Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1885-07-25
THE REQ PRINCE.
rho Eject Of His Advent UbOn the Field
of Battle,
LCor. Lon Ion News.

lCor. Lon Ion News
The first time ever saw Prince Fred
erick Charles was on the afternoon of
the battle of Mars la Tour. About noon
on that bloody day Bazaine out there in
front of the auberge of Gravelotte had
hidden adieu to his master, the emperor,
and had ridden forward on to the great
plain on whose face lie the villages of
flavigny, Nionville, Mars la Tour, and
Rezonyille, to find that the russians
were standing athwart the plateau
blocking the onward march of his army
toward Verduu, that indeed hours be-
fore Alvensleben had hidden Reinbaben
commence the offensive with his Drank
enburger horsemen. For five hours a
desperate battle had been raging furi-
ously. Alvensleben had been indeed
true to his duty. With his single army
corps during those dreadful hours of
fighting and slaughter, he had been
barring the progress of the whole
French army.
Five and twenty thousand Germans.
out there mostly on the bare plain, had
given pause to 100, 900 Frenchmen. But
az Mldb a NOol. 4AlNCIDlCOCH . IMO
visions, stulpnagel's and Buddenbrock's,
he'd lost one-third of their strength.
The infantry had been so pressed that
he had been forced to adopt the terrible
expedient of hurting cavalry at the
muzzleS of the chassepots. from Bre-
dow's gallant horsemen he had not
asked too much; they had achieved
their mission; they had pierced line
after line of French infantry, and had
sabered the gunners of the batteries be-
hind; but they had ridden back into
their positions short by one-half Of the
strength with which they had COM
menced their heroic charge. The vii
lage of Flavigny was shamble, its gut
tiers running blood The plain around
it was strewn thick with dead and
wounded Well might Alvensleben
with anxious eyes sean the verge of the
plateau for endorsements; for he was
engaged up to the hilt-not man
stood in reserve He was holding on
grimly, but it was with the grip almost
of despair.
At the head of the ravine up which
the road winds from Core down in the
valley on to Flavigny up there on
the plateau, | lay among the brush
wood watching the lurid scene. Sud-
denly behind me on the steep ascent of
the road heard the clatter of many
troops. A cayalcade was approaching
at hard gallop. out to the front
alone rode square shouldered chief
in red tunic, sitting the big bay with
firm, easy seat. His strong lined
face was intent, yet calm; he spoke over
his shoulder to the man riding on his
flank. 1t was Prince Frederick Charles
at the head of his staff, who had ridden
up from Mont-a -Mousson, following his
own maxim of moving direct upon the
cannon thunder. Out on to the bare
plateau he rode, among the whistling
bullets and the bursting shells, and as
if by instinct galloped straight for the
knoll behind tlayigny, where Alvensle-
ben stood in the fire surrounded by
what remained of his staff.
1t was strange, but as if by the adj
vent of this one man the face of the bat
tie magically changed. Broken troops
fell into order and begun to push for
ward. The batteries massed and con
centrated their fire on points where i
told. Reinforcements he had ordered a
he had ridden forward came hurryinG
on to the plateau, and joined in tn,
fight, cheering as they deployed ant
opened fire. lie BGuf had been press
ing down from the northward ant
threatening Alvensleben's flank, Blu
now Kratz- Koschlan's battalions wer
available to confront him, and whel
they had been too severely punished t.
maintain their position headlong cav
airy charge crumpled up the head of L
| BGuf's attack. The sun went down OF
field retrieved for the Germans by tn
cool, skillful generalship of Prince Fred
r erick Charles In the twilight he swep
his front clear by the charge of cav
: airy division in line, and then tn
wearied soldiers were able to take u
their biyouacs.