The Sun.
London, England, 1870-10-03 00:00:00

THE SURRENDER OF TOUL.

The bombardment of Toul with 24-pounders commenced
on the 23rd of September, and was continued with in-
creased vigour the next day. Up to four p.m. on the
24th' the firing was very heavy on all sides, but at that
hour a large white flag was unfurled on the cathedral, and
the siege was at an end. The special correspondent of
the Cologne Gazette says :—" The reason given by the
Commandant for capitulating was, that he had only
ammunition for three or four days, and would then be
forced to surrender, in which time all Toul might
have been destroyed. The Mobile Guards, moreover,
were undisciplined and not sufficiently practised in arms
to offer a long defence or to repulse a storming attack.
The same evening the French garrison maeched out and
bivouacked in a meadow under guard. The next day they
were sent by railway to Prussia, and the MecklenbUrg
troops occupied the place, the Grand Duke with a
brilliant Staff entering it at the head of some regiments.
A long ramble on the following morning in the conquered
town was very interesting, and furnished many new in,
pressions. In the suburbs were six or seven entirely, and
foUr or five half-burnt houses. The bridge ove the Marone
Canal had been blown up by the French, and one had
half to clamber and half to wade through the
canal on stones and pieces of wood. In the
rtreets of Toul, which numbers about 8,000 inhabi-
•tants, the marks of balls and bombs were every-
where perceptible on the houses. Windows were de-
stroyed, and there were large gaps in the roofs and walls.
Doors lay strewn about, but only two or three houses were
entirely destrpyed in the town. Our shots seem to have
concentrated on the stately residence of the mayor, the
walls being full of holes and the stucco and windows
destroyed. The really beautiful cathedral, had, happily,
not suffered internally, though there were some
injuries caused by our fire on the external walls,
The large window was completely destroyed, a door
split to pieces, and the breastwork of the tower
pierced with holes. Our fire had done most damage
to the walls. Here were standing the large fortress
guns and mortars with which Toul was armed, behind the
high gabions or the batteries covered with thick boards;
yet our balls had everywhere made great ravages, and the
artillerymen were frequently struck near their guns.
Bombs and shells lay about everywhere, likewise chasse-
pots and other weapons. Toul is regularly fortified on
Vauban's system ; it has capital walls, five or six bastions,
and deep fosses filled with water. It was formerly deemed
a very strong fortress, but, as it possesses no outworks or
detached forts, it is not for long tenable before the new
artillery with its long range, and with 24-pounders it could
be desteoyed from St. Michael's Mount. Six or eight
of the inhabitants were killed during the siege, and
twelve to sixteen wounded, we are told. The anxious
families passed the last days chiefly in their cellars, the
windows being thickly covered with dung. All now came
creeping out, sunned themselves, and spread out their
beds everywhere to dry and air, as they had become damp
in the low cellars. These , pale, harmless faces, were
visible everywhere, and loud lamentations were: heard.
The habitual French elasticity and cheerfulness were
soon, however, manifested, and many of the inhabitants
were evidently glad that the siege was ended and life and
health no longer endangered. Of provisions there was
a tolerable store, but of artillery ammunition very
little."