Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1870-08-19
THE WAR IN EUROPE.
Interesting sum mary of News.

COuuodt tuiS tltIle was uedE N1etZ, Oh Ine west
side of the Moselle, whittier the French had
been retreating. A dispatch from Napoleon,
dated Longueville, 10 o'clock Sunday night,
states that on Sunday morning, the French
| commenced to cross to the left bank of the
Moselle, and when half over were suddenly
attacked in great force, and after fight Of
four hours the enemy were repulsed with
great loss. A Berlin telegram says that late
on Monday afternoon two Prussian corps at
| tackled the French forces under the walls oil
Metz and drove them within the city, infict-
| ing loss of four thousand men. On Sunday
King William in person made reconnois-
sance between two of the French lines with
out Interference, and this, it is argued, shows
| the utter decentralization of the French. We
have the first official account of the battle al
Metz on Monday in dispatch from King
William to the Queen, dated at Henry on
Monday night. The French, according tc
the King, were attacked by the Seventh Corps
of the Prussian army, and desperate con-
t1ict, involving the entire line, ensued. The
French were driven from their position to an
other nearer the fortress, and the attacking
! force then returned to their camp. Other
| official dispatches from the Prussian lines CO.
incide with that of the King, and give the
| additional information that the fight became
general on account Of the effort oRGeneral l.
| Admirault to flank the First Prussian Corps
when the reserves were brought up, and the
French repulsed and driven into the fortress
The reconnaissance made by the King after
the battle failed to discover the enemy, and
it was inferred that they bad departed. On
the other hand, dispatch from the Prefect
of Verdun says that all day on Monday the
sound of cannonading was heard between
that point and Metz, and that people in from
the country report that the Prussians had
been defeated with an immense loss. The
Project also reports that the Prussians have
been seen retreatirg south: The French
Government publishes this intelligence, but
does not vouch for its accuracy. The diff
Guilty in reconciling the accounts consists in
the fact that Verdun is forty miles west Of
Metz, and that if any battle has taken place
between these two points the Prussians must
have passed Metz, which, according to the
Berlin statements, they have not done. A
dispatch from the Project of the Meuse reports
force of Prussian cavalry at Commercy, a
town on the Meuse river, Is miles northwest
of Nancy. This indicates that the advance
of Prince Frederick Charles army is pushing
on around the French right wing, the same
forces which it defeated two weeks ago. In
the Corps Legislatif on. Tuesday Count Pali-
kao, the Minister of War, said that although
he had no official advices of the events Of
Monday, he had news from reliable sources
that the Prussians had been checked and were
statement present the same perplexity as the
other French accounts--if the Prussans have
born drffcnte<l -brfurr Merz now Cnu their ffus
| of retreat be westward and further into the
interior Of France?
The dispatches contai Jed in yesterdays
papers from Paris Berlin and London do moi
explain very satisfactorily the position Of the
contending armies. There has been hare
fighting since Saturday, and London paper
says that it seems to be good for week with
out decisive result. On Wednesday even
ing the garrison at Strasbourg made sortie
but were driven back with heavy loss o
men and three guns. Much damage ha.
been done the town by the Prussian guns
King William, from his headquarters at Saar
bruck, has appointed two of his general off
GERS as Governors of Lorraine and Alsace
provinces in which the two armies are battl
ing. There is much anxiety in Paris to hea
the news from the seat of war. The Pari
papers state that Marshal Bazaine insists up
on secrecy as to his movements, and of cours
will not permit the operations of his army t,
be made known. Dispatches from Londol
express the opinion that decisive battle will
be fought at Chalons, where Napoleon is nov
concentrating bis forces. 1t is reported tina
one portion of the Prussian army-is rapid.
marching on this point.
| Important Decision.
In the case of Kent rs. Cross, tried in tn
Circuit Court of Prince Georges county, a
April term, 1869, the plaintiff obtained judg
ment for the value of barn burned, as al
legged, by the defendant, who is non compo
naentis. 1t was subsequently ascertained tina
prior to said trial the plaintiff received from
company, in which the barn was insured
five hundred dollars, the estimated value o
the same, and this fact and other newly dis
covered testimony were made the grounds 70
an application to Judge Brent for an lnjunc
ton. His Honor refused the application ant
concludes his opinion upon the main point
in the following language: "That the plain
tiff in the judgment has been paid larg