New-York tribune., 1870-09-28
THE CAPITULATIoN OF ToUI.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FoRTRRss-ITs GARRISON
RIDICULoUsLY sMALI-NOT A SINGLE ARTiL-
LERYMAS AMONG THEh-THE GUNS SERVED
BY THE GARDE MOBILE-LTTLE DAMAGE
DONE TO THE TOWN
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THR TRIBUSRI
LONDON, Tuesday, Sept. n. 1910
The special correspondent Of THE TRIBUNE at
the headquarters of Prince Frederick Charles, tele
graphs via Arlon this day: II have just returned
from Toul, travelling one day and two nights. The
investment Of that city began August IA. On the
10th an assault was made on the works at point
not defended by cannon; it was repulscd with tho
loss of several hundred Germans. Thereafter an
irregular succession Of bombardments followed, be
ginning on the 23d, but they were not sufficiently
serious to effect anything, the artillery employed
being of the field service together with such me
dieyal siege guns as bad been captured at Marsal
"The Bavarian Railroad Directors, who run tho
line from Weissenburg through Nancy to Paris, Of
fered to build branch road around Toul in fort
night but Motke said, No; ; we shall have Toul
long before that time The struggling attack, how
ever, was of no avail The fortress had double
escarpment with full bastions, and was fully case
mated. There was no gacis, but double moat,
each ditch being 30 feet wide all around the fortress
1t was defended by 75 guns of which % were heavy
rifed pieces from strasbourg, brought thence while
yet France intended an earnest defense of Toul.
within the last fortnight heavy siege guns which
had arrived from Germany were put in position on
spur of Mount st. Michael the north, the nights
opposite the Faubourg st. Egare on the southwest,
and at Dommartin-les-Toulo the southeast Moth
ing serious was then attempted until last Friday,
when at daybreak concentrated bombardment OF
the works was begun by 4-pounder batteries of tho
ID and 4th Artillery Regiments supported by troops
of the 3ith Infantry Bngade All these form part OF
| a new Independent command, under the Grand Duke
of Meckenburg-Sc -Schwerin, embracing all the forces
| living between the armies of Frederick Charles and
the Crown Prince; that is all the troops of the In
vasion not engaged in the sieges Of Metz and Paris
"The firing continued all Friday, with an active
but very ineffective reply from the garrison La tho
evening the town being on fire in % places the pres
sure of the inhabitants upon the commander induced
him to hoist the white flag and offer to capitulate.
The offer was Immediately accepted by Col. Man
teuffel, commanding the siege corps and the town
was entered at Z p. m. The conditions OF surrender
were precisely those of Sedan. council Of the Nd
nicipaty, held on Friday decided not to favor
surrender but the urgent representations of ndyd-
uas who feared useless destruction completely over
came the belligerent determination Of the military
and civil authorities.
"The garrison was rdiculousy small. II consisted
Of co cuirassers 100 troops Of the ne 40 gendames,
! and 1000 raw Garde Mobile. There was not one ar
| tilleryman among them. The Commandant was
| Major Huck an old cavalryman. The German OIL
GERS are indignant that so small force should have
bockaded for six weeks the railroad to Paris 80 es-
sental for transportin fact the only line Now tho
railway is complete, communicating directly with
the Paris siege army. Everything had been pre-
pared beyond Toul for weeks, and trains were run
ming by horse power Only bridge Of II feet in
length near Toul had to be replaced. This was dona
on the 25th and yesterday 2Gthl the FIRST locomotive
went through
Il went to Toul on the first inspectors tralu
! that approached the town after the surrender.
Many houses are destroyed The condi-
ton of things is worse than at Sedan, but
not so bad as at Bazeles. The Gothic chapel OK
Saint Gengoult is almost ruined but the ancient and
very imposing Cathedral has only window arch
demolished and its outside battered by score OF
shells The town and environs have picturesque
appearance and are built very much in the old Ger
man STYLE There are but few wounded no sick, and
but little disorder in Toul. Only two battalions OF
the 10Th infantry remain garrison. The prisoners
of the native Garde Mobile were released under pa
role not to serve again during the war. OF the
Garde Mobile 500 were trained during the siege 10
serve the guns they alone performed the artillery
service but in repulsing the assault of the 10th ut,
all the male inhabitants that could procure arms
| participated.n