The New York herald., 1874-08-21
Th, Defeat Of COucha's Army Due Chiefly 70
the Starving Condition of the Men.
A GLANCE AT The BATTLE FIELD.
Marshal Serrano Will Not Declare in
Favor Of Don Alfonso.
DON CARLOS, KING OF SPAIN.

nave just returned from Estera. have seen
tne Carst troops, observed their discipline, their
organization, their s0idier-like appearance; have
conversed with Carlist officers, even talked with
their King himself have been over the battle
heid OF Esteia, have seen the spot where Concha
fell, the house in which he died, have retraced the
movements which led up TO the battle. have ex
amined the position of the two armies before the
engagement, and endeavOred to form calm and
impartial opinion, not only the battle itself but
on what 1t may indicate OF the future, and have
come away with the conviction that Don Carlos
will be King or Spain before year.
A walk over the ground where the late battle
was fought is alone almost sufficient to convince
one that Don Carlos will march to Madrid when
the time comes AZ easily the Prus-
SLAMS marched to Paris after the battle
O Sedan. Not that this battle will have
any such result a result of the battle
itself. Practically it was without results, owing
to the want OF artillery and cavalry among
the Carlists. ] simply look upon it as q sign, an
indication, an omen OF what may be looked for in
the future, and in this respect it Is as significant
to the Madrid government OF its approaching
doom as was the battle OF Gravelotte to the
French ana for the same reason. 1t tried the STUFF
OF which the contending armies were made, and
showed which was best.
1t has hitherto been usually believed that the
Carllst army was kind OF guerilla band, without
order or discipline and that it would not stand up
before an enemy of equal strength and do any
serious fighting.
think that simple, straightforward account of
this battle Will very quickly dispei that belief;
for partly by reason OF the very nat
ural excitement under which CORE
sp0ndents were laborlng IN writing an
account or the battle almost while it was going
on. partly with view TO excuse the want OF
valor shown by the republican or Madrid army,
the strength of the Carlist position has been
greatly exaggerated, and the difficulties Concha
had to contend with very much overestimated.
THE CARLysr POSITION.
We were led to believe that the Carists were
f0rmdably intrenched upon the summit of rocky
height, in the ascent TO which goat could
scarcely find footing, and thai Concha's forces
were obliged to scramble up this high rocky steep
as best they could under a terrible fire from the
Carlists safely intrenched behind their rocks.
terrible fire there surely was, but to assert that
the Carlist position was almost impregnable, or
that it offered obstacles to approach other than
those raised by the Carsts themselves, is simply
gross exaggeration.
Instead OF high rocky steep, almost inaccessi-
BILE, which expected to find pointed out as the
Carlist position, found gently ascending slope,
covered with grass and wheat fields, up which
cavalry charge might almost be made. Instead of
the formidable fortifcations OF which | had heard
j found only little trench, such as any army
acting on the defensive Is always supposed to
make--such as an American army used to dig in
half an hour. For all the obstacles offered by their
position to an assault the Carlisis might just as
well have been IN the middle o. smooth, level
plain. Their position strong only In one re-
spect-their hanks were perfectly protected
either side by steep, rocky, woody mountains,
easily defended by few "partldarlos" or
Irregular troops. There was chance for
the display of strategy tactics by the attacking
army. The only course possible ior Concha was to
attack in front and crush his enemy by mere brute
strength and superiority Of numbers, and this he
tried TO 90.
THE BATTLE or ESrELLA.
4 short account Of the battle may not be unin.
terestlng here, because, an indication OF com
ing events, / think ii has far more sgu fcance
than has yet been attached to it by anybody but
the Carllsts themselves. And they, as well as their
opponents, have been announcing great and bril-
liant victories to the world Tor long-victories
IN which the loss on poth sides was man
slightly contused-that nobody believes them now
when they really have 4 victory 10 announce.
Here, then, is the position Imagine an open,
undulating pialn, nve miles in extent,
dotted here and there with villages covered with
corn and wheat fields and surrounded on all sides
by mountains and nils 1t is not cut up by bitches,
nor are the movements OF an army operating upon
1t impeded by walls and hedges. Infantry, artil.
lery and cavalry can mannuvTe with ease Dut
here and there are little hollows, bits or rising
ground and clumps Of trees, which offer cover and
protection to bodies of troops when required, This
plain is traversed by two good, broad, well kept
roads. which, gradually converging, at last meet
nfa vvli, eb, in ,ha Iofv
one side, the side next Estella. Along these
Two roads was Conchas advance and along
the summit OF the ridge was disposed
the Carl;st army. It's front about
mile and half in extent, and both lanks were
protected. as ! have already stated by woody
mountains, defended by the ''partiGarios." Along
the foot OF the ridge ran small rivulet through
little valley, or hollow, deeper tnan the plain.
Concha's troops, when making the assault, had 10
descend into this valley; but, far from being a
hiDdrance to them, it was q protection, as IL was
completely sheltered by the convexity Of the ridge
above from the Carist fire and gave the assaiiants
time to breathe and form within 500 yards OF the
Carst trenches before the dnal assault. The ridge
itself is covered or the most part with grass 0ut
here and there is ded OF wheat or an orchard.
In one short space only Is it steep and rocky.
Everywhere else it Is an easy, irregular
slcpe Offering not the slightest OBJ
stacle to the advance oi iniantry 1t
will be seen, therefore. tnat the Carlist
position was not a particularly strong one and
the only advantage they had was in not being
obliged TO attack, which is not, however, always
an advantage.
THE CONTENDISG ARMIES.
NOW as TO the forces engaged the Carlists had
$4,000 men, armed with the Remington breech-
loader four pieces OF mountain artillery. carried
On the backs OF mules, and no cavalry. Concha
had 900 men and eighty pieces OF cannon to say
hoth1ng oil MS cavalry He advanced his artillery
within distance, not OF three miles, not OF two
miles, not OF one mile, but OF 1000 yards, and
opened upon the Carlis position, and for two days
and hall poured in at point blank range a storm
oi shot and shell which ought to have destroyed
the whole Carlist army. Then, wnen he had ex-
pended all his artillery munitions, without dis.
lodging them, he ordered an assault.