The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-26 00:00:00

THE PRUSSIAN LOSSES.

At length the first official lists of losses in the field have
been made public. They only fulfil too completely the
melancholy anticipations with which we saw the troops
going out to the war. Although restricted to officers, and
referring only to a few introductory engagements, they
contain figures which will not easily be erased from the
minds of men. I will just give you a few examples. As
you may be aware, a Prussian regiment on a war
footing has 3,006 men with 69 officers. Of these 69
officers the 74th Regiment (Hanoverians) lost no less than
30 in killed and wounded at Wissembourg. The 77th
(also Hanoverians) on the same occasion lost 25 officers ;
the 39th (Rhinelanders), 26 ; the 82nd (Hessians), 19 ; the
95th (Thuringians), 16 ; the 83rd (Hessians), 14 ; the
53rd (Westphalians), 11 ; the 88th (Nassauers), 9 ; the
80th (Hessians), 8, &c. Still worse was it at Woerth,
where the Prusfians were for five mortal hours
opposed to the French, who were stationed on the
hills and could not be dislodged until taken in flank by
Wurtembergers and Bavarians. There the 58th Regi-
ment (Poseners) had 32 dead and wounded offi-
cers ; the 59th (Poseners) had 23 ; the 7th (King's
Grenadiers—Lower Silesians and German Poseners),
35 ; the 47th (Lower Silesians), 29 ; the 46th
(Lower Silesians), 33 ; the 57th (Lower Silesians),
30; the 6th (Westphalians), 28 ; the 37th (West-
phalians), 25, &c. What terrible conclusions must
be derived from these statistics in respect of
the higher grades as to the number of casual-
ties among rank and file I need not say. But the most
frightful carnage of all in the earlier part of the campaign
was at Spicheren, whose steep and precipitous heights,
defended by a tearing fire from cannon, mitrailleuses, and
chassepots,were thrice assaulted in vain, and at last carried
at the point of the bayonet. On this spot 10,000
Prussians, gradually increased to 27,000, struggled
against 40,000 French. Though the official list does not
yet extend to this sanguinary encounter, there can
be no doubt as to the correctness of the private intel-
ligence forwarded me, which gives the total of the
losses as 2,297, of whom 811 are dead and 1,486
wounded. Accordingly, every 12th man was killed or
wounded. Some companies left nearly one-half their
men on the spot, as for instance the sth company of
the 48th (Rhinelanders), which went with 250
men into the fire, and came out with 129, and
the Ist company of the Bth (King's Own—Branden-
burgers), which on the evening of the battle con-
signed 107 comrades either to the grave or the hospital.
Passing on to the tremendous three days' battle near
Metz, we have but private intelligence, and this only
referring to individual detachments ; yet we know already
enough to imagine the rest. On the 14th, in the action
named after Pange, or Courcelles, the 48th (Rhine-
landers) lost 32 officers and 891 rank and file ; in
other words, about one-third its complement. A.
rifle battalion in the same locality was by the enemy's
fire deprived of nine of its officers and 270 rank and file—
i.e., of a third of the officers and a fourth of the men. On
the 14th, as well as on the 16th—the latter being the
battle of Mars la Tour, or Vionville—the losses of the
Prussians were comparatively greater than those of the
French, the former being on both occasions greatly out-
numbered, yet holding fast the enemy with a bulldog's
tenacity, to give their main force time to come up and engage
him in right earnest. At Mars la Tour the best blood of the
country was spilt like water. Within a few moments,
by the unexpected unmasking of a mitrailleuse battery,
Count Westarp, Count Wesdelen, Baron Kleist,
Henry VII., Prince of Reuss, Baron Grimm, Baron
Witzleben, and many other noblemen of high rank and
position, were killed. The grand finale at Rezonville, or
Gravelotte on the 18th, where the Prussian hosts, at last
assembled in strength, are said to have suffered a loss of
18,000 combatants, was worthy of the beginning. —Times
Berlin Correspondent.

ATTEMPT TO ASSASSINATE MARSHAL
AIACMAHON.
RHEIMS, WEDNESDAY.

I am going to mention a fact which Elbows how much
delicacy the Prussians can display in their actions. This
, affair took place under my eyes. Yesterday at five
o'clock in the afternoon I was in one. of the camps estab-
lished round Rheims, talking to some persons belonging
to the ambulance, when a shot was heard a hundred steps
off. Some individual had discharged his revolver against
a general who was crossing the camp, but being badly
directed the ball had struck an unfortunate soldier of the
52nd line. The assassin was immediately arrested and
interrogated. He replied very quietly that he
was a Prussian, and that, believing the officer
who had crossed the camp to be Marshal
MacMahon, he aimed at him, being resolved to
kill him in the interests of Prussia. The fanatic was shot
this morning. You have heard so much of the Prussian
spies that you may have thought there was great exagger-
ation in the remarks of the journalists as to the numbers
of these auxiliaries employed by M. Bismarck, but the
truth is that the Prussian spy is everywhere, in our towns,
at our tables d'h6te, and also in our camps. Hour by hour
the enemy is informed of the movements of our army, and
is acquainted with the number of our men, the number of
our regiments, and how many pieces of artillery we
possess. At eight o'clock in the evening another spy
was arrested in the town. He was disguised as a staff-
captain. He had been dining in company with some
officers at a table d'hote of the Maison Rouge. He was
likewise shot. M. Bismarck employs spies as he employs
Uhlans. If one out of twenty Uhlans he sends out to
reconnoitre returns, he has gained his end ; and if one spy
out of twenty escapes the eye of the police, he has learned
what it is his interest to know. You see that Bismarck
seeks his information at the fountain head, and that he
has never reckoned upon the indiscretion of our journals.
Not a soldier remains at Rheims. The camp was raised
this night, in the midst of a fearful tempest of wind and
rain. This large town, which yesterday was filled with
red trousers, seems deserted. They are going forward in
what direction ? By midnight I shall have returned to the
rear-guard of the army ; great fear prevails here. The

inhabitants dread the Uhlans, who are, they say, at the
distance of some kilometres, committing ravages, but the
truth is that I have seen none of them, though yesterday
I went a long way in the environs. Ido not believe the
Uhlans would be some kilometres from the French army
on march. These adventurous warriors do not risk them-
selves without knowing what they are about ; they a°
not visit the towns until the spies have assured them
that no one remains there but citizens without arms. Let
us reverse the case, and imagine thitt we are carrying on
the campaign in Prussia. Do you not think that
King William and Count Bismarck would have
been sure to distribute arms to the inhabitants of the
towns which were situated on the passage of the French
troops ? When we see how the Prussians carry on the
attack we may be sure that they would have put equal
energy into their defence. But with us it looks as if ever?
one was suspected who did not belong to the regular
army. It seems that our rulers think there is an unknown
thing more formidable in its character than the invader°
of oar country. I do not know if the Emperor left Cour
celles when the army removed, but'yesterday he was al
However this news will not produce much effect on the
Bourse.—Edmond Texier in Le Siecle.

THE LAST CHANCE.—AII is not not lost yet,
though there is dreadful uphill work to repair the errors
committed. Every day the Prussian advance is retarded
is a partial victory for France. The Prussian military
system has not the staying power. The crops are uncut
in many parts of the kingdom of King Frederick
William, his army is full of fathers of families, trade
is going from bad to worse in the absence of those Who
worked and stood behind the counter ; and in the opinion
of military men who are acquainted with the organisation
and recruitment of the Prussian army a single victorY of
M`Mahon and Prussia is compromised. Can M'Alaholl
achieve such a victory? It is quite on the cards. He 110
a comparatively small but excellent army with hiln;
and if he only has the prudence to play the
role of Fabius Cunctator till his opportunity
comes, he may reverse the account and turn bael':
the tide of invasion at its flood. I count greatly on the
10,000 seasoned soldiers of the Marine Infantry who are
with him, hardy, vigorous, alert fellows, who are accua•
tomed to the sort of fighting that suits the Chassepot,
though they are not used to that arm. The majority of
them have learned to stand fire on far foreign shores,
from Cochin China to Mexico ; they are inured to fatigue,
to privation, and to long marches in evil climates.—Cer-
respondent of Standard,
PARIS MELANCHOLY.—The remnant of General
Frossard's corps were before us, the survivors of the awful
slaughter of Forbach, and the different uniforms told
of the various regiments engaged, and of the number wil°
had fallen. They are on their way to the barrachl of
Grenelle, there to recover tone, and "to forget, in the re'
organisation of their several regiments, in drill, and ill
military preparations, the memory of their crush'
ing losses and defeat. They passed on their
melancholy way without a cheer, but now and ag.,111
sympathetic bystander would press some of the stricken
men to drink with him, when the talk was brief and 10/
and healths were drunk without a smile, and they re'
mounted and went on their way without intermission in
their gloom. Many more soldiers have passed
through this morning—from Rome, it is said,
some of them—and they have gone to the out-
lying forts of Paris, in which, and in the
capital, are massed some forty thousand men under arrae•
Not a cheer is raised for any of them. The shopkeePere
stand listlessly at their doors, the flaneurs never pause in
their purposeless stroll, those seated at the caf6 table!
remain glued to their seats. The sight of military bowl
for the seat of war or for the defence of Paris, the seat
war itself, the measures for protection—nothing lifts
people out of their despondency. Enough of soldiere'
they seem to say, what have they done for us? We e`,1::;
past judging any institutions, or any set of men, save
results, and the pestilent war has furnished us enough."
Daily News Paris Correspondent.

FRANCE'S HOPES.—Foz more than half a centuri
France has known no such trouble. The country Pe°Pi°
are the most surprised at it.. They were still under On
spell of the promises of peace and prosperity, by means °I
which the sub-prefects and mayors induced them to vote
for the plebiscite, when, only two months after the vote'
they saw the war break out, and since then one shock has
succeeded another. But the national feeling of resistance
against the invader begins to re-animate the rural poplll°-
tions. They had resigned themselves for years under the bur
den of administrative centralisation. They no longer had the
initiative of their own affairs, the spirit of liberty Was
extinguished. It will revive under the spontaneous effort°
made by the country to save itself. The body
sharpshooters will be the best school of spontanicti
without any fear of their degenerating into a revolution:
ary force, for they will learn patriotic devotion and good
fellowship on the battlefield or in the war of ambuscades'
One may judge of the general insufficiency and improvi•
dente of the administration, when one sees the young,
Gardes Mobiles arrive in the camp where nothing ss
ready, where they have to begin the most elemental/
course of instruction, without the weapons necessary fer
learning the exercises being provided. They began go
through them with sticks, laughing, but also somewhat
vexed, and the protests were too public to be silenced'
These peasant troops will, however, soon be furnished
with weapons, and the French thirteen corps d'armee will
then have behind them a young reserve of 400,000 In_
ready to take part in the struggle.—Paris Corresponden"
of the Independance Belge.

•
THE ENGLISH PRINCESSES IN GERMANY'
Dr. Charles Mayo, who has gone out to Germany as the
principal representative of the English society for helping
the sick and wounded, gives an interesting account of hi°
interviews with the Crown Princess of Prussia and the
Princess Alice. After four days' delay in Berlin (Dr. M9Y°
writes) the prospect of moving forward seemed no nearer
than at first, and I determined to break through official
obstacles if possible. I therefore wrote to the Crown
Princess, asking her Royal Highness to use her influeuge
to get us sent on, and telling her that our presence 02
Berlin was consequent upon a telegram which had been
received from the Princess Alice. On Friday I received "
telegram desiring me to attend her Royal Highness at the
Crown Prince's Palace in Berlin on the following afternoon
but as I had succeeded by Friday afternoon in getting ng
my papers complete I thought it right to go to Potsdam
see the Princess's Chamberlain, and to ask to be excuse'
from the audience, so that I might save twelve or
twenty-four hours in going to the front by starting the
same evening. Her Royal Highness, however, desired W
see me immediately, and received me very kindly. 611 e
spoke of various matters relating to the war, and part
larly to the medical business of the campaign'
I was surprised to find her so conversant
with medical terms, and so well informed of the require-
ments of the army. She inquired particularly as to the.
supplies that we had brought with us, in several cases
was able to answer her questions in the affirmative, but
she was disappointed that we had not brought
considerable stock of surgical instruments and &lore'
form. The instruments, she said, were badly needed,
and no good English chloroform was obtainable.
She also said that instruments were thrown aside
and lost from the impossibility of getting the
repaired on the field. The Princess took me into the
Crown Prince's room, where a table stood, partly covers
with bandages, compresses, charpie, &c., made by her own
hands, and supporting also a French cuirass, helmet,
sabre, and flag, which she said were presents from
Weissembourg. She took all the charpie that she {hadmade from a box on the table, and rolled it up in rai
pocket handkerchief, asking me to tell- the wounded wen
for whom I used it that it was of her making. The Crown,
Princess looked well, but was at no pains to conceal
her anxiety and distress about the fearful lossea
of the German army. I have come forward ne
fast as possible to Darmstadt, and have this morning been
received in the kindest manner by the Princess Louis c,
Hesse, who took me in her carriage to a hospital estah;
lished at the Orangerie, and sent for the local chairman 0".
the Hulfs-Verein, to whom she introduced me. A large
part of the Princess's palace is given up to the work of col-
lecting and packing charpie, bandages, linen and all kinds
of necessaries for the army, and the whole of her time
appears to be also given up to care for the sick and
wounded. I noticed that in the hospitals she knew
nearly all the patients who were in bed by sight, and in
many cases remembered what their injuries were. lal
told also that she goes to meet nearly every train that
arrives with the wounded, and visits the hospitals two or
three times a day.