New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-08-31
yERDIJN AND CHhLONS.

THE FMPEROR-MINING THE BRlDGES-Bukr-
ING TREASuRE-PANIC AMONG TIE PEBBLE
THE GARDE MOBILE AT CHALONs--GEN-
ERAL MISREPRESENTATION ESCAPE OF Ma
PoLEoN-FEELING TOWARD THE GENERALS
IRON OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE
CAMP OF CHALoNs, August 1910 p. MI
wrote to you yesterday here, telling Thought
I should go across 20 yerun where the Emperor was
thought to be with the Imperial Guard Since then
have found II impossible to post letter 10 you, ana
will relate TO you what have done. started at IL yes
terday morning in kind of cart the only conveyance
could get NV companion was young French woman
who WAS going somewhere near ST. Menchould to fetch
some children who were at school there, fearing the
rapid approach Of the Prussians After three hours
drive through boiling we arrived at Chaons ana
our first care to secure conveyance
70 St. Mcnehould. After protrected march
all over the town. we induced a jew TO hire us an
old chase and older horse to take there for 80 francs
We started at o'clock and drove steadily the night
becoming by degrees exceedingly cold AS we crossed
the bridge over the MaTne at Ch0ns we saw the work
men busy mining the bridge which was done by making
large square hole in IT, into which they were about tn
let down large quantities OF powder IL was great re-
lief and one which had not expected to find the road
we had to follow perfectly devoid of soldiers and indeed
peculiarly free of travellers of any kind The road IL per
fectly straight for miles and miles together and we
could see ahead in the brilliant moonlight as
far as the horizon without distinguishing sim
Gle carriage. AS we went through the dreary-
looking French villages the peasants would gather In
groups approach to ask exctedly whether we
could give them any news. Just before we left Chaons
we had seen an unofficial telegram from the project
of Verun saying that tremendous canonnading had
been heard all the preceding day between Verdun ana
Metz ard that travellers entering the town from
that direction had said that fight had taken place. In
which Prussians had been wOrsted losing nearly 49,
900 men, This piece of were able to retail to the
friO "A
went, and still sign of troops anywhere. AT ii we
stopped at q small village called Azure, to feed the horse
and have some supper had not had time TO dine at
ChalOns The poor woman in whose cottage we were
received full of the advancing Prussians. Twopeas-
ant men, who were smoking their pipes in the earthen
hoored ROOM very somber, and seemed to say the
game was all up. They incredulous to the news
we brought saying Yes, and tomorrow we shall find
ont it is nothing" have the resigned feeling
of encouragement all the country have crossed
We at last arrived haffrozen, at ST. Menehoud There
back to the wretched conveyance were in so
that was quite stiff Happily found shelter for the
night in an auberge Here learned that the
Emperor had that evening passed through the
town by rail, with the Prince Imperial and his
staff The landlord told the Emperor looked exceed
ingy detected and did not aigh keeping his fixed
his newspaper the whole time The Prince got out Of
the carriage and took few steps In the station The
municipal authorities of the little town were there but
not single cry of Wire FEmpereur" was heard. One
Of the functonaries OF the Marie in rough way put
out his hand and said to the boy, Eth bien, mon petit,
est ce que les aares bientot aler mieux!" The
man swore he heard him say the very words. An aid
decamp stepped in and limited TO the ignorant municipal
dgnitary that his familiarity rather out of place
The of the Emperor going to ChalOns altered my
plans and this morning after two hours Sleep
was up and preparing to return here. had written
few lines yOu but could not post them for fear III
| this gossipng little town Of awaking suspicion,
| hitch, u1ol,fh m 4
more than probable you would not have received the let
ter, completely is everything disorganzed On re-
tracing by daylight the road had followed during the
night able to more signs OF the panic the IN
habtants Of the country under They are all hiding
their little money and vauabes in holes in the fields, or
in their chimneys We stopped at miserable roadside
inn where some labOrers and carriers dining They
all telling stories true or false, OF what they had
seen during the night. Some said they had fallen upon
French vedettes &c. I only repeat that was on
that greater part of the night by bright moon
light and all the barren country right and left
discovered no trace of vedette, patrol outpost
They also telling stories of this that neghbor
who had buried his money, and how and so had been
| watched by more cunning than himself, who
had gone and dug UP the treasure soon as the owners
| back turned.
The conveyance which brought me back, brought some
Travellers who were coming from Metz. They had left
Verdun last night. They told me that at Metz the in
habants already raoned as to bread People had
to go and wait for II at the bakeries. Meat Is still and
will be plentiful for time all the country folk having
driven In their cattle within the eneeinte At Verdun,
there troops beside the Mobile Guard the Ma
tonal Guard and some scouts. Between Metz and
Verdun they did Uhans who had advanced as
eclareurs and been separated from their corps
and captured separately Most Of the wealthy nhabit-
ants of all the country between this and the frontier
have gone away with all their valuabes into the south
arrived here at o'clock this evening, and find the
Emperor is here with several Of the Marshals,
whom MacMahon, and, believe, CanrObert. In the
affair at LOngeve Sunday, the Emperor was as near
being captured killed 10. The whole affair was
but reconnaissance the part Of the Prussans, but
reconnaissance with two fed-peees and conducted with
daring really unheard Of They advanced right In
front of headquarters and actually within can
shot and had begun firing before their presence was
known. My informant there, and heard the cannon
balls whisng. and owed his safety to hasty retreat
Such a fact as this shows again the amazing want of
precautions in the French army. 1t the same at
Weissenburg; and such absence Of the most ee-
mentary outpost work Dis positively astounding. The
Prussans, the other hand unite the most astue and
careful forethought with the most miraculous dash and
They throw out ecaireurs with dash which,
it seems me, completely nonpusses the French, who
are repeating with sort Of astonishment not un-
mixed with dismay, ace sont des tapnS!" rabbts),
which in French soldiers diOm is the greatest cOmph
ment a man need receive There another affair at
the very doors Of Metz close Fort ST. Julian whose
guns helped to drive back the Prussans. Marshal Ba-
zaine had an epaule shot of. The French army is at
tempting TO retire through Gravelotte and Yer
dun upon Chalons, and by the time you have
received this letter in London the concentration
here will be almost completed, and the greatest
battle of modern times imminent. battle which will
divide Europe three races and decide which Of the
Latin Germanic is to have the sway The widest ru-
mors Of course current here Some people say
the Prussians are only four kometers from the camp
that shows the state OF mind they In The truth is
the Prussans in places about 20 leagues from
here that ia 30 kilometersabout G5 meswhich is only