The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-08-06
S. c..
Saturday Morning, August 6, 1870.
The town of saarbrucken. which was


The town of Saarbrucken. which was
taken on Tuesday by the French, after
on engagement, as is reported, of two
hours duration, is situated on the Saar
River, forty miles South. South east of
Treves, ten miles South OF Saarlouis,
and about forty miles East of Metz. The
town takes its name from tho Saar River
and s'bruecken." the German word for
s'bridges." It is often given in the sinu-
lar, Saarbrack, or Saarbridge, from the
stone bridge over the river, connecting
the town with its suburb st. johann. It
has population Of between eight and
ten thousand, was founded in the tenth
century, and has passed through many
vicissitudes incident to war. It is dis
tinct from Saarburg, which is thirty
miles North North east of Saarbrucken.
Saarlouis, the scene OF the fight referred
to in this mornings dispatches, is an
other town of Rhenish- Prussia, some ten
miles Northeast of Saarbrucken. The
Prussian line in the Saar Valley ran pa
rallel to the French boundary, and in
oluded Saarlouis, Merzig, Saarburg and
Saarbrucken, and apparently the Prus-
sian objective point was Metz. But in
proportion of the French, who at first
contented themselves with massing Mt
their two great centres. Metz and Stras-
'bourg, showed disposition to advance,
'she Prussians manifested symptoms of
retiring upon the great natural boundary
OF the Rhine, backed by the fortresses of
Coblentz, Mayence and Mannheim. Ac-
oording to correspondence of American
newspapers, the Importance of the cap
ture OF Saarbrucken will greatly depend
upon the stand which Prussia proposes
to make on this side of the Rhine. With
Metz as base of operations, the French
have now extended their front to posi-
tion which commands the upper ex-
tremity of the Valley of the Saar, and
renders the entire command of cis-Rher-
ish-Prussia dependent upon the posses
sion of Treves and Saarlouis. The latter
fortress is about seven miles lower down
q distance OF forty miles, where that
stream joins the Moselle. Thus tho
frontier has been crossed, and the first
successes of the campaign have been
achieved by French arms on. German
soil.
The variety of accounts Of the engage
ments are grimly amusing. Official re-
ports from Berlin and Paris disparaging
and applauding the battles. The dis
tressing feature of the Saarbrucken
affair, was the burning Of half the town
by the French artillery. The deadly
mitrailleuse, new weapon for wholesale
slaughter, was used for the first time in
the engagement, and, it is said, with de-
moralizing effect.
The following grains of information
are given in the dispatches: Prussia has
summoned levy cn masse for coast de-
fence; King William has issued his
proclamation at Mayence, assuming
the commandership-in n-chief of the
armies. Negotiations are pending to
keep the ports of Hamburg and Bremen
open during the war, and the United
States as we'll as Great Britain is said to
be an active promoter Of this object.
An official journal in Paris avows that
the war is not against Germany, nor
against King William, but against Bis
marck. On the other hand, it is said in
England, that in 1866 Bismarck wished
to cede the region about the river Saar
to France, but King William and his
council refused. All the correspond
ents, it is said, have been finally expelled
from both lines, which they richly de-
sorve in view of the miserable and con-
Trajectory dispatches they send from day
to day.
The following appointments have been
made for Judge Carpenter and General
Butlar.