The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-09-06

The general management Of these prepare-
lions was entrusted 10 Committee of Defense,
on which were General Trochu. Marshal Valiant,
Admiral Rigault de Genouily Minister Jerome
David. On the 23d of August, the members of
the party of the Left demanded that nine depu-
ties be added to this committee. The Ministry
at first resisted this demand but on the Goth,
Count Napoleon Daru. who had preceded the \
Duke de Gramont as Minister of Foreign Affairs
under NJ Olivier, and two Senators were added.
and on the 9th 1t still further strengthened
by the name of the veteran Orleanist M Theirs,
to the general satisfaction of people of all
parties.
mocmahen's EHort TO Rescue Bazaine.
Paris being thus occupied in preparations to
take care of herself MacMahon halted in his
retreat at Chalons, and made a venture from
that point towards Mezieres with the intention
of effecting junction with Bazaine. The camp
at Chalons was broken up on the 22d of August,
and burned on the 25th, a portion of the new
levies departing for the front with MacMahon,
while the Garde Mobile of Paris, In which signs
OF fnsubordination were manifest were marched
back to the capital Immediately after the de-
parture of Trochu. The army of AIacMahon
had been spread out in front of Chalons and
Rheims for some days, but was finally concen-
trated in a general movement towards the
northeast, the headquarters reaching Rethel.
midway between Rheims and Mezieres on
August 25.
While these movements were under way to
the west Of the Meuse, Bazaine himself was re-
peatedly reported as having broken through the
Prussian lines around Metz, and succeeded in
reopening his communications with MacMahon
and Paris. small portion of his army, VIII ch
had been cut off from the main body during the
prolonged series of engagements around Metz,
| tlx AaI L., ~.
| ject but the escaping force was an inconsidera-
BILE one, If it had any existence at all, and
Bazaine remained shut up under the guns of
Metz until the final blow fell upon MacMahon
at Sedan. From the morning of August 31st,
| until noon on the following day, Bazaine appears
| to have made hast desperate attempt at piercing
the Prussian lines, but portion of Prince Frede-
rick Charles army, under General Won Manteuf-
| fel, successfully resisted the attempt, and he
was again hurled back upon the fortress of Metz,
the engagement which was severe as well as
protracted, being styled the battle of Noisevile
The Final Blow at Sedan.
The general headquarters of the army of the
Crown Prince, and probably the bulk of his
| force, advanced no further than Bar-le-Duc. but
Frederick William himself is reported to have
slept at Chalons on the night of August %, his
advance being then at point about ten mile,
further west and eighty miles from Paris. But
at that time the movement of MaeMahon to-
| wards Mezieres was fully developed, and the
| army of the Crown Prince was turned to the
| right to follow him up, while the de-
tached portion of the Prussian army
around Metz pushed towards the
northwest to intercept the French
| advance. AS soon as MacMahon had collected
his forces in the neighborhood of Rethel, he
began a movement directly east towards Mont
| 1a;Ix
portions of the hostile armies occurred, with
almost unvarying success on the Prussian side.
By the 30th of August, the whole French army
| was fairly in motion in the direction of Mont
| medy, and on that day there was fierce en-
counter with the Prussans at Beaumont, about
fourteen miles west of Montmedy, in which the
| corps of General de Failly was severely haa-
died. The French were driven to the northwest
upon Sedan, where the conflict became general
on the 3lst of August, and continued into the LIST
of September. On The last day of August, It
would seem that the Prussians suffered severely,
| but when the final struggle came Thursday,
the 1st Of September they mustered 100000
men, while MacMahon had at the outside not
more than 100, 600. Although severely wounded,
he still retained the chief command, the Ger
man forces being under the immediate direction
| of General Won Moltke, with the Crown Prince
| Frederick William of Prussia and the Crown
| Prince Albert of Saxony next in command The
| corps of the Prussian commander were posted
| to the left, those of the Saxon to tho right of
the French position. The plan of attack was
to effect a junction between the two, aud
thereby enclose the enemy in semicircle This
object was fully accomplished by noon, and by
| o'clock the battle had been transformed into
rout with the French in full flight.
The Cnpitnlation of Mac cHIahon.
Darkness put an end to the pursuit, and on
| the ensuing day, September 2, the Prussians
| prepared to assault Sedan, by which the French
retreat was protected. But it was not neces-
sary. At noon, General Wimpffen, who had
succeeded the disabled hero of Magenta in COM
mand, left Sedan with flag of truce, and at
half-past / o'clock the fortress and the rem
nants of MacMahon's army were formally and
Internationally surrendered. When MaeMahon
went into the engagement on the morning of
September 1st, he had under his COM
mand, as already stated, about 1900
men. The number who were placed horS
de combat during the fight it is impos-
sible as yet to ascertain, and it is equally i'm
possible to estimate with accuracy the number
that became prisoners of war through the cere-
mony of capitulation. The Independence Beige
of Brussels places the number of French in
Sedan at the time of its capitulation at 70,660,
and states that on the 4th 15, 900 more surren-
dered, while 80, 900 took refuge upon the neutral
soil of Belgium. But this much is certain, that
the victory of Sedin, followed, as il was, by the
capitulation of the entire French army, was one
of the most brilliant on record. After all was