situated only a few hundred yards apart, and called Mars-la-Tour, Flavigny, Vionville, Rezonville, Malmaison, and Gravelotte. The centre of the fighting was at the last-named of these hamlets. At the moment of the correspondent's arrival, "the French were making a most desperate effort to hold on to the last bit of the Verdun road-that between Rezonville and Gravelotte, or that part of Gravelotte which on some maps is called Malmaison. Desperate, but unavailing! for every one man in their ranks had two to cope with, and their line, at the place indicated, was already beginning to waver. Soon it was plain that this wing-the French right-was withdrawing to a new position. This was swiftly taken up, under protection of a continuous blaze of their artillery from heights beyond the village. The movement was made in good order, and the position reached was one that, I believe, nine out of ten military men would have regarded as normally impregnable." The battle was now transferred to the fields beyond Gravelotte, those in front being completely covered with the Prussian reserves.

"This second battle-field was less extensive than the first, and brought the combatants into fearfully close quarters. The peculiarity of it is that it consists of two heights intersected by a deep ravine. This woody ravine is over 100 feet deep, and at the top from 200 to 300 yards wide. The side of the chasm next to Gravelotte, where the Prussians stood, is much lower than the other side, which gradually ascended to a great height. From this their commanding eminence the French held their enemies fairly beneath them, and subjected them to a raking fire. Their artillery was stationed far up by the Metz road, between its trees. There was not an instant's cessation of the roar; and easily distinguishable amid all was the curious grunting roll of the mitrailleuse. The Prussian artillery was to the north and south of the village, the mouths of the guns on the latter side being necessarily raised for an

awkward upward fire. The French stood their ground,

and died; the Prussians moved ever forward, and died; both by hundreds-I had almost said thousands; this for an hour or two that seemed ages, so fearful was the slaughter."

Presently, Prussian reinforcements arrived the men of General Göben's army, who filed out of the wood of Ognons in such vast numbers, that for four hours there was no break in the living stream. Between four and five o'clock in the afternoon, the French concentrated a furious fire on the wood, and shelled it perpetually.

"Their fire here took effect. The line of Prussian infantry became less continuous from that direction. About five o'clock, however, an infantry brigade emerged from the same point. As soon as they did so, they advanced by double-quick time towards the

It

point where their services were needed. I watched this brigade through a strong glass from the first. resembled some huge serpent gliding out on the field. But, lo! it left a track behind it—a dark track. Beneath the glass that track is resolved into fallen, struggling men. As the horrid significance of that path so traced came upon me, I gazed yet more intently. Many of those who had fallen leapt up and ran forward, struggling to catch up with their comrades again. I did not see any running backward, though many fell in their effort to rush on. I do not know whether after that another movement was made from behind wards vast numbers of troops began to march over the wood; but I do know that half an hour afterthe southern edge of the hill where I was standing towards the battle-field; and I have an impression that these were General Göben's men, moving by a less dangerous route."

66

For a time it seemed as if, towards Malmaison, the French were gaining the advantage. But suddenly, in the direction of Verneville, bombs were heard and seen. General Steinmetz had effected his junction with Prince Frederick Charles's army, thus seriously threatening the enemy's position. The French receded about nine o'clock at night. At half-past eight there had been a terrible attack by the French on the Prussian right; at a quarter to nine, a fearful volley against the Prussian left, in the roar of which the growling whirr" of the mitrailleuse was conspicuous. Then all was over, and the Prussians held the heights which commanded the country "As I went back up to the gun-ranges of Metz. to the village of Gorze to pass the night," concludes this writer, "I turned at the last point to look upon the battle-field. It was now a long, earth-bound cloud, with two vast fires (burning houses) at each end of it. The day had been beautiful, and now the stars looked down with splendour, except where the work of agony and death had clouded the glow of heaven."

Count Bismarck, who accompanied the King during the battle, showed great excitement and anxiety while the issue of the fight was yet doubtful, and could hardly be restrained from getting within range of the bullets. The old King, after being about fifteen hours on horseback, made his supper of a plate of rice and soup from a camp kettle, and then slept on the field of battle among

It being imagined that the enemy was now about to withdraw, two batteries of mounted artillery and a regiment of cavalry were ordered to pursue; but it soon became apparent that the French had only sought cover from the artillery fire of the Prussians, and the pursuers were very hotly received. They maintained their position, however, and fought against serious odds until relieved late in the evening by the cavalry reserve. More than half of the men and horses were killed. The conclusion of the battle is described with greater picturesqueness than is usual in official documents :

"From the left wing the heavy roll of infantry rifles,

"The 7th army corps brought up strong batteries to the south and east of Gravelotte, who advanced with the greatest precision under an effective fire from the enemy's artillery. The infantry of the corps remained until a later occasion should arise for them to be employed-in a covered position in the wooded valley separating Gravelotte from the heights of Pont du Jour. Only the brigade of General von der Goltz, which was in position at Ars-sur-Moselle to secure the valley of the Moselle, had already been engaged. They captured the village of Vaux, in the valley of the Moselle, and afterwards stormed the heights of Tussey, the possession of which they maintained. Simultaneously with the 7th army corps, the 8th army corps advanced from Rezonville against the Bois de Genevaux, and attacked the enemy. The 8th corps at once opened a powerful battery from its front on to the road from Vancour-enFarmisy, whilst the 1st Cavalry Division at once took up a covered position in the rear, and the infantry advanced to attack the Bois de Genevaux in front, which was occupied by the enemy. Here also the enemy's artillery was quickly silenced, while the infantry met with a most obstinate resistance in the Bois de Genevaux. A close and bloody fight raged here for hours. Owing to the density and impenetrability of the wood, the combating parties were completely intermingled, and at certain parts of the Prussian lines so obstinate a resistance was encountered, that they were only able to press slowly forward, whilst in other parts they reached the eastern skirt of the wood, and, even breaking through it, advanced to attack the opposite heights and farmhouses of St. Hubert. The latter were at last taken by slow degrees, after repeated attacks, and held, whilst all attempts to proceed further to the ridge of the heights were baffled by the strongly occupied rifle pits. The infantry encounter came to a standstill, the

Verneville and Amanvillers, which had been eagerly awaited. Apparently the sound came nearer-a favourrick Charles. Our infantry maintained the battle more able sign of the approach of the army of Prince Fredetenaciously than ever, the appearance of the second army promising to bring up support, and the brave artillery, despite their severe losses, served their guns as if on the parade ground. The French continued their fire the whole day, especially from the rifle-pits, with their chassepôt rifles, at a range of 2,000 paces, whereby the position was continually held in insecurity, and occasioned considerable loss. The French were in a desperate situation, surrounded on all sides, and nothing remained for them but to retreat into the fortress of Metz, into which their army was forced to disappear. About seven P.M. they made one desperate attempt to break through by Gravelotte from Metz to Paris. Thick clouds of skirmishers, one behind the other, uttering loud shouts, and keeping up a continual volley, rushed forward from behind the heights against the wood in the ravine. Our weak decimated infantry squads were nearly all dispersed, and the danger was great that this attack, made apparently in force,would be successful against our exhausted troops. But our brave artillery opened upon them over the heads of our infantry so effectively, that the attack was repulsed by the combined action with the infantry, which once more made a stand. Material and decisive support was, however, at hand. His Majesty the King had arrived during the battle from Rezonville, in the northern direction towards Gravelotte, and had temporarily placed General von Steinmetz, who had hurried up, in command of the 2nd army corps, giving him permission to draw supports from this corps should he need it. This 2nd (Pomeranian) army corps, which had not yet been before the enemy, hastened up in quick step, inspired by lust of battle, and at nightfall decided the conflict. Under the eyes of General von Steinmetz, who had ridden into the defile with his staff, within rifle range, these brave troops, with loud hurrahs, drums beating. and bugles blowing the advance, rushed down the dark woody ravine to deploy on the other side, and hurl