The Sun.
London, England, 1870-10-12 00:00:00

ME FIGHTING AT ARTHENAY AND
CHERIZY.

On the 10th instant, at about half-past nine in the morn-
ing, a cavalry brigade and several companies of Foot
Chasseurs, forming the extreme advanced guard of the
army of the Loire, was attacked by a very superior
force of all arms detached from the army of the
Crown Prince7ofi,Prussia,t;.and under the command of
General Von der Tann. At the first onset the French
were driven out of the place. On this General
Rey an hastened up with a reinforcement of five
regiments of cavalry, four battalions of infantry,
and a battery of 8-puuders. A sharp action took
place, but at 2.30 p.m. the French were driven
,into the forest to the south of Arthenay, and eventually
fled towards Orleans, pursued by the Prussian cavalry.
The number of killed and wounded on either side
is not stated, but the Prussians assert that they captured
a thousand prisoners and three guns. We are
very much inclined to think that the French,
owing to a defective intelligence department, and to
a want of proper outposts and patrol arrangements, have
been again surprised, otherwise we can hardly suppose
that they would quietly have awaited the attack of a
superior force, but would, on the contrary, have
fallen back towards Orleans, and on their supports.
They seem to have fought well, for in spite of
the superior numbers of the Prussians, the action lasted
five hours. It is evident, however, that in the end the
French suffered a complete and crushing defeat, or they
would not have lost 1,000 prisoners and three guns. We
have yet to learn what loss the Prussians suffered. In
our opinion the French have committed a great mistake
in sending beyond the Loire any troops beyond mere
flying columns composed of cavalry and horse artillery,
with orders not to commit themselves to any serious
engagement, but to confine themselves to the check-
ing of weak foraging parties. The true objec-
tive point of the army of the Loire is, as we have
pointed out, not Paris, but Metz, and every secondary
should be sacrificed to the principal object. We were
at first under the impression that General Reyan's
command was merely employed in masking. the move-
ments of the main body of the army of the Loire,
but it would appear that we gave the French military
authorities credit for more sagacity than they possess.
From Chartres we learn that on the 10th a
Prussian force, consisting of six squadrons of
cavalry, two regiments—six battalions—of infantry, and
a battery of artillery, made an attack on Cherizy, near
Dreux. The inhabitants, who had constructed barricades,
succeeded, after five hours' fighting in repulsing the
attack, but the Prussians continued to hold positions
near the place, and a portion of Cherizy was set on fire.—
Standard.

ARRIVAL OF THE KING OF PRUSSIA AT
VERSAILLES.

The correspondent of the Daily News, writing on the
evening of the sth inst., thus describes the arrival of the
King of Prussia at Versailles : —His Majesty King
William has arrived at Versailles, and has driven straight
to the Prefecture. It is there that his quarters are to
be established, whilst the Crown Prince will remain for
the present at a chateau in the outskirts of the town,
called Les Ombrages. The stately palace of the
old r4ginie will continue to fly the red cross flag,!ancl to
have wonnded soldierson their trucklebeds gazing up at its
famous battle pieces. All the officers of the Crown
Prince's staff have assembled to receive the King, and
the Prince himself has been out upon the road to mee t
him, and the French inhabitants have crowded'
eagerly together to see the man who took Napoleon
prisoner. Thus is the last stage of the journey from the
frontier accomplished, save that short and doubtful frag-
ment which will take shape as the entry to Paris. For
fighting or for negotiating, for a long siege, or a speedy
triumph, the veteran of 1815 is again at Versailles in 1870.
The afternoon drew on until the evening shadows
were spread across the broad alleys of Versailles.
The crowd before the Prefecture was on tiptoe at
each rumble of carriage wheels over the stones of
the side streets, whence the King should emerge.
There happened to be no more firing from the
French forts, and if there had been, it would
scarcely have attracted notice, for as five
o'clock approached all questionings about minor
news seemed to come to an end. The soldiers who
formed the guard of honour stood rigid as statutes, the
staff officers glanced ever and anon at their watches,
and the gendarmerie of the Prince's headquarters was
busy in keeping the people back. Five o'clock
passed, and some travelling carriages covered
with dust trotted briskly on to the Avenue
de Paris. They were part of the King's es-
tablishment, but not the looked-for arrival. Wheu
they had entered the court-yard of the Prefecture,
all eyes were again turned to the opposite side of the
avenue. The light wa.s waning, and the palace-hospital
stood out against the yellow glow in the western sky,
with a great Prussian standard, black and white,
hoisted beside the red flag of the " International Society."
The uniforms of the infantry had assumed a dull,
indistinguishable hue, only their brass-topped hel-
mets chewing clearly forth. We feared that it might
grow dark enough to hide the effect of the scene : but
no, the daylight was just saved. Loud cheering was
heard in the side street and across the avenue. The
soldiers cheered, the townsfolk remained silent, trying
hard to catch a glimpse of King William. There appeared
an open carriage. with postillions, and four horses, coming
forward at a round pace. It crossed the avenue. It dashed
up to the front of the Prefecture. We could see his
Majesty and the Crown Prince seated in it side by side.
They were begrimed with dust from the journey, but
seemed to be in excellent spirits. As to the King, he
bears his weight of years so lightly that it is difficult to be-
lieve that he served in the old war. He was an active, up-
right man, descending from the carriage almost !as quickly
as his son, and stepping briskly to greet the staff of
the Prince. For a few minutes the townfolk over-
came all restraint and ran helter skelter in among
the Prussian officers. What a strange thing is curiosity I
I admit that most of those who ran were young lads and
women. But this King was the man they had been
taught to fear as their deadliest enemy. These tall;
strong Prussians were terrible to them when first they
appeared ; and here was a rush into the lion's
mouth, as it were. Before the King had bowed
and spoken to a dozen officers he was surrounded by a
staff of mingled militaires and dingy young Republicans.
Now you might have stumbled aiiinst a Prussian cuiras-
sier, whose white tunic gleamed in the twilight ; or
against the English military attache, in scarlet uniform ;
the tall Bavarian General, in blue and silver. The
next instant you might well nigh trample upon an
urchin of seven, with features innocent of soap. It was
not the least interesting part of King William's arrival
that it shewed how little the townsfolk feared his soldiery.
Of course the least violence would have scared these in-
truders away, but the gendarmie told them that they
" must move on," with the tone of a London policeman
in his very best humour.