The Sun.
London, England, 1870-11-17 00:00:00

NO BOMBARDMENT.

The correspondent of the Times at Berlin, writing on
the 13th November, comments on the German plan of
besieging Paris, and on the character of the defensive
preparations. He observes :--.-Were it indispensable
for the victorious termination of the campaign it
would, nevertheless, have been taken in hand the
moment the preparations were complete ; but as
an easier method of attaining the object in view has
been discovered by the Germans, it is probable they will
stick to this, and possess themselves of Paris with less
labour and bloodshed than would be entailed by the re-
gular process. It appears that not very long ago the
different opinions advocated in the Council of War were
superseded by the resolve to let hunger begin the work of
reduction, and reserve the artillery for completing it.
Only when the town has begun to feel the want of
previsions will the German batteries be manned, and
adding fiery persuasives to those already supplied by
personal needs, succeed, it is anticipated, in a compara-
tively short time to work a result. Surrender being ex-
pected from the impression to be produced on the inhabi-
tants at large, the bombardment, when it does begin, is
likely to include the town as well as the defences. With
so excitable a population as Paris, premature bombard-
ment might have engendered a trouhlesome heroism even
in the face of the manifest impossibility of a successfu
resistance ; when properly timed, it is expected to pro
duce the opposite consequence. Naturally, the hopes
based upon this mode of procedure have been strengthened
by the issue of the last metropolitan plebiscite, which so
signally supported the Government when it was known to
have entered upon negotiations for an Armistice. That
we shall not have to wait very long for the stern psycho-
logists of the German camp to open operations may
be gathered from the Paris Rappel, in whose issue
of the sth inst. there occurs the followingpassage :—" To-
day was a feast day in the capital. , The horse and dogs,
meat which is our usual fare has for a day at least been
superseded by more civilised viands. The calves of
the Jardin d'Acclimatisation have been slaughtered and
placed at the disposal of the butchers. The fish in the
ponds of the Bois de Boulogne are also being caught, by
order of the Government, and offered for sale in the
Halles." That to defer the attack will not impair its
energy is proved by the order just sent to Konigsberg
to mobilise seven more companies of artillerymen, and
despatch them at once to Paris. With these tactics
adopted by the Council of War, it is plain that the
moment M. Thiers declared his demand of fresh pro-
visions to be the sine qua non of an armistice the
negotiations were virtually at an end.

TIIE RECAPTURE OF ORLEANS.
TOURS, Monday.

The Journal du Loiret, which has been suspended since
the occupatiou of Orleans by the Prussians, has resumed
publication, and gives full details of the victory of Coul-
miers. The fighting began behind the little district called

the Bardon, to the north-east of Meung, and ter-
minated near, Coulmiers, where an attack on the wood
rendered the victory decisive, so that the affair may be
-called the battle -of Coulmiers; The French -anny
attacked that of General der Tann about seven in s the
morning. The movement had been resolved on some eleven
days before, but had been delayed on account of the disas-
trous news from Metz. While one corps d'arm6e started
for Chateauneuf to execute a movement which would
bring them on the enemy's flank, General Aurellea de
Paladines gave his impatient troops orders to advance on
the Prussians. They were full of confidence. Vigorous
discipline had renewed the spirit of this army. , It felt it
was the last hope of the country, and could rely on
its commanding officer, and knew that at Binas it had
succeeded in defeating the same enemy. Moreover, it
knew that it was supported by that force which had been
so often wanting—a powerful artillery. The French troops
left the environs of Cravant and Bardon, where they had
been massed in an extended line. Before them was the
chateau of Touanne which was supposed to be occupied
by the Prussians. A battery was established, and they
were preparing to bombard thechateau, when theylearned
from a peasant-that the Prussians had left it. They were
in fact visible a little further on behind the
trees. The French army continued its march towards
Baccon, preserving the same direction from south-west to
to north-west. The Prussians took up their position on
a line which was oblique to the French, their front
was nearly parallel to that long row of woods
which extends from Chaigny to Bucy St. Liphard.
The French encountered at Baccon an obstinate resist-
ance. The village is built on a height from whence the
houses come down to the plain at intervals. The.
Prussians had made a battlement of every house
and formed barricades in all directions. There
was not a wall that they did not turn
to account for shelter, and that they did not defend.
From this point they poured a murderous fire on the
French troops. "En avant !" cried generals and officers
in all directions, and the soldiers flung themselves on the
enemy with an impetuosity which carried all before it.
The artillery resounded, the Prussians gave way, and the
village, transformed into a fortress, was taken. This was
the beginning of the victory. The French army resumed
its march without disorder. and without delay. For the
first time the French artillery had on their side superiority
both in numbers and in firing, and all through the army
officers and soldiers might be heard congratulating each other
on it. From Baccon they wept on to Renardiere, opposite
Huisseau, the enemy still retreating. In the morning
they had fired the farm of Viard, for fear it should fall
into French hands, with the stores accumulated there.
At Renardiere they fired a house to arrest the progress of
the French. But General der Tann was conquered.
At mid-day the fire slackened a little on both sides.
Der Tann only maintained his retreat to save the
material of his army, which was reaching through Ormes
the road to Arthenay. Soon the French army found
itself near its object Coulmiers. Towards half-past three
Der Tann tried a manoeuvre which has often served the
Prussians. He tried to turn the left wing of the French
army, but General d'Aurelles had foreseen this, and one of
the French divisions at that moment turned the Prussians
themselves. The Germans retreated, but made another
effort to stop the French in the wood covering Coulmiers,
where several battalions of Chasseurs were stationed. The
surgeons who afterwards explored it found nothing but
corpses in the trenches and at the foot of nearly every tree.
The French soldiers leaped the walls of a chateau near the
wood, and emerged triumphantly from the struggle. The
battle was over—the Prussians fled. General d'Aurelles,
wishing to complete his victory, sent forward all his
cavalry and light artillery in pursuit. On Thursday they
had not finished bringing in the prisoners. It was remark-
able that the fight lasted nearly ten hours, and yet the
losses were not appalling, as at the fight of Orleans,
still more at Gravelotte and Jaumont. All the French
army was not engaged. "It was a fine manoeuvre," said
the officers proudly in referring to the admirable order in
which the French army deployed across the plain between
Baccon and Coulmiers. For the first time since the corn:
menoement of the war a Prussian army has retreated for
several leagues, having been defeated by their fayouvite
arm—the artillery.