Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-10-26
THE BATTLE BEFORE METZ.
Marshal Bazaine's Great SOrtic on the 9TH

Marshal Bazaine'S Great SOrtie OH the 9TH
The sortie of Bazaine from Metz, on
the 9TH, was the most important move
ment attempted by him since the siege be-
gan 1t is described fully by the 7ri6unc'S
special correspondent, who witnessed IL.
The force of BaZaine engaged was fifty
thousand; that of the Prussians was much
larger, though mostly landwehr.
The effort came near proving successful.
Ii was made under cover of a heavy fog in
the valleys about Metz, and so dense was
the mist that BaZaine's movements were
all well under Roadway before they were
discovered. He had occupied some of the
villages before the fog arose, and seemed
securely lodged. While these movements
were going on in the valley-the alluvial
margin of the Moselle-he had massed a
force of 80, 200 men on the banks of the
MOselle, intending TO cut through the Ger
man line and open communications with
Thionville. Attracted by the movements
in the valley and about the villages, the
German officers sent large portions of their
commands in that direction, so that when
the heavy body on the river bank was dis
covered, there were but few troops of the
landwehr to oppose them. But these, by
a brilliant charge, drove back the entire
body into the village of Max where the
French made q stand. But, reinforced,
the landwehr carried the village and forced
the remnant back into Metz. OF this
charge the Tribune correspondent says ::
In a few minutes more the command came
sounding along the line, and the men
sprang from their cover, and went for
ward with that steady, quick step so
characteristic of the Prussian's marching,
The shells from the battery of Grand
Estapes tore through the line &; the mitrail-
leuse and chassepot bullets poured against
it their leaden hail; but still the Land
wehr silent and stern, marched steadily to
the front. | have been under fire many
times, but / never knew more furious
fire than that to which the center of this
line exposed General Won Branderstein,
commanding the Third Brigade of the
Landwehr, was shot down as he rode close
to me; and several of his staff We're
wounded. At length the intrenchments
were reached, behind which were lying
the shattered remnants of the 5Sth and
59th Landwehr. The fraternZation con-
sisted of Murray Prcitssen ~ and then,
VortCdrts IWD1er 20, ICartsg' and the
line threw itself to the front in n run. The
gunners from the battery drove on. The
stubborn French had barely time TO run
around the corner before the Landwehr
were upon them.
COMPARISON OF LANDWEHR AND LINE.
] have seen the PTussian line soldiers
fight before to-day. [ saw them Chamber
up the face of the Spicheren on their hands
and knees. ] saw them deplOy in front OF
Colombey and Montoy in the battle OF the
14th of August, I saw them stanu up
against the mitrailleuses on ne slopes OF
Gravelotte. / saw them dab back the
French sortie of the 18th OF Se0tember
have learned to believe that the Prussian
forces of the line can do anything that any
soldiers in the world can 10. But it was
not until now that | gagged the caliber OF
the Landwehr. Were l general l should
never wish to command better men. Coo
in the intrenchments where they calmly
lay in position, picking up the bullets tina
fall among them; resolute, indomitabl,
in their steady, quick march forward anC
irresistible i'm the final bayonet charg,
with which they carried the villages, they
are troops to delight the heart Of any mar
with a soldierly instinct.