The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-26 00:00:00

SIEGE OF STRASBOURG.

A letter in the Daily Telegraph, dated August 19th.
from the Prussian head-quarters at Munholsheim, says :
I have been under fire to-day for over two hours, and
have had altogether a rather hot time of it. Since
yesterday evening Strasbourg has been speaking almost
incessantly to her assailants through the mouths of her
cannon. She has shelled Kehl and set it on fire, has com-
pleted the destruction of Schiltigheim, has fired Bisch-
heim, and has burnt down a considerable portion of Koni-
ginhof, the largest and handsomest of the numerous
villages in her vicinity—in fact, almost a suburb of her
own. Last night, at nine o'clock, the troops (6th Baden
Infantry) holding Wolfisheim received orders to advance
and occupy Koniginshof, which is situate about a quarter
of a mile beyond Maison Rouge, and separated from that
building by a noble avenue of poplars, part of
the main chauss6e leading straight into the gates
of Strasbourg. To the right and left of this
change, between Maison Rouge and Koniginhof, are
meadows and potato fields—in short, open country
stretching away towards the western lines of the fortress
on one side the road, and to a small wood, in which stans
a large manufactory called La Chartreuse, on the other.
Two companies sallied out of Wolfisheim and entered

Koniginhof, which the found to be in 'the hands of a
similar force of French infantry, which greeted them
with a sharp fire. The Badenser, however, swarmed
into the churchyard, and succeeded, after a spirited
little contest, in driving their enemies back to the
city. As soon as the French infantry had retired, leaving
two dead and a few wounded behind them, the forts
opened upon Koniginhof with shell, and soon burnt down
some of the larger houses, besides inflicting a great deal
of damage upon many others. The Badenser, how-
ever, held on to their prize, and when the morning
dawned were in full possession of the village, the
furthermost houses of which are only twelve hun-
dred yards from the guns of the fortress. When I
reached Wolfisham this afternoon, therefore, I found my
friends, whom I had taken leave of yesterday, close by
Maison Rouge, well forward between Koniginhof and La
Chartreuse, under a slope which partly protected their
men from the incessant fire of the fortress. I had, of
course, to leave my horses in Wolfisheim and join the
outlying company on foot ; just as I reached them two
big shells came humming, like gigantic tops, over my
head, and exploded about one hundred and fifty
yards to my right, one striking a peasant's horse,
which I need not say it smashed. After a short talk
about the events of the night, Count G-- offered to
conduct me through Koniginhof to the foremost outpost,
in charge of Captain Dumont, and shew me the forts,
which had just favoured us with a double reminder of
their existence, from a nearer point of view than had been
yet reached by any one not actually on service. Of
course I gladly accepted so advantageous a pro-
position, and so we climbed up to the chaussee
and started for the partly burning village, availing our-
selves scrupulously of every cover that we could gain
protection from on the way, as it is the pleasing custom
of the French artillerymen to send a shell or two in the
direction of every individual they catch sight of within
easy range. Sure enough, just as we reached a little
bridge at the entrance to the village, buzz ! buzz !
came two more thumping shells from the fortress,
happily passing over our heads, and bursting just
beyond the sheltering place of the company we
had quitted five minutes earlier. On entering the main
street I was irresistibly reminded of Goldsmith's " De-
serted Village." All the inhabitants of lioniginhof have
fled to Strasbourg, which is something very much like
jumping out of the frying-pan into the fire- there will
be few hotter places in this world or another than
the fine old city within a week from this day—
and not a living soul was to be seen in the streets
save a few Baden soldiers on duty, and even they were
carefully sheltered, behind house corners and in doorways,
from the steady shelling kept up by the forts on the
doomed cottage. About half a mile to our left was a
tolerably large hamlet—Bischeim, I think—in full blaze,
the flames shooting up high into the sky through the
thick pall of smoke shrouding the half-consumed
houses. Splendid old trees lay across the Grande
Rue, cut sheer in two about three feet from the ground by
round shot, their brilliant foliage scattered in the dust.
Every house was closely barred and bolted, all the shut-
ters up. Here and there a huge unexploded shell lay
mute and harmless, but of ominous aspect, on the street
pavement ; at least half the buildings exhibited' gaping
and ragged holes in their tiled roofs, whilst a few were
mere heaps of smoking ruins and charred timbers.