Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-09-23

: .
Cleopatra, might to this moment be q
quiet country matron living in farm
house near Gotham Depot, county Of Al.
bemarle, State of Virginia.
BertElolsz Auerbachs Description OF the
Village of strasbourg
Berthold Auerbach, who has been sum
moned to the headquarters Of the Grand
Duke OF Baden, has commenced series of
letters On the siege of Strasbourg. The
most recent abound in picturesque and mar.
ratlve:
AUG. 21.-No Sunday bells rang ont in
all Alsace to-day, not the less do the vilIag-
ers stream out from every hamlet toward
the churches. The peasants are astonished
to sec at church so many Of our soldiers,
and of higher and lower officers, all at
tending without orders. Wonderful coin
cidence, the Gospel lesson, tenth Sunday
after Trinity, was, Luke nineteenth chap
ter nud fOrty-frst verse-'FAnd when He
was come near, He beheld the city, and
wept over 1t, saying, II thou hadst known,
even thou at least in this thy day, the
things which belong unto thy peace, but
now they are hid from thy eyes. For the
days shall come upon thee, that thine enc
mics shall cast trench about thee, and
compass thee round. and keep in on every
! side, and shall lay thee even with the
ground, and thy children within thee and
| they shall not JeaEe in thee one stone upon
another; because thou knowest not the
time of the visitation" Is it not strange
| that upon this day this text should fall.
for en- this week will events move forward,
perhaps even the destinies be decided by
Strasbonrg, the city stolen by the French.
| And within it stands :. halLoWel- relic of
! German architecture and German piety.
Evil reports fly about. It is said that
commandant Uirich has declared that when
| StrasbOurg can no longer be defended
! from the German forces, be will blow ND
/ the Cathedral and lay The crime upon the
| Germans. That would be sad prospoct.
I The inclosing in of which the Gospel
speaks fails not BY Lamperthein1 stand
z, 200 peasant wagons. Round about in
ali the villages and on ;he road cannon Of
every calibre, up to the heaviest siege ad-
vance, with abundant ammunition. An
exchange of dispatches hurries to and fro.
Our pulses beat quicker we have plunged
into the whirl of an historic drama. The ar
rogant Governor OF Strasbourg Citadel must
no longer feel secure, at least be is throw
ing out ballast. This morning 100 Ger
man soldiers, who had served IN the For
elgn Legion, were thrust out, ten at a
time, at all tie doors, with the threat that
if they turned round they should be i'm
mediately shot down. The poor wretches
stood between two fires. Some of them
wore French uniforms, and were naturally
regarded by our troops as Frenchmen.
As they neared our out-posts. who knows
how many would get fred upon I saw
two of them brought in. They we're born
Pomeranians, and fell into the hands of
their own landsfolk. The expulsion of
these people may be regarded as q symp-
tom that discipline inside the fortress is
it is said the commandment. simply because
the French arms have suffered defeat in
the open field, now declares that they will
vlndicate their honor III the fortress. But
after what fashion By the sacrifice of
beautiful city, and Of thousands Of its
inmates. Is that to be called vindication
of honor? How much effort is made on
our side to show forbearance is evinced in
the renewal of strict orders to spare even
in the minutest detail the property OF the
Alsatians.
PARLEYs.
Aug. 22.-At 10 o'clock this morning
some comm otion is visible on the roads
and in the houses at the end Of the hamlet
of Mundolsheim, where one looks out upon
the Black Forrest range, among the high
er and lower officers, the surgeons, nursing
staff, &C., and to and fro one sees in rapid
movement the little wiry, iron-frm figure
of our commander, Gen. Won Werder. A
spare, close-shaved, rudy presence, with
blonde mustache and sparkling eyes, he
moves hither and thither, issuing com
mands, receiving reports. X
Two horsemen galiop up, one, u burly,
powerful figure, holds white flag a trlm-
pet is slung round him. He remains on
horseback. The other, young, agile,
sinewy, swings down from the saddle, and
hands over a dispatch. It is our cartel
bearer, with trumpeter. who has just re-
turned from the fortress. The group fall
back. Gen. Wender and Col. Leszinsky
read the dispatch apart. Werder from time
to time gives short, decisive mods. What
does the dispatch contain Those who
know are not allowed to divulge. One
thing is good COmmandant Uirich writes
French and German equally we'll his dis
patches are long, ours are brief. The
groups dispense and reform. The Grand
Duke of Baden gallCps up with his adiu-
tants the genuinely-hearty and intelli- |
gent goodness of soul which speaks out
from the features of the man have ACQUIRED
already during the campaign heightened |
expression. 1t requires all the unselfish |
openness OF character of this Prince to |
maintain so freely and frankly the position |
he has here chosen out. Without any in |
dependent command, he is the embodi- |
ment in many ways of the central, cohe- |
slve forces Of this Baden Division, who, |
though less brilliant task be assigned to /
them, have one exaeting the utmost skill.
courage and endurance. The Grand Duke |
Is greeted with fitting honors. All the |
higher officers betake themselves to the re-
sidence OF the commandant. It is quiet in |
the street. Soon sympathetic group |
forms Itself round young man with care