The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-24
THE BATTLE-FIELDS NEAR METZ.

The Fortress of Metz and It's Communications
The Towns In the yicinlty-The Battles of
Last Week, and where they were Fought
Has Hazaine Escaped to the Northweste
The fortress of Metz is situated on the right
or eastern shore of the Moselle, 10 miles due
east from Paris. 10 illustrate ithe relative posi-
ton of the places which have figured in the re-
ports of the battles fought in its neghborhood
last week we give an outline plan, in which all
the more important ones are laid down. Thion-
vile is directly north of Metz at distance of
IA miles, on the Moselle; while Nancy is 20 miles
10 the south, on the Meurthe, branch of the
Moselle. Half way between Metz and Nancy is
Pont-a-Movsson. Near Metz the Moselle takes
turn to the west in its upward course, which
places Pont-a-Mousson, which is on the river, a
little to the west Of the direct line between Metz
and Nancy.
The Communications Of SIetz and the Neigh
boring Towns.
At Frouard, a few miles northwest of Nancy,
a railroad branches off from the main line be-
tween Paris and Strasburg, and, following the
course of the Moselle, runs in northerly direc-
ton through Pont-a-Mousson, Champey, AIRY,
Jouy, Metz, Thary and Thionville, beyond
which it passes into the neutral territory of
Luxembourg Near 1hionville, another railroad
branches off to the left, passing in a north
westerly direction through Longuyon, Mont
medy, Sedan, and Mezieres, towards Brussels,
line at right angles connecting Mezeres with
Rheims and the network of railroads between
that city and Paris. Metz is thus connected by
rail with Paris by two roads, the one RAINING
west from Frouard, 25 miles south, and the one
running northwest from Thionville, II miles
north. 1t is also the terminus OF a railroad rum
ming from Mannheim west through Saarbruck,
and an extension of this line westward to Yer
( an tha
projected. Unfortunately for the French, how
J ever, it has never been built.
, The only road from Metz to Verdun, there
fore, is the common highway. At Gravelotte,
j q miles west of Metz, and brought by the curve
in the Moselle within two or three miles of the
F.iver, high road branches off to the northwest
passing through Doncourt and CONTAINS to Etain.
4 % miles distant, from which point another high
9road branches off in a southwest direction to
. Verdun. Still another high road starts out from
Metz, and, taking northwest direction, passes
througo Anbone and Briey, the latter place
being about Is miles distant. The high road
! running nearly due west, and presenting the
most direct route to Verdun, after passing
through Gravelotte, strikes Vionville, Recon-
ville and Mars-la-Tour, all of which have been
| given place in history by the operations of the
past ten days. Mars-la-Tour is about 12~miles
! from Metz, and Vionville and Rezonyille di-
rectly between the flrst-named place and Grave
lOtte. Such, as near as we can get at them, are
the relative positions of the places given in the
accompanying sketch. Until they were given
Unusual prominence by the recent military
movements, they were of such little consequence
as not to figure in the gazetteers or on the
maps. Most of them are mere hamlets, and
some OF them nothing more than chateaux or
country seats of wealthy gentlemen.
The French on the Line of the MoseIIe.
Tne contests of the 9Th of August, of which
the full details have just reached us by mall
(resulted in dislodging the French from their
first line-that directly on the frontier and
facing the Prussian line on the Saar. The bat
tie of Woerth drove the bulk of the French
forces in the neighborhood of Strasburg west to
Nancy; the battle Of Forbach compelled the
falling back of the advance of the French centre
TO Metz. The Emperor's army was thus placed
ON the line of the Moselle, extending in a north
and-south direction from Nancy TO Thionville.
The advance of the Crown Prince at the head
OF the victorious Prussian left after the battle of
Woerth compelled the evacuation of Nancy by
MacMahon on the 18th, the pursuit being kept
mp until both pursuers and pursued were lost
/, sight OF in the region west of the Meuse and
isolated from the anxious outside world by the
destruction of railroad and telegraphic
COMMUNICATIONS. AS the PTussian left