The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-08-05
Significance Of the Capture OF Saar'
bruck.

From the New York Times OF Tuesday.
To appreciate fully the significance Of
! the capture of Saarbruck, it is necessary
to recapitulate the details that have
been forthcoming during the last four,
teen days regarding the movements OF
the advanced guard of both French and
Prussian armies, At first the Prussian
soldiers were steadily pushed forward by
the lines of railway which crosses the
frontier at Saarbruck, and were distrib-
uted along the Valley Of the river Saar
in a line parallel to the French bonn
Diary. Saarlouis, Merzig and Saarbourg
as we'll as Saarbruck itself, were thus
occupied by strong advanced guards.
and the district of which Metz is the
centre, was apparently marked ont for
attack. At first the French contented
themselves with massing their troops
at the great centres of Metz and
Strasbourg. but by and by it became
obvious that their advanced posts had
begun to be pushed forward in the
direction of an irregular curve, stretch.
ing from both extremities of bee line
connecting the two great fortresses,
Thionville, Sierck, st. Avoid and
Bitche, all towns within a few miles Of
the frontier, became occupied by the
French troops, and their consequent
proximity to the Prussians gave rise to
the irregular skirmishing which has
inaugnrated the campaign. In pro-
portion as the French showed dispo-
sition 10 advance in force to the from
tier, the Prussians showed symptoms Of
retiring upon the great natural bonn-
dairy of the Rhine, backed by the fort
resses Of Coblentz Mayence and Mann
helm.
From au early stage in the campaign
it was obvious that Saarbruek was a
strategical point of considerable i'm
portance, and in the event Of the French
troops assuming the offensive, wonld lie
one of the first points Of attack. The
formation Of strong camp at 81.
Avoid which is only about seven miles
distant, and is connected with it both
by road and rail- was a further indica-
ton Of the probable line of advance,
which the placing of an advanced
guard at Forbach, midway between
the two places rendered it almost a
certainty. The importance Of the cap
ture of Saarbruck will greatly depend
upon the stand which Prussia proposes
to make on this side of the Rhine.
With Metz as base of operations, the
French have now extended their front
to a position which commands the ~
per extremity Of the Valley Of the Saar,
and renders the entire command OF Cis-
Rhenish Prussia dependent upon the
possession of TreveS and Saarlouis.
The latter fortress is about seven miles
lower down the Valley of the Saar,
while Treves is at distance Of forty
miles, where that stream joins
the Moselle. Ii, as Indicated by our
correspondent, the reduction of these
strong positions is not to be attempted,
a statement which is the more proha
blc since they now contain evidently
nothing beyond strong defensive garri-
sons, and the Emperor elects to march
straight upon the Rhine, Cohlentz will
doubtless he the seat of the next i'm
portant operation. II Saarlouis is
singled out for attack, we shall have
the intelligence before many hours are
over and the plan Of the campaign will
thus in either case he more clearly un-
derstood.