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Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3103, 20 January 1871, Page 3

and that night the French encamped in and around the village." The correspondent of -the "Standard" at Rouen supplies the following details of the defeat of Der Tann's force, taken mainly from an Orleans paper, the " Journal dv Loiret" : — " The action commenced on the 9 th, just behind a little village called Le Bardon, to the north-west of Meung, and terminated successfully by the storm ing of a wood near Coulmiers. The French troops started at about seven in the morning— just beforo daybreak— from the neighborhood of Gravant and Le Bardon, where they had been massed on a long line. They retained their order of the battle during the day. In front of them rose the Chateau de la Touanne, -which the Prussians were supposed to occupy. A battery was planted, 'and the Chateau was about to be shelled, when it was ascertained from a peasant that the Prussians had left it. A little later the enemy's forces were discerned through the mist formed under cover of the trees. • The French continued to advance steadily towards Baccon — i.e., from the south-west to the north-east. The Prussians had taken up a position which formed an acute angle with our line, their line of battle being nearly parellel with the range of woods which extends from Chaingy some distance beyond Bucy St. Siphard. To deploy thetr forces they could avail between themselves of all the ground the farm La Kenardiere, the fields of Huisseau, the farms and plantations of Coulmiers on the one hand, to Kosiere j the fields around Germigny. At Baccon the French met with a stubborn resistance. The enemy had loop-hoobd the houses, constructed barriers, and taken advantage of every wull and every hedge that could possibly afford cover. The village of Baccon is built upon a hillock, on which the houses lise in tiers, the lowest being scattered about the plain at its foot. From that culminating point the Prussians kept up a murderous fire on the French troops, who readily responded to the orders of their officers to move forward, and rushed at the enemy with irresistible impetuosity, and after a brief but desperate struggle, Baccon was carried by storm, and the Prussians gave way. That was the commencement of the triumph. The French army continued to advance in admirable order, preceded by its numerous and well-supplied artillery, and from ten o'clock its movements may be described as a victorious march performed by docile and well-handled troops. Two siege guns took a leading part in the pursuit. For the first time the French artillery was superior to that of the enemy in number, in range, and in precision, and the army is unanimous in paying a tributo to the efficiency and precision of its fire. From Baccon the French marched to Renardie, opposite to Huisseau, the enemy retreating all the way. 1 n the morning the Prussians fired the farm of Viard, which was full of stores, to prevent their falling into the hands of the French. To prevent the French occupying La Renardiere the enemy saw a house on fire situated at the entrance of the village. At noon the firing slackened on both sides, to the great chagrin of the people of Orleans, who inferred from it that the French were losing ground. M. Von der Tann was shifting his guns of position, and only kept up the action to 'sava his materiel, which was sent off towards Arthenay, via Ormes. Presently the French army drew near to Coulmiers, its objective point, and General Von der Tann, at about 3.30 p.m. attempted to manoeuvre to turn . the French left ; but he was forestalled by General D'Aurelle, who. at the same time succeeded in turning the enemy's flank with one of his divisions. The enemy thereon fell back once more, but yet attempted to check the French advance in the, wood that covers Coulmiers and behind houses of the village ; great slaughter of the enemy took place at that point, and its occupation by the French virtually put an end to the battle. A few regiments ' of infantry and the whole of the artillery continued the advance towards Rosire and Gemigny. The Prussians disbanded on being driven out of Coulmiers, and their retreat was effected in disorder by Boulay, Briery, Huetre, and Pay, towards Arthenay. To complete his victory, General D'Aurelle despatched all his cavalry and a few field guns in pursuit ; and during the following day the Prussian rear guard was sabred, and lost mauy prisoners. Though the fighting last ten hours the losses are less than might have been expected. There were none of those heaps of corpses strewed about the plain which were so conspicuous after the battle which led to the fall of Orleans. The dead were scattered here and there in ploughed fields. Near the plantations a good many wounded were collected. That the battle was not a butchery like Gravellotte and other of the battles at the outset of the war, is accounted for by the fact that it was from the commencement a running fight, the enemy having retreated early in the day. The " Journal dv Loiret" asserts that the reserves were not engaged throughout the day, and that the French advance took place with as much order and regularity as if the troops had been on the parade groundThe enemy appear to have moved out of the city with the greatest order and deliberation. • They left the town at noon on the 9th. The last battalion, which was quartered at the Caserne des Jacobins, Place de l'Etape, instead of hurrying away by the boulevard and the Etampes road, filed off, with drums beating and colors flying, "by the Rue Jeanne d'Arc and Rue Bannier, just as though it were going out for a promenade onililaire. The townspeople were naturally delighted when, at the close of the day, they beheld troops advancing towards the townjundor the tricolor instead of the abhorred black and white. Their excitement and exultation was natural, It is generally supposed that the troops

in this district will soon have an opportunity of showing their mettle. For obvious reasons I cannot go into details, but I may state, without inconvenience, that ere long the special correspondent of the " Times" at Versailles will have no further reason to be surprised at the long line of communications of the Prussians being uninterrupted."