CHAP, xxx.] FRANCO-GERMAN WAR, 1870-1871. 



491) 



fire, checked the march of the whok' southern column of 

 the French army. The inefficiency nnd want of dash on 

 the part of the French horsemen was here very marked, 

 for General Forton had a sufficient force of cavalry to 

 have easily brushed the small Prussian brigade out of the 

 way and enabled the march to be continued. Instead, 

 however, of pushing forward, he fell back towards Vion- 

 ville, and practically the fate of Bazaine's army was then 

 sealed. 



The next day the German infantry divisions, by hard 

 marching, began to come up one after the other, and, by 

 severe fighting at Mars-la-Tour and Vionville, were able 

 to check the French, who were again attempting to get 

 away. This threw them back upon Gravelotte, where 

 the greatest battle of the war resulted in Bazaine's 

 investment in Metz, where he subsequently surrendered. 



At the crisis of the battle of the 16th August, at 

 Vionville, the French forces, which at first greatly out- 

 numbered the Prussians, were pressing on in great 

 strength, and the exhausted troops of Alvensieben were 

 threatened by a vigorous attack, near Vionville and 

 Flavigny, by the French 6th Corps, under Marshal Can- 

 robert. Alvensieben had no reserves of either infantry 

 or artillery, and decided that his only hope was to check 

 the attack by a charge of cavalry. This charge was 

 made, avowedly as a sort of last resort, with the know- 

 ledge that the men would be sacrificed. General Bredow 

 commanded the brigade, which consisted of three squad- 

 rons of the 7th Cuirassiers and three of the 16th Lancers. 

 He charged in one line, but from the delay of the 16th 

 Lancers in deploying, the charges took place, uninten- 

 tionally, in echelon. Under a heavy fire of artillery 

 they rode onward, the guns were soon reached, the 

 gunners cut down ; and then on rushed the horsemen, at 

 full speed, upon the lines of infantry in the rear, who 

 received tlie charging squadrons with volleys of musketry. 

 The lines were broken with a rush, sabre and lance doing 

 deadl)- execution. Excited by the success, carried away 

 by the impetuous fury of their charge, they could neither 

 be rallied nor re-formed. A number of mitrailleuse were 



K 2 



