The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-16 00:00:00

MACMAHON AND HIS SOLDIERS.

On Sunday, says the Monitenr, a special train came into
saucy witn some of the wounded. Marshal MacMahon
accompanied them. He came " percipitately" to Nancy
in search of subsistence for his troops, the enemy having
taken all his provisions. His troops had eaten nothing
for twenty eight hours. The Marshal went on foot
from the railway station to the Cafe Boillot, a
well-known rendezvOtn,
Bon. He was in such a state as to be hardly recognised.
Re was covered with mud from head to foot, his hands
were black, one of his epaulettes had been carried away
by a bullet, the skirts of his uniform were full of bullet-
holes, his telescope was broken asunder by a ball which at
the same time slightly wounded him in the hand. He had
not had time to take off his Hessian boots and long
BPors. Everybody in the cafe, as soon as he was
known, respectfully saluted him. He hastily called for
some cold meat, for he had not tasted food for twenty-
eight hours. He•wrote a letter while he was eating, and
was very soon joined by an officer who is believed to be
General de Failly. They went into a private room and
had a short consultation, after which the Marshal went
back by rail with the provisions he had bought for his
soldiers. An inhabitant of Nancy, personally acquainted
with the Marshal, asked him news of the Cuirassiers.
Ris answer was, " The Cuirassiers! why there are none of
them left."

The work at the fortifications of Paris continues, and
the papers say that the Ministers have decided to take it
in turn to visit them. Every day one of them will make
the round, accompanied by competent professional per-
sons, and satisfy himself that the utmost is being done to
accelerate their completion.
Most of the Berlin papers say that peace can be con-
cluded only at Paris. Several English Cabinet couriers
have arrived at Berlin, and returned to England.
It is stated that the gallant General Colson, chief of
MacMahon's Staff, who was killed at Woerth, fell by his
own hand. It is said that the Marshal had desired him
to explore a wood in which he thonght the enemy might
lurk, and that Colson, having reasons of his own for think-
ing the wood unoccupied, neglected to do so. In the en-
gagement a heavy fire was poured upon the French from
that very spot, and MacMahon reproachfully called the
General's attention to the fact. It is related that Colson
shot himself with his pistol.
Eye-witnesses of the battle of Wissenburg state that
the Prussian infantry seek particularly to pick off the
enemy's officers, for whom four practised marksmen to
the right of each Prussian platoon are specially instructed
to reserve their fire.
A party of five ladies left London to join the Prussian
army at the seat of war, as nurses, under the auspices of
the English Branch of the Societd International. Up to
the present time no request for lady nurses has been
forwarded from the head-quarters of the French army, and
therefore none have been sent.
A letter from Verdun, dated Saturday last, states that
on the previous day at Metz, the body of a Jew named
Meyer, an earthenware dealer, was found hanging in a
chimney. The unfortunate man had been suspected of
acting as a spy, and all his stock of goods had been
destroyed a few days before by an exasperated soldiery.
Count Choteck, the Austrirn Ambassador, left St.
Petersburg for Vienna yesterday.

An English squadron, composed of six ironclads and
one transport vessel, has entered the Mediterranean.

THE REPORTED FRENCH VICTORY.

The French are in great spirits at the reported victory
of their arms on Sunday. The Journal des Debats of last

evening writes :

The event of the day is the engagement betwren our
troops and the Prussians, the news of which has arrived
thislevening. Again the Prussians.were superior,in number,
and their approach was not signalised by ou scouts. The
victory of our soldiers is only the more glorious, and the
Country will with joy see in it the indication of a return of
fortune in favour of our flag.
The Liberte says :
We have spoken of calm in the presence of reverses ;
We now speak of it in the presence of success. The
serious engagement of yesterday, the combat—for it
is a combat—is very probably the prelude of
a great battle ; but it is mnch to have accom-
plished, in repulsing the enemy, a movement
Which evidently incommoded him, since he threw
upon us great forces in order to prevent it. It is much to
have recovered the advantage—to have proved that we
Were prepared, on our guard, and capable of resisting
these Prussian masses. Therefore, calm and confidence.
The Patrie says :
The combat of Longueville was very brilliant. We
fought with inferior numbers, and obtained the advantage.
Our losses, everything taken into account are
very inferior to those of the Prussians. The result of this
success has been to permit the entire army of Marshal
liazaine to cross the Moselle in order to cut off the route
of the enemy.