ACHIEVEMENTS OP FIELD ARTILLERY. 
725 
On the 7th he advanced his left on Meung ; Foinard and la Bourie 
were taken, and the enemy were also driven out of la Bardon by the guns 
of the 2nd Cavalry Division. Towards evening the French pushed strong 
forces out from Grand Chartre, and the Bavarians, who opposed them, 
fought a hard battle till night closed in, when hammered by the Horse 
Artillery the French fell back to Beaumont. 
The next day the Grand Duke called the 22nd Division to his left 
from Ouzoner, and it moved on Cravant and Beangency to effect a 
junction with the right of the Bavarians. During the movement the 
2nd Bavarian Division which had been engaged at Cravant was driven 
back to Beaumont, but 17 batteries were deployed in the fighting line, 
and their lire so checked the enemy that the Bavarians were able in a 
subsequent counter-attack to recover the high road to Beaugency. 
The French, however, returned to the charge, and a powerful 
artillery prepared the advance of the whole of their 17th Corps on 
Cravant. The 22nd Division of the Germans had, however, reached 
that place and drove the French out of Beauvert and Layes as it 
advanced. An artillery line of 36 guns was quickly formed and placed 
in front of Beanvert, and protected by four brigades of cavalry it stood 
its ground and beat off the French attacks. Two batteries of Horse 
Artillery at la Carrefour also compelled two French cavalry regiments, 
which attempted to turn the German right flank, to retire in such 
haste that the cavalry with them, although they galloped in pursuit, 
could not overtake them. 1 2 
The wearied Bavarians in the dusk of evening tried to push forward 
again to the heights between Cernay and Villevert, but were forced 
back once more by fresh hostile forces advancing from the south, and 
compelled to retreat to Beaumont. The pursuing enemy, however, 
found in the line of artillery, against which he speedily stumbled, an 
insuperable obstacle, and torn by its fire he abandoned le Mee and 
Villechaumont without a struggle as night closed in. 
On the 9th, although an effort was being made to reinforce the 
Grand Duke, he was still facing 11 French divisions with only 4; and 
at dawn Chanzy sent strong columns to the charge against him at 
le Mee. 
Dense bodies of tirailleurs were repulsed, however, both there and 
at Yernon, under the fire of “the devoted German artillery,” 3 which 
silenced their guns, and then opened fire on Villeorceau, which was 
captured by the Bavarian infantry three hours later. The close of a 
most momentous and hard day’s fighting saw Cernay, Ourcelle, Ville- 
jouan, and Villeorceau in German hands, while, not alone did they hold 
their positions, but a line from Ourcelle to Tavers marked ground, they 
wrung from the French, who in the evening fell back to Josnes and 
Dugny. 
On the following day (the 10th), however, Chanzy once more renewed 
his attack, and forced his way into Villejouan. Six batteries at 
Villechaumont were brought into action to check him there, while two 
1 Official account. Part II., Vol. II. 
2 Von Moltke. 
