The Sun.
London, England, 1871-01-23 00:00:00

THE SORTIES FROM PARIS.

From Versailles, January 20, the special correspondent
of the Daily News at the headquaiters of the Crown
Prince of Prussia forwards the subjoined account of the
late sorties by special despatch :—The French made
very serious efforts yesterday to set themselves free
from the iron grip of the besiegers. Sorties were made
to the northward, of which we could see the smoke
and hear the constant cannonade ; whilst an attack
in force was made upon the lines before Mont Valt-
rien and kept up so obstinately that all Versailles was
astir. The alarm was sounded in the streets ; patrols of
cavalry rode to preserve order ; batteries o f artillery were
stationed in the Place d'Armes ; ambulance waggons
-might be seen getting ready to start ; and trains of
reserve ammunition were brought slowly along the muddy
roads. The Emperor, attended by a small escort,
drove from the town in the direction of St. Germain.
The Crown Prince set off the same way, and,
making a sweep to the eastward, passed along the rear of
the positions occupied by his troops. From an early hour
the sound of firing became more and more distinct. Can-
non and musketry were busily plied between Mont Vald-
rien and Beaugival over the whole plateau between the
fortress and woods of La Celle, St. Cloud, and down
towards the Seine. Upon the hill sides east of Garches
a body of some 18,000 or 20,000 Frenchmen had
been brought out from Mont Valerien against the 10th
Prussian Division and the battalions of Landwehr Guard,
who held them in check. Other Frenchmen, hurled at
Montretout, captured the position with considerable loss.
They were unable, however, to get any further, as the
Jagers, who had been temporarily pushed back, fought
obstinately behind every stump and stock until
strong reinforcements arrived, and the ground was
then regained. The sortie from Valdrien terminated
by each side being in its previous position. I hear high
praise bestowed upon the dash with which the Jagers led
the recapture of Montretout. The French are said to
have lost many prisoners.

The correspondent of the army with the Crown Prince
of Saxony writes :

MARGENCY, January 20 (Morning).

Yesterday there was long and heavy firing all
round the circle from St. Cloud to Chatou, the
strongest effort on the part of the French being
towards Bongival ; and an attempt to turn the St.
Cloud batteries on their right flank. The French
deployed from behind both flanks of Mont Valerien, the
northern deployment being from Courbevoie, and behind
Nanterre, with rendezvous behind the barrack in the rear
of Rueil ; the attack thence heading south-west towards
Bougival, with a demonstration towards .Chatou.
The Maas army was only engaged as regards
the artillery division of the 4th Army Corps,
which, coming from Sannois, took up commanding
ground between Bezons and Chatou ; and did excellent
service in enfilading the French march from Courbevoie
and Nanterre toward Rueil. The fighting lasted till near
sundown, and ended in the repulse of the French at all
points with considerable loss. The batteries of Mont
Valerien, Courbevoie, and Nanterre fired warmly
and continuously to cover the French attack.
There were diversions also to Ville Evrart, Bezons,
and Argenteuil ; but these made no head. La Briche
fired a good deal this afternoon in the direction of
Enghien. A delay has arisen in the commencement of
further siege operations in this district from the occupa-
tion of the railway plant in the conveyance to St. Quentin
of the 16th brigade belonging to the 4th Army Corps, and
consisting of the 66th and 87th regiments. This brigade has
been spared to strengthen Von Goben. The following is the
existing defensive armament the French have on the
eastern side to cope with the German batteries. In Fort
Rosny one battery of 24 pounders. Fort Noisy ditto;
Redoubt de la Bossibre one battery of 48 pounders, with
six yards between each gun, and a continuation towards
the north, with a battery of new long 7 pounders, which
carry 7,000 paces. This information is supplied by
officers charged with observation duty.

MARGENCY, January 20 (Evening.)

In yesterday's sortie the 4th Army Corps Artillery lost
four men and six horses. The French sent out an
armour-plated train on the St. Germain's Railway, be-
yond Nanterre, consisting of two carriages, each carry-
ing a long swivel gun. The locomotive was also armour-
clad. The armament of Fort la Briche consists of 40
guns in all, only 12 of which are heavy and of long range.
The garrison seeming vaguely to anticipate the
bombardment which commences to-morrow have been in-
dustriously constructing traverses ; earthing over oas9-
mates ; and narrowing the embrasures. General Troche
commanded the sortie of yesterday, and has entrusted the
interim governorship of Paris to General le Flo. In con-
sequence of Von Goeben's success at St. Quentin yester-
day, on regiment of the 16th brigade, lately sent thither to
strengthen him, returns to-night; the other returns to-
morrow.

The Law Times, viewing the question in its legal
bearings, can come to no other conclusion than that Miss
Garrett will, by marriage, render her seat at the London
School Board vacant, and that no married woman Is
either capable, if elected whilst single, of continuing a mem-
ber, or of being elected a member after. marriage, of any
school board.

The Civilian is informed that one of the gentle-
men who lately belonged to the suppressed Account
Branch of the IVar Office, and whose zeal or supposed
opposition to Lord Northbrook and his schemes brought
his name prominently before the authorities some months
ago, is likely to test In a court of law the validity of the
proceedings that eventuated in his retirement.

THE DIAMOND FIELDS.—The following is from a
new contemporary, the Diamond Field of the 27th of
October :—" A capital story has been brought in. A
sweet-locLing Koranna girl went out on the Pniel side,
dipping up from the claim of a party in a
bucket, and gJing down to the river and washing it for
her own advantage. There was only one white man in
charge of the party, and he a smart young Englishman.
He was too gallant to drive away a girl, although she
did not belong to his own fair race. He allowed the girl
to go on taking up ground from the surface and washing
it. At last she laughed and threw her hands about, and
laughed heartily. Our friend the Englishman rushed over
to see what the matter was, when he found that she had
picked up a diamond, and a beauty too. The gentleman
did the proper thing :he made her an offer on the spot.
He is of first-rate family, and vows that he will introduce
his wife to his family :as an African Princess of great dis-
tinction."