hat the "forlorn hope" had to
retire again down the slope--leaving the guns behind them, for every
horse in the battery had been killed or disabled. After this, a mad
attempt was made to charge the hill with cavalry, the cuirassiers and
uhlans dashing up the road at the French works; but men and horses were
mowed down so rapidly that the scattered remnants of these fine
squadrons had to retire like the infantry. A third effort was made by
another line regiment, the men advancing in skirmishing order, instead
of in column like the first pioneers of the attack; but although this
attempt was covered by a tremendous artillery fire, it was equally
unsuccessful. Some of the men certainly managed to reach the French
batteries, but they were then shot down in such numbers by the terrible
mitrailleuses that they could not hold their ground.

These different episodes of the battle consumed the greater portion of
the afternoon, although of course fighting was going on elsewhere along
the line. Fritz's battalion was engaged in another part of the field,
and in the Bois du Vaux, as well as on the opposite bank of the Moselle,
it did good service in crushing in the wing of the French. Here Fritz
had an opportunity of distinguishing himself. In charging an entrenched
outwork held by the enemy, the captain of his company got struck down by
a bullet; when, as no officer remained to take his place, Fritz
gallantly seized the sword of the fallen man, leading on his comrades to
the capture of the battery, which had been annoying the German reserves
greatly by its fire. Fortunately, too, for Fritz, his commanding
officer, General Von Voigts-Rhetz, not only noticed his bravery on the
occasion, but let him know that it should not be forgotten at
headquarters.

Meanwhile, the continual bombardment of the French position was
maintained, and about half-past six o'clock in the evening a last
desperate attack was made on Gravelotte--the outlying farmhouse of La
Villette, which was the key to the defence, being especially assailed.
The reserve artillery being brought up commenced playing upon the still
staunchly guarded slopes with storms of shot and shell; and, presently,
the farmhouse was in flames, although the garden was still held by the
French, who had crenellated the walls, making it into a perfect redan.
A gallant foot regiment then took the lead of the German forces,
charging up the deadly slope, followed by a regiment of hussars;