The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-02-18
FIRST EDITION
THE BATTLE OF BELF0RT.
Details Of the Great Conflict.
10000 Prussians VS.. 10000 French
Recovery Of Stolen Bonds
THE BATTLE OF BELFORT.

strength of the French and German Forces
The French Largely In Excess Of Their OD-
ponents-Reasons for ,he French Disaster
Bourbakps Retreat.
Correspondence Of the London Times from Pon Rer-
der's Army
On the 9th of January General Won Werder
quilted Versoul to take up strong position
before Belfort, at Brevilliers, attacking the
enemy at Villersexel en- route, inflicting very
heavy loss, and taking more than a thousand
prisoners. On the morning of the 18th, Sun
day-these battles are always fought on Sunday
General Bourbaki, confident in his great pre-
ponderance in numbers, in his numerous ar
tillery and mitrailleuses, attacked the we'll
chosen position of General Won Werder. The
French army consisted of four army corps,
originally each of &c, 600 men. This army was
something over 100000 strong. One corps did
not arrive till Monday evening, the second day
of battle, which brought the force up to about
army under General Won Werder was certainly
under 10000 men. OF these something over
1000 consisted of cavalry. The artillery of the
French was superior in number to that OF the
Germans, and they had, besides, at least three
batteries, each consisting of six, of mtrailleuses
The attack commenced on the Sunday morning
at eight o'clock, with artillery, which kept up
a continual fire until dusk. The Germans never
receded one single step from the position they
had taken, and when night put an end to the
conflict they bivouacked along the whole line
on the same spot whereon they were attacked
in the morning. The next morning (Monday)
General Bourbaki, having received the rein
forcement of another army corps, repeated his
attack, throwing immense masses of troops
against the German line. These infexible
troops remained unshaken in their position.
Again, the second day the German army
biyouacked on the ground that they had taken
up on the morning. The third day, Tuesday,
the French attack was much fainter and in the
afternoon they commenced a retreat OF their
whole line and were pursued by the artillery of
the Germans. On the fourth day. Wednesday,
General Debschutz attacked the retreating
French, infcting great loss and pursuing them
as far as Bamopt. From here he was recalled
to assume the siege of Belfort. On Thursday
and Friday the French continued their retreat
towards Besancon. General Won Werder moved
on Friday after the French to Soudinot-ten
miles march only-thence to Vlllersexel. Gene
raj Won Werder arrived at Rougemont on Janu-
ary 90, about ten miles further south. Viller-
sexel has been occupied and abandoned alter
nately by both armies. Many houses are heap
of ruins many more or less damaged. The
causes of the defeat of this immense army of
10000 men, with superior artillery and bat
teries of the murderous mitrailleuse, are not far
to seek. The horses of the army had no food
for four days. No food had been distributed to
the troops for three days Many of the prisoners
told me they had tasted nothing for two days.
The landlord of the house where l
had quarters in Soulnot, a small proprie-
tor, told me that when the French army
passed through the horses devoured eagerly the
dupg-heaps, and the officers fell upon the pota-
toes prepared to feed the pigs. The road from
Villersexel to Soulnot, and thence to this place,
had numbers of dead horses on the roadside,
from some of which the flesh on the back had
been taken, no doubt for food. Numbers OF
these miserable animals were little better than
mere skeletons, with sharp protruding bones
The whole way knapsacks, broken chassepots
cartoucbe pouches, caps, cooking utensils
broken swords, and indescribabe refuse were
strewed about. The mitrailieuses made a fearfu
uproar. One volley killed and wounded twenty
one men. An attack was made near Bussure
by 600 French on battalion of landwehr. Thes,
were allowed to come within $50 PAGES, wher
the Germans fired and killed or wounded tn,
whole 900, with the exception of forty-two, who
panic-stricken, were made prisoners The Who'll,
number of prisoners taken is from 10000 t
$4,000.