The Sun.
London, England, 1871-01-12 00:00:00

1885 891 89j

filE SUN, LON DON, TRURSD NN , JANUARY 12, 1871.

THE WA IZ.

I'IIE GARIBALDIANS IN THE SOUTH.
LYONS, January 7.
The three corps of Bourbaki, Bressolles, and Garibaldi
are acting in concert against General der Werder on the
Saone and in the Vosges. General Werder has been f
forced to fall back on Vesoul, h-nperatively or
reinforcements. This appeal has been answered by
detach-
ments from Langres and Alsace, and others are coming. A
letter from St. Louis says that long convoys of troops are
daily passing through Alsace. Ninety-five trains, each
bearing two companies, or 500 men, with waggons and
transport carriages, have passed without interruption
towards Belfort. Some fifty thousand troops have passed
in this manner. The Baden journals declare that Werder
will have 80,000 men under Lim at the first encounte..,
They estimate the French army at 800,000, and consider
the cops between Besancon and Vesoul, at 20,000 men.
Several corps of mobiles have left Lyons with the artil-
lery of the 2nd Legion, which comprises six steel
breechloading cannon of the Armstrong kind. They were
purchased in England, and are supplied with projectiles
of dynamite. Lyons still ceutinues its effortfrom the
s for the
national defence. A number of volunteers
regiments in the East have been incorporated
with the Free Companies under Garibaldi. His
corps d'armee only includes about 2,000 Italians,
some being left with Frappoli. The latter has fresh con-
tingents every day. In one day last week 500 volunteers
joined him from Isere. Many of these belonged
to the detachments just arrived from Egypt and
Constantinople. A marching region from the Cote d'Or
is to be organized in Lyons. Great numbers of the
Mobiles of that department come into the town since the
Prussians evacuated it. The whole of the south of France
is covered with snow, and the cold hairhred a
in point
not seen for half a century. The freezes

casks.
At Avignon, aubsciiptions have been raised for the
Garibaldian Legion, and one of the citizens who has been
prominent in collecting them, has received from Milan
the following notice, which is to be sent also to the Italian
papers : "It is from hatred of General Garibaldi that some
influential persons have energetically endeavoured
to obtain for Colonel Frappoli the commission
and the means to form a corps of Italian
volunteers from the Government of National De-
fence. The volunteers who arrive in France
are detained in Lyons, and are almost compelled to join
Frappoli's corps, Agents are dispersed throughout the
towns calumniating the Garibaldians. We consider it
our duty to inform our fraternal Italian societies
so that they may know the intrigues which by a blind am-
bition, and in order to propitiate the Italian Government
aim at tarnishing the honour of the Garibaldian name in
France." This notice spews that there are divisions in
the Italian military emigration which the French have
reason to regret. Avignon, however, is faithful to Gari-
baldi. Colenel Bordone has written a letter to one
of the Marseilles journals, repelling the insinuations
directed against the Garibaldian corps, and setting forth
the services it has already rendered. He cautions the
public against confounding the brave soldiers who
fight by the side of Garibaldi with the malefactors
or cowards whom he has driven from his army. Some
Freeshooters of the 2nd Company of Vancluse having
deserted their flag and their comrades under Prussian fire
at Autun, the commandant has sent their names to the
Prefect, and has desired that they may be placarded in
the town. " They must not (says the commandant) be
allowed to disgrace a company which has never yet re-
treated before the enemy." The signature of Menotti
Garibaldi endorses the commandant's letter. The cowards
are, however, to ba brought before a court martial.

NOTES FROM LILLE.
LILLE, January 9th.
What many people took to be a retreat of the German
troops towards Vervins and St. Quentin WM merely a
concentrating movement, carried out by the express orders
of Manteuffel, who wished to collect his forces together
for a grand coup. The German General is anxious to
adopt every means in his power to restore
the confidence of his army and retrieve his own
reputation which has been tarnished, it is thought, by the
two last engagements. The German army is between
Bapaume and Cambray, and has so arranged its position
that, in the event of defeat, it can retire on Laon or
Amiens, while, if successful, it can march forward and
rejoin Beuthein in Normandy.
The army of Faidherbe has not changed its position since
the day after the battle of Bapaune. One or other of the
bellgetenta will shortly be compelled to assume the offen-
sive, and it is probable that Faidherbe will be the one to
make the first move. The two armies are not exactly
opposite each other. That of Manteuffel is to the south-
east of Faidherbe's. In awaiting the signal to
commence the grand struggle, the out posts which
touch each other are engaged Sn skirmishes. The
most important of these affairs resulted yesterday in the
capture of some fifty IJhlans, who were surprised at a
farm by a party of Lille volunteers. It has been found
impossible to obtain any news respecting the state of
Peronne—whether the bombardment is over, or the town

has' capitulated or not.
Some excitement was produced here yesterday by the
mistake of the International journal in substituting the
name of Rosny for that of Rocroy. The rumour was
spread that the fort of Rosny had fallen into. the hands of
the Prussians, and great was the indignation that prevailed.
If has been remarked as worthy of notice that the day
after the battle of Amiens, General Manteuffel informed
his Government that the Army of the North was com-
pletely destroyed, and that he was pursuing the debris.
Scarcely a month afterwards the same .Manteuffel
left Normandy in haste to give battle to this same
Army of the North. This battle was at most indecisive.
Notwithstanding, General Manteuffel loudly proclaimed
the second destruction of the Army of the North. On
the 2nd of January the victory seemed doubtful at first,
but the next day the Germans were at last dis-
lodged from their positions, and they only
retained Bapaume through the consideration of the French,
who were unwilling to destroy the town. Yet Man-
teuffel persisted in his telegrams in defeating Faidherhe,
as the latter defeated him on the field, and accordingly
the public heard of the third destruction of the Army of
the North. That army is tho while quite prepared to
take part in new engagements, and provo to General
A Manteuffel how greatly he is mistaken.
td

THE SURRENDER OF ROOROY.
Rocroy did not, it seems, surrender without a struggle,
as the German accounts implied, but only after suffering
a heavy bombardment and part of the town being fired.
The attack was a coup de main, which proves yet once more
with what precision, and yet what energy, the German
operations are carried on. Rocroy, after the capture of
Mhibres, expected an attack, but it was thought there
would be considerable delay in bringing up
siege artillery through broken roads, snow, and
frost. However, one morning, the population
awoke to find the place surrounded by IThlans.
About ten o'clock a parlementaire appeared, and summoned
the place to surrender, declaring that if the capitulation
did not take place at noon precisely the town should be
bombarded. The commandant of Rocroy, scarcely
believing in the possession of siege batteries
by the enemy, refused, and the enemy with-
drew. The fog was so thick that there was
no indication of the enemy's approach. The troosp
composing the defence were only some 160 mobiles, and
120 artillerymen and engineers. '1 he cannon were all old,
and belonging to the old system. At the first stroke of
midday a report was heard, and a bombshell
came hissing over Rocroy. Fifty-two German cannon
were in battery a distance of five or six kilometres, and
opened a terrible fire. Fifty-two others of a longer range
were in the rear, and all were accompanied by from
8,000 to 10,000 men. Rocroy had only four
cannon, and these could hardly be used. At the
first shell the Mobiles scaled the ramparts furthest from
the firing, and escaped in all directions. The twelve
ethers stood their ground for five hours and a half, during
which time the firing dicl not relax, and more than 2,000
projectiles were poured into the town. Fire broke out in
several places, and ten houses were in flames. The
four French pieces fired 500 shots, but as they could
not even see the enemy's batteries their shots
went wide of the marl .Their powder magazine
was so much injured that an exPlosion was imminent. At
half-pa.st five another pariementaire advanced and said it
-was useless to prolong a, resistance whip time Germans
considered so valiant that they had, contrary to usage,
sent a second envoy. The town was burning without
the possibility of succour, and the commandant therefore
signed the capitulation. The Germans entered and ex-
tinguished the flames, which, owing to the high wind,
threatened to destroy the town. Half of the 120 men
managed to escape. The others were sent to Germany
with the officers. The town is a melancholy sight, but as
- usual the fortifications are not injured.
n has

THE CLUBS OF PARIS.
Great excitement was produced at the Club of the Rue
d'Arrs, at Varis, in consequence of the discussion which
took place on the colleption of wood which was being
made in all directions. The speeches wen) characteristic.

One speaker said he had lighted his fire with an old door,
and the owner of the door was greedy enough to claim
fourteen francs for it. He had offered to give back the
pieces which were not burnt, but he refused the
bargain. Great indignation was caused by this statement,
and various communications were made with respect to
the steps taken by Government to secure sufficient sup-
plies of wood. One of the speakers expressed a hope that
the results of this undertaking would put a stop to acts of
violence, but another speaker declared that snch
acts were rendered necessary by the state, of things
and that if the people had not demolished some barracks
and torn down trees the Government would not have
troubled themselves to procure them wood. That which
had been done to-day for wood should have been resorted
to long ago to procure subsistence. Those persons at the
Hotel de Ville must be urged forwards, if they are to act,
for they think of no one and of nothing but themselves.
With respect to the question of rent it was idle to expect
them to pay the landlords half the money
they claimed they owed them nothing, in fact, they had
been the accomplices of Bonaparte, and it they persisted
in their demands the best thing to do would be to hang
them. A citizen made some remarks on the subject of
the ambulances, and declared that Jules Ferry
had ordered the litter bearers to put the officers
into the carriages and to leave the soldiers in the
field so as not to overcrowd the ambulances.
The same speaker said that when he went to the Hotel de
Ville on the thirty-first of October to obtain the liberation
of the prisoners, he was greatly ill-treated. As for Jules
Favre and Jules Ferry, they behaved with the greatest
cowardice, and jumped on the roof like cats to get out of
the way of the patriotic demonstration. A police agent
who was present complained of these statements, but was
vehemently silenced, one speaker declaring that he re-
membered him in 1848, when he had been selling his
brothers. In vain the agent trird to explain— he was
turned out with the greatest empressement.