ACHIEVEMENTS OF FIELD ARTILLERY. 
665 
St. Hubert and one south of Jussy, 31 batteries, firing on the French 
position from Moscou to Point du Jour and the Quarries. At the centre, 
east of Yerneville, were posted 17, divided into three nearly equal por¬ 
tions, firing on the French centre at Amanvilliers, Montigny, and La 
Folie, while the attack of the left wing on St. Privat and the French 
right was supported by the fire of a mass which at the end of the 
battle numbered 38. 
At the commencement of the action the guns of the 9th Corps had 
surprised the French camp at Montigny la Grange, just as artillery had 
surprised the bivouacs two days previously at Yionville, and, supposing 
the enemy’s right only to be in front of them, had come into action 
with the single-minded desire to engage the enemy, which was 
characteristic of all the German Corps Commanders during the war, 
and had suffered heavily in doing so. A storm of shell, mitraille and 
rifle bullets soon burst on them from the strongly posted masses in 
front, and, although the artillery nobly held their ground, and com¬ 
pelled several of the enemy’s batteries to withdraw, the concentrated 
fire on their flanks, front, and even rear, was overwhelming. The 4th 
heavy Field Battery, commanded by Captain Werner, lost, in less 
than half-an-hour, three officers and three-fourths of the men, while 
all the horses except eight were either killed or wounded. 1 Four of 
these guns could in fact only be got out of action by the most strenuous 
exertions of its officers, and two had to be abandoned. Success was, 
indeed, out of the question for these heroes, who were thus boldly 
attacking a powerful enemy that showered them at comparatively close 
quarters with both artillery and musketry fire. After heavy losses the 
squadrons, which formed the only escort of the batteries, retired, but the 
guns still strove against the inevitable. By two o’clock, however, all 
the batteries here were almost hor ,9 cle combat , and those of the Corps 
Artillery of the 9th Corps had to be withdrawn in order that they 
might gain breathing time and refit. 
The Hessian Division now, however, arrived, their five batteries 
were sent to the support, and the Corps Artillery of the 3rd Corps and 
some of the Artillery of the Guard also was called up to the rescue. 
The remaining batteries of the 9th Corps were thus enabled also to 
retire out of the fight and make good the heavy losses they had sus¬ 
tained. 
The fine example they had set was of immense value, and although 
they suffered so severely, the effect they had produced might console 
them for the sacrifice. The great losses were chiefly due to the fire of 
the French sharpshooters, who, concealed by cover, were able to 
approach with comparative impunity, and the batteries, moreover, had to 
contend with them almost alone, for they were but very inadequately 
supported by their infantry, who found it impossible to make way against 
the enemy’s fire in time to aid their comrades. However, the arrival 
of the Corps Artillery of the 3rd Corps under Yon Dresky, whose 
exploits we had to notice in the preceding battle, went far to restore 
the balance. It pressed forward on the left of the guns already in 
1 Hoffbauer. 
