Daily Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1882-1893, 1885-07-28
THE RED PRINCE.
The n'ct Of I'll, Advent upon the flsld
OF Battle.


Tie Fret Of I'll, Advent upon the tIeld
OF Battle.
Cor. Lon 4 u Neys.l
The first time | ever saw Prin Fred
erick Charles VAS on the afternoon o
the battle OF Mars la Tour. About moor
on that bloody day Bazaine out there il
front of the auberge Of Gravelotte haC
hidden adieu to his master, the emperor,
and had ridden forward on to the grea
plain on whose face lie the villages OF
flavigny, Nionville, Mars Ia Tour, and
Rezonyille, to find that the Prussians
were standing athwart the plateau
blocking the onward march of his army
toward Eerdun, that indeed hours be
fore Alvensleben had hidden Eeinbabeu
commence the offensive with his Drank
enburger horsemen. For five hours o
desperate battle had been raging furi
ously. Alyensleben had been indeed
true to his duty With his single army
corps during those dreadful hours OF
fighting and slaughter, he had beer
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, 00O Frenchmeu. But
at what a cost, Alvensleben's two di.
visions, tulpnagel's and Buddenbrock's
had 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. hall Of the
strength with which they had com
mencel their heroic charge. The vii
lage of Elavigny was a shamble, its gut
tiers running blood. The plain around
it was Strewn thick with dead and
woun ed. Well might AlvenSleben
with anxious eyes scan the verge OF the
plateau for reinforcements, for he was
engaged up to the hilt-not man
stood in reserve lie was holding on
grimly. but it was with the g.ip almost
Of despair
At The head of the ravine up which
the road winds from Gore down in the
valley on 10 flayigny 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. \ cavalcade was approaching
at hard gallop. Out to the front
alone rode .shouldered chief
in red tunie, sitting the big bay With
a firm, easy seat His strong lined
face was intent, yet calm; he spoke over
his shoulder 10 the man riding on his
flank. Ii 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
II by instinct galloped straight for the
knoll behind tlavigny, where Alyensle-
ben stood in the fire surrounded by
what remained of his staff
IL was strange, Tut rs if by the ad.
vent OF this one man the face Of the bat.
tie magically changed. Broken trooTs
fell into order and Uegun to push for
ward, The batteries massed and con.
centrated their fire on points where il
told. Reinforcements he had ordered as
he had ridden forward came hurrying
on to the plateau, and joined in the
fight, cheering as they deployed and
opened fire. lie Buuf had been press.
ing down from the northward and
threatening Alyepslehens flank, but
now Kratz-koschlan's battalions were
available 10 confront him, and when
they had beep too severely punished to
maintain their position heAdlong cav,
airy charge crumpled up the head of lie
Bu ufs attack. The sun went down on
field retrieved for the Germans by tn,
COOL skillful generalship of Prince Fred,
eriek Charles In the twilight he swept
his front clear by the charge of cav.
airy division in line, and then the
wearied soldiers were able to take W
their biyouacs.