The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1870-09-08
least 10000 strong. The affair will be

/ forward as skirmishers; on the left the
Fortieth line held the wood The fruSSiau
: right began with close, rapid fire; they
: held themselves we'll down in the bitches.
; and fired at our men as they gained the ex.
, tremlty Of the plateau. On the right the
work began at once Round the wood
: there is terrible fighting. The musketry
hire is one long role they climb a sharp
ascent we now them down by whole
lines the blanks are filed instantly and
the columns keep pressing upwards until
1T last they make good their footing, aud.
entering wood, effect junction with
those who had been coming up on the
other side. In this bush fighting | have
heard since that the Forteth line and
Tenth Chasseurs unavOidably fired on each
other several times but the enemy must
have suffered terribly. The Chassepots
had lcnger range, but this advantage
was senslbly lessened as they closed in
The Prusslans poured in a heavy fire of
shot and while the French batteries, though
inferior IN force aud number, made up tor
IN II deficiency by the extreme rauidity OF
their movements and by TIE certainty of
their practice. The mltraiilcuSes, from
which so much was expected, might have
compensated for tie inferority of their
. plumbers, but unfortunately they could
not be brought into play, the fighting was
50 hand 10 hand In the woods that their cx-
! rio>ions would have been as dangerous to
I friend as 10 foe. This cover fighting. in
I deed, the French soldiers attribu.c to the
French dislike, first Of the mitrailieusc =
secondly or the bayonot. Tn one instance
/ saw about three hundred hen in the
/ Twenty first, who, finding themselvcsin the
! Qrsn and hort of cartridges, went for the
! Prussiars with the cold steel; but the
! Prussians declined the honor, aud fairly
/ broke, and the Ercuuhmcn not being sup
! ported were obliged to lai. into line again.
/ About three 0 clock in spite Of all we
i co4id do the pruSsians made good their
/ positions and threw up intrunchmcnts in
/ the wood. The carnage on the French
! side was severe. The little village church
( OF SplnGran was turned into a hospital, and
Sai procession Of wounded men was soon
, formed. Most Of the officers were either
kiilcd or wounded. There was no surgeon.
! The women in the village did their best IL
cleansing away the blood and binding up
the wounds the first surgeon being the
band master and his only medicine being a
Sotte OF smelling salts, Your own war
has made nuHbeS Of your readers acquain-
ted With the horrors Of war; but happily
, millions were exempt from the terrible suf-
/ ienng that have iam.iarzea within these
few oa~o, 20 4oart,al ana so often repeated
that one gets calous and Indifferent from
the very excess OF mi-erv. Blood, wounds,
groaas, with now aud then fierce, mochinc
laughter, curses ard cries fer water, as the
poor, mai,ncd shattered, bodies were JOLT
ed over the rough pavement, crushing
against each other in their narrow crowded
! vehicles. The distinction of rank is swept
away we are all on common level. The
side hy side. The point Of honor nov nov is Is
/ who can stand the most without complain
ing, and die turning the head aside, and
! setting the teeth, and clenching the hand
die in silence. \ hospital flag has been
run up Oh the top of the church the
/ PEussins guns respect the signal, but the
! shell plays over us and drop III the rear Of
| the village, for the attack had been 50 sud
( den that here had been no time to strike
/ the tents.
Moanwhile lciuforcoments had come NJ
from FOrbach, and Spkeren being the key
to the position, it was not to be left to
/ the enemy. The ammunition was served
but, for the soldiers had served out their
| eighty rounds. General Netmann's divi~
sion opens fire on the woods with their
artillery, and the mitrailieures are ordered
! into action but the obstacles Of wood and
! cover are insupaFabie, and they are useIe IS.
! During the delay the wounded have been
| picked up, the straggers have been c0icc-
ted, aud now comes a new advance. -
| Charging down the side Of the hill, we
reach the foot Of the next ridge; many Of
/ the men throw themselves fat on the
/ ground, while the hail cf muskGtry whis-
/ ties over their heads. And now two off
/ GERS clear the space and ride up to the
| PruSsans The troops push on again and
| the combat is renewed, but it is in vain
/ The French fought desperately hand to
! hand. Our nitrailleuers were never once
! brought in play. The Prussians, position
! was to strong it was task beyond the
! strength of Moral man. And at night fall
we heard the erumS and bugles Of an ap-
! preaching column from Saareguemine =
! bnt It was too late. Lanancoupet's divis-
! I0us DaGeiie and crger were not much
/ better, for the FOrticth, Twenty-fourth and
/ Seventy sixth line and the tenth Chass-
curs, were almost extirminated. Retreat
was the only course open We felt hack
on Stetlin the artillery covering our move.
ment. Not word Of complaint was ut
| tered from one Of the troops though | saw
the tears roll down many q brave fellows
checks, iOrgetiUl of his own misfortune
and thoughtful only of the honor OF
France. Ii was sad sight The Pfus
SLAMS had seized the railway station and
had fired upon it, though it was filed with
tugltlvcs. L saw one poor woman SHOT
dead and Others wounded. The villagers
accompanied our march, women weep
ing, children whining at being dragged
abb Dad In the night. No fires were per~
mitted along the line Of march for fear
of drawing upon US the fire OF the Prus-
sian guns. As for my own fortunes in
this night of gloom and misery will not
dwell upon them; it IS enough hat | had
my share OF discomfort; but | am lett to
tell tle taae. | am not a strategest. |
remember that in your own great war
! strategIsts were thick as bark berries: a
man that could not do an addition SUN
could calculate to u Diceity the movements
of great armies, while Journalists who
could not write Enghsh were competent to
criticl generals. So | will not repeat my
own opinion, but prefer to repeat what |
heard. The French soldier is pretty
impartial critic, and no mean Judge Of lie
merits Of his superioIS. | reo5Ileet to
have read that Prince Fred.Ick Charles