Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1870-11-05
EUROPEAN WAR NEWS.

The Prussians, $4,000 strong, attacked Di-
ION. capital Of the department Of Cote dor,
sunday morning, and kept up bombardmeut
until nightfall, when the French commander
withdrew, the to~n having ne Qualifications,
and further resistance being impractIcable.-
Dion is one Of the principal cities OF the Fos-
yes. has about So, OCO inhabitants, is 100 miles
southeast Of Paris and so north OF Lyons.
On Friday week the PrusSian outpost 4 mile
or two east Of St. Denis, near Paris, was cap
tured by the PariSiIns. the latter occupying
and fortifyiug the position. Yesterday the
Prussians recap urv,l tire position at heaVy
sacrifice, as the French fnusht from behind
earthworks, but ,5,k 200 prisoners
King William has formally notified the au-
thori,ies at Paris of the surrender Of Metz, and
announces his determination to immedia ely
lombard the city.
The opinion in Vienna Is that the war will
be continued indefinitely. owing to the persist
eney Of Prussia for ceS>ion ufterritory. The
Prussians have now nearly $50, 900 troops On
French soil.
The fall Of Metz continues tn be q source OF
intense excitement throughout France
The PruSsans, it is said, have sent force Of
GOOO men to lay siege to Lougwy, near the
Belgian border.
Tie Surradr Of Metz.
From English sources we have details Of tie
surrender of Metz on the 9th Of October,
when the capitulajou was signed for the al
solute rendition Of Metz, and all its fortihCa-
tons, ornaments. stores and munitions, aud
BazMne's army, comprising marShals {
France, &C generals, 6 000 officers aud 49,
600 troops.
The Germans are aStounled at this result
an army and fortress captivating to IN invest
ing army larger than itself by uuly small
fraction. When the rendition ecame known
the people were furious The National Guard
refused to lay down their arms. and on the al
teruoon Of the 2Sth, adragoon Captain appear
ei at the head of a body Of Troops who swOrc
they would sooner die than yield.
Albert Coligaon, editor Of the ultra Demo-
cratic daily, the journal de Metz, rode about
on a white horse, firing pistol exhnrting and
them 20 rally and seek victory or death, 70
escape impending shame.
He was fllowel By a lady singing the Mar
seillaiSe. which produced a terrible excitement.
| The doors of the Cathedral were burst open
and the tocsin aud death-bell ruug nearly all
night
The sounds ofiudisnatiou and terror contiu-
I ued all night. Respectable women ran about
the streets tearing their hair and tinging their
I bonnets and laces under their feet, seeking
| their friends and asking wildly "what will be-
come Of our children ?' Soldiers, drunk and
sober, tumblej bither and thither in irregular
groups with their caps off aud their sabres
broken sobbing and weeping like children
aud crying there is no longer a France"
The loss of Dlon IS ascribel to GaribaIdl 5
mismauagemeut, whose crude organization
proved insufficient for the emergency. IL Is
Questionable, however, whether he is at all re-
spousble, as he is but a subordinate officer
aud the regular French troops had been with
drawn from the place by lis superior COM
mander in the VoSgeS. In an encounter near
BeSancon Garibaldi has captured over 1000
prisoners.