Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1914-09-04

 French were in desperate straits. The first German army had advanced to the immediate neighborhood Of Metz. On August 14 the German bomparo- ment of Strassburg was begun Strassburg is in the fighting zone Of | the present war and may at any time become the scene of battle. 7 Since 1871 the town has been an inn portant German military post, the kaiser maintaining more than 3O,OOO troops there in time of peace.
 ! On the same day that the lombard ment of Strassburg commenced, the | first German army near Metz, made successful attack on the French corps under Bazaine, thereby baf- | fling the attempt of that commander | to retreat to the line of the Marne.
 This developed into the sanguinary series of battles at Colombey-Nouilly Vionville and Rezonville, on August i IA, 16 and IS, finally won by then Ger mans but with tremendous losses. The engagement at Colombey y4Nouilly, on August IA, known as the battle of Courcelles or Pange, was won by the Germans under Von Steinmetz, but it was costly victory.
 The battle ragged all day along long line. The Prussians lost 5,O0C men killed and wounded, while the French losses amounted to $500, but the superior numbers of the Germans forced the French to retreat.
 This German victory prevented the junction of Bazaine's army with that of Marshal MacMahon at Chalons. The next day Bazaine was bitterly censured by Napoleon for ordering the retreat. ..i On August 16 at Vionville occurred the battle of Mars-la-Tc'lr, the bloodiest engagement of the Franco Prussian war up to that time. It was won by the second German army under Prince Frederick Charles, but at terrible cost. The tattered vet erans of Bazaine's French army were the aggressors, assaulting the Ger man position with dogged determina- tion. The fighting began in the early morning and lasted far into the night, being marked by astonishing bravery on both side. By the unexpected un- masking of a French mtrai4leuse battery, Prince Henry of Reuss and many other German nobles were killed. At this, the victory was claim by the French, but the Germans fought on and finally drove the enc my back on Gravelot.
 During the fighting there was a Balaclava charge by German regi- ment of cavalry on a French battery, by which it was decimated, but to this the German victory was largely due.
 In this great battle Germany lost twice as many men as at KCnnigs- gratz, losing about 17,000 in killed and wounded. The French loss was estimated at about the same figure. | After a day of rest, during which both sides buried their dead and col | lected the wounded and Bazane con- centrated his men at ReZOnville for decisive conflict, there was fought on August Is the battle of Graveel- lote, the most sanguinary engagement Of the War, perhaps one of the great est battles in history. Two hundred thousand Germans, commanded by King William himself were opposed to l3O,O00 Frenchmen. The fighting last ed twelve hours and the result was long in suspense, but finally the French right was outflanked, and Ba- zaine's men were forced to retreat, in utter route, to the protection of Metz.
 The French army was thus com pletely defeated, cut off from con- munication with Paris and battled up at Metz. In this battle the uermnne were said to have lost 25,OOO and the French 19,O00. Another estimate of the losses put the German killed and wounded at 10000 and the French at 13,CC0
 Bazaine was now shut up in tho ! Notifications of Metz, which town was invested by the German army under Prince Frederick Charles. Simultan eously the bombadrment of Strass burg was renewed. A desperate French sortie from Strassburg was repulsed and the Germans were driv en back from Phalsburg. MacMahor |