The Portland daily press., 1892-01-20


/ gaIIantry or his comrade cuirassiers.
| About one-half of the charging column
cut their way back to the German lines
and the most of these were wounded. In
the cuirassiers officers and 6S men, and
in the uhlans officers and so men rallied
around the colors.
| Sad as the defeat and disaster were to
| those who rode, the charge paralyzed the
French for the moment, and Buddenbrock' S
| German division escaped the peril that had
menaced it, and even made Roadway to the
| front during the confusion.
Half of the afternoon had slipped by,
and German re-enforcements were slowly
coming in. An attempt was next made to
| turn the French flank on the heights at
Mars la-Tour, twelve miles out of Metz,
and the Sixteenth and Fifty-seventh West
phalian infantry (Wedel's brigade) were
nearly destroyed by the fire of French shell
and chassepot. The Sixteenth regiment
suffered the heaviest loss of the day, it's
5000 fresh men dwindling to 100 in one
short affair. So hot was the fight that the
French in attempting to seize its colors,
tore off bits off the flag and broke the top of
the staff, but the Germans got away with
the rnain staff and the shreds that chung
to it.
At this juncture occurred the third cav
airy charge of the day. Wedel's West
phalimls were retreating, and the artillery
supporting them was about to be pounced
upon by the exulting French battaIions
that pursued Wedel. Gen. Count Won
Brandenburg then dashed in with the
First and Second Dragon Guards, striking
both TANKS of the French column, Il regi-
ment to each. Again Germany's impetu-
GUS squadrons facing the leaden hail from
mitrailleuse and chassepot broke through
the front line and hurled disorder upon
. the surprised mass in rear. An eagle and
p gun were taken from the Ninety
French, but as before BaZaine trotted out
fresh reserves and surrounded the Ger
mans with heavy Odds The First dra-
goons lost 13 officers out of 10, and
was brought out minus $50 horsemen
that rode in by its youngest captain, the
Prince of Hohenzollern. But the Fifty
seventh regiment and che exposed artillery
were partly rescued, and the daring Dra-
COON Guards had not ridden to death in
vain.
When at last the bloody day was spent,
the Germans had felt the French line west
ward many miles from Metz, had cut the
road across Bazaine's front at Marsha Tour
and secured Judgment on the heights be-
yond. Gradually the patient Germans
were enveloping the French right flank.
The sun went down on CHASTITY field,
with the infantry and artillery in close
contact all along the line, neither side will
ing to yield Suddenly the German lead
ers beheld a compact body of horse pouring
over the ridge north of Mars-la-Tour and
Al I1o++ +,o+b oI
planted around that point at the cost of so
much blood. The column was composed
of the division of Gen. LIE Grand, two
brigades, and the Garde Brigade de France.
Rheinbaben's German cavalry division had
suffered in three charges already, and the
remnants of two badly shattered brigades
joined themselve s with the third fresh
brigade and poised lance and sword to
meet the onslaught.
There was just breathless wait among
the Germans to get the bearings, a thrust
and parry here and there between squad
rons, and then in cloud of dust 5000
horsemen rode at one another, cuirassier
against Hussar, and lancer against uhlan.
The collision occurred just above the village
of MARSHAL Tour. The Brigade de France
allowed the Hanoverian uhlans to APP
proach within $50 PAGES and then rushed
upon them. The uhlans stood to the work,
which was hand to hand, and opportunely
O. squadron of Dragon Guards just in from
a reconnaissance passed by and spurred
over ditch and wall to sustain the hard be-
set uhlans. The Westphalian cuirassiers at
the same time attacked the Garde brigade
in front and the French Chasseurs d. At
rique fell upon the German Dragon
Guards.
Thus along the entire field a German
regiment rushed Upon a fresh opponent,
or mixed into a fray already begun, and
French regiment, seeing its chance, dashed
at the latest conner. This was repeated
again and again. The combat spread over
a wide semicircle, and squads and compa-
MES that found themselves on the out
skirts of the melee attacked back and
forth until darkness ended the contest.
The Prussian cavalry retired to their OWN
lines and the French infantry slowly pur-
suci The French horse had suffered ter
rible punishment. Gen. LIE Grand was
killed and Gen. Montaigu, one of his
brioadierS, was a wounded captive. Mars
Ia-Tour was held to the Germans and the
infantry and artillery chung to the posi-
tions they had seized around the village,
and that without further molestation from
the French. This fourth affair of the cav
airy was the greatest combat of thu war
between mounted men, and in one sense it
was decisive, for it showed Bazaine that
he could not dislodge the enemy from
Mars-la-Tour and open the road to carry
his army out of Metz.
The days results in cavalry charges were
in favor Of the Germans. The troopers
saved the infantry again and again, and
without their unsurpassed daring, which
at times amounted to longing to be
killed, so hopeless were the chances, the
day would have had different story.
The Death Ride" was every whit as wild
and grand as the charge of the Light Bril-
gade at Balaklaya, and it answered the in
tention Of the commander who ordered it.
GEORGE L. KILMER.
.IoIse.