St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1870-09-02

Gravelotte, for it was mainly over and
around that devoted little town that it
ragged The area | have indicated is per-
haps four miles square.
SPECTATORS OF TIE BATTLE.
| arrived just as the battle waxed
warm. 1t was about noon of the lS;h.
The headquarters of the King of Prus-
sia were then at the spot which | have
described. The great representative
men Of Prussia, soldiers and statemen,
were standing or the ground watching
the conflict just he9nn. Among them |
recognized the King Bismarck, Gen.
NoL Mnllke, Prince Frederick Charles,
Prince Carl, Prince Adalbcrt, and Ad
jutant kran-ki. Lieut-Gen. Sheridan of
the United States army was also present.
Il most desperate effort to hold on to the
last bit of the Ncrdun road-that be
tween Rczonville and Gravelultc, or
that part OF Gr;,vclotte which in some
maps is called ST. Marcel. The strug-
"le was desperate but unavaiIing, for
every one man i'll the French army had
two to cope with, and their line was al
ready beginning TO waver. Soon it was
plain that this wing, the French right,
was witodrawin" to a new position.
This was swiftly taken up under cover
OF continuous fire OF their artillery from
the nights beyond the village. The
movement was made i'll good order, and
the position, which was reached at
o'clock and thirty minutes. would, | be-
lieve, have pronunccd impregnablc 10y
nine out Of ten military mer. When once
this movement had effected. the French
retrcating from the pressure OF the Prus-
sian artilicy fire, and the PrusSlans IL
rapidly advancing. the battlefield was
no longer about Rezonvillr, but had
been transferred uud pushed forward to
Gravelotle. the junction OF the two
branching road, to Nerdu. The fields
| in front of that Village were compicttly
covered 10y the Prussian reserve, were
steadily marching onward, disappearing
into tie villa-e, and emerging on The
o,l,r side OF 1t wiki ,iamIn. voIIcys.
THIS SLuND BArrLE-EIEIp.
Was les extensive than the first, and
brought the opposing forces into fearful
ly clo,c quarters. The rccuiarity OF ii
consists OF two nights, intcr,cctcd 10y Il
deep ravinc. This woody ravine l. over
loo feet deep, and at the top some 300
wards wide The side OF the cha-m next
to Gravclottr, where tine Prus-lan-
stood, Is much lower than the other
side, which gradually ascendS TO a great
hight, From their commanding emf
ncnce the French held their cucmc-
fairly beneath them and poured upon
them >corching fire. The French Guns
were In position tar up by tie Metz
road, hidden and covered among the
trees TheIc was not an instant : cessation
Of the roar. Easily disiinguishablc
amid all was the curious granting roll OF
the mitrailcuse. The Prus>ian artillery
was posted north and south OF the vii
lagc, the euhs on the latter side being
necessarily lalSed for an awkward hal
vertical fire.
TIE CARNAGE.
The French stood their ground an,
dird-thc Prus slams stood their grount
and dicd-bolh by hundreds, | had al
most said thousands. This, for All hour
OF two that seemed ayes so constan
was slaughter The hill where | stou,
commanded chiefly .the conflict belln'
the village anI to the south of it. Th,
Prussian reinturcements, coming up OF
| their right, filed out Of the BOi5 DIES Og
e mons and it was at tina, point Us the!
y marched OH to the field that one cou
| perhaps yet the best idea of the magni
j tude of this invading army now in In
j heart OF France. There was no brcaI
h whatever for four hours in the march G
O the men out of that wood. 1t seeme
almosras if all the killed and woundc
revived and came back and marched fort
a anain. Birman Wood advancing
d sicht 20 Macbeth than these men Of Gen
If Goeben's army 10 Bazainc, shielded ;
d they were by the woods till they wei
ir fairly within range and reach OF the
5 enemies guns. SO the FrencE mu'
= have felt; for, between / and ) o'clocI
e they concentrated upon that spot the
re heaviest fire, massing all available gun
lie and shclling the woods unremlttingI
lc Their fire reached the Prussian lines al
l. tore through them and though the M
50 were steady, it was a test to which I
Of general cares to subject his troops Ion
le They presently sweryed a little fro
he that line of advance, and there was !
as longer Il continuous column OF infant
th Dourincr ont those woods.
ld THE PRU ssIANs RECEIVE CHECK.
.h The attack Of the Prussiaps i'll +