THE BATTLE AT AUTUN.

Otago Witness, Issue 1006, 11 March 1871, Page 15

THE BATTLE AT AUTUN.

A correspondent of the Globe, who witnessed the attack upon Autun, which was a Prussian failure, writes :—

About two o'clock, looking in the direction of the town, I suddenly saw a puff of smoke close to the faubourg of the Arroux ; then came the unmistakeable boom of a cannon. Other puffs rapidly followed, with other booms, and the battle had begun at Autun itself. I rushed up to the garret with my teleßcope and looked in the direction of the cannonade, which had now become very vigorous on both sides, for the Garibaldiana answered stoutly from the seminary at Autun. The ladies and the master of theea followed me. Theecenew&owbe&u-

tifal as it was terrible. Bright afternoon sunshine illuminated the every detail of the range of hills — before ns the .city rose nobly from the plain, culminating in the towers and spire of the cathedral, with old mediaeval wall towers far to the right and left, and dense groves of trees sheltering the public walks. It was strange to watch the course of the shells, as they seemed to float each with its little white cloud in the pure clear wintry air — they seemed to travel, we thought, in Buch a gracefully leisurely manner, describing a beautiful parabola before they carried death into the city. With my telescope I saw the dark masses of Prussians and the glow of the sunlight on the glittering metal of their cannons. We were ourselves perfectly within their range, but they sent nothing in our direction except a few shells into the garden of agentleman whose estateadjoined the one we were upon. After a while the public road began t o be crowded with people flying from the city. Many poor groups came on foot, others in carriages of all kinds, with horses galloping. Some of these people we knew, and in this way obtained some information concerning the progress of the siege. The news was always encouraging, but the refugees said that they had come for about a kilometre from the town under fire, and they showed us fragments of shell which they had. picked up on the way. About four o'clock in the afternoon a neighbouring miller came in great alarm to announce that a field behind his mill was full of Prussian soldiers. I went out by myself to have a peep at them, and just as I was turning a corner met them all coming my way. They turned out to be francs-tireurs, however — not Prussians.

Meanwhile, the cannon went on thundering without the least intermission, and I resumed my post with the telescope in the garret. It became evident to me then that, far from advancing into the town, the lines of the Prussians were in the rear of their former positions, whilst a considerable body of men were seeking shelter behind the embankment of the road. Half an hour later, whilst the Prussians were still in shelter, a mounted officer rode out upon the road, and t lost sight of him for a few seconds behind a clump of trees ; then his horse came trotting back with the saddle empty, and a soldier took tbe bridle and led the animal iDto shelter. I cannot positively say that I saw men fall, but I often observed movements behind the lines as if men were carrying away a wounded comrade, which they probably were doing. The cannon ceased at niuhtfall, and it was clear that the enemy had not penetrated into the town. In the evening, under the bright moonlight, the *tring recommenced, and we could Bee the tongues of flame leaping from the cannons' mouths, though the gun? themselves were no loDger to be distinguished. This firing did not last very long, however, and the basin of Autun soon, slumbered as peacefully to all appearance aa i{ no enemy were near it. Not a gas lamp was to be seen in the city, which lay dim in the misty moonlight. A calm more still than in the times of peace settled in over the whole landscape ; the public roads were utterly deserted.