When Bazaine, at three o’clock, received word that the Germans were extending the line to enclose his right wing, he ordered Picard’s Division of the Grenadier Guards, posted at Plappeville, to advance to the scene of action.  Though the distance was no more than a mile through the wooded valley on the right of the highway, his all-important reinforcement had not yet arrived at seven o’clock, and Marshal Canrobert, who was hardly able, by the most strenuous efforts, to check the advance of the Prussians, decided to rally his troops closer to the fortified town of St.-Privat.  The retreat from Roncourt was to be covered by a small rearguard, as the border of the Bois de Jaumont was to be held.

Thus it happened that the Saxons found less resistance at Roncourt than they expected, and entered the town after a short struggle, together with the companies of the extreme left of the Guards; part of them had previously been diverted from the road to Roncourt to assist the Guards, and marched direct on St.-Privat.  There terrible havoc was worked by the twenty-four batteries of the two German Corps.  Many houses were in flames, or falling in ruins under the shower of shell.  But the French were determined to defend this point, where the fate of the day was to be decided, to the last.  The batteries belonging to their right wing were placed between St.-Privat and the Bois de Jaumont, that is, on the flank of the advancing Saxons.  Others faced the Prussians from the south, and as the German columns came on side by side they were received by a shower of bullets from the French rifles.

[Illustration:  THE CAPITULATION OF SEDAN ANTON VON WERNER]

All these obstacles were defied in the onward rush, though again under heavy losses, some stopping here and there to fire a volley, others again never firing a shot.  By sundown they stood within 300 paces of St.-Privat.  Some detachments of the Xth Corps, who were on the road to St.-Ail, now joined them, and the final onset was made from every side at once.  The French still defended the burning houses and the church with great obstinacy, till, finding themselves completely surrounded, they surrendered at about eight o’clock.  More than 2,000 men were taken prisoners, and the wounded were rescued from the burning houses.

The defeated remnant of the IVth French Corps retired towards the valley of the Moselle, their retreat being covered by the brigade occupying the Bois de Jaumont and by the cavalry.

Only at that period did the Grenadier Guards put in an appearance, drawing up the artillery reserves east of Amanvillers.  The German batteries at once took up the fight, which lasted till late in the night, and Amanvillers also was left burning.

Here the retirement of the IVth French Corps had already commenced, screened by repeated severe onslaughts; the right wing of the Guards and the left of the IXth Corps had a lively hand-to-hand encounter with the enemy.  Still the town remained in the hands of the French for the night.  Their IIId Corps maintained their position at Moscow until three o’clock, and the IId until five o’clock in the morning, though engaged in constant frays with the outposts of the Pomeranian Division, who eventually took possession of the plateaus of Moscow and Point-du-Jour.