The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-08-15
THE MILITARY SITUATION.
An Interesting Review.

a telegram from Mr. Frederick Gaillardet to
our able contemporary, the Courier des Etats
Unls, furnishes the first indication Of the losses
Of the French army in the battles of last week.
Mr.. Gaillardet says that the relics of the First
and the Seventh Corps under Mcmahon will
remain at Saverne for the present, and that
they are now about fifty thousand strong. AS
these two corps were noplinally hundred
thousand strong and contained ut least ninety
thousand fighting men before the battle Of last
Saturday, the amount Of their losses In that
fight, in killed, wounded and prisoners must
have been at least forty thousand. That this
figure is not exaggerated also appears from
the care Of the French authorities In keeping
secret the official returns. Had the losses not
been very large, they would certainly have
been published by the government. OF the
losses ofFroissards corps, which was routed at
Saarbriicken at the same time that Mcmahon
was crushed at Hagenau, Mr.. Gaillardet affords
no indication; but as they fought obstiaately
all day and retreated in comparative order at
nightiall, they must have been less than Mac.
Mahon's, though still considerable, say from
twelve to twenty thousand
Mr.. Gaillardet gives much more favorable
picture of the present condltion anu resources
Of the French army than has been gathered
from other sources According to him, the re-
| mains Of Froissard's corps are already assem-
bled under the walls of Metz, and the corps Of
| de Failly, which he says has not yet been en-
gagged, Is also in the same entrenched camp
The Third Corps, hitherto ander the command
| of Marshal Ba2aine, but now under General de
Caen, is there likewise; making, as we are
Told, one hundred and fifty thousand fighting
men at that place. In cchelon, between Metz
and Nancy, lie the Eighth Corps and the Impe-
rial Guard under Bourbak; while the
Fourth Corps, under LAdmirault, Is mainly
at Nancy The Sixth Corps: likewise fifty
thousand strong, commanded oy Marsha!
Canrobert, has, Mr. Gailardet says.
also arrived from Chalons upon the theatre of
hostilities. This makes in all. according to
his estimate, three hundred and ttty thousand
veterans already in Lorraine, without count
inc the Garde Mobile. These numbers are
probably somewhat exaggerated; but II Is safe
| TO presume that, after deaucting the guards OF
railroad stations, forage trains, local garrisons,
and all the many drafts which are made upon
the effective force of an army IN active CAM
able to bring into the field for fighting near
Metz, any day within the next week, bGly OF
two hundred and fifty thousand men.
Against this force, what Is the strength OF
the Prussians Leaving ont OF view the imagi-
native figures, none OF them official, which
have reached lis, the fact most significant as
to the numbers under the command oil ofGeneral
Won Moltke is that he has boldly made his
campaign thus far with three columns so far
anort from each other that neither could march
TO the others assistance, in the case OF an
overwhelming attack from the enemy. No
| general of sense could venture upon such a
movement In the face OF such an army as the
French with less than one hundred Thousand
men in each Of his columns. Tle ffencn re-
port that the army under the Cr0wn prlnce
Frederick William, which defeated McMahon
at Harenau consisted of one hundred and
forty thousand men; and ii we take one hun
drea thousand rs the original effective force o.
McMahon's command, il is not improbable
that the Crown Prince may nave brought
as large a number as this 70 the at
tack. That The PrussianS have out-generaled
The French is unUl,C :tlonable: and ii is Away:
the part OF good @enernlsnlp 10 ailach WIN .
superior iorce Assuming, then. that alter the
losses Of battle the Crown Prince mas sti!l one
hundred and twenty-five thousand men; an(
that Won SteinmetZ. who commands the Prus
sian centre and who defeated tfolsSard q
Saarbr;icken, has one hundred thousand men
and that the Prussan left. under fflnce FRED
. |
as the anrrenate of these thee c0luGcns. whel
concentrated for a battle near Metz, three hun
dred and twenty-five thousand men. vii
this force be sufficient to assail, with reason
able probability OF success. position IKE IN
great intrenciled Camp where the main bod
Of the French army is now posted. IN mum
bers the Prussians are evidently the stronger
but the advantage OF position and the ntrench
ments of the French more than outweigh
this
But here again the question Is not OF mum
bers or OF position so much as OF brains. lii
generaship Of the Prussians has nitnerlo oeei
iInmpn.ely superior to that OF their antagon
ISIS: but it is a question whether that saperi
ority Will continue to be manifested. Til
Frerch have new commander, not hitheTt
supposed 10 be great soldier, but cautious an
respectable. They certainly cannot now U
taken by surprise, as they evidently were bot
at Aagenau and at saarbricken. II is pialnl