The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-08-11
The Battlefield of w0erfh.

From careful study of official topo-
@rIphical maps, and other equally excellent
sources OF information, we aTc able to pre-
. sent the following description of the locality
OF the battle fought Friday and Saturday
between the PrlIssian Crown Prince and
Marsha, Mac Mahon near Woerth. The
PruS>ian force advancing from the direc-
ticn OF Wis>enburg and Lauterbourg
through the more or less broken country
between the foot Of the Nosges mountains
aud the great forest Of Hagenau, encoun-
tered the French under MacMahon near
Wuerth, Il little town having about 100
1nhabtantS, situated near the junction Of
the Saucrhach and SaltZback streams,
at The point where the valley, opening out
from the mountain region spreads out be-
tween some yinc-covercd hills which stand
III beautiful and fertile plains.
Across this valley and to the west Of the
town Of Wocrth runs little stream, be-
hind which is rising ground, on which the
French could advantagcously post their
artillery. Directly west OF Wocrth the
main road leads to RcchshOtlGn, about
tiirCc mics distant, Il manufacturing place
Of considerable Importance, having the
largest and most perfectly equipped lna-
-hjnc->hopS OF the province, where steam
rHginc>. ears, and heavy machinery, are
manufactured. Upon the falling back Of
the scene of heavy fighting, rs 1t lies in the
mliu road from Ha@cnatl, which Is about
trn miles distant, to NicdcrGronn, which Is
i'ic key to the approaches from BitSchc,
where General FailIy with his corps was
posted. Nicdcrhronn, Il town of about
.imso people, is situated on Il little stream ut
The head of Il charming valley enclosed by
tMo lines Of steep wooded hills, the lust
projections Of the NoSgc5 into the plains Of
AlsIcc. Iron works near NiederbrOnn turn
ont annually 900 touS of castings, ;tnd em-
rloy nearly 5000 worklneE.
Through this valley MaeMahon success
fully made his retreat upon Bitschc, about
thirteen miles to the northwest, situated
among the NosrcS OH the high road to Saul
gurmincs, from which it is about twenty
miles distant. SaarguemlncS Is fifty miles
!rcm Metz. The fort of BitSchc is on q steep
and narrow rock. The supports consist OF
Fashioned outworks with demi-luncs, The
whole interior being casemated and cut out
of the solid rock, containing barracks, pow.
,!cr manutactory, clStern, ana wei cut
three hundred feet into the rock. The fort
will hold 4 garrison Of one thousand men,
1T commands the passage OF the NoSgeS by
way Of Wisscmbourg, and covers the from
tier Of France OH the side of the Palatinate.
This field has been the scene Of other
desperate struggles in former wars. In
1913 the fort of BitSche was attacked by
prg>>ans. Thanks to treason, they had
obtained possession Of the outworkS under
cover OF night, but an inhabitant OF the
town discovering them gave the alarm and
sci fire to his own house TO light up the
scene. The garrison rushed to arms, and
with the aid of the inhabitants repulSed
the enemy, taking many prisoners. Wis
s,Nbourg was invaded by WurmSer in the
same year. General Hoche, leaving several
divisions of his army on the Saar debouched
hy The valley Of Niederbronn and routed
several corps Of the AuStrians at Woerth,
driving them back upon the Prusslan army
At Geisburg, near Wissembourg. Then,
without losing time, he retinited his armies
OF the Rhine and Moselle, detached part
Of his force against Lembach and Lauter-
hourg, and with $4,000 men attacked the
centre of the Austrians and PrllsSians under
WurmSer, took Geisburg by assault, and
raised the siege of Landau.
BY a careful compilation from official do
cuuents giving the armies Of the several
countries, and applying their statistics to
the Geographic reports OF the troops en-
Gagged, it appears that the force of Marshal
MacMahon consisted Of four divisions Of in
antry and one Of cavalry, i'll all about 10000
men, and that the PruSsiun army under the
Crown Prince consisted Of the corps OF the
Prussian guard, about 10000 men, together
with the two corps Of Baden and Wurtem-
burg, 10000 men, i'll al about 90, OO0.-BOs-
ton i1g,rj5SPT