The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-08-18
Our Special History of tho war.

Our Special History of tho War.
Our special correspondents at the seat of
war in Europe, with others Of our writer's
dating at points not involved actually in the
Franco-Prussian CONFUSION, continue their
narrative of the progress of the great struggle
In the letters which appear in our columns
to-day. Tae communications are, both in
| point of accuracy and amplitude of detail, in
worthy sequence Of our special predatory
notes of the campaign. They are dated at
Strasbourg, Metz, Frankfort London, Bel
lizona, Switzerland. and at Stettiu, on the
Baltic coast. Marshal MacMahon's march
from Strasbourg towards Haguenau and the
composition Of his first corps of observation
are noted. The Zouaves and Turcos serving
In the French army are reported as they
appeared on the road. With respect to these
peculiar contingents their drill, discipline and
morale, 1t may be well to note that they seem to
be more worthy Of the period Of the camp
licenses and tits and jousts of the tournaments
and crusades than of soldiers of the nineteen
century. They act like persons likely to bring
weakness on regular army-a sort Of cancer
sore In the ranks. Their peculiar style of
daredevil gait, affected or real as it
may be, is entirely out of place in war fought
on the banks Of beautiful rivers. Their regi-
mental demeanor does not brighten the matter
of-fact Germans, nor does their gymnastic
agility save them from the SCATTERING balls of
the needle gun. Indeed, judging at this dis
lance from the scene Of action, and speaking
in moralizing vein, we are inclined to believe
that Napoleon made first mistake in having
given such an early prominence to his
Zouaves and Algerians in this contest
with Prussia. The soldiers of the Imperial
Guard of France had marched from Metz
at the time Of date Of our letter from the
fortress. They had gone to the front. Inside
the Notifications there was solitude, with de-
pressing and grim dreariness Napoleon was
reported sick. His Majesty is said to have
pointed and sighted the first mitrailleuse which
was fired on the Prussians at Saarbruck
The act, if accomplished, betrayed sort of
littleness of mind almost unworthy of man
in his exalted position at such serious
moment. 1t was evidently prompted by
either feeling of intense bitterness, an
affectation of knowledge of the science of
gunnery, or desire to initiate still further
the acts of his uncle, the first emperor
Napoleon the Great made his first act of
war as q young gunner at the siege of
Toulon, and why not his nephew train ths new
instrument Of death with his own hands at
Saarbruck? The two epochs differ widely, the
calibre of the men is different, and the results
of the two shots likely, judging from present
appearances, to be widely, vastly different.
BY night and by day the German army swept
along, in it's vast force and well regulated
economies, through Frankfort and other ave-
nues which led to the point of concentration
for battle. The movement made grand
sight, which Is well described. England re-
manned agitated for the preservation of her
neutrality. Switzerland had called out her
army-a huge army, considering her extent Of
territory, well Differed and with an admi-
rable organization. The French navy had
commenced, as will be seen from our Stettn
letter, to operate on the Baltic coast. Our
special written exhibit from the seat of war
becomes thus of great interest to all classes
of our cosmopolitan population-Germans,
French and French sympathizers, and the
mighty American neutrals who wish for peace