reconnoitring or manoeuvring for position, the French cavalry rode straight at the first objective which offered itself, and struck the victorious Prussians as they were crossing the hills between the Albrechtshaiiserhof and Morsbronn. Hence the charge was costly and only partly successful. However, the Prussians were ridden over here and there, and their attention was sufficiently absorbed while the French infantry rallied for a fresh counter stroke. This was made about 1.20 P.M. with the utmost gallantry, and the Prussians were driven off the hillsides between the Albrechtshauserhof and Morsbronn which they had already won. But the counter attack soon came under the fire of the great artillery mass above Gunstett, and, von Bose having at length concentrated the main body of the XI. corps in the meadows between the Niederwald and the Sauer, the French had to withdraw. Their withdrawal involved the retreat of the troops who had fought all day in defence of the Niederwald.
By 3 P.M. the Prussians were masters of the Niederwald and the ground S. of it on which the French right wing had originally stood, but they were in indescribable confusion after the prolonged fighting in the dense undergrowth. Before order could be restored came another fierce counter-stroke. As the Prussians emerged from the N. edge of the wood, the French reserves suddenly came out from behind the Elsasshausen heights, and striking due S. drove the Prussians back. It was a grave crisis, but at this moment von Schkopp, who throughout all this had kept two of his battalions intact, came round the N.W. comer of the Wald, and these fresh battalions again brought the French to a standstill. Meanwhile von Kirchbach, seeing the progress of the XI. corps, had ordered the whole of his command forward to assault the French centre, and away to the right the two Bavarian corps moved against the French left, which still maintained its original position in the woods N.E. of Fröschweiler.
MacMahon, however, was not beaten yet. Ordering Bonnemains' cavalry division to charge, by squadrons to gain time, he brought up his reserve artillery, and sent it forward to case-shot range to cover a final counter-stroke by his last intact battalions. But from his position near Fröschweiler he could not see into the hollow between Elsasshausen and the Niederwald. The order was too late, and the artillery unlimbered just as the counter attack on the Niederwald alluded to above gave way before von Schkopp's reserve. The guns were submerged in a flood of fugitives and pursuers. Elsasshausen passed into the hands of the Germans. To rescue the guns the nearest French infantry attacked in a succession of groups, charging home the bayonet with the utmost determination. Before each attack the Prussians immediately in front gave way, but those on the flanks swung inwards and under this converging fire each French attempt died out, the Prussians following up their retreat. In this manner, step by step, in confusion which almost defies analysis, the Prussians conquered the whole of the ground to the S. of the Fröschweiler-Worth road, but the French still held on in the village of Fröschweiler itself and in the woods to the N. of the road, where throughout the day they had held the two Bavarian corps in check with little difficulty. To break down this last stronghold, the guns of the V. and XI. corps, which had now come forward to the captured ridge of Elsasshausen, took the village as their target; and the great crowd of infantry, now flushed with victory but in the direst confusion, encouraged by the example of two horse artillery batteries which galloped boldly forward to case-shot range, delivered one final rush which swept all resistance before it.
The battle was won and cavalry only were needed to reap its consequences, but the Prussian cavalry division had been left behind without orders and did not reach the battlefield till late at night. The divisional cavalry squadrons did their best, but each pursued on its own account, and the results in prisoners and guns fell far short of what the opportunity offered. Under cover of darkness the French escaped, and on the following day the cavalry division was quite unable to discover the direction of the retreat.
MacMahon received no support from the neighbouring French troops (see Franco-German War). The battle was won by overpowering weight of numbers. The Prussian general staff were able to direct upon the field no fewer than 75,000 infantry, 6000 cavalry, and 300 guns, of which 71,000 rifles, 4250 sabres and 234 guns came into action, against 32,000 rifles, 4850 sabres and 101 guns on the French side. The superiority of the French chassepot to the needle guns may reasonably be set against the superior number of rifles on the German side, for though the Germans were generally, thanks to their numbers, able to bring a converging fire upon the French, the latter made nearly double the number of hits for about the same weight of ammunition fired, but the French had nothing to oppose to the superior German artillery, and in almost every instance it was the terrible shell fire which broke up the French counter attack. All of these attacks were in the highest degree honourable to the French army, and many came nearer to imperilling the ultimate success of the Germans than is generally supposed. One other point deserves special attention. As soon as the fighting became general, all order in the skirmisher lines disappeared on both sides, and invariably, except where the Prussian artillery fire intervened, it was the appearance of closed bodies of troops in rear of the fighting line which determined the retreat of their opponents. Even in the confused fighting in the Niederwald, the mere sound of the Prussian drums or the French bugles induced the adversary to give way even though drums and bugles frequently appealed to nonexistent troops.
The losses of the Germans were 9270 killed and wounded and 1370 missing, or 13%; those of the French were about 8000 killed and wounded, and perhaps 12,000 missing, and prisoners, representing a total loss of about 41%. Some French regiments retained a semblance of discipline after suffering enormous losses. The 2nd Turcos lost 93%, 13th hussars 87%, and thirteen regiments in all lost over 50% of their strength.
See the French and Germail official histories of the war; H. Bonnal, Fröschweiler (1899); H. Kunz, Schlacht von Wörth (1891) and Kriegsgesch. Beispiele, Nos. 13–18; R. Tournès, De Gunstett au Niederwald and Le Calvaire; and Commandant Grange, "Les Réalités du champ de bataille," Revue d'infantrie (1908–1910). (F. N. M.)
WORTHING, a municipal borough and seaside resort in the Lewes parliamentary division of Sussex, England, 61 m. S. by W. from London by the London, Brighton & South Coast railway. Pop. (1901) 20,015. It has a fine marine parade, and a promenade pier, and there is a long range of firm sands. A public park, 21 acres in extent, was opened in 1881. The principal buildings are several modern churches, the town hall (1834), municipal buildings, free library, literary institute, infirmary and convalescent homes. The mother parish of Worthing is Broadwater, the church of which, 1 m. north of Worthing, is a cruciform building, and a fine example of transitional Norman work. A Roman villa, evidence of the existence of pottery works, and a so-called mile-stone, have been discovered at Worthing. The town was incorporated in 1890, and is under a mayor, 8 aldermen and 24 councillors. Area, 1439 acres.
WOTTON, SIR HENRY (1568-1639), English author and diplomatist, son of Thomas Wotton (1521-1587) and grandnephew of the diplomatist Nicholas Wotton (q.v.), was born at Bocton Hall in the parish of Bocton or Boughton Malherbe, Kent.[1] He was educated at Winchester School and at New College, Oxford, where he matriculated on the 5th of June 1584. Two years later he removed to Queen's College, graduating B.A . in 1588. At Oxford he was the friend of Albericus Gentilis, then professor of Civil Law, and of John Donne. During his residence at Queen's he wrote a play, Tancredo, which has not survived, but his chief interests appear to have been scientific. In qualifying for his M.A. degree he read three lectures De oculo, and to the end of his life he continued to interest himself in physical experiments. His father, Thomas Wotton, died in 1587, leaving to his son the very inadequate maintenance of a hundred marks a year. About 1589 Wotton went abroad, with a view probably to preparation for a diplomatic career, and his travels appear to have lasted for about six years. At Altdorf he met Edward, Lord Zouch, to whom he later addressed a series of letters (1590-1503) which contain much political and other news. These (Relquiae Wottonianae, pp. 585 et seq. 1685) provide a record of the journey. He travelled by way of Vienna
- ↑ His elder half-brother, Edward Wotton (1548-1626), entered the service of Sir Francis Walsingham, and in 1585 was sent on an important errand to James VI. of Scotland. In 1602 he was made comptroller of the royal household, and in 1603 he was created Baron Wotton of Marley. The peerage became extinct on the death of his son Thomas, the 2nd baron (1588-1630).
