The Sun.
London, England, 1870-12-01 00:00:00

THE FIGHTING AT AMIENS.

Writing from Amiens on November 27, the corres-
pondent of the Daily News says :—During the last four or
five days the Prussians have kept shewing themselves on
the east and south-east of Amiens. The various skir-
mishes had only a reconnoitring end, and served to harass
the French troops, and Beare the civilians. On Satur-
day matters commenced to 'ivear a more serious
aspect. Small but smart encounters took place,
and a commandant was killed. These engagements
occurred between Corbie and Boves, the latter being the
first station from this city on the lite to Paris. It was
in this neighbourhood the Prussian infantry were first
discovered to be in force. The receiver-general of the
Somme passed through the woods where they
were bivouacked. He had with him • 11,000 f. of
public money, but escaped ,hither last night:
This morning it was evident something grave
would be attempted. All the remaining troops
had left the city at an early hour. Everyone felt that a
battle was imminent. Windows were closed, and barri-
caded with bedding; shops ran up shutters, everything
was made taut. The ambulance corps set off early for
the front. The National Guards quietly departed,
supplemented by a goodly number of armed mechanics
in their working, and many in their Sunday, clothes.
Women and children followed fathers, husbands,
and brothers to the outskirts of the city, where they had
to stop. Ladies promenaded all day on the Boulevard,
not timid, but labouring under a subdued excitement.
Passing by some houses. I heard pianos strumming the
"Marseillaise," a few of[the fair sex sat reading,in window
recesses, as if the Prussians were one hundred miles
away. Even old gentlemen that ought to be nursing
their rheumatism hobbled along, demanding what news,
counting the coups of the cannon, and inquiring if you
also heard tile same. Orderly officers dashed by, covered
with mud, and traps drove madly with bearers of the
latest news. Even the beggars never mustered so
strongly, and had more the air of your money
or your life in their demand for charity than
that of not having eaten anything for the last
three days. The Prussians evidently were not posted
up as to the force the French possess. Their advance
from the south-east indicates an intention to gain the
northern side of the city, and from the heights command
the citadel. This, taken in connection with the rumoured
advance of the Prussians by Pecquigny on the south-west,
would have for object to cut off the line of French
retreat by Rouen, Arras, and Boulogne-sur-Mer.
This day's fighting is regarded as a feint to
cover the supposed actions going on about the
Loire. At the skirmish a few days ago at Villers-
Bretonneux, a case of cruelty has come to my know-
ledge, which is without parallel in the war. A
Uhlan had charged a Mobile, the [latter parried
the lance thrust with his bayonet, wounded his
adversary, whose money fell on the ground with
himself. The Mobile picked up the money and

his prisoner, handed both to a group of peasantry,
and set off to join his retiring battalion. The
peasantry put the poor Uhlan to death. Prussian-spy on
the brain broke out in the city within the last few days, a
Franc-tireur, a lieutenant of the Mobiles, and a Geneva
pastor having been severally arrested and imprisoned.
More curious still, the aide-de-camp of the Commanding
General was seized on alighting from the train with
despatches. He has a very German appearance, I must
say, and it was only when he was escorted to the
General's hotel, and the General himself knocked
up out of bed, that the aide-de-camp was liberated from
the hands of the Sons of Freedom. The fight to-day
commenced about eleven o'clock, and was practically
over about five, some shots continued to be fired till
near six. It was altogether an affair of artillery, and
extended from Gentelles, Boves, Dury, to Sains. On
the south-west a smart engagement commenced at
Le Petit St. Jean. The segment of this circle of
fighting ground might be about ten miles, and the land
was hilly. The French did not leave their entrenched
camp to any extent, and the only bayonet charge was at
Boves, where the French troops displayed much of that
discretion which is the better part of valour. However,

those who fight and run away, will live, &c., so that to-
morrow when the grand battle will come off, it is to be
hoped better deeds may be done. The Jack Tars fought like
lions and proved excellent artillerists on land, as they
are famed on the sea. The village of Dury was fired
by French shells, and a chateau, the name of which I
forget, was burned. lam sorry to say, the line troops
Maintained that evil reputation they have earned
of being the first to bolt. The road was strewn
with their Chassepots. The line to Rouen has been
cut this evening between Saleux and Nampa, as might
have been expected ; to-morrow the lines to Boulogne
and Douai will follow. I saw a segment of a 41b.
that exploded beside an officer and carried away the head
of a soldier- The town is very excited at this moment, 9
p.m. A workman shot a Mobile en route to the battle-field,
and stray shots are reported as being fired on the
Place Perigord. The workmen say they will defend
the town, if the " regulars " will not. I saw a few
spiked helmets, with some children—the latest toy.
To-morrow, at 5 o'clock in the mornicg, the battle will
recommence.

THE DISPOSITION OF THE ARMY OF THE

LOIRE.
The special correspondent of the Telegraph rends the
following from Amiens, dated the evening of the 23th
_ .

..,
Now that the hostile armies have measured themselves
against each other, .and found of what materials their
opponents are composed, it may not be without interest
to know precisely the forces engaged on the French
side. Before and in Orleans itself, there are no fewer
than four Corps d'Arm6e—the 15th, 16th, 17th,
and 19th—numbering together between 120,000 and
130,000 men. All these forces, let it be understood, are
under the immediate command of General Aurelles de
Palladine himself. But this is not the whole Army
of the Loire—that force is spread over the country on
both banks of the river in a way that military men
would not consider compatible ,a ith the first rules of
strategic combination. On the right rear of the
army under the immediate command of De
Palladine himself, the 18th Corps, of which General
Bourbaki has just refused the command, is stationed—to
the number of 35,000 men. Again, on the right rear
of the 18th Corps, the 20th Corps, between 28,000
and 32,000 strong, in the environs of Bourges,
covers the great central arsenal of France. At
Le Mans, until the other day, the 21st French
Corps, also about 30,000 strong, held a post of observation
against the Army Corps of the Grand Duke of Mecklen-
burg—striking down to the south-westward, through
Dreux, Chateauneuf, and Nogeht-le-Rotrou. Thus we
find, on the Loire itself, a collective force of 225,000 or
250,000 men; and this figure does not include the Army
of Brittany, under M. Kdratry, numbering at least
25,000 men. Of the forces that I have now enume-
rated, at least one-half are soldiefs who have passed
through the ranks of the regular army, and are between
30 and 35 years old. About one third of the number—or
80,000—are Gardes Mobiles. As for artillery—an arm in
regard to which the new French levies are naturally
very sensitive—they can at least claim an equality
with the enemy ; for they have about 200 field
pieces with fifty mitrailletises. Their cavalry, somewhat
over-estimated in some calculations, numbers at least
8,000 troopers, half being old soldiers, Their horses are
very good; but, like every French force outside the
Francs-tireurs, they are over-burthened with tentes (Cali,
and other camp furniture.