Year: 1870

! glass resolved the dark track into


falling and dying and dead men. AS


the horrid significance of that path,


so traced, came upon me / gazed on


more intently. Many of those who
had fallen Ieaped up again and ran


forward a little way, striving still to
! 90 on with the comrades. OF those
who went backward instead of for


ware, there were a few, though many


fell as they painfully endeayOred to
follow in advance. l don't know


whether as to the vain effort of that
brigade. Another movement was


attempted from within the road but


half an hour afterWard. A great
number of troops began to march


over the hill where I was standing,


and moved forward toward the field


where so bard a struggle had been


so long protracted. These also were,


think, portion Of General Goe-


ben's troops, who had been directed


upon a most dangerous route. The


conflict from this point on the Prus-


sian left became so fierce that it was


soon lost to us, or almost lost, by
reason of smoke. Now and then the


thick cloud would open a little and


drift away on the wind, and then we


could see the French. l tried to get


a better view Of this part of ihe field,


and went forward about a mile.
From my new standpoint I found
myself not far from Malmaison. The


French line on the hills was still un-


broken, and to all appearances they


were having the best of the battle;


but this appearance waSdue perhaps


to the fact that the French were
more clearly visible, and were figh-
ting with such singular obstinacy.


They plainly silenced q Prussian


battery now and then. But the


Prussian line also was strengthened
( by degrees on the northern point.
Infantry and artillery were brought


up from far in the rear, away, seem
Iingly, in the direction of Fionville,
shot and shell began reaching the
French ranks. These were the men
and guns of Steinmetz, who, there
and then effected his junction with
the army of Prince Frederick Charles
and completed the investment of
Metz to northwest. With reinforce
ments thus continually arriving on


both sides, the battle grew more and
more obstinate. There could be no
doubt that the French understood


the meaning of the new movement


Of the Prussians and Of the gradual


development Oh their line to the
north. Steinmetz was able to ex-
tend his line gradually further and
further until the French were out


fanked and began to threaten, as it
appeared, with an attack on the rear


of their extreme north wing, So
long as the smoke from the Prus-


sian guns hovered only over their
front, the French clung to their po-
sition. The distance from head
quarters where the Prussians flank
was stretched forward was great, and
to add to the difficulty of clearly see
ling the progress of the battle the
darkness was coming on. Iknow not
how long the French held out, nor
at what precise moment the Prussian
onset became irresistible. What I
saw was this; The puffs of smoke
from the French guns mingled with
the flashes frightening as the dark
mess increased, and receded gradu-
Ially. The very serious pillar of
cloud and flame from the north as
gradually and steadily approached,
and with that advance the French
fire grew every moment more slack.
1t was not far from 9 o'clock when
the ground vas yielded finally on
the north, and the last shots fired |
on that terrible evening were heard |
in that direction.


But to 60 back to the movements
of the King, and those with him at
headquarters. The Kings face, as
he stood gazing upon the battlefield,
had something almost plaintive in it. |
He hardly said a word, but l noticed
that his attention was divided be-
tween the exciting scenes in the dis
tance and the dismal scene nearer
his feet, where they were lust be-
ginning what must yet be a long
task, to bring in the French who fell
in Tuesdays battle. On them he
gazed silently and 1 thought sadly. |
Bismarck could not conceal his ex-
citement and anxiety. If it had not |
been for the King, the Count would
clearly have gone forward where
the fighting was. His towering
form was always a little in advance
ofthe rest. When the French COM
pletely gave up their hold upon the
road up to Gravelotte, the horses of
the headquarters party we're hastily
called, and the entire party mount
ing, with the King at their head, |
dashed down to a point not very
far from the village. Then shouts
and cheers arose, and followed them
wherever they passed.


A little after four O'Clock a strange
episode occurred. From the region
where Steinmetz was supposed to be
a magnificent regiment of cavalry
galloped out. They paused a mo-
ment at the point where the Con
fans road joins hat to Metz, Their
they dashed up the road toward
Metz. This road between Gravo-
lette and st. Hubert's is cut through
the hill and on each side of it rise
cliffs from forty to sixty feet high,
except at the point where it traverses
the deep ravine behind the village.
When it is remembered that at the
time the eliminating point to which
that road ascends was held by the
French, it will not be wondered at
that only half that regiment survived.
What the survivors accomplished
do not know, nor could learn the
name and number of that regiment,
which seemed to meet its fate under
the eye of the King. The situation
hardly admitted of asking many
questions, but their plunge into that
cut on the hillside, where the next
day I saw so many of them and
their horses lying, was of that brave,
unhesitating, unfaltering kind SO
of German soldiers, |
whom stragglers and desert