The Sun.
London, England, 1870-10-11 00:00:00

IHE SU.N, _LONDON, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1870.

THE SUPPLY OF FOOD AND ARMS,

OCTOBER 1.
The information I have been able to get respecting the
supply of arms is far from satisfactory. The Regulars
and Mobiles are pretty well armed ; but only a very
small proportion of the National Guards are furnished
with such rifles as would enable them to oppose, with any
chance of success, the Skilled and splendidly-disci-
plined Prussians. The number of these National Guards
is very great. Some fix them at 400,000, others at 350,000,
and so on downwards. But the strength known to certainly
exist is 228 battalions, counting in all 280,000 men. For
this vast host there are no Chassepots whatever. Only
95,000 have transformed rifles—the " Tabatibre," a very
serviceable breechloader, though, of course, far inferior to
the Chassepot ; 120,000 have the old percussion rifles ;
55,000 have nothing better than muskets; and about 10,000
are provided with carbines and English arms of different
patterns. The 200,000 guards who have no breechloaders
can take no part in field operations. They would be mere
food for powder. In fighting behind walls and barricades
they may unquestionably be useful; but to employ them
in sorties would be mere waste of life. The Gardes
Mobiles have all breechloaders of one kind or another,
most of them being of the " Tabatiere " pattern. To

this part of the garrison 90,000 rifles have been
distributed. The detached corps—Freeshooters and
the like, have received 20,000 weapons. As may be
imagined- this vast drain upon the stock of firearms has
fearfull minished the supply. There are not in store
more than 10,000, a number hardly sufficient to replace
the weapons which daily require repair, and arm the young
soldiers of the contingent for 1870, who will without
doubt be embodied. The Minister of War therefore
declares that there are no more arms to be served out.
Of food I cannot, likewise, give such a favourable
account as I should like. The estimates vary much, a
great many calculators setting down the total of eatables
at two and a half months supply. But an excellent
authority I have consulted tells a different tale. He
estimated that a week ago, on the 26th, the bread and
meat in the capital would serve for six months. The
stock will, en this calculation, be exhausted early in No-
vember. Clearly the Army of the Loire, on which we
are basing our calculations, must come up quickly.
Yesterday morning a sortie was made in force against
the villages of L'Hay and Cachan. The Prussians had
information of the attack on the previous evening, and
were fully prepared. The villages had- been converted
into an intrenched camp. The French, received by the
Prussians with murderous fire, were forced to retreat.
Their loss was greater than on any occasion since the
commencement of the siege. One General was killed.
The Prussians followed the French, who turned and
inflicted considerable loss. General Vinoy, with artillery
and the 35th and the 99th Regiments, penetrated between
the Prussian lines to Thiais and Choisy Le Roi, where
the enemy has thrown a bridge over the Seine, which was
considerably damaged. A retreat was ordered. • Three
hundred Gardes Mobiles were taken prisoners. The
ambulance service was well organised, especially the
American.

It would appear that the Germans were informed of
this design on the part of General Trochu. The latter
now gives out that in future he will allow no one to par-
ticipate in his schemes until they are in process of exe-
cution. The wonder is that he should have imparted them
to anybody already. The more rational explanation of
the repulse is that the Germans had strongly fortified the
position, as they fortify everything round about here on
general principles.
M. Delesvaux, president of the celebrated Sixth Cham-
ber, committed suicide the evening before last. This act
is supposed to have been committed from fear of being
prosecuted.

All employez of the Ministry of Finance who have,left
Paris on account of the siege, are dismissed.
The Bank of France has issued 25 franc notes to the
amount of 2,325,000 francs, and has also a reserve of
287,000 notes of 25 francs, which only require num-
bering.