Evening star., 1898-09-10

| airy demonstrated to Beaumarchais that
| bis further progress would soon be serious
| ly disputed.
| He forthwith adopted the specific method
| of fighting recommended by Vansi,tart and
| practically threw the whole of the foreign
legion into extended order. The movement
took some time to execute as the front
| thus covered was of tremendous extent
| embracing. from flank to flank, fully two
| miles Eeaumarchais could not. of course.
| exercise personal command over brigade
| split up into sectional units of ten men
| each.
But each unit had its definite instructions.
| 1t must on no account retire or incline
| right or left. Taking every advantage of
cover, and ever wasting shot which had
| rot target selected by the section com
mander II was. if possible. to advance I'm
line with its neighboring units and fire long
| range VoHeys at every visible body of the
| enemy in the direct front
| Nhen the German massed batteries were
| sighted the skirmishers were advised TO
| gam The best shelter obtainshle within 900
| TO 1000 yards and then settle down to de-
| Liberate volley firing al the guns
| IN phrase The opening stage Of the bat
tie Wouiu De duel between the long-raGge
| rifle and the long-range cannon-between
| InG uny bullet and the screaming shell.
| Which would win?
| Beautiful positions had bepn selactad b,,
the Prussian artillerists. Five hundred
| modern guns of the latest type and hattcst
| trajectory were so disposed as to make a
holocaust of any army corps that stro,-a
|
| Ihe kaisers staff relied on the machine:
| Nansittart relied on the man who directed
the machine.
| At 10 o'clock the heavy. stacrato notaa
| OF the field ordnance mingled with tho in
| CeSSaht Cracklc of the rife fire and Roam
ma MAJ ichaiS ar once strengthened his Irregular
| of nishtn 1shting line by the extension
| oL anothtr brigade. The commander of tho
| Ihlrd brigade received orders 10 Lodge his
go &c nf t'Ii oattailons at various points in
dilt, fstt ot me extended troops. leaving to the
| nn1n
| exact tune and direction of any 5cc;st,-a
| H. rloS cement @ IN support of the skirmishers
| fni',.+t tStIesai himself. stationed with tho
| lour'h ana last brigade on a cross - -
| tween Mars la Tour and Confans aco,-,i,,1 p,
| me center of the base of the triangle fnrn,-
| at the anex VAN N'iaNeIo''e
! From that base the Francb o+.o.,
Nahced In a convex crescent while the Co.
| man guns, roughly speaking followed tba
| about a mile VI
| No less than 5000 French troons woro
| oClted slngly and in small grouDs behind
every Tree house and mound over an area
| OF nearly three miles.
| The Sd Brigade in cCpnac+ bo5tos s,-,
biied supports a different centers, and III,
flh bTlsada n dense TIass of 5000 mer
ent lines of The attack
The German center CONSISTING or n,o ooo
troops, lay at GravelCtte three miles IN
tnr dlrect .ro1t. while the north and south
~ iIiss' OF '":oEo men each, We're posted or
the hanks of the attacking troops
The Frenca main body numbering go o0o
an tolq were now advancing in three we'll
oeIlneu army corps, marching parallel to
each other some four miles in rear of Con
Beaumarchais' division. Midway befv.ar
lay the French guns and cavalry.
II VIII th'lS be seen that. so far tie 6rbt
saFored of an affair of outposts rather than
general engagement. and at 10 am fha
kaiser gleefully exclaimed:
rms Yankee adventurer is a greater
charlatan than the third Napoleon He is
| marching into the trap Rv o'cIocl, T
shalI have crushed both him and France e"
Count Holbach, the commander of the
German artillery division and his subor-
uinateS' inmates actively engaged in directing the
gun practice. Were not so sure of the ey
| ceIlenca of existing ARRANGEMENTS
iheSe experienced officers well knew tbe
loly OF assuming that all the loss is on
Sour own side. The well-placed German
smells must have wrought havoc i'm the nov
tieatiy dlScerned French fighting line YET
Ihe percentage of loss among the gllnners
"dS growing more serious minute by min
ule. oHSht leaden gusts swept away the
batteries ana a steadily increasing train of
ambulance bearers showed already a heavy
| list of casualties.
Eagerly did the German leaders look for
sisns oI development In the attack. They
came not, save perhaps slight increase i'm
the frequency and severity of those terrible
gusts, that sighed and hummed and wbis-
lIed amidst the intermittent booming of the
| guns. "a '''e
Holbach at last shut his field plassas
| with an impatient snap and stlll more inn
| patient exclamation:
| ne deVil take them,'' he cried where
are their guns?"
| a phlegmatc officer by his side ansu,er
co: There are no guns. 1t is a stroke of
| genus tms unsupported infantry attack
we must either hurry up our own bartaI-
4ohS or lall back upon them. There is no
| alternative. We are firing at thin air --0
Ihe general turned angrily upon him
You had better take that message to the
emperor" ~ 'i''
with pleasure" The other turnad his
horse to ride off ms
No, no. rot yet. did but resent your
words. We cannot retreat. and the kaiser
Is taIl hrinly resolved to await the French at
| tack IN his present position"
The officer made no replv and tba,y hath
LOT httle space, watched the progress of
events. In battery beneath them on the
lisn'' iutly half of the officers and men
NeIe uiSabIed. Two guns were silent for
mere want of people to work them Ac
| they looked, leaden shower of extra Sc
verify feH against the hillside Five SOL
1neIS 9 dropped, three from one gun. two
rom another. The survivors quite coollv
reapportloned their duties. Three gums ont
| terry, '1'
The object lesson was not lost, Count
1oIDach $ face was set firmly as he said:
Telegraph to the emperor Col Holtz
ana say that | demand the immediate sun
port of one. if not two infantry divisions
If not supplied within half an hour / viii
retire every gun"
Ihe kaisers face flushed when he road
the message But he was slowly learninp,
sel-control, and he said little beyond Civ
ing the necessary instructions for the dis
patch OF the much-needed relief
When 1t came the roles quickly chap,ad
Inc trench infantry had been allowed a
good lnning-it was their turn to endure 8
bad quarter of an hour
Inc German attack would not be denied
NO matter what your loss" wrote Count
~ Iioipach TO the commander of the Hano-
verlah dlVls;on placed at his service. you
must crumple up the center of the French
crescent and strive to take the outer horns
In flank after you have broken the line
Nor We're the foreign legion which
throughout had borne the brunt of the sbeii
hre. made of the stuff from which retreats
are manufactured.
mere Was now every prospect of a SAN
Sulhary encounter, were it not that Bean
marchals had his imperative orders based
solely on the clock. and at present justified
almost to the second
A few minutes before II he threw for
ward the ith Brigade to check the ranid
~ Ion Nnfr1- ~E