New-York tribune., 1870-08-15
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE J

PITS-LOSSES ON BOTH SIDES ENOhMooo-AN
ADDITION OF 100000 PRUssIANs TO BE SOON
MADE.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSEI
LONDON, Saturday, Aug ls, 1870
The special correspondent of THE TRIBUNE writes
from the Prussian Headquarters on Monday 0thE
The engagements on Saturday were both far Ill our
front There are few details besides the official sum-
mary already sent All letters and messengers are
delayed What has really happened is in perfect ac-
cord with what i have foreshadOwed more than
once. The design of the German authorities, as
gathered from Prussian officers of high position was
first to prevent Germany from being made
the theater of slaughter and second, to attack the
French army in three places simultaneously Inc
programme has been carried out far as the right
and left nanks of the French are concerned, but 1t
remains for the German center to advance against
that of the enemy. This advance is necessarily de-
layed until the result of the flank movements be
learned. Now that MacMabon and Frossard have
both suffered defeat, general engagement s
imminent. During the whole of to-day the arrival
of dispatches announcing that great battle IL IN
progress or has ended have been looked forward to
with feverish impatience. 1t is evening, yet no
tidings have come.
Though the combats at Weissenburg and Worth
are regarded as minor engagements yet they are IN
reality of the highest Importance, The earliest 1ni-
cal dispatches underestimate re magnitude and
extent of the victorp Instead of few hundred
prisoners bSTing been captured at Weissenburg,
thelr number amounts to nearly 1000 Both strng-
ples were stubborn. The French soldiers stood their
ground wcll. Their rifles proved terribly destruc-
tive II was downright hard fighting which enabled
the Germans to claim the honors of the day.
wounded French prisoner avowed IN my hearing
that his countrymen could not withstand the weight
of the German attack. The fight being one not OF
bullets only but Of bayoncts also II was decided at
last by the actual strength Of tho respective combat
ants. Physically the German soldiers the
average, are heavier men than ordinary The
French supposed that the new weapons would alter
warfare-that the old style hand-tO-hand combats
were obsolete This engagement proved otherwise
"The Zouaves did what they could to check the
advance Of regiments by pouring in voleys from
|
pits dug for the purpose. Not until the advancing
regiments suffered from this concealed fire did the
German soldiers know that their progress was to be
contested They saw no sign Of troops i'll their front
Such an ordeal as this tested the stuff Of which these
men were made. They bore Themselves with extra
ordinary valor. Men were struck down by hund-
reds, vet the regiments waveTed. The Zouaves
were driven from their places Of conccalment, and
the ground they had occupied was won by their OPP
poncnts
The exact details are not forthcoming 1t is i'm
possible 10 learn, even approximately how many
fell but 1t is quite certain that the German has been
been proportionately enormous By day and night the
wounded have been arriving here. This afternoon
all the beds in the hospitals occupied these
contain about 1000 men. The field hospitals
are also full. Hundreds of wounded men sent
on TO Frankfort, where there is accommodation for
5000 Ions series Of stretchers which lie wounded
soldiers and officers, passing through the streets
to-day. So great is the number Of the wounded that
the arrangements made proved insufficient and
there were instances where men laid "a hours on the
from military surgeon confirms this information.
The latest statements from the field where
MacMahon's army thoroughly beaten, say
that while the victory complete and the number
of prisoners taken amounts to G00O, the losses on
both sides were enormous These losses can be i'll
afforded by the French. For them to replace those
WHO are killed wounded missing, is hardly posi-
BILE. The Germans on the other hand can fill up all
their blanks in the course of a few hours They have
| q superabundance Of trained soldiers ready to join
their regiments at a moments notice Should the
Germans be defeated in general engagement, they
would be ready in the course of week to fight again
A movement is i'll progress which will greatly
strengthen the army now encamped on French soil
An addition of 100000 men will soon be ready.
"The victories are accepted very quietly"
EXCUSES FOR MACMAHoN's sDEFEAT-TELEGRAPH
| BLUNDER-TiiE SAARBRUCK CAPTURES.
| LONDON, Saturday Aug. l3, 1870
| An abstract of Marshal MacMahon's report of the
battle of Worth or Froschwer says that on the 9th
the enemy attacked the nights of Guersdorf open
| ing with cannon and rifles. The attack was 40 yio-
lent that the First Division compelled to change
| front Soon the Prussians made fen from the
| right bank of the Saar followed, at noon by re-
ncwal of the attack the right wing Charges of
cavalry and infantry failed to dislodge the enemy
and at o'clock the French right was broken, and
retreat upon Saverne and Nederbron became ncces-
sity Ii rs said that telegraphic blunder caused
| MacMahons disaster. Failly was directed to move
| on Lembacb. He found Kausbach" in the tee-
| gram as received.
| The Saarbruek fight was demoralizing to the
French than has been supposed. The Prussians found