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358 The wings of the French position touched the villages of Illy and Floing, while the line between them had steep sides to the valley directly in its front. The 7th French corps and two reserve cavalry divisions occupied this plateau.

The Bois de Garenne, which was in the rear of the right wing of this part of the French line, was occupied by a strong force, which was intended to maintain connection with the first corps. The artillery of the 5th and 11th corps opened fire on this wood, which was crowded with French troops, among whom great havoc was caused by the German guns. Several times the French brought batteries to the edge of the wood, and attempted to reply; but every battery that came thus to the front was immediately silenced by the concentrated fire of the German batteries. A French officer who was taken prisoner described the German fire as "five kilometres of artillery." General De Wimpffen's line of battle had now assumed the very rare condition along its east front of being broken into two portions that fronted in nearly opposite directions. Let us now return to the right wing of the German army, which we left soon after ten o'clock. When the sound of the cannonade in the direction of Illy reached the Prussian Guards, the generals concluded that the turning columns in that direction had closed the line of battle. Prince Augustus, of Würtemberg, who commanded the Prussian Guards, ordered the artillery fire to be opened on the Bois de Garenne, which was vigorously assaulted over nearly its whole extent. All the troops which the French had assembled there were compelled to stay inside the wood. As soon as a column made its appearance anywhere at the edge of the wood it was cut down by the German fire. Then an advance of the Guards was ordered, so that every possibility of an escape of the French in the direction of Belgium was completely