Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-09-29

repairs are to be of the most substantial
kind. Public interest demands this re-
form, ard we trust it will be prosecuted
fully CANDoR.
Sept. 90, 1870.
The Weeks Work in France.
| France, for the present, means Paris, of
which Metz and Strasbourg are but out
works, Tours but suburb, and Lyons
and Marseilles but recruiting stations. If
we point out, then, what has been done
about Paris in the week now closing, we
| -hall have a sufficient view OF the war in
France, which Is either just drawing TO
an end, or entering upon new and very
/ different phase of its course. Ii the Ger
mans capture Paris or make peace under
its walls, within fortnight. the war will
suddenly end; If peace or the capture of
| Paris is delayed or averted, peace Is not
| likely TO be made until after a general
/ European war. Let Us see, then, the pro-
gress made by King William in his siege
Of the FRENCH capital
| To begin with, Paris is now completely
invested, not closely, nor so as to prevent
reiufprcements passing in, or troops fight
ing their way out, but SO as to interrupt
ali direct communication between the
city and the rest of France. The section
Of the new government now at Tours no
/ longer communicates with that part
which remains in Paris, except semi-oc-
casionally, and it is on the point of re-
moving still further off, for fear of the
/ Crown Princes advance, which has reach
/ ed Orleans and BlOis, and may soon be at
/ Tours. All these towns are on the Loire,
and none Of them more than a hundred
miles from Paris. Limoges, to which 1t
is now proposed to retire, is q hundred
miles further south, 1875 miles west of
/ Lyons, and about the same distance north
/ east Of Bordeaux Unless Paris is taken,
there is little likelihood of a Germany
army marching as far south as Limoges.
The fighting around Paris for a week
past has been, on the whole, very favor
able to the Germans, in its result, for al
ready the French have abandoned Vim
cenLes, and been driven from an impor-
/ tant red0ubt at Chgtillon, near the south
eru forts Of Vanvres and Montrouge. The
reported success of the French along the
| had no considerable result, while The
/ German movement along the line of Meu-
don, Clamart, Chatillon, Bayneux, Vile
juif and Creteil, has threatened, and now
| threatens all the southern forts, eastward
from I7sy to Charenton. The fighting of
the week from September 1923, of which
we are now speaking, began near Charen-
/ ton. near which the Germans were at
tackled on Friday of last week, by Gen
| VinOy, with a strong accommodating force
! Finding that the Germans outnumbered
him, he retired under the forts of Charen-
ton and the guns of Vincennes he esti-
mated them At from 10000 to 10000, and
| they had contrived during Friday night
| to plant battery on the heights which
cover Nelly, near Cretei. An artillery
! enga cement took place on Saturday, Gen.
! Finoy having his guns, with battery of
mitraIlleuses, to cover his retreat. This
was the battle of Creteil; and the same
evening "a skirmish took place on the
| right bank OF the river, between the forts
of Charenton and Ivry. All this time the
| Prus,iaus were creeping into the Bots de
| Claimant under Meudou, where the woods
that concealed them had been set on fire,
but, being wet and green had not burnt
enough TO destroy their cover. Here the
Germans have concealed themselves In
the daytime, and at night and early dawn
made forced marches for two or three
days, always methodically but resolutely.
All the woods and copses of Notre Dame
and st. Martin, all that remains of the
forest of Bondy were occupied. The Ger
mans advanced along the Orleans road to
Savigny, where they cut the line g; found
the ford between Albion and Athis, and,
the Seine being low, soon crossed it, with
water up to their waists, and proceeded to
construct pontoon bridge at Juvisy,
where the railway branches off toward
Chatillon-le-Petit and Vitry. By this
movement they avoided the bridge at
Joinville-le- Point, which had been blown
up. From this point they rapidly gained
the Bots de Vorrieres and Meudon, and
presently Versailles, where the uhlans
rested on Sunday night.
The French, as the custom has been all
through this war, were taken by surprise,
and did not imagine the enemy so near,
when, on Monday, the fight begun at
Chatillon, which lies between the forts of
Montrouge and Vanvres. that of Issy be
ing west OF Vauvres. Between the two
first named forts was d redoubt, not fully
armed, bat strong as defense with steady |
troops behind it, Early Monday morn.
ing, Gen. Ducrot with four divisions of
French infantry occupied a position from
Vllleiuif westward to Meudon, and found
himself opposed by heavy masses in the
woods and villages, supported by formida- |
bic artillery. A sharp encounter took |
place, bat the French were outnumbered /.
and retired, part in good order, but an
other part of the right wing was put to
rout and fed. The former reached the
Chatillon redoubt. while the left wing
was able to keep its position on the nights
of Villeiuif. The Germans opened fire
so heavy that Gen. Ducrot was obliged to
withdraw his troops within the protection
of the forts. This movement he acco i
plished, Monday afternoon, after strug-
gle which lasted the best part of the day, |
from 10 in the morning. He spiked the |
eight guns in the redoubt under the fire
of the Prussians, and withdrew be-
meath the fort Of Vanvres. Ia this action
the garde mobile fought bravely, and with
the steadiness of old troops; while the
zouaves of the line fed early, throwing |
away arms and Announcements. The ma
iority of the fugitives were arrested later
in the day by the national guard and the
garde mobile. The loss of the French was
heavy, but they claim that the Germans
also suffered much from the fire OF the two
forts, Issy and Vanvres. The Germans,
however, gained an important advantage
by placing their guns and battery On the
nights of Meudon, as well as those OF
Clamart and Chatillon, and they have,
since Monday, established a battery still
nearer southern Paris, on the nights north
of Sceaux, four miles only from the city.
They have also captured Seyres, between
Meudon and st. Cloud, on the southwest