662 
ACHIEVEMENTS OP FIELD ARTILLERY. 
on their left, and half of Schwartzkoppen’s 19 th Division—that is to say, 
the 38th Brigade, commanded by Yon Wedell, made such a bold counter¬ 
attack against the right wing of the enemy that he was deceived into 
imagining that powerful bodies of troops must be in support of it. 
This attack was prepared by the 2nd heavy and 2nd light batteries 
from the east of Mars-la-Tour. Yon der Goltz co-operated with them, 
and led his two light batteries across the road to the high ground 
north and east of Mars-la-Tour. The 2nd heavy battery of the 10th 
Corps also succeeded in pressing similarly forward, and engaged the 
French infantry and artillery with good success at ranges of from 1000 
to 1200 paces. 
But the balance in numbers was too much in favour of the French, 
even if they hardly realised how much it was in their favour, reinforce¬ 
ments were near at hand, aud soon twenty-six French battalions were 
opposed to five German. 
The Germans, although they fought desperately, were driven back 
with a loss of 65 officers and 2600 men, out of a total of 95 and 4500 
respectively. 
Their opponents followed in hot pursuit and were soon crossing the 
ravine. 
It was now that the German batteries, who had been so enterprising 
in the attack, showed themselves even to better advantage in retrieving 
the disaster. They remained firm on the ridge although the hostile 
infantry came within 400 paces of their guns, and the punishment they 
suffered was severe. 
The losses of these batteries were as follows :— 
Killed. Wounded. 
2nd Heavy Battery . 1 man 4 horses. 13 men 10 horses. 
5th Light „ . 3 men 20 ,, 21 „ — 
6th „ „ . 6 „ 30 „ 11 „ 2 „ 
All the commanders of batteries had horses killed under them. 
Baron von der Goltz’s horse was struck by five bullets, and Captain 
Lenz on his staff was severely wounded. The detachments and horses 
suffered so severely that the guns could scarcely be served or moved, 
and the teams were in some cases reduced to two. 
But the sacrifice was not in vaiu. The infantry was terribly cut up, 
but was saved from complete annihilation, and when they were in 
comparative safety the guns attempted to withdraw. The 2nd light 
battery, which had remained to the south-east of Mars-la-Tour, covered 
the movement with its fire, but it was only with the greatest difficulty 
that the guns could be removed. Indeed, but for the devotion and 
bravery of the cavalry neither guns nor infantry could have made good 
their retreat. 
For seeing the danger of the situation the 1st Dragoons of the 
Guard charged the leading French regiment with headlong courage 
and rescued the 57tli Regiment and the battery which had last waited. 
The two squadrons of the 4th Cuirassiers, which formed the escort of 
the Corps Artillery, also made a gallant charge and extricated another 
battery, and then the six batteries fell back to a position south 
of the road to Yionville, from which vantage ground their fire was so 
