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

THE DEFEAT OF VON DER TANN,

The Berlin correspondent of the Daily News, under
date November 14, writes : The first check which the
German arms have received in France is fully appreciated
as such by the German press of every shade. It is
understood that General Von der Tann has
been defeated. The explanation of General von
Podbielski's despatch, and of King William's telegram to
Queen Augusta, could not well be otherwise than
it is, from courtesy to the Bavarian general, and to the
Bavarian people. The Prussians had to leave it to Von
der Tann to confess himself what he might have to con-
fess. He is a man that may be relied upon for sin-
ceritY, and probably soon will speak. What is considered
as wanting explanation is why the Prussian troops, the
22nd division, that were under his command were sent
away from Orleans, though the formation of the
French Army of the Loire and its strength were
not unknown. That he tested the enemy's strength
and withdrew fighting is merely military slang for a
compulsory retreat. That the retreat was not quite
orderly is proved by the ammunition column that
lost its way and was cut off, falling into the hands
of the French with two reserve guns. These two
unfortunate guns, the first which the French have taken,
are probably destined to play a most ominous part as a
trophy which will raise flagging spirit. They are a real
poison to them. That they were taken on the 10th,
though the fight took place on the 9th, shews that the
French must have spread out far and wide round re-
conquered Orleans. There will, of course, be a third battle
of Orleans, probably very soon after the junction of Von
der Tann with the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg, with a
sufficient number of Prince Frederick Charles's troops, has
been effected. It must be hoped that this battle, which
the French mean to support by a sortie from Paris,
will be a last struggle, and the immediate precursor of
peace, for the rapid advance of Prince Frederick Charles's
forces has already frustrated the plan of Gambetta and
Trochu. It will not be necessary to despatch troops from
before Paris to the Loire. The battle and the sortie
consequently will not support one another.
The correspondent of the Telegraph sends the following
in his letter from Versailles, dated November 12 :—Some
details of the day before yesterday's affair between Von
der Tann and his brave Bavarians, and the French army
of the Loire, have arrived to-day. The Bavarian general
admirably conducted the retreat of the corps under his
command (only seventeen thousand strong) in the presence
of a vastly superior force. It . was between Artenay
and Ormes that he was attacked; and the battle which
ensued was fought on his side almost exclusively with
artillery. The French commenced operations by throw.'
lug forward six battalions of infantry belonging to the
expeditionary corps that returned to France a
few weeks ago from Civita Vecchia ; and these
battalions, in line formation, attempted to get at
the Germans with the bayonet, scarcely firing at all,
and displaying great gallantry. Their losses from the
fire of the Bavarian field guns, however, were very severe ;
indeed, it is said that they left nearly half their number
on the field. They maintained excellent order, although
shockingly cut up, and returned three times to the charge
Each time they were fairly stopped and turned by a
withering and steady cannonade. The Bavarian casu-
alties were so trifling that they are scarcely worth
mentioning in the record of a war in which the
tale of killed and wounded after each battle has been
numbered, not by hundreds, but by thousands. Aftei
the third repulse the French drew back to Coulmiers,
and the Germans to Toury, each side retaining posses-
sion of its fallen men. The capture of two guns by
the French did not take place during the action.
You must know that, whereas the Prussians carry only
spare wheels, poles, &c., for each gun that they
take into action, the Bavarians are provided with a sub-
stitute or reserve gun for every " active" piece; so that,
supposing a gun struck so as to be rendered useless, it can
be at once dismounted and replaced by the spare piece.
and the full efficiency of the battery maintained. These
" Ersatzgeschutze" are carried by the Munitions-colonne
or train—they are not mounted, horsed, or pro-
vined with limber. Two of these were the guns
taken by a French patrol, which pounced upon them as
the Munitions-colonne was lumbering along easily through
a wood near Orleans; and the captors made off with their
prize ere the train guard well knew what had happened.
Yesterday Wittich's Division, reduced to little more
than 6,000 men, and the Grand Duke of Meck-
lenburg's Division, about 13,000 strong, joined Von
der 'Tann at Toury. The Grand Duke of course
at once took command of the army—a force, counting in
the two cavalry divisions (2nd and 4th), of about 40,000
men. To the real astonishment of everybody at head-
quarters, the French did not follow up the negative
advantage which they had gained on the 10th ;
and now, if they do not hasten to retire and
cross the Loire before Prince Frederick Charles
comes up, they will probably be surrounded and forced to
capitulate in open field. The avant-garde of the
Prince's army (composed of the 3rd, 9th, and
10th Army Corps, about 75,000 men) will be at Fontaine-
bleau on Monday—perhaps to-morrow evening,
for the Prince is making haste, and he knows
how to do that. The French have positively no time to
lose if they do not wish to rejoin their comrades in Ger-
many. Should they waste a day in retreating, the
Germans will certainly drive them into the Loire, even
if they do not outflank and surround them.
The Times correspondent at Tours, in a letter dated the
13th inst., says :—Trustworthy information which has
reached me since the despatch of my yesterday's
letter convinces me that the action of the 9th
and 10th instant was more important than I at
first was disposed to think, and that the Prus-
sian despatches are not candid, and do not give at
all a fair notion of what took place. Indeed, they must
have struck everybody as by no means clear. The battle
of Bacon, or of Baccon, as the papers now say the word
ought to be written, is an unmistakable French victory,
and not only are the results considerable as regards the
number of prisoners taken and the moral effect produced,
but the conduct of the troops was excellent, and the
generalship displayed very creditable. The total loss of
the Germans cannot be estimated at less than 5,000,
for it is certain that there are 2,500 prisoners. Already,
yesterday and to-day, some of these have reached Tours,
and others are expected to pass through the station
on their way to remoter places. There were
artillerymen, men of the Ist and 10th infantry,
and a few cavalry soldiers. One detachment was
in a frightfully dirty state, their uniforms covered
with mud. The loss of the French in killed and wounded
is stated at 2,000. It is reasonable to suppose that,
excluding the prisoners, that of the Prussians was larger,
since they were beaten and pursued, and the French
artillery was very powerful. An important fact is the
courage and discipline displayed by bodies of Mobiles. I
am assured that they shewed unflinching steadiness under
a heavy fire of artillery, than which nothing can be more
trying to young troops. The generals seem to have done
well. I have heard General d'Aurelles' strategy, as ex-
hibited in this action, spoken very favourably of by
foreign officers, and General PalliZzes shewed great energy,
placing himself at the head of his troops at a critical
moment, and charging the Bavarians in the most
brilliant and successful manner. The 9th Foot
Chasseurs and the 16th of the Line are said to have
particularly distinguished themselves. Various battalions
of Mobiles are cited for conduct worthy of veteran
soldiers.

CRYSTAL PAL ACE.—One Shilling Day ; Wednes-
day, November 16th, 1870.—Number of visitors by
season tickets, 1,611 ; ditto on payment, 707 ; total
visitors, 2,318,

MR. KEKEWICH, M.P. ON THE WAR. Mr.
Kekewich presided at a ploughing-match dinner in South
Devon on Tuesday evening. Speaking of the war, he
expressed sympathy with France. Whatever faults might
have been committed by her rulers in beginning the strife
it was not surprising that in the face of the territorial
aggressions of Prussia, her feelings of nationality should
be aroused, and her determination to resist should be
strong and unwavering.

A. HOAX.—On Monday, a singular scene occurred
at Sproatley, in Holderness, East Riding. The Holder-
ness hounds wore fixed for that meet, and a field of eighty
ladies and gentlemen had assembled in anticipation of good
sport, the Sproatley meet possessing a reputation which
brought visitors from long distances. The hounds, how-
ever, never arrived, they having been kept in kennel out
of respect to the memory of Sir Clifford Constable, whose
death had been falsely reported by telegraph. Sir Clifford's
son and his lady were at the meet.
THE GREAT BANK FAILURE AT NORWICH.---
A large meeting of the creditors of the Crown Bank was
held on Tuesday at Norwich, the Mayor of Norwich
presiding, for the purpose of considering whether consent
should be given to the bankrupts applying for an order of
discharge during the continuance of the bankruptcy, and
whether the costs of such meeting should be paid by the
trustee out of the estate of the bankrupts. The meeting
gave its consent unanimously to the bankrupts taking the
course indicated. In the course of the pr weedings it was
stated that Mr. R. A. Kerrison had never taken a penny
of the profits credited him during the last ten years, but
had left them in the bank, where they now remained,
for the creditors, and that Mr. Keririson's estate at Tivets
Hall and Hanworth, Norfolk, would be sold for the bene-
fit of the creditors.