The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1870-08-09

the end; and haven't you read, time and
time again, that all that glitters is moi
gold.-MARY f. A. WAGER, in HearN
and Home.
IHE PROBABLE CAMPAIrNINo GROUND
The plan of the coming French cam.
paign, forwarded by telegraph, NAV OF
may not be entitled to credence. There
IS little doubt, however, that the fighting
Will mainly occur near the Rhine, on one
or the other side. The following account
OF the Notifications, will be read with in.
terest:
French Jortfcations. Of the French
towns on the west bank Of the river, ,Stras.
burgh is one of the most noted. It has
$4,000 inhabitants, chiefly of German de.
scent. The fortress has been lately
strengthened, and the numerous outworks
and detached forts, including the citadel,
render 1t place Of great strength. A
bridge here crosses the Rhine, which is
strongly fortified on the French side
Though partially upon the Rhine the
town lies chiefly upon the river III. which
is also bridged
FARTHER up the Ill, are Colmar and
Schettstadt, both strongly fortified. and
securing important communications.
Neu Breisach is on the Rhone canal a
mile west of the Rhine 1t has strong
towers, and Fort Mortier, nearer that
river is strong fertilization.
Metz, on the river Moselle, is the most
important strategic point in the eastern
part of France, and has most powerful
fortress, which is yet uncompleted The
city contains 10000 inhabitants. and a
garrison of 10000 men. A strong wall
with bastions surrounds it, and the forti.
ticatlons at large are constructed with a
due allowance for the force of modern
projectiles. They stand on four com.
manding sites. The river Seille meets
the Moselle at this point, and, in case of
siege, the water of both streams can be
raised sufficiently to inundate the low
ground to the south and southwest of the
town.
Montmedy, Verdun and Longwv. on
the Rhine, are all strongly fortified and
near to Metz, on the NIoselle, is Thion.
vile, within few miles of the Prussian
frontier. The river is brdged at this
point, and the Notifications are strong.
The Mosellc furnishes the most direct line
OF operations between France and Pms.
sla, and struggle will in every probabi.
lity take place for its several strong.
holds.
The Wcissenburg line is chain oflight
works running from the left bank of the
thine fifteen miles along the Lauter, in
the nelghborhood Of Basic. The line was
abandoned in 1867, but the works were
not razed.
The Nosges Mountains run parallel
with the Rhine, and form an additional
barrier for the French frontier. They
aSeFage a'liliies fsft,e." .kirbaelpplaare
cal passes are fortified. The most north.
ern of those is the fortress at Bitsch,
which, in 1893 and 1915, wiihstood two
Prussian attempts. The central passage
of the Vosges is by way of Saverne, and
is held by the fort at Pfalzburg, support.
ed by Strasburgh at a short distance.
Between Salverne and Belfort there are
but two practicable passes, that by way
OF st. Die and that of Refinement
These are we'll guarded by the fortresses
on on the neighboring plains and by Bclfort
The latter is in the centre of the opening
between the Jura and Vosges mou ntains
and being in a direct line between Basle
and Paris, is an imprtant junction for
land communications. 1t has been much
strengthened of late
German tortifcationS. OF the fort
resses on the Rhine and its vicinity the
most important are Mayence, Rastadt,
Ehrenbreitstein and Cologne.
Mayence was formerly city of the
German Confederation. the old Zollyc-
rein, and was garrisoned by Austrian and
Prussian troops. Its. peculiarly danger
ous position being on the.left bank of the
Rhine, and greatly coveted by the French,
led to its fortification being Of the strong.
est character. 1t was originally garri.
soned by 5000 men, but after the decisive
defeat of Austria in the late contest it
was agreed by the treaty of Prague that
its Notifications should be dismantled and
its garrison withdrawn. This stipulation
was insisted on by Austria, but the Prus.
slams have never carried out the condi-
tions, and Mayence is at this moment one
Of the strongest cities in the world. The
fovr lines of the works are greatly siren.
gthened by outworks and detached forts,
and by Fort Weisenau, which is on the
upper bank of the Main. The city of
Mayence is opposite to the mouth of the
river, which here falls into the Rhine
about 20 miles west of Frankford to
which it is connected by railway. A
bridge some 100 feet long connects it
with the fortified suburb of Castel. 1t
has now very large garrison, and is
by Prince Waldemar of
Schles wig-Holstein.
Rastadt is on the right bank of the
Rhine, and is very strongly fortified 1t
is in the territory of Baden Baden, and
held garrison for the German
Confederation, but since Sadowa its gar
rison has been Prussian. 1t is situated
IA miles south of Carlsruhe, aud some 30
from Strasburg, and will undoubtedly be
a point Of capital importance during the
coming struggle. Its Notifications are on
the Vauban system, and declared to be
perfection of engineering, but experience
asproved that earthworks are stronger
than stone walls. There are three large
forts on the little river which runs past
which have many bastions, wet
bitches, curtains, glacis and lunettes, but
chief strength will probably be in the
fortified camp which the Prussans are
about to form there. Should it be neces-
sary to withdraw its garrison, it could be
easily replaced by Baden soldiers, the
Grand Duke having shown the most un-