Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VII.djvu/408

 396 FRANCE scattered forces fleeing through the passes of the Vosges, pursued by the German cavalry. The crown prince at once continued his march toward a junction with the other branches of the German army. While these events had happened in the march of the crown prince's forces, the armies of Steinmetz (first army) and Prince Frederick Charles (second army) had effected their junction, advanced" across the Saar, occupied Saarbruck, and, on Aug. 6, in the neighborhood of Saarbruck and Forbach, after a most bloody conflict for the possession of the French position on the heights of Spi- chern, had won another complete victory, dri- ving Frossard both from his first line of battle and from the position he afterward endeavored to take up near St. Avoid. The remnants of his corps retreated toward Metz, where Ba- zaine's corps was also joined by Ladmirault's from Thionville, and by troops under Bourbaki and Canrobert. The three German armies were now not long in effecting their junction upon French territory. The first and second carried on their gradual advance; while the third passed through the Vosges, taking Liitz- elstein and Lichtenberg after short resistance, and leaving Bitsch and Pfalzburg surrounded by detachments of troops. By the llth the three armies were together, forming an almost unbroken line. The headquarters were estab- lished in Saarbruck. By the 14th the first German army had advanced to the immediate neighborhood of Metz ; and there, in the after- noon of that day, by a successful attack upon the 3d French corps, which had been sent out to cover the withdrawal of troops from the fortress, baffled the first attempt of the French to retreat to the line of the Marne. The en- gagement, which took place near Courcelles, and gradually assumed larger proportions, end- ed with the retreat of the French troops into the fortifications, and secured to the forces of Prince Frederick Charles the necessary time to take up a position for cutting off the French army concentrated at Metz, which Napoleon now left under the chief command of Bazaine, from junction with other French forces. On the evening of the 15th the 3d corps of Prince Frederick Charles's command took up their march toward the river, crossed it, and pressed northward as far as the villages of Gorze and Orville. The next morning the march was continued as far as the neighborhood of Mars- la-Tour and Vionville. Here began, about 10 A. M. on the 16th, the engagement which proved to be the most bloody and sharply contested struggle of the war thus far. Be- ginning by an attack by the Germa'ns upon the much superior force of the enemy which had been encamped at this point, and sustained for hours by the 3d corps alone until the 10th corps and Prince Frederick Charles advanced to its aid in the afternoon, the battle ended in the defeat of the French, though with an immense loss of men to the German army. Bazaine now withdrew his troops to a con- siderable distance, took up a position between Gravelotte and St. Privat-la-Montagne, and there massed almost his whole force, prepara- tory to a final and decisive engagement. For this the Germans also made ready, and on the 18th the hotly contested battle of Gravelotte began, ending in a renewed defeat of the French, and in their retreat within the fortifi- cations of Metz. The results of this engage- ment were most important. By it nearly one half of all the French troops in the field were effectually shut up within a surrounded fortress ; while the Germans, leaving the greater part of the first and second armies as a besieging force before the city, were free to execute the move- ment which was now at once begun the ad- vance against the army of MacMahon, which was reorganizing at Chalons, reenforced by Failly's corps, a part of Felix Douay's, and numerous reserves. For the purpose of this and of further movements, the organization of the German forces was now somewhat changed. A fourth army was formed, under command of the crown prince of Saxony, from portions of the other armies, and from the troops who had up to this time been engaged in guarding the German coasts against a na- val attack, which was hardly to be any longer feared. Less important changes were also made in the organization of the first and second armies, and the forces of the third were con- siderably increased. The advance of the last named body and of the army of the crown prince of Saxony was begun on the 19th, the very day after the battle of Gravelotte; the king of Prussia assuming the command of the united force, which was now to enter upon operations which continued to the gates of Paris. The army under the crown prince of Saxony (army of the Meuse, as it came to be called) advanced along the highway toward Chalons. The third army at the same time crossed the Meuse and advanced toward Bar- le-Duc. Toul had been previously attacked, and a besieging force was now left to invest it, while the remainder of the army continued its progress. In its gradual advance it was met by the news that MacMahon had withdrawn from Chalons, and had taken up his march to Rheims, and beyond it in the direction of Re- thel, evidently with the intention of relieving Bazaine's army. In consequence of this intel- ligence the German march was immediately turned northward, in order to intercept the French army and occupy a position between it and Bazaine. The opposing armies rapidly approached each other, as the French pressed forward from the neighborhood of Youziers along the Meuse ; and after several minor en- gagements between detached parties, on Aug. 30 a large body of the Germans surprised the corps of Gen. Failly in their camp near Beau- mont, drove them from it, and after both sides had been reenforced began a battle which re- sulted in the retreat of the French beyond the Meuse and their further withdrawal toward