The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-08-10
r,.sss.asss Prescription Of tee Bassaes
- 80 nf Tast week.

II =
~. 1,,.,,ev,ar,s adopted strnSegy almost
me - tyith the French, but, with the
llnen I1 fse,aness which resulted for them &C
ssaar.n1,unSteiy at sadowa, they allowed theil
..,.., conyercing armies to disregard any
| eemmnunectio. with each other, and moved or
at once to attack tho French OF the two
noiI,ts upon which the Emperor had appa'
rently designed to make the attack him
self. The first movement was Prus
sian raid upon the railway by whicf
MacMahon communicated with the French
centre and left. The next was tne
affair mt Saarbrlck last Tuesday, Wnen
General Frossard seized the railway
connecting the forces OF tne SL ,ht
Prince with the Prussian centre anu rIgn.;
That no attempt had been mace 70 s aeast ~
racover Il. showed that the Crown Prince
was confident in his own strength TO con,
duct an independent campaign. Malsnn,
Noe nhon. mean while, had.moyed doWn
from strasburg and established bis heao-
nnorters at Haeenau, while two OF his dlVi-
sd;ons occupied the fortified town OF Weissen.
hnrp Situated directly on the frontier at
the foot of the east spur OF the Vosges. as
he was reinforced during the recent battle
nv horizons of Canroberts corps IRON 30
far back as Chalons, it is probable that tne
troops had already been ORDERED 70 JOIN
him. in view of an immediate advance; ~
Tb,s at the beginning Of the great battle
ybicb RACED from Thursday Until Saturday
NIGHT we find MacMahon, with powerful
corns of picked men, at the angle OF the Two
lines which formed the French position,
threatening two avenues, of approach into
Germany, and covering the whole valley in
his rear. On Thursday the Grown Prince,
with portions of the Fifth and Eleventh
Prussian corps and corps Of Bavarlans,
fell upon MacMahon's front, carried Weis-
Scnburg by assault, carried the heights OF
Geisburg in the rear, drove in the two adj
yanced divisions, and moved several miles
into the French lines, tearing up the road
in the direction of Hagenati, and compel
ing MacMahon to move hurrledly to the
left and concentrate in the neighborhood OF
Bitche. BY this brilliant operation the angle
of the French lines was driven in, and not
only was MacMahon's position turned, but
the Crown Prince threatened to take the
whole French right and centre in flank and
rear and roll them up. Both parties during
the night concentrated for decisive battle.
MacMahon drew five divisions from General
de Failly's Fifth corps at Bltche, ana the
next morning, with force reported by the
French at 100000 made furious attack at
Worth, little village few miles northwest
of Hagenau. The battle lasted until night,
fall. was resumed on Saturday, and ended
late in the afternoon with complete Prus-
sian victory. Four thousand prisoners,
thirty guns, six of the famous mltrallieuses,
and two standards, were among their cap.
tures. and Sunday beheld the greatest OF
the French marShals in full retreat across
the Vosges. striving to recover his connec'
ton with the main body of the army, and at
the same time to cover the important city OF
Nancy.
Simultaneously with MacMahon's attack
at Worth, on Friday morning, General
Frossard attempted forward movement
from Saarbruck with the Second corps. put
was at once assailed by portion OF the
Prussian centre, under StelnmetZ. and AFTER
q sharp engagement, with heavy losses on
both sides, was defeated almost as slghaily
as his comrade on the right. Thus, Win
the right wing turned and cut OIL, the cen
tire driven in, and the rear IN imminent
danger of attack, the entire French army
was and perhaps is, in most critical situa-
tion. For two days MacMahon was en-
tirelv unable to communicate with head
quarters. The Emperor had no choice but
to fall back and swing his line around to-
ward Nancy. so that it is now, supposlng
this maneiivre to have been successfully
executed, nearly perpendicular to its former
position. The Prussians on their part are
pressing forward. Their right was moved
from Treves toward Saarbruck, and is close
up with the centre, ready for movement
southwark along the western slope Of the
Vosges to intercept MacMahon, while the
Crown Prince is still in the beaten French
mans rear, and the troops of Baden are
pouring across the river into the valley from
which MacMahon has just been driven.-
Ne,o York Tribune.