1 THE DAILY EVENING TELEGRAPH PHILADELPHIA, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER G, 1870.. rVaplon the Third. lCnHutd from tkt FlrH tf.) Ring William left Ems m soon as intelligence of the declaration of war by France reached him through the agency of the public press, his journey to Berlin being one continued ovation, and his arrival at the capital the occasion of a reception which, for wild, bewildering enthusi asm, is without a parallel In hit tory. It was not, however, until the 19th of July that the Fru?sian Government was formally apprived of the action of France. On that day the following document the Jirnt official loeu' tnent received from France since the rise of the Hohenzollern Imbroglio was presented by M. Le Bonrd, the French Charge d'AfUlres: The undersigned, Charge d" Affaires of France, hat the honor, in conformity with tlie orders he has re ceived from his Government, to bring the following communication to the knowledge of his Excellency the Minister of For-lgu Affairs of his Majesty the King of 1'russta. The Government of his Majesty the Emperor of the Freueh being unable to view the project of placing a I'russian prince on the .Spanish throne otherwise than as an nctloa directed against the security of the tcrrit Dries of , France, found itself obliged to demand of his Majesty tho King of Prussia assurance that snch a combination could not be realized with his consent. His Majesty having reinsert to give a ly such guar antee, and having, on the contrary, declared to the Ambassador rf his Majesty the Emperor of the French that he intends to reserve to himself for that eventuality, as for any other, the right to be guided by circumstances, the Imperial Government has been forced to see In this declaration of tne King an arrifre ptiwrt menacing In like manner to France and the European equilibrium. This decla ration Das been rendered worse bv the communica tion made to the different Cabinets of the King's re fusal to receive the Ambassador of the Emperor, and to enter into any further explanations with him. In consequencet hereof the French Government hs thought It its duty to take immediate steps for the defense of Its honor and its injured interests, and has resolved to adopt for this object all measnres which the situation In which it has been plaoed ren ders necessary. It considers itself from this moment D a state ol ar against lYussla. Oh the same day, July 19, the North German Parliament was convened at Berlin. Count von Bismarck at once formally announced the de claration of war by France an announcement which was greeted by the most vehement cheers. King William, who was received with frantic applause by the depntics, opened the session with a speech, In which, after reciting the alleged grievances of France and the action Of the Imperial Government, he said: The more the Confederate Governments are con scious of having done all our honor and dignity per mitted to preserve to Europe the blessings of peace, and the more Indubitable It shall appear to all minds that the sword has been thrust Into our hands, so much the more confidently shall we rely upon the united will of the German Governments, both of tke North and South, and upon yoar love of conn try, and so much the more confidently we shall light for our right against the violence of for. ign in vaders, Inasmuch as we pursue no other object than the durable establishment of peace In Europe. God will be with us, as He was with our fore fathers." In response to this address a reply was voted unanimously, in which the deputies said: "We place our trust In oar own old and heroic King, to whom Providence has granted that ho should In the eve of life bring to a close the war la which he fought in his youth. We place our trust finally In God, who will sureiy punish the wicked audacity of the Invader. The German peo ple will attain its unity on the field of battle, in which are also at stake the honor, freedom, and peace of Earope, and the welfare of Its people." This was followed by the voting of a loan of 130,000,000 thalers unanimously amidst the wildest enthusiasm, and the enactment of measures for vigorous resistance to the invaders. Not only the States of the North German Con federation came to the hearty support of the King, but Bavaria, through her sovereign, sent "a joyful echo," and, in common with Wurtcm burg, Baden, and Hesso-Darinstadt, the other South German Slates, who were allied to the Confederation only by military treaties, took up the cause of Prussia as the cause of the universal German Fatherland and their own. Tho Issue was fully and finally joined. The Course of Foreign Powers The powers of Europe who were not parties to the quarrel, as a matter of course attempted to avert the calamity of war. Great Britain was especially active in efforts at bringing about an 1 amicable solution of the difficulty, and her Min isters at Paris and Berlin were kept basy in con sultations with tho governments of France and Prussia, and with the representatives of other powers. But an amicable eolation was out of the question from the first, aud on the 25th of July developments ere made which rendered such a solution still farther removed from tho sphere of possibility. These developments were the publication by the London Times of the projoct of a treaty which it was alleged that France submitted to Prussia subsequent to the war of 1800. In this treaty it was stipulated that Napoleon should acquiesce in the territorial acquisitions made by Prussia In the war against Austria and her allies; that King William w ould facilitate the acquisi tion of Luxemburg by France; that Napoleon would not oppose a federal union of the South German States, except Austria, with the North German Confederation ; and that King William would aid Napoleon by force of arms in acquir ing and holding possession of Belgium, in case Napoleon should be led by circumstances to in vade or conquer that country. In conclusion, it provided for a general alliance, offensive and defensive, between the two nations. The publication of this projected scheme for the rectification of the boundary line between France and Prussia took all Europe by 6torm. England, especially, was thrown into consterna tion by It, and suspended her exertions in behalf of peace, to become the champion of Belgian neutrality and Independence. Explanations were demanded from both powers. Prussia re sponded by alleging that Count Benedettl, the French Ambassador, had proposed the terms of the treaty to Prussia, and that Prussia had in dignantly declined to entertain them. The fact that the original draft of the project, still pre served at Berlin, was in the handwriting of Benedettl, gave credit to this ex planation, and will doubtless sustain it before the Impartial tribunal of history. But France Insisted that the project had originated with Count vou Bismarck, at whose request Count Benedettl had reduced it to writing, and that the Emperor Napoleon had refused to sanction it in any way. This is about the sum and substance of the result which followed a long and tedious altercation and investigation, at the close of which public opinion, in England especially, settled down to the conclusion that Napoleon had, ever since the war of 1600, been intriguing with Prussia aud the other Conti nental powers for the extension of his frontiers at the expense of Belgium aud Luxemburg. Englr.nd therefore busied herself with negotia tions for the neutrality and independence of the Netherlands during the pending struggle, and In the meantime began to overhaul her arsenals and navy yards in view of the possible neces sity of a resort to arms on her part to maintain . the integrity of the Belgian bulwark. Fresh treaties stipulating the neutrality of Belgium in tho war were negotiated with both France and Prussia, and finally ratified on the 87th of August. Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts at bringing about a peaceful termination of the imbroglio wer n-Mtiued, but they utterly failed, and in the erd the great powers were forced to enter into an agreement to take no action looking to Intervention or mediation between the bellige rents without mutual notification. Nearly all the powers of Europe, at an early period, had formally announced their neutrality in the customary fashion, bat the sympathies of their people found open expression. Spain, glad to be out of the broil, preserved a masterly inactivity on the great issue, and turned her at tention to the suppression of fresh Carlist dis turbances. Italy was divided, and greatly agi tated by the prospect of an attempt to force her into an effective alliance with Napoloon, into which the Government could never have entered without the rtsk of civil war. The German ele ment of Austria gave its almost unanimous sym pathy to the cause of the Fatherland, while in tho non-German provinces of the Empire . the cause of France was equally fa vored. In this state of affairs, the Austrian Government wisely held aloof, and preserved a strict neutrality. Russia, too, was divided in sentiment, and content with the same course; while Denmark, at first all aflame for an alliance with France, at last cooled down, with out any compromise of her position. Tho mass of the English people, of course, sympathized with the cause of united Germany, but the shop keeping element defied the public sentiment, and drove the best bargains It could with both belligerents. The ample supplies which the French fleets received from England resulted in earnest protests from Prussia, and in tha im periling of the friendly relations between the two nations. Ireland, with her usual Impetuo sity, rushed into the arms of France, and blazed with bonfires and enthusiasm. Belgium, more nearly interested than any other neutral power, received the exertions made in her behalf with gratitude, and Bent her army to the frontier, to disarm every soldier of either hostile army who might venture on her soil. In the latter days of August and the opening of September, sho had enough to do in this line to keep her busy. The Ptreogth of the Combatants. While English dip lomats were making hercu lean efforts to avert the clash of arms, the hostile nations were marshalling their forces on the border. France was supremo on the sea; Prussia mustered the heaviest armament on land. From the immense mass of figures which have been published on the subject, we can gather that the German host approached in round numbers a million of men, when finally mus tered on a war footing. According to tin best authority, this force was made up as follows: Mm. ffunt. North German Held army 4(7.684 mi " ' garrisons 164,13tf 240 ' reserve 164,933 231 Total 766,905 1686 Bavarian contingent 117,43s $40 Wurtemberg S4,so 66 Baden " 30.2VO 64 Grand total 94,S13 2056 This was divided among the two great branches as follows: Infantry. Cavalry. North German Field army 394,S1 C8,tf9 " Garrisons 143,94 10,8i8 " " Reserves 148,944 16,991 Total 634,178 82,7i7 Bavarian Contingent lus.rss lo,8w0 W'urtemburg Contingent S0.S23 4,32 Baden Contingent 27,020 g,2S4 Grand total 849,099 101,223 The disposition made of this immense force at the outset of the struggle was as follows, In round numbers: The Army of the Centre, under Trlnce Frederick Charles, nephew of the King, 250,000 men and ceo nuns. The Army or the Left, under the Crown Prince Frederick William, SOO.OtM) men and 61 pans. The Array of the Klght, nnder General von Stein metz, 70,OH0 men and 200 guns. This gave a total of uoout 570,000 menjand over 1500 guns, ready to encounter the invading host of France. In addition, 108,000 men, under the command of the Duke of Mecklenburg, were stationed on the coast near the mouth of the Oder; 58,000, under the command of General von Falkenstein, near the mouth of the Elbe; and 50,000, under the command of General von Bitten feld, near Ems. The French army, on a peace footing, accord ing to a report of the Minister of War in 1809, amounted to an effective force of 831,230 men, while on a war footing it figured on paper, at the outbreak of the war, as follows: Staff 1.S41 Gendarmes 25,033 Infantry 15,937, Troops of the ad Cavalry 100,221! ministration 33.3C3 Artillery 68.132 Engineers 15,443' Total. 757,727 The army of reserve figured at 193,516 men, and tho Garde Mobile at 381,723 making a total under arms, or liable to be placed under arms, of 1,337,900. The artillery 6ummed up a total of 1362 field and siege guns. But at the end of June, 1870. the force actually under arms fell considerably under half a million there being in France 865,179 men; in Algeria, 63,925 men; and In Rome 5252 men, according to the paper exhibits, while of this total of 431,850, nearly 110,000 were at that time absent on leave. Taking the eetlmates altogether, after Napoleon had called to bis standard every man that was available for the time, and had properly garri soned the string of fortresses along the border, he could not and did not muster more than 400,000 men with which to assail the German host of nearly 600,000 which awaited him along the Rhine and the Saar. But on the sea, France, as already stated, was supreme. The following is a summary of her available fleet: flat. Ao. Uortt-Pitwar. Gun: Iron-claas 62 2-s,l5o Cii rSerew steamers 24 tSVi 1,647 Paddle-wheel steamers.... 62 8,060 14 Sailing vessels 113 .... 672 Total 401 92,627 3045 This formidable fleet was manned, on a peace footing, by 2218 officers and 39,346 sailors, the whole number being swelled by the men of all grades and in all capacities attached to the ser vice to 74,403. On a war footing, this force could be raised to a total of 170,000. The fleet of North Germany, in startling con trast with the above, showed the following sum mary : ffn. 1 9 27 'f-l'H'tr, 5,150 8,'JOO 2,420 (UM. lttt 200 71 247 ron-clad screw steamers. Frigates and corvettes.... Gou boats Balling vessels. &9 Total.... 102 10,7 J0 620 This fleet was manned by 216 oflicersand about 3500 seamen and boys. To show the disparity between the naval armaments of the two powers, we give the fol lowing table of the totals embraced in the above exposition: Frantr. Korth Germany. Vessels 401 Wi, Horse-power 99.627 10,710 Uuna 8.018 620 In view of this inequality, King William at tempted nothing on the ocean, but prepared to strike heavy and rapid blows on land. The Imperial Advance to the Border. Napoleon strained every nerve to strike the Prussians hefore they were fully prepared to ward oft his Mows. Aid he announced th:t he world hiutK'lf lead bis annv la It victorious march on Berlin. ' On the 83d of July he pub lished a proclamation to the people of France, tn which he udd: "The glorious nag of France, which we one more ortfutl la the faoe of our challengers, Is the same which has borne over Europe the civilizing Ideas of our great KevolaMon. It represents the same principles, It will inspire the same devotion. "Frenchmen, I go to plaot myself at the head of that gallant army which Is animated by a love of country and devotion to duty. That army knows Its worth, for It has set-u victory follow Its footsteps in the four quarters of the globe. I take with me my son. Dtspttebls tender years, he knows the daty his name imposes upou him, and be Is proud to bear his part in the dangers of those who fight for our country. M ay God hlera our efforts I A great people, defending a juat cause, is Invincible." On the 27th of July, a decree was published, appointing the Empress Recent during the absence of the Emperor from the capital, and on the 28th Napoloon left St. Cloud for the front in a special train, accompanied by the "noble infant." At 4 o'clock on the afternoon of the same day, the Imperial party arrived at Metz, where the general headquarters were to be established; and on the 29th appeared a pro clamation in which Napoleon formally assumed the chief command. This document, which has now become one of the cariosities of history, read as follows: Boldiers: I come to take myotome at your head to defend the honor of the toU of oar country. You go to combat against one of the best armed of Euro pean countries; but other countries, as valiant as this, have not been aHlo.to resist your valor. It will be tne same to-day. The war whtca now commences will be long and hardly contested, for Its theatre will be places hedgd with obstacles and thick witn fortresses; but nothing Is bevond the persevering efforts of the soldiers of Africa, Italy, aud Mexlc Vou will prove once more what the Kronen army Is able to accomplish, animated by a sentiment of dutv, matn'alned b discipline, Influenced by love of country. Whatever road we may take across our frontiers we will find upon It glorious traces of our fathers, and we will show ourselves worthy of them. All France follows you with ardent prayers, and the eyes of the universe are upon you. ipon our success depends the fate of liberty and civilization. Soldiers let each one do his duty, and the G J of Battles will be with us. Napoi.kon. At the Ueneral Headquarters at Metz, July 23. 1870. Just five weeks to a day were suffered to elapse after the fulminalion of this burlesque upon the style of the great Napoleon, before its author threw his sword at the feet of King William and delivered himself up as a prisoner of war ! The work was accomplished with a rapidity that is paralleled only by the humiliation of Austria m 18G6. The First Disposition of the Hostile Armies. When Napoleon arrived at Metz, every thing was apparently in readiness for the opening of hostilities. The Emperor having taken the chief command, the general conduct of the campaign lu its details fell upon his Major General or Chief-of-staff, Marshal Le boeuf, who had vacated the War Ofllce tempo rarily to assume this position. Tho French line extended from Thionville, near the Luxemburg border, to Belfort, at the southern extremity of the Vosges, and directly oppposite Basel, In Switzerland, the entire frontier being thus covered. The northern or left wing of the French army, styled the army of the Moselle, was under the immediate command of Marshal Bazalne, and consisted of the 4th Corps, Gene ral Count Ladmirault, with headquarters at Thionville; the 2d Corps, General Frossard, witta headquarters at St. Avoid; and the 3d Corps, Marshal Bazalnc, with headquarters at Metz. The southern or left wing, styled the army of the Rhine, was under the immediate command of Marshal MacMahon, and consisted of the 5th Corps, General de Failly, with headquarters at Bitche; the 1st Corps, Marshal MacMahon, with headquarters at Strasburg, and the 7th Corps, General Felix Douay, with headquarters at Belfort. The 0th Corps aud the reserves were collected at the camp of Chalons, under the command of Mar shal Canrobert, who had been succeeded lu the command of Paris by Marshal Baraguay d'Hll liers. The German line extended from Treves, near the Luxemburg frontier, to the southern ex tremity of Baden. King William assumed the chief command in person, with General von Moltke as chief of staff in charge of the details of the campaign. Tin right, as already stated, was commanded by Genesal von Steinmetz, the centre by Prince Frederick Charles, and the left by the Crown Prince Frederick William, the greater portion of whose force was made up of the Bavarian and other South German contingents. King William did not assume the chief com mand until his arrival at Mayence, on the 3d of August. In doing so he issued the following proclamation to his armies: "All Germany stands united against a neighbor ing atate which has surprised us by declaring war without Justllieation. The safety of the fatherland Is threatened ; our honor and our heartna are at stake. To-day I assume command of the whole army. I advance cheerfully to a contest which in former tunes our fathers, under similar circum stances, fought gloriously. The whole Fatherland and myself rest confidently in you. The Lord God will be with our righteous cause." The Affair at Haarbruok. Meanwhile Paris had grown weary of singing the "Marseillaise," and clamored for an advance upon the enemy's lines. A few insignificant skirmishes bad taken place between small ad vanced bodies, but two weeks had been suffered to elapse without any serious demonstration. The Emperor, however, prepared to make a move as soon as he was fairly in the midst of his army. On the morning of Tuesday, August 2, three divisions, or about 80,000 men, were advanced across the frontier under the com mand of General Frossard. On the heights to the west of Saarbruck, just over the border, they encountered a small Prussian force, which was soon put to rout, with a loss of two officers and seventy men. The engagement began at 11 o'clock in the morning and terminated at 1 In the afternoon, tho artillery being the only branch of the army which was fairly employed in accom plishing this wonderful result. The affair was altogether too insignificant to be styled a battle, but the Emperor made the most of it. In ton pany with the Prince Imperial, he occupied a position from which they could see the smoke and hear the roar of the great guns, and after the imperial party had returned to Metz on the same day, the following delicious bulletin was forwarded to the Empress Regent: "Louis has received his baptism of fire. He was admirably cool and little impressed. A division of Frossard's command carried the heights overlooking the haar. The l'ruasians made a brief reslatanoe. lioaU and 1 were In front, where bullets fell about us. Louis keeps a ball he picked up. l'.h$ uUiUr tvrjit at km tranquillity. We lust an oiftVer aud ton men. Napolkon." The French plan of campaign contemplated fighting on German soil alone, and it was thus ludicrously Inaugurated. The "battle" of Saar bruck, however, was destined to be the last as well as the first engagement on Prussian soil. IThe Battle of Welsseobarc. Just on the frontier here, formed by the Lau- ter, is the town of Welssenburg, with 0000 in habitants. It is a station on the railroad from Strasburg. to Manhelm, and but partially forti fied, the lines having been abandoaed a few years ago, and an attempt to man them effec tively made only after hostilities were lnevtta ble. Ou the 3d of August, the day uftcr i'ros- sard's brlllaut achievement at Sitriruk, the army tI the Crown Prince was put in m tita toward Welssenburg. On the 4th, a division of 1 tho 1st French Corps, MacMahon's, nnder com- I roand of General Abel Douar, crossed the Lauter and advanced upon the Prussians. Douar had about 25,000 men; the Crown Prince at least 75,000. While an obstinate contest was rasing here, the 2d Bavarian Corps was moved to the rear of Welssenburg, and the French army was placed between two fires. General Dmay fell at the head of his troops, and after a des perate engagement Welssenburg was carried by storm, the French were completely routed, and the remnants of the shattered force compelled to fall back towards Hagenau. The slaughter on both sides was terrible, but it is impossible as j et to give details approximating even to the truth, or to state the number of prisoners taken by the Prussians. The Battle of Woerth. The brilliant victory at Wissnbirg was quickly followed up, before MacMahon could recover from its demoralizing effects. On the 5th the French commander, mustering his whole available force and being heavily rein forced from the surrounding corps, concen trated his army on the hills west of Woerth, a few miles relow the scene of his defeat on the previous day. On the evening of the same day the Prussian advance occupied the hills to the e-wt of the village, and at dawn of Saturday, the 6th, skirmishing began between the out posts. To describe in detail the battle which ensued Is impossible in the space at oar com mand. The French fought with despera tion, but they encountered foemen worthy of their steel and greatly superior in point of numbers. By 7 o'clock on the evening, MacMahon had been routed out-and-out, and was making the best of his way with his shattered army to the west. The earn ige on both sides was terrible, and 5000 un wounded pri soners, 30 guns, 6 mitrailleuses and 2 Imperial eagles were left in the hands of the victors. The completeness of the disaster which befell the French arms was alleged to have been the result of a blunder in telegraphing to General de Failly an order to move to the a?slst toce of MacMahon. lie was dirocted to move on Lem bach ; the tclegrapk as received, read Kausbach, and he went in an opposite direction. Advaare of tho (!wwi Prlneo towards Paris. The fortress of Hagenau, just to the south of the scene of the battle of Woerth, fell into the hands of tho Prussians, and the Wurtemburg and Baden divisions, nnder General Werdon, were detached from the Crown Prince's army to Invest and besiege Strasburg. With the remain der of his force, Frederick William at once fol lowed up the retreating Ercnch, whose move ment westward was n complete rout. MacMahon rushed pell-mell through Savcrno towards Nancy, where the bulk of his shattered army halted for few days. But on the 13th he abandoned Nancy, and, leavlne a garrison at the small fortress of Toul, twelve miles west, pushed back towards Paris until ho reached tho neighborhood of Chalons. The victorious Crown Prince followed him rapidly, destroying the railroad to Interrupt all possibility of communi cation with Metz by the main central route, and pushing his cavalry advance to within forty or fifty miles of the capital. The bulk of his army, however, advanced leisurely after the occupa tion of Nancy, and does not appear to have ad vanced beyond Bar-le-Duc and St. Dlzicr, thirty or forty miles east of Chalons, while awaiting developments to the north. The Brittle of Forbarh. Simultaneous with the advance of the Crown Prince upon Welssenburg and Woerth the Prus sian right, nnder General von Steinmetz, made a move from the line of the Saar. The advance commenced on the 5th, and on the 6th, the same day on which MacMahon was routed at Woerth, a terrific encounter took place near Forbach. Froseard's corps was strongly posted on the hills of Spicheren, to the west of Saarbruck, which he had abandoned. His new position was almost unassailable, but an Inferior force, al though the German army present on the field outnumbered the French, assaulted it gallantly; and Frossard was hurled backward upon Metz, the victorious Prussians capturing 3000 prisoners and following up the retreating French until they were within a few miles of the Moselle. At Forbach, as at Woerth and Welssenburg, the French troops fought with heroic despera tion, but the glaring incompetency of their leaders rendered their courage unavailing and the result of the three encounters was to drive them from their first defensive line, the Rhino and the Saar, through their second line, the Vosges, to the line of the Moselle. Tho Downfall of Olllvter. All Germany was thrown into a blaze of en thusiasm by these startling victories, and ail franco was overwhelmed with dismay. The news of the disasters reached Paris on the 7th, and that turbulent city was seized with a paroxysm of rage and defiance. The first and foremost object of condemnation was the minis try, through whose incompetency the people believed disaster had fallen upon the army. The Corps Leglelatif was called together on the 9th, and a terrible scene was enacted on the opening of the session. Vast multitudes of people sur rounded the hall wherein the Deputies assem bled, which was protected by a large force of regular troops under Marshal Baraguay d'Hil liers, the commander of Paris. These troops were greeted with derisive shouts of "To the frontier!" and a serious encounter between them and the people was barely averted. But the passions of the populace were soon gratified by the result of the proceedings within the hall. -When M. Ollivier ascended the tri bune, and announced that the deputies had been called together before the situation of the coun try was compromised, M. Jules Favre cried out, "Descend from the tribune; this is shameful !" Protestations of ability on the part of the Minis try to save the country were unavailing. M, Favre demanded that the Chamber should at once assume the , management of affairs through an executive committee of fifteen mem bers, a proposition which the President, M, Schneider, refused to entertain, because of its revolutionary and unconstitutional character, A terrible scene of disorder ensued in which there were several personal conflicts. Finally M. Ollivier made a stand by resisting the de maud for the order of the day, but it was carried in his fice, and after a short recess he announced the resignation of the Ministry and the selection by the Empress Regent of the Coant de Palikao as the bead of the new Cabinet. The new Premier selected tor himself the portfolio of War, and on the following day an nounced as the name of his colleagues the Prince de la Tour d'Auvergne, Foreign Affairs; Henri Cbevreau, Interior; Admiral Regault de Geuoullly, (the old incumbent, and the only member of the Ollivier Ministry retained), Marine; Pierre Magne, Finance; Jerome David, Public Works; Jules Brame, Public Instruction; M. Grand-Perret, Justice; Clement Duvernols, Agriculture and Commerce; and M. Bussqu-BU- lault, l'rc-lh.nt of the Council of State. The new Minhlry without exception, belonged t the i xtre ros Bonapartist party, the party which had been overthrown to make way for the so called "responsible" ministry at the head of which Ollivier had been placed. But from the outset they seemed to possess the confidence of tho peo ple, and they went to work with a will to repair the shattered fortunes of France. M. Magne, who had frequently been at the head of the Department of Finance before, and had been the instrument through which Napoleon had negotiated nearly all the loans of his reign, introduced and carried a measure for a new war loan of 2,500,000,000 francs, and Imperialists and Republicans vied with each other in advo cating measures for the placing of every able bodied Frenchman under arms. The Republi cans, lead by Favre, Gambetta, and Keratry, however, indulged in dally assaults npon the head of the Government, denouncing the Empe ror for meddling with the management of the army, and charging the majority with the re sponsibility of having entered npon a war for which the country was not prepared. Marshal Bazalne was placed in chief com mand of the army; Le Bumf, who, as previous Minister of War and subsequently Mijor-Ueoe-ral or Chief -of-8taff of the army, was justly held accountable in great part for the Prussian victories, was deposed; General Trochu, who had enjoyed a high reputation as a soldier, without having an opportunity to display his ability, was named as Le Bacuf's successor, but sent at first to the camp at Chalons to organize the new levies, and from that position called back to Paris, on August 17, as Military Gov ernor of the capital, in place of Marshal Bara guay d'lllllicrs; and throughout France, as well as in Paris, there was such an expression of de termination to repel the invader, that the entire nation appeared at last to have realized the magnitude of its peril and risen to an equality with the situation. The Battles Around Metz. Meanwhile the valley of the Moselle had be come the scene of stirring events. The Prussian right, as already stated, had followed the re treating French under Frossard after the battle of Forbach until they were cloco upon the Mo selle, in which threatening position they awaited the arrival of the Prussian centre, under Prince Frederick Charles. The latter, striking the Moselle near Pont-a-Mousson, crossed that stream on Sunday, August 14, with tho object of turning the French right and catting off com munications with MacMahon, who had, as already stated, abandoned Nancy on the 13th and hastened westward towards Chalons, closely followed by tho Prussian left under the Crown Prince. The abandonment of the line of the Moselle was the first thing determined upon by Bazalne after his Increased authority under the Palikao administration. On Sunday, August 14, he began the movement of his army across the Most lie, in the immediate vicinity of Metz, where he had collected it on the 12th. Before ho had accomplished his purpose, however, the lt aud 7i.h Prussian Corps of General von Stelnmetz's command fell upon his rear, and a serious engagement ensued, at the end of which the entire French army bad succeeded in effect ing the passage of the stream. But, while the Prusf ians suffered a loss quite out of propor tion to that Inflicted on the French, the west ward movement of the latter was materially de layed, and the first object of the Prussians practically accomplished. On Monday, the 15th, the army of General von Steinmetz having crossed the Moselle, tho hostile forces were engaged principally In manoeuvring for position; but there appears to have been two distinct and determined engage ments, and on the following day, the 10th, there was a protracted and bloody contest. The fighting was continued on the 17th, and the struggle for the possession of the roads from Metz to Verdun culminated on the 18th, in the great battle of Gravclotte. By this time the original positions of tho hostile armies were re versed, the Prussians facing east and the French west. Ihe final struggle lasted from 10 o'clock In the morning until 9 in the evening. It was the battle of Sadowa, fought over again. At the opening, the junction between Prince Frede rick Charles and General von Steinmetz had not been effected.' The French were between two fires, but that of Von Steinmetz did not be come effective until evening, when he swept down from the northeast, and, turning the right flank of the enemy, decided the fortunes of the field. Bazalne was thrown back on Metz, his communications with Paris were cut off, and the Crown Prince was left at liberty to pursue his advance towards the capital, without the danger of encountering any opposition other than could be presented by MacMahon's demo ralized force and the new levies that were bciug gathered at Chalons. Paris la Peril. From first to last, the engagements around Metz were claimed by the French as victories, but the only foundation for this claim consisted la the alleged fact that the Prussians lost the greater number of men In killed and wounded, the truth of which it is impossible, even at this late day, to ascertain. The attempt of Bazalne to transfer his army from the neighborhood of Metz, however, was certainly foiled; and while a portion of the united armies of Prince Frede rick Charles and General von Steinmetz was detached to watch the French, the remainder were pushed forward towards the still ad vancing army of the Crown Prince. By the time that General Trochu assumed command of Paris, the capital was fairly per suaded that a siege was inevitable, and every nerve was strained to prepare a determined and desperate reception for the enemy, in case they should advance to the gates of the capital. As already sUted, this contingency appeared im minent, for parties of Prussian cavalry ap proached to within 40 or 50 miles of Paris, and at one time the eastern terminus of the railroad to' Chalons and Rheims was fixed at Chateau Thierry, but 45 miles from the capital and only half the distance to Chalons. General Trochu assumed the comma ud of Paris in a proclama tion Issued on August ISth, and the preparations for defense were steadily pressed forward. Laborers by the thousands swarmed upon the for tifications, 3000 cannon, according to the French reports, were mounted upon the walls and ex terior forts, manned by 15,000 well-trained can noniers. taken for the most part from the navy; a motley at my of 200,000 men, in which the regular element numbered scarcely 20,000, was assembled in and around the city; portions of the Bois de Boulogne and Boit de Vincennes were destroyed, to give the artillery an unimpeded command of the approaches, a large number of houses in proximity to the fortifications being demolished for the same purpose; immense quantities of provisions were stored in the city, and hordes of beeves, sheep and swine collected; the country in front of the advancing Prussians was ordered to be laid waste, and the lrUln-s I over the streams to be destroyed on their approach. The general management of these prrpara tions was entrusted to a Committee of Defense, on which were General Troch a. Marshal Vaillai.t, Admiral Rlganlt de Genonllly, Minister Jernme David. On the 231 of August, the membora of the party of the Left demanded that nine depu ties be added to this committee. The Ministry at first resisted this demand, but on tha 20tb, Count Napoleon Daru. who had preceded tha Duke de Gramont as Minister of Foreign Affairs under M. Ollivier, and two Senators were added, and on the 27th It was still further strengthened by the name of the veteran Orleanlst M. Thler, to the general satisfaction of people of all parties. MftrMahea'a Effort to Keseue Bazalne. Paris being thus occupied in preparations tn take care of herself, MacMahon halted in bia retreat at Chalons, and made a venture from that point towards Mezicres with the intention of effecting a junction with Bazalne. The camm at Chalons was broken up on the 22d of August, J ana ournoa on mo z-tD, a portion of the nm levies departing for the front with MacMahon, while the Garde Mobile of Farie, In which sign of Insubordination were manifest, were marched back to the capital immediately after the de parture of Trochu. The army of MacMahon bad been spread out in front of Chalons and Rbeims for some days, but was finally concen trated in a general movement towards the) northeast, tho headquarters reaching Relhel, midway between Rheims and Mezicres, on August 25. While these movements were under way to the west of the Mcuse, Bazaine himself was re peatedly reported as having broken through tha 1 Frussian Hues around Metz, and succeeded la reopening his communications with MacMahon and Paris. A small portion of his army, wh ch had been cut off from the main body during the prolonged scries of engagements around Me:z, apparently succeeded in accomplishing this ob ject, but tho escaping force was an Inconsidera ble one, if it had any existence at ail, and Bazaine remained shut up under the guns of Metz until the final blow fell upon MacMahon at Sedan. From the morning of August 31t, until noon on the following day, Bazalne appears to have made a last desperate attempt at piercing the Prussian lines, but a portion of Prince Frede rick Charles' army, uuder General von Manteuf fel, successfully resisted the attempt, and he was again hurled back upon the fortress of Met, the engagement, which was severe as well as protracted, being styled the battle of Noiseville The Plaal Blow at Hedno. The general headquarters of the army of the Crown Prince, and probably the bulk of hU force, advanced no further than Bar-le-Duc, but Frederick William himself is reported to have slept at Chalons on the night of August 27, his advance being then at a point about ten milei further west and eighty miles from Paris. But at that time , the movement of MacMahon to wards Mezieres was fully developed, and the army of the Crown Prince was turned to the right to follow him up, while the de tached portion of the Prussian army around Metz was pushed towards the northwest, to intercept the French, advance. As soon as MacMahon had collected his forces in the neighborhood of Relhel, he began a movement directly cast towards Mont medy, and daily conflicts between detached portions of the hostile armies occurred, with nlmo?t unvarying success on the Prussian side. By the 30th of August, the whole French army was fairly in motion In tho direction of Mont mcdy, and on that day there was a fierce en counter with tho Prussians at Beaumont, about fourteen miles west of Montmcdy, in which the corps of General de Failly was severely han dled. The French were driven to the northwest upon Sedan, where the conflict becamo general on the 81st of August, aud continued into the 1st of September. On iho last day of August, It would seem that the Prussians suff ered severely, but when the final struggle cume on Thursday, the 1st of September, they mustered 240,000 men, while MacMahon hud at the outside not more than 120,000. Although severely wounded, he still retained the chief command, the Ger man forces being under the immediate direction of General von Moltke, with the Crown Prlnc? Frederick William of Prussia and the Crown Prince Albert of Saxony next in command. The corps of the Prussian commander were posted to the left, those of the Saxon to tho right of the French position. The plan of attack was to effect a junction between the two, and thereby enclose the enemy in a semicircle. This ' object was fully accomplished by noon, and by 3 o'clock the battlo had been transformed iuto a rout, with the French in full flight. The Capitulation of ITIacftlithon. Darkness put an end to the pursuit, and on the ensuing day, September 2, the Prussians prepared to assault Sedan, by which the French, retreat was protected. But it was not neces sary. At noon, General Wimpffen, who had succeeded the disabled hero of Magenta lu com mand, left Sedan with a flag of truce, and at half-past 1 o'clock the fortress and the rem nants of MacMahon's army were formally and unconditionally surrendered. When MacMahon went into the engagement on the morning of September 1st, he had under his com mand, as already stated, about 120,000 men. The number who were placed hors de combat during the fight it is Impos sible as yet to ascertain, and it is equally im possible to estimate with accuracy the number that became prisoners of war through the cere mony of capitulation. The Iiukpemlance Beige of Brussels places the number of French la Sedan at the time of its capitulation at 70,000, and states that on the 4th 15,000 more surren dered, while 30,000 took refuge upon the neutral soil of Belgium. But this much Is certain, that the victory of Bed in, followed, as It was, by the capitulation of the entire French army, was one of the most brilliant on record. After all was over, the Crown Prince resumed his triumphant march on Paris. The Surrender of Napoleon. But it was accompanied by a circumstance which imparted to it additional lustre aud im portance. The Emperor Napoleon, af :er th , vicissitudes narrated by us yesterday, had arrived at Sedan on the 27th of August. Ac cording to some reports, the Prince Imperial i bad preceded him thither, while others state 1 that he made bis escape into Belgium. General Wimpffen bore with him a letter to King Wil liam from the Emperor, of which two or three versions have been published, th e Paris Gaulois giving the following as its exact text: "Having no command in the army, and having1 p!&'d all iuv authority in tha haruls of the Em press as Uepent, 1 herewith surreuiier my sword to me Kiug oi Prussia." While, according to other reports, the docu ment ran thus: "As I cannot die at the head of my army, I lay mi aword at the feel ol jour Majesty." Butbe surrendered, and at an interview witn Kim William, who had accompanied the army , i t! e Cnwn Prime in its march to the north irW.MMilou It 11 h i fVtft I, 4
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