The Sun.
London, England, 1870-09-21 00:00:00

BOMBARDMENT OF BITCHE.

The Pfalzer Volkszeitung of the 13th inst, gives the fol-
lowing details respecting the bombardment of Bitche :
" On Friday last the numerous bastions and batteries of
the investing army were finished before Bitche, and the
rainy weather did not commence until all was ready. On
Saturday evening some guns were fired from Bitche, and
at ten o'clock on Sunday morning the first guns were fired
against the fortress by, the Bavarians and immediately
replied to from the fortress, and four shots were
subsequently fired by us, each shot being replied to
from the foi tress. A number of French were encamped
in frout of Bitche, and on their being perceived by
the Bavarians a shell was thrown amongst them,
which caused them to make a hasty retreat into the for-
tress. About 4 p.m. a vigorous cannonade was commenced
and continued till 10 p.m., each report being re-echoed
Over the hills. From the heights of Horeb and Buster
the flash of each dischaege could be plainly re-
marked, as also the course. which each shell took. On
Monday afternoon, at three o'clock, the bombardment was
again commenced most vigorously, and the incessant roar
of cannon was to be heard. About 6.30 a thick column
of smoke arose from the town of Bitche, followed, at 7.30
p.m., by masses of flames, which increased in volume
up till 11 p.m., and continued throughout the whole night.
This morning a soldier came into our lines and
informed us that the upper portion of the fortress, the
barracks, and all the buildings erected upon the for-
trees had been destroyed by our projectiles, and that our
shells had set fire to many of the houses in the town. "
A person who was watching the town of Bitche last
evening from an adjoining eminence also states that
he saw some enormous fires in the fortress and in
the town. By the aid of a telescope he could
plainly see the people in Bitche actively em-
ployed in extinguishing the flames. The garrison
withdrew into the interior of the fortress, which is
composed of three large covered archways, one over the
other, in each of which are embrasures occupied by guns. ,
On Sunday it is stated that the French made a sortie, but
were vigorously repulsed with a loss on the Bavarian side
of six dead and ten wounded. The French losses have
not been stated. Yesterday afternoon one of the men of
the sanitary ccrps had his head carried off by a cannon
ball, for in spite of all the warning he received on the sub-
ject he ventured too far forward, and paid with his life
the penalty of his daring."

PRUSSIAN OPERATIONS AGAINST PARIS.
A correspondent of the Standard, writing from Nantes,
says :—" I have ascertained that a great movement of
German troops is taking place at the south of Paris,
and also that an engagement has been going on
since the morning in that direction. At a cer-
tain distance from the forts cannonading is distinctly
heard, and leaves no doubt that an attack will sour' take
place. Powerful Prussian columns—infantry, cavalry,
and artillery—are marching on the borders of the depart-
ment of Seine-et-Oise, and continue their plans of
surrounding and cutting off all communication with
the Seine. The eastern boundaries being now en-

tirely in their power, they can receive their
supplies from Germany without interruption.
Their operations • on the south-west are at this
very moment checked by the army of evolution of Paris
occupying and defending the positions, and the army of
the Loire will soon advance in that direction and will de-
fend the southern provinces. This army is important, and
under the command of Gen. de Lamotte-Rouge. It will
soon beheard of, and probably will restrain the invading
circle of the enemy. Having been for the last two'or three
days with a number of; officers—infantry, cavalry, artil-
lery—rejoining at full speed the head-quarters of the
army of the Loire, can assure you that their great
disasters has now completely disappeared ; they are
all resolute and determined, even to surpass the
first heroic efforts of the campaign ; they prefer a
complete destruction sooner than permit a new humilia-
tion of their country, and the army of La Loire will give
soon a new formidable and unexpected opponent to the
Prussian invasion. A large body of Prussian cavalry is
in full possession of Creil, on the Northern Railway. They
have taken four engines and several waggons that the
.company had no time to forward to the north
with the material already dispatched. The Uhlans fired.
at the last train making up forßeauvais, and wounded two
persons. The convoy was not stopped. As I told you this
morning, all other communications by rail with Paris are
now destroyed. In case the news and details of the arrest
of Marshal Valiant shall not have reached you, I
give you a few words on the subject. Marshal Valiant,
when visiting a bastion, was recognised by the officers on
duty. Seized by the crowd, he was brought up to the
next military station amidst the vociferations and most
hostile threats of the mob ; and had it not been for
the resolution of the officer commanding, he would
not have escaped the most outrageous treatment. At
last, conveyed in a close carriage through the hootings
and abuses of the people, he reached the offices of the
Governor of Paris, where the presence of Gamier
Pages, and the conciliatory words of that popular
citizen, brought some calm in their burst of indignatiosc
It would seem that owing to a wrong interpreta.
tion of a few words spoken- by the old marshal, he was
supposed to have said that he was coming with a message
from the Emperor—hence the sudden storm amongst the
Republican mob. Marshal Valliant was bearer of a pass
for circulation, as member of the committee of defence ;
that permit was signed by General Trochu. In the present
state of affairs: such incidents are regrettable. A great
movement of German troops has not ceased since the morn-
ing on the hills of Brnnoy ; they all take the direction of the
heights of Villeneuve-Saint-Georges. Although I can
easily manage to hurry my course to the interesting spots,
and be witness of the principal events, I am at a loss to
find out how' I shall be able, to send you any telegram of
importance, all private communications being stopped."

The last news from Bitsche was that it was sustaining
a very heavy fire. - It was in flames in several places.
, At Strasbourg the batteries of the city are almost en-
tirely silenced by, the artillery fire.
A large police 'force has . been sent to Alsace and
German Lorraine, where a regular Government is now
established. •
The Unik Cattolica now Appears with a black border,
and promises not to•go out of mourning till the Pope shall
have his own again.
A telegram from the special correspondent of the Man-
chester Examiner reports that Russia is preparing for war.
She will pi otest against the annexation of Lorraine to
Germany.
At Metz a great battle, according to a telegram from
Luxemburg, dated Monday, was hourly expected. Great
preparations have been made on the northern side, where
it is supposed the battle will take place.

Besides resulting in the capture of an entire army, the
conquest of Sedan has put 150 heavy guns in the posses-
sion of the Germans.

The New. Prussian Gazette reports from Wilhelmshbhe

that the Emperor's cousin, the Duchess of Hamilton,
came from Baden-Baden to visit him. She left the next
day, appearing profoundly afflicted. Since then no
visitors have called upon the distinguished captive.
M. Pietri, the ex-Emperor Napoleon's secretary at
Wilhelmshohe, reports that physically his master is
decidedly better. He can mount on horseback, and at
Sedan remained several hours exposed to a heavy fire.
Morally, says M. Pietri, Louis Napoleon is suffering
much.

Negotiations are going on constantly between the various
South German States and Prussia with the view of the
entry of the former into the Northern Confederation. It

is expected that Wurtemburg will set the first example.
Sedan has been cleared of nearly all the wounded who
were crowded together in so miserable a state. Means of
conveyance have been found for transporting them to
various points of France, Prussia, and Belgium. The
town may now be said to contain little more than a
thousand wounded, who are not in a fit state to be moved.
A French officer told a newspaper correspondent that
MacMahon would never have marched towards Mezieres

and Sedan had he not been compelled to do so by those
who wished to save the dynasty of Napoleon, and make a
last effort, cost what it might, to prevent a revolution in
Paris. " They sacrificed lomo men in the endeavour to
preserve a dynasty."

The Co ;istitutionhel declares that :Bismarck's diplomatic

arguments are absurd. There is not a commune of France
in which the Government of National Defence is not
:obeyed, and it is ridiculous to declare that it only
represents a fraction. ;of the Left of the former Corps
q4rislatif of Paris, when London; St. Petersburg, and
yienna are willing to accent Thiersas its envoy.
Among the many physical evils which appear to beset
:the. Prussian troops it seems th 4 the soldiers are
suffei* from bad. feet in , consequence of the forced
marches and ;the scarcity of shoes wiich.prevaals, The,
temperament of the_yrissialis causes these. evils to, assume
amaggrayatecifoym.,,and:in; many-. Qp.sep; the sufferers are.
compelled ,to.keep away fron.cluiy.; , 7 : f.
The town of Poitiers has just announced .the :following
resolution. In case the city of :Nris should be forced to
capitulate, all the departments exclusive of the Seine
declare beforehand that they refuse to acknowledge that
any Power has the right to comprise them in the capitu-
lation. They wish to preserve their freedom of action, se
as to defend the country a l'outrance.

It was at Bordeaux that in 1852 the Emperor Napoleon
uttered the famous words " L'Empire, c'est la pax." The
authorities had these words engraved in gold letters on a
marble slab, which was placed in the hall of the Tribunal
of Commerce. The other day an immense crowd went to
the place, and in a short time completely destroyed the
slab which contained the inscription.
M. Darblay, one of the deputies of the Right in former
days, is a great merchant, and took the precaution of
keeping 1,500 trusses of straw to assist in the fabrication
of paper at Essonne. The Prussians seized on it with
delight as a provision of forage. It is Laid that King
William is somewhat indebted to M. Darblay and the
Republic also.
The departments of France are chewing great anima-

tion and liberality in the work of national defence.
Havre, which had voted 150,000 f. for the purchase of arms
and munitions, has increased the vote to 300,000 f. The
department of Mayenne has voted 350,000 f. for the same
purpose, while in La Sarthe, the General Council has, on
the suggestion of M. de Talhouet, the president of the
Defence Committee, voted 2,500,000 f. for the arming of
40,000 National Guards in the department.

A writer in one of the German papers gives an account
of the state of Metz, which differs remarkably from the
doleful pictures we are in the habit of receiving. He
says • " With the opera glass a large herd of cattle can
be seen feeding in the meadows by the Moselle, between
the far-reaching outworks and the inner fortress, and
much drilling of French soldiers. The sound of
military music is also sometimes audible. There is
no hope of a speedy surrender, and, I am convinced,
it will be a tolerable while before our banner can float