The Sun.
London, England, 1870-10-14 00:00:00

THE ATTACK ON ST. QUENTIN.

The Gazette de Cambrai contains the following account
of the attack on St. Quentin :

On Saturday, about half-past ten o'clock, the Prussians
were announced to be at a few kilomdtres' distance from
the town, on the road to La Fiore. The drums beat to
arms. The National Guards hastened to their posts.
The Pefect, M. Anatole do la Forge, wearing a simple
National Guard's uniform, went to the chief square of the
town with a broadsword in one hand and a revolver in the
other. He harangued the population and led them to fight.
Four formidable barricades had been constructed during
the last fortnight in the Rue d'lsle—one on the banks
of the canal, two others at 200 metres' distance from
each other in the interior of the town, and the fourth
closing the road from La F6re to the top of the Faubcurg
d'lsle. This barricade could be defended for a few mo-
ments by ten men only. The fight began at the entrance
of the town, close to the great canal barricade, which
formed, indeed, a very strong position. The Prefect re-
mained in the first post of danger as long as
the fight went on. His courage was admirable.
The Prussians, who were about 900 in number—viz.,
600 infantry and 300 cavalry—entrenched themselves in
the railway-station. Taking advantage of the angles of
the houses, as well as of the openings in the railway balus.
trades, they endeavoured to deploy as sharpshooters
Despite all these combinations, they could not succeed in
reaching the National Guard. They even suffered rather
serious losses; every man who showed himself was shot,
The celebrated shooter Bosquette, a St. Quentin man, is
mentioned, among others, as having killed or wounded six
or seven Prussians, one of. whom WAS a superior officer.
The struggle lasted until about two o'clock. At that
time the Prussians retreated, taking the road to Marle.
The National Guards, being without quick-firing and long-
range muskets, were unable to pursue them, "If we had
had only 300 soldiers provided with Chassepots, not one
Prussian would have escaped." So the inhabitants of
St. Quentin said yesterday. The enemy carried away
their dead and wounded in carts, which they had procured
by means of a requisition. Consequently the number of
their loss could not be exactly ascertained. According to
the most impartial reckonings, it was about forty or fifty.
On our side we had three men dead, and five or six
wounded. One of the dead, a modeller's workman, was
the father of eleven children, who had been adopted by
the town of St. Quentin. Three Frenchmen were made
Prisoners ; eleven Prussians remained in our hands. It is
reported that whilst the fight was going on, and about an
hour t efore the enemy's retreat, the Town Council
adopted a resolution saying, " That the National Guard
had bravely done their duty, but that they could not
continue the struggle without the town incurring the
risk of cruel reprisals, and that consequently there was
reason for entering into negotiations with the enemy.'
This deliberation was brought to the Prefect behind the
barricades. He refused to accept it, Fiaying that he was
merely a National Guard, and that it did not belong to
him to give orders to his comrades. Yesterday evening
' peasants returning from Marie to St. Quentin announced
that the enemy was coming back. They said that
a numerous body, composed of troops coming from Laon,
Soissons, and even from Rheims, was forming stself,
and preparing to march on St. Quentin. We do not
know what foundation there may be in these rumours,
but what we perfectly know is, that, should the
Prussians venture to present themselves again before St.

Quentin, they will find somebody to receive them. The
twelve Prussians made prisoners on Sunday by the
National Guard of St. Quentin have just arrived at
Cambrai by rail. They have been taken to the citadel.

Large numbers of horses are being daily shipped
from Southampton to France.

CRYSTAL PALACE.--One shilling day, Tuesday
Oct. 11th, 1870.—Admission by season tickets, 2,154 ; do,
on payment, 1,918, Total visitors, 4,072.

At a meeting of ratepayers resolutions were
passed advocating the removal of tolls on Waterloo
Bridge.

THE GALE AND THE TELEGRAPHS.—ThO gale of
last night has done considerable damage to the telegraphic
wires, espscially those connecting London with the North
and Ireland. - Twenty-five principal wires have been
broken and the wind and rain together have prejudicially
affected the working of many others; a great delay, there-
foie, has occurred in the transmission of telegrams on the
Northern and Irish wires In the South and West of
England the effects of the gale on the telegraphs have
been less severely felt.

COINING IN BIRMINGHAM.—A case of coining possess
ing more than ordinary interest, camebefore the Birming
ham magistrates. Some three weeks ago a man who gave
the name of Walters, and described himself as a machinist
from Alexandria, commissioned a Birmingham diesinker,
Mr. Bartlam, to mark for him dies of three different
coins, an Italian 20f. piece, a French 10f. piece, and an
English sovereign, the remuneration for which was to be
£25. He afterwards purchased at other places a stamp-
press, and milling machine, with casting-pots, and other
, requisites for coining, which were all transmitted to Ports-
mouth for shipment. The police having received informa-
tion from Mr. Bartlam of the transaction about the dies,
watched the prisoner's subsequent movements closely, and
in due time arrested him with the die in his possession.
These facts having been brought out in evidence, Walters
was counnitted for trial at the sessions.