The Hawaiian gazette., 1870-09-21
The Theatre OF War.

the Vosgss Mountains, about 50 miles west Of the
Rhine, sloping of to the north near Bingrn and
Mayenee. In this ARIA the French forces were
stationed Al the beginning Of the war, as follows;
the Ninth Corps, under Gen Bourbaki, at Nancy.
u miles east Of Toul, on the Meurthe: the First
Corps, under MeMahon, at Strasbourg; the Seventh
Corps, under Marshal Felix Douay, at Beliort, SO
miles west of BAsle; the Eighth Corps. under Can
robert, st Chslons, % miles west Of Nancy. Siras-
borg is 81 miles south of wissenourg and Lauter
barx; and none OF these corps was within striking
distance Of the enemy.
Near the frontier (which runs nearly east from
sierek. on the Moselle, through Forhach, SAargue-
mines and Wissenburg, TO Lauterburg on the
Rhine were the following: the Fourth Corps, un-
der L'Admirsnh AZ Thionville, on the Moselle, l2
miles south Of Sierek,; the Third Corps under Ba-
EAine al Metz 10 miles south of Metz and 50 miles
north Of Nancy; the Second Corps, under FIossard,
Al ST. Avoid, 50 miles from Metz, on the railroad
running northeast from Metz, through Saarbruek to
Mannheim; the Fifth Corps under Ealey, at Bitche,
~ miles east Of 81 Avoid on the yosges and with
out any railroad communication east or west; the
Sixth Corps, under Mcmahon, at Birshweiler, Is
miles north Of Strasoourg, with 8 single Division
5000 mem thrown out at wissenburg, under Gen.
Abel Douay. The total of the French armies, near
and far did not exceed 500 900 men.
TIE PRussIAS ARMIES AND THEIR Position.
The forces of the Prussians, BY their own &C.
count, consisted Of 10 900 under Steumetz between
Serck and Saarbruck; 80 600 under Prince Freder-
lex Charles. rapidly concentrated on the railroad
QuAdrilsteriA north of SAarbruek and Saarguemiues
aud $4,000 under the Crown Prince, collected at
Landau, 90 miles) aud Mannheim CA miles) north
cred from all parts OF Prussia, over distance Of
100 mile, in two weeks, all travel and business on
railroads being stopped for that purpose.
PRUssIAS STRATEGY.
Seeing the French right Isolated from the centre
BY the Yosges, and with no railroad connection
except around BY Saverne and Nancy to Metz, q dis
lance OF nearly $50 miles, the Crown Prince began
the campaign by mAssing three corps Ohe 5th and
18th Prussisn and End BAvarian) on the single d.
vision Of Douay at Weissenburg, who seemed to
have been taken BY surprise and wiped that uu-
soldieriy fault with his blood. Douay's deeimated
division fell back to Worth, IL miles, where it was
Joined by Mcmahon, with the corps at Brsehweiler,
and some divisions from Bitche and Strasbourg
The Crown Prince followed up. and was checked at
Woerth till be received his full corps Of i've corps
when Mcmahon fell back three miles to Reichs-
hoffen on the railroad, and was there crushed;
FaiIley's troops retreAting on Btehe, and Mcmahon
on Hsgueuau, where another conflict resulted in
again separating the French, part going 10 stras-
bourg, and about 5000 under Mcmahon falling
back on the railroad TO Sayerne. Thence they were
pursued west BY the Crown Prince through the
Vosges to Nancy, Prussian force being left to
mask strssbourg till relieved by Baden troops
TIE OBJECT OF THE PHuss1ASs
The Crown Prince had thus shattered 5000 OF
the French; 10000 to 5000 being killed, wounded
or captured, 200 shut up in strasbourg and only
5000 left with MeMahou flying west through Nan
CT towards Chalons. The next object of the Prus-
slams was to destroy the army of BaEaine, which
they found scattered IS above described. Their
movements for this purpose were combined and
rapid, as few dates will show.
The Emperors attack on sasrbruck was on Aug
ust 2ud. On August Sd, King William took com
mand- On the iih, the Crown Prince assailed
Weissenburg; defeated MeMahou on the 5th and
9th, and his advance reached Nancy on the 18th
Ga August 5th, the PrussiaLs advanced from the
Sa4r. StsinuetZ moved from Sierck, saar-L Louis
and saarbruck up the Mosslle valley; and Prince
Charles by way Of saArguemines and sSeibrucken,
threatened Bitehe from which Failley fell back to
S. Avoid and Metz On the 9th, Steinmetz' CORPS
fighting from II A NJ until P NJ, drives and
tanks Fossard back from Saarbruek to Forbach,
miles, with nearly equal forces engaged and equal
losses
COSCESTRAIIoS OF TIE FRENCH
A concentration of the French troops had evident
ly become Necessary. LAdmirault, from Thion-
vile, fell back to Metz; the corps at Nancy was
brought up, aud that at Belfort probably took its
place till Mcmahon was heard from. FaiIley and
Frossard from ST. Avoid to Metz held their position
for time to prevent the Prussizns from passing
Metz to intercept Mcmahon. Gradually, the whole
French army fell back on the right and gathered on
the SeiIe, between Metz and Portal ossun, Us
miles beloE.J
TEE MAIN ARMIES FACE TO FACE
The total French force, thus penned near Metz,
appears to have been sir corps, which considering
their losses, could not have exceeded 200 600 men,
Of which $4,000 were available for retreat from
Metz, after leaving garrison in that city In front
Of them, 900 Prussans stretched threatingIy to-
ward Nancy, where they might, BY prompt des- I
patch of a single division, (which with them is half
a corps, or 1900 men, have intercepted McMahon.)
TIE RETREAT PROM METZ
The only object Of the French stay at Metz was to
facilitate McNahou's escape. That effected, it be-
hooved them to march at once west to Yerdun, on /
The Me1se, 20 miles, or southwest, So miles, By 1
or Thisncourt to Commercy on the 4
Mouse, and on the railroad from Nancy to ChaIous.
where they could have Joined Mcmahon aud defeat
ID or checked the Crown Prince They STAYED at
Metz one day too long On Friday, the Eth, at
?. N, Mcmahon evacuated Nancy which was &C.
,upied BY the Crown Prince in force on the 18th.
Mcmahon then being at TouI, Il miles west On
he same day, SATURDAY., steinmstz and Prince
Charles we're reported % miles east of Metz. aud
King Williams headquarters at Faulquemont, on
he railroad to St Avoid Then was the time for
3azziue quit aud not to stand upon the order of
lie going, but 20 at once. He waited till Sunday
Fhsu the Prussiza lines had closed in within few
niles of Metz At P. n, 90 Sunday. the 18th.
be Emperor left Metz and appears to have gone by
Terdua TO Rheims aud thence to ChzIons
ice Battles NEAR METZ.
On Sunday, the Prussizns perceiving the French
etEszt, assailed the outlying corps near Metz sni
rove them within the eufrenchneuts At the
aue time three or four corps Of the French de-
ouched vest from Metz on the main road TO Yer
IN, which there rzns along the great eastern bend
{ the Mos<IIe for four mica At GrzTelotrs. sfx :
liles from Metz, and two miles from the MoseIIe
sey encountered a corps Of PrussiAns, which bad .
5pareutly crossed north Of Metz The French re-