% make SO hasty a retrograde move 4
nent, that retreat became very nearly Q
Iout. The needle gun proved itself
'ully equal to the chassepot, and
more; so at least say the
German soldiers, with apparently
rood faith. Then, moreover, the '
Prussians knew their weapon