Hubart and at Point de Jour opened an effective fire upon them, but it was not sufficient to drive them out or to diminish the rapidity, vigor, and precision of their artillery practice.
A little before two o'clock, orders were given to advance the infantry in order to drive the French out of the southern part of the Bois des Perivaux. The 15th infantry division of the 8th corps made a rush for the wood, where they encountered four battalions of French infantry. They occupied the southern part of the wood, but farther along they were stoutly resisted by the French and made very little progress. As soon as the cannonade began. General von Zastrow advanced on Gravelotte and the Bois dcs Ognons. They opened a vigorous fire, which relieved in great measure the 8th corps. By two o'clock, the artillery of the Guards and of the 9th corps on the German left and of the 7th and 8th corps on the right were in full play. Nearly 250 cannon were being fired with rapidity and precision, but only one division, the 16th, had been able to take the offensive. The two infantry divisions of the 9th corps were quite inactive, as it was necessary for them to wait until the left wing of the Second Army had completed its deployment.
The artillery combat was vigorously maintained for several hours, and as vigorously opposed. By four o'clock some fifteen or twenty guns had been dismounted or in some way became useless, and most of the batteries had exhausted their ammunition. Several times the French endeavored to compel the artillery to retire, but each attempt to do so was successfully resisted. A little after four o'clock, the artillery fighting on the left wing became more advantageous for the Germans. The French fire at St. Privat and also at Amanvillers and Montigny had been pretty nearly silenced by the fire of no less than fourteen full batteries of the Germans. Some of the German divisions suffered severely by the steady fire of shell and can-
