The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1870-09-03
The Battle of GrOveRQtte.

Iotte, August Is, was received TINS
morning in London froFs our special
correspondent, who witnessed the battle
at the headquarters, and stood by the
side of Bismarck and the King:
Here follows long account of what the
correspondent saw before he reached the
battle field, which we have not space to
publish.-Ed.
The way was so blocked up with wagons
that I finally concluded l could do
the remaining six or seven miles on
foot better, SO I got out of the carriage
and began to walk and run swiftly
ahead.
At Monvicht, on the Moselle,. about
half way to Metz, I found d-vast bodies Of
cavalry, uhIans and hussa1s, crossing
the river by pontoon bridge, and hur-
rying at the top of their speed toward
Gorso.
Hurrying my steps [ soon heard the
thunder of the cannonade, seemingly
coming from the heart of range OF
hills on the right.
Passing through the village and as
cending high plain beyond, l found
myself suddenly in a battlefield, strewn
literally, as far as the eye could reach,
with dead bodies.
In one or two parts of the field COM
| panies were still burying the dead,
chiefly Prussians. The French were
being necessarily buried last. They
were still lying in vast numbers on the
ground. A few Of these, | saw, were
not dead as I hurried on.
A splendid regiment of cavalry came
on behind, and when they reached the
brow of the hill they all broke out with
a wild hurrah and rushed forward.
A few more steps and I gained the
summit and saw the scene which had
evoked their cry, and seemed to thrill
even their horses. 1t would be difficult
to imagine a grander battlefield.
From the bill to which | had been
directed by good authority to come, the
entire sweep of Prussian and French
centres could be seen, and a considerable
part of their wing.
The spot where stood was fearful.
It was amid chastity corpses, and bur-
thened with the stencil of dead horses,
of which there were great numbers.
I was standing on the battlefield Of
the sixteenth, the Prussian part thereof
on the left stretched on a silver thread,
the road to Verdun to Paris, also, fol-
| the possession of which this series OF
battles had begun.
It ran between lines Of p"plars which
stood against the horizon on my left
| and as far as the eye could reach to-
ward Metz, with military regularity.
Strung on the road like beads, were
the pretty villages, each with its church
towers, which, although they have &
seperate name, are only few hundred
Yards apart. Mars-la-Tour and Flaver
! nv little south of the ROAD, Vionvillt
Rezonville and Gravelotte, which is di
yided into Great and Little Gravelotte
On my right were the thickly wood
ed hills behind which lies the most i'm
portant village of the neighborhood, th'
| one nave just lei Noilo.
Eyironed thus was the foreground o
the battle, which should one would say
he called the battle of Gravelotte for i
was mainly over and beyond that devo
ted town that it ragged. The area
, have indicated is perhaps four mile
square
Owing to having come on foot rathe
than along the blockaded road, [ ar
rived Just as the battle waxed warm
that is, about MON of the eighteenth
At that time the headquarters Q
the King of Prussia were at. the spot
have described. The great represen
tative men and soldiers of Prussia wer
standing on the ground watching tn
conflict just begun.
] Among them I recognized the King
e perhaps Bismark, General Won Moltke
Prince Frederick Charles. Prince Car
! Prince Adalbert, and Adjutant Krauk
: lieutenant General Sheridan, of tn
United States army was also presen
At this moment the French wer
: making a most desperate effort to han
ON the last bit of the Verdun road
that between Rezonville and Gravelott'
or that part Of Gravelotte which, o
some maps, is called St. Mascel.
Desperate but useless, for every ma
in the French army had two to COP
with, and their line was already begin
; ming to Waver.
Soon it was plain this wing of th
French right was Withdrawing to ne
nosition. This was swiftly done unds
a steady fire of their artillery from tf
heights beyond the village.
The movement was made in goo
r. order, and the position reached at ha
ii past one, which. ! believe, nine militar
g. men out of ten would pronounce in
pregnable. When once this moyeme1
had been effected the French were +
treating from the pressure of the Pru
Z, sian army. The Prussians as rapdil
r. advanced.
a. The battlefield was no longer at r
sonyille, but had been transferred al
Il pushed forward to Gravelotte, the jun
J ton Of two branching roads to Verdun
The fields in front of that villal
e. were completely covered by Prussi'
Or reserves, and over it interminable lin
e of soldiers were perpetually marchi'
Y 4 onward. disappearing into the villa
Q. and emerging on the other side wi
il flaming volleys
De This second battlefield was less e
tensive than the first, and brought t
Il opposing forces into fearfully clio
: quarters.
The popularity If it is that It CO