The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-08-09
THE TREATER OF WAR.
It's Typographical Features - The
PFussian Line or Defense-POsItlOn
OF the French TrOOps-PrObabl
Point OF Attack.

OF the French TrOOps-PrObable
Point OF Attack.
There are no large towns on the
boundary between France and Rhen-
ish Bavaria. but on both sides not far
| from the frontier, are places import
ant in a military point of view, occu-
pied now By the two armies.
TREVEs.
The Prussian right wing reaches to
Treves, on the Moselle. This is one
of the Oldest towns in Europe. When
Julius Caesar led the legions of Rome
into Gaul, he found it the chief town
of the Treviri-one of the most pow
erful of the faxen haired tribes of
Germany. An inscription on the wall
of the Rath- -Hause informs US that it
was built before Romulus laid the
foundations Of Rome. The Treviri
became the allies of Rome. and Au
gustus used them we'll. He made
Treves the capital of Gaul, and estab-
lished Senate and appolnted magls
trates to manage the affairs of the
Empire north Of the Alps. Here the
great Roman highway crossed the
| Mosalle on a magnificent stone bridge.
erected % B. O., which was blown up
| by Louis XIV. Its remains are still
to be seen. Prussian soldiers now
occupy the basillica erected by the
architects of old Rome, and go
through their dress parade on the
campus where Caesar and Constantine
the Great reviewed their legions
| Treves has a railroad connection west
with Luxemburg. and with the Rhine
| by the line which runs south east up
the valley of the Sasr to Saarbruck,
and which turns right angle to the
north east. The supplies for the
Prussian troops at Treves and in the
valley of the Saar must come either
by this line of rail or by steamboats,
up the Moselle. Treves being near
Luxembourg, which is neutral terri
tory, the Prussians cannot receive
anything from the west, and the 100,-
900 soldiers encamped on the hill
around this old town must obtain all
their supplies from the Rhine.
THE VALLEY OF THE sAAR.
The Saar rises in the Vosgss, the
range of mountains that lie west of
Strasburg, aad drains their western
slope. 1t is beautiful stream. wind
| ing through q wide, verdant valley.
| The course of the river is toward the
north, joining the Moselle near
Treves. Ii has given a name to sew
eral towns Travelling south from
Treves, we find Saars rsburg, then S8ar-
holzbach, then SaarlOuis, Saarbruck,
and Saarbuliengeu, all 10 Prussia;
crossing the stream, we have Sar
reguemines, Sarreable, Sarrunian,
and Sarrehaney, in France In this
enumeration the order has been
southwark from Treves. SaarlouiS
and Saarbruck, In Prussia, and sSar-
reguemines, in France, are of great
importance, but the others are of
| little account.
sAARLOUIS.
It is Sc miles from Treves to Saar.
bruck. and the important towns on
| the route are Saarburg, MeTzg and
| Saarlouis. This last-named place is
/ about 40 miles from Treves. 1t Is a
fortified town, surrounded by wide
| meadows, aud two thirds encircled by
the river, which at that point Is q
sluggish stream. The Notifications
were constructed by Vaubon, and
consist Of ramparts, bastions, lunettes
fosses and bitches. A canal connects
the bitches with the river, and the
garrison, by opening the sluices, may
fill them with water on short notice
Prussian engineers have strengthened
the works and adapted them to the
requirements of modern military
science. The town Is located-on the
western bank, and it is fully a mile
across the meadows to the hills that
bound the valley on the west. The
character of the soil is such that the
place cannot be taken by regular
seige operations.
The railroad runs along the eastern
bank of the stream, all the way from
Treves to Saarbruck. The railroad
station at Saarlouis is connected with
the town by fine stone bridge. The
river is too deep to be forded by an
advancing army. It is about as wide
as the Rappahannock at Fredericks-
burg. The Prussian line of defenses
is along the eastern bank, and if the
2 French army would get at the Prus.
SLAMS any where between Treves and
| Saarbruck they must bridge the
stream either by poutoons or by more
solid structures. The distance from
Saarlouis to the boundary is abou
four miles; it is the same from Merzis
to the boundary; but as we approach
Saarbruck, fifteen miles further uI
| the valley, the distance between the
river and the frontier is not more
! than a mile and a half
sAARBRUcK.
This is a railway junction. and per
, haps the most important point on ths
entire line between Luxemburg anC
the Rhine. Its importance will bC
seen only by a review of the situation
The railroad running southwest from
Saarbruck into France leads to th,
town of Metz, and there connects
with the lines running to Paris. Thl
Prussian line from Treves follows III
z the valley of the Saar to this point
It's general course has been littl
! east of south. but here it makes
! sharp curve round high hill, leave
: the Saar, turns north east, follows ul
a small brook through ravlne, pass
es coal mine and the little ham
. let's of Duttwilles and Sultzbaeh
goes up an ascending grade Will
! wooded hills on either hand
E reaches the summit between the val
; ley of the Saar and the Nahe, and de
scendS that stream to Bingeu on tn
; Rhine. Eleven miles east of Saar
: bruck is Neuenkirchen, another i'm
portant point. 1t is the junction O
the line leading to Bingen, with th
equally important line reaching tn
Rhine at Mannheim and Speier, u
these two lines TO Neuenkirehen. an
2 over this single line west of Neuen
0 kircheu, the Prussian army, or a
: | 80 QOA 000 v,ov, y,ovrSk roaeiua ~ =;