New-York tribune., 1870-09-09

advanced and took up fresh positions 500 yards oiosoi
the French guns AS they advanced az . ksnop, 'n'
French sheIled them, knochsng our ainm"n'uon ~
There are two guns the hill must leavo ''is e
TO see todays Hghtj As soon rs tne tru'ei'" sno
forward tbey fnished two FrenHh ones on inc roao'
H. bonId say that took the time OF all the move
ont on the spot, marking them down In
NV note book "a they took place. Az EV'
,,,,e could be seen on the roads. The Prussan
oavalrylmoved forward and massed near Grayelotte
The Prussians now began TO advance materially on the
RIGHT but in the meantime the French held good on the
left and sheled house the hill to the left OF Grave
otte filed by Prussian sharpshooters tremendously,
that only did they set the faubourg on fire, driving
the Prussans into the garden, but persstently made
such good practice that the house and garden-appro
priately named Malmaison-was untenable and the
Prssans retired from It, and wheeled to the left taking
up fresh position In the distance TIL their batteries
could silence the French.
IN CAMP, Aug 20-Yesterday, In spite or my great
wish TO write third letter you unable 10 do so
But we living in camp aud there are thousand
things to TO which must DO done. For instance,
yesterday had separated from my baggage and was
obliged to hunt everywhere for blanket, as the nights
are very cold for August, and we have only stray
tents The gentleman spoke OF in my last letter,
Capt. Eggers, was kind enough to insist on my
sharing his tent for the night and overwhelmed
me with every possible kindness. As sleep
ing under any cover but that Of the sy was luxury In
which had not indulged the last three nights,
appreciated it accordingly The men stand the exposure
wonderfully well they wrap themselves up In their
greatcoats which testify from personal expe-
rience are made OF very bad cloth, rather shoddy
and go to sleep Is II they between sheets. The
provision wagons have up, and there is good
supply OF black bread and bacon and peas with which
the make stew, which all vote excellent, for
we eat it with the best Of all sauces-hunger.
To return to Thursdays battle which will rank with
the bloodest and most hardly that have ever
been fought In Europe As rode up the hill leading to
the French position wondered not at the frightfu files
of corpses all around me- but that such position could
be taken at all On the further side the road the French
had thrown up twelve small epauements, about breast
high in eight Of them they had placed mitraieuses for
the empty cases were scattered all about In epaue
ment alone counted 43 empty cartridge-hoders, Now
each Of these boxes contains 5 cartridges 1O5 shots
are fired by one during the day. Doubtless many
had actually been rod for nearly every did as
did, and carried off empty relic. The slope
Immediately beneath the French position, the Verdun
rightful spectacle HundredsOf PrBssian c0rpse5
wera strewed in quite small space.onI the fatal slope
Where the Prussian battery had beenpaced of which
spoke in my lasD, thereiwere 80 horses lying almost
touching another, many with the drivers beside
them still grasping their whips Most Of the cOrpses
were their backs, with their hands elencl5d This
position was explained by the fact that most Of the
men had been shot graspng their muskets, and their
hands cenohed they dropped their weapons and fell
Many corpses Of Prusan officers lay by those OF their
men, with their white glove their left hands, the right
being bare in order better to grasp the sword In
the hollow road itself the bodies OF and horses also
lay thick the corpses all along the sides of the road for
nearly 1000 yards, made continually unbroken row.
little lower down found the tiraieur oOrpses. Many
of these had still their muskes in their han ds
many forefngers being stiff the trigger On the left
of the French position were two small cottages which had
been mark for the Prussan and their shells
had made complete ruin Of the buildings One roof
was completely gone and the whole front wall of the
upper story Of the other had been blown In. On the
plateau behind the French earthwOrks all the ground
powed and torn by the Prussan shells, which, when
they got the range, admirably aimed Onethrd OF
s horses lay dead beside IT, shell had burst beneath
Of the horses, and had blown him, the lmber and
one OF the gunnerB all to pieces.
All the French prisoners with whom I have spoken
agree In asserting that it the terrible accuracy
Of the Prussian artillery which forced them to
yield their position. The farm house of La Villette
sOrmed and held by the Prussans, the earthworks
the Verdun road became unenable from the yard
of La Viete the PrussaD ggers eould shoot right into
the II French eerhwOTks Seeing this, one could not
help asking why terrible sacrifice OF life was made
by sending the infantry straight MP the road at the
French works Perhaps 1t may have been Thought
necessary TO make'a moral impression the French,
and to show them that nothing would stop the Prssian
infantry.
II is admitted hero that the mtraeuses did much
ecuOD at close quarters That the stories about their
doing execution at 1890 metres pueinventon nov
know for had they really shot that distance should in
all probability, not be writing this now, FOR was within
yards of them, and head Of Of their balls
coming AL that did come were ehassepOts.
After oil the talk had been treated TO about the great
superiority would have expected them to do better
the fact the French soldiers do not do Justice TO
their weapon, which IL undoubtedly better than the
neede.gun, totally suFerannuated weapon thoughit
made do all it is capable Of t the Germans, ;who
dream Of drawing trigger until they feel sur Of
their aim Their fire s therefore, less rapid than that of
the French, but far deadly Now, notl ling
so encourages young troops as TO find that the
swish Sggsh of balls is not followed by seri ous
results. On the other hand is not st all eDO0urag Ing
find that nearly every shot fred by the cremy te lis.
much this the Thursday thst those 'gho
were at the taking" OF Saarbruek by tho INF ant
Louis" remarked that the French artillery prao tco
against the station good and In some cases ex cell
lent. But yesterday t ia said to have been much
nfericP to what it at Saarbruck, when they had
greater opposition myself thought the Prusssn 81 TIL
ery practice slow. bu 5Nben got the bop OF the
plateau occupied by tlB French how Accurate-it
had teen.