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

march on Berlin. On the 2sd OF July he pub
lished proclamation to the people of France,
In which he said:-
''The glorious Gag Of France, which we once
same which has borne over Europe the civizing
ideas OF our great Revolution It represents the
same principles Il WIN inspire the same & Devotion
that gallant army which Is animated by love OF
country and devotion to duty Tnst ~ army sno We It's
son. Despite his tender years, he knows the duty
his part in the dangers OF those who isht for our
country. May God bless our efforts A great people,
defending Just cause s invincibe."
On the 9th of July, decree was published,
appointing the Empress Regent during the
absence of the Emperor from the capital and
on the 2Sth Napoleon left st. Cloud for the
front in a special train, accompanied by the
''noble infant" At a o'clock on the afternoon
of the same day, the Imperial party arrived at
Metz where the general headquarters were to
be established; and on the Goth appeared a pro-
camation in which Napoleon formally assumed
the chief command. This document, which has
now become one of the curiosities of history,
read as follows
Soldiers: 81 come to take nv place at your head
to defend the honor OF the soil OF country. You
10 TO combat against Of the best armed of Euro
pean countries; but other countries, as valiant
this have not been able resist your valcr I will
be the same to-day. The war whicn now commences
will be long and hardly contested, for its theatre
will be places hedged with obstacles and thick with
fortresses; but nothing is beyond the persevering
efforts OF the soldiers OF Africa, Italy, aud McKee,
You will prove once more what the French army is
able to accomplish, animated by sentiment OF
duty maintained b. discipline Influenced by love OF
country wnsteVer nat, S road we may take across our
fathers, and we will show ourselves worthy of
them.
tie eyes Of the universe are upon you Upon our
success depends the fate OF liberty and civilization
Soldiers let each one do his duty, and the God OF
AT the General Headquarters at Metz, July 2S
1870.
Just five weeks to day were suffered to
elapse after the illumination of this burlesque
upon the style of the great Napoleon, before its
author threw his sword at the feet of KingWilliam
and delivered himself up as prisoner of war
The work was accomplished with a rapidity that
is paralleled only by the humiliation of Austria
in 1865.
The First Disposition of the Hostile Armies,
When Napoleon arrived at Metz, every
thing was apparently in readiness for the
opening of hostilites. The Emperor having
taken the chief command, the general conduct
of the campaign in its details fell upon his
Major General or Chief-of-staff Marshal Le-
beuf, who had vacated the War Office tempo
rarily to assume this position. The French line
extended from Thionville near the Luxembourg
the Vosges, and directly opposite Basel in
Switzerland, the entire frontier being thus
covered. The northern or left wing of the
French army, styled the army of the Moselle,
WAS under the immediate command of Marshal
Bazaine, and consisted of the 4th Corps, Gens-
raj Count Ladmirault, with headquarters at
Thionville; the I'd Corps, General Frossard,
with headquarters at st. Avold and
the Sd Corps, Marshal Bazaine, with
headquarters at Metz. The southern or left
wing, styled the army of the Rhine, was under
the immediate command of Marshal MacMahon
and consisted of the 9Th Corps, General de
Failly, with headquarters at Bitche; the LIST
Corps, Marshal MacMahon, with headquarters
at Strasburg, and the 7th Corps General Felix
Douay with headquarters at Belfort. The 9th
Corps and the reserves were collected at the
camp of Chalons, under the command of Mar
shall Canrobert who had been succeeded in the
command of Paris by Marshal paraguay dill
liers.
The German line extended from Treves, near
the Luxembourg frontier to the southern ex-
tremity of Baden. King William assumed the
chief command in person, with General Won
Moltke as chief of staff in charge of the details
of the campaign. Tha right, as already stated,
was commanded by Genesal Won Steinmetz, the
centre by Prince Frederick Charles, and the
left by the Crown Prince Frederick William,
the greater portion of whose force was made
up of the Bavarian and other South German
contingents.
King William did not assume the chief COM
mand until his arrival at Mayence, on the Sd of
August. In doing so he issued the following
proclamation to his armies:-
GAN Germany stands united against a neghbor-
ing state which has surprised us by declaring
without Justification. The safety or the Fatherland
is threatened: our honor and our hearths are at
stake To-day / assume command OF the whole
army. / advance cheerfully to contest which In
former times our fathers, md under similar crcum-
and myself rest confidently In you. The Lord God
will be with our righteous cause"
The Affair at saarbrucK.
Meanwhile Paris had grown weary of singing
the ''Marseillase," and clamored for an advance
upon the enemys lines. few insignificant
skirmishes had taken place between small ad-
vanced bodies, but two weeks had been suffered
to elapse without any serious demonstration
The Emperor, however, prepared to make a
move as soon as he was fairly in the midst of
his army. On the morning of Tuesday, August
2, three divisions, or about $4,000 men, were
advanced across the frontier under the COM
mand of General Frossard. On the heights to
the west of Saarbruck, just over the border,
they encountered small Prussian force, which
was soon put to rout with loss of two officers
and seventy men. The engagement began at
II o'clock In the morning and terminated at in
the eafternoon the artillery being the only branch
of the army which was fairly employed in accom-
plishing this wonderful result. The affair was
altogether too insignificant to be styled battle,
but the Emperor made the most of it. In com
pany with the Prince Imperial, he occupied a
nOsitiOn from which they could see the smOk n