Year: 1870

into action. The losses in the cen
ter, and the massing Of great forces
for a fresh attack on the Frencl
right flank, left the Verdun road it
self at one time almost uncovered


the very road for possession OfwhieI


the Prussians were fighting. At {


moment that, for these reasons, seem


ed critical, there appeared on the
held, occupying ground before held
} by portion of the forces of Prince
Frederick Charles, a large body OF


troops. They moved into position


under the eyes of the King, yet nei-


ther the King nor any of his staff


could account for their appearance.
/ They passed the point which, in the


morning, had been the royal head
1 Iquarters. Their march was begun


at the time have mentioned, and
their advance did not cease till dark.


but the mistery that hung over them


was not dispelled. Whose was this


new army? Whence did it come?
! The staff insisted that at the point


whence it moved there were or at


any rate ought to be, no troops of


the armies of either Steinmetz or


Frederick Charles. The rumor be-


gan and spread among the group of
men who surrounded the King that


this fresh mysterious force was g


part of the army ofthe Crown Prince,


and that a new junction had been eff


tected. l know ofno reason to sun


pose this true. Doubtless the staff


soon cleared up this matter to their


own satisfaction, but it happened


that l was away in another part of


the field before the riddle was solved.


That there ever could have been any


doubt about the identity of so great


body of men, arriving on so great


battle field, illustrates the difficult
ty with which even the most eminent
officers follow the movements of
forces over broken and wooded
ground. Ino longer wondered that


to me the same task was almost an


impossibility. In any event, it can


not be doubted that the presence of
that large body of men made itself
felt upon the fortunes of the field.


They were visible to the French, as


well as to us. Here was another


example ofmOral effect, that NAV be


and so often is exerted in battle bv


masses Of men whose presence is


known to the enemy, but who NAV
not fire shot in actual conflict.


From their line of march it is clear
that the divisions were finally post


ed a little in the rear and ON the left


Of the Prussian center at the time


when the attacks, so long directed


against the key of the French lines,


had ceased, in fact had failed, for


the time. 1t was possible that The


French, having suffered far less in


holding their ground than the Prus-


SLAMS in attacking, might have ad-
vanced in their turn and undertaken
la vigorous offensive movement. If
they had any such purpose, it is not


unlikely that they abandoned it on
sight Of the Prussian reinforcements.


Instead of advancing, the French
now contented themselves with the
mere occupation Of the ground to
which, earlier in the day, they had
been driven back. At no time did
they seriously strive to regain the
westernmost line Of the hills which
had been theirs in the morning. At
no time did they recover, or seek to
recover, by any vigorous forward
movement, the junction of the roads
at Graveuotte.


From seven to eight o'clock the
the weight of the battle tended more
and more to the north Of the road.
Thep there was lull, the meaning
of which the French failed, apparent
ly, to interpret. By seven they may
have. believed themselves partly vic
torious, They were still, perhaps,
in a condition to renew, on the NOR
row, the desperate struggle that had
gone on all day for that fated road
from Metz to Verdun. If they had
not clearly lost the latter. Two hours
later they had lost both. A little
before eight a large white house on
the hight beyond Gravelotte caught
fire. 1t seemed, thro' the glass, to
be church. It's spire grew into
flames, and dense black cloud of
smoke arose, contrasting strangely
with the white smoke of battle. More
and more picturesque grew the whole
field. As evening, fell, the move
ments of troops could be followed
now by lines Of fire that ran flicker
ing along the front of regiment as
it went into action. Tongues of fire
pierced through and illuminated tie
smoke out Of the cannon's mouths.
and the fuzes Of the shells left long
trains of fire like falling stars. No
General likes fighting by night in
ordinary circumstances, for chance
then takes the place of skill, but the
fanking movement on the French
right had been resolved on by day
light, and it was the necessity of
moving troops to a great distance,
over difficult ground, which delayed
its execution, and brought about
what seemed a renewal of the battle
after the day was done. To leave
the French in their positions during
the night would have been to i'm
peril the plan on which the Prussian |
commander had resolved. So, from
eight to nine, the decisive blow was
struck. When the battle Of Grave
lotte had actually ended, we knew
the Prussians held the strong heights
beyond the Bois de Faux, which com
manded the surrounding country to
of the artillery range from
Metz. We knew that two great |
Prussian armies lay across the only
road by which Bazaine could march !
to Paris for it's relief or for his own
escape. We knew a victory greater
than that of Sunday, and more de
cisive than the triumph of Tuesday,
had been won. We believed the
French army, which had fought as
valiantly and vainly as before, was
now hopelessly shut up in its for
tress.


As | went back to the village of
Gore to pass the night, l turned
at the last point to look upon the
battle field. 1t was a long earth |