The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-09-13

their march towards Paris, passing through
what is now the Department of the Nord,
capturing in their course, with extraordinary
rapidity, the cities of Avesnes, Laon, Sois-
sons, and Rheims, and opened communica-
ton with Blucher at Chalons, who was busy
recuperating his shattered forces But the
proposed retreat of the grand army required
Bluchers presence at Troyes with Schwartz
enberg. The grand army retreated beyond
Chaumont on the way to Langres, but, for
tunately, it was decided at q council of war to
hberate Blucher from their movements, and
to permit his army to cooperate with that
portion of the army of the North which had
advanced into France. Blucher was to follow
the River Marne; Schwartzenberg, if he adj
vanced again, the Seine. This measure
turned the scale of success
Napoleon followed Blucher, who started
for the same point, between Chalons and
Paris, on the road to which he had before
been so unfortunate. But this time he got
to the right bank Of the Marne, at Meaux;
and when the Emperor reached its left bank
at that place. il was but to find The bridges
demolished and the rear guirl ii the army
of Silesia fast disappearins over the distant
hills. Blucher had heard of his approach
while Napoleon was yet at Sezzanne, and sue
ceeded in reaching scissors in safety.
series of battles and severe engage
ments between Napoleons forces and
Blucher's army of Silesia, reinforced
by the large detachments of the army of the
North under Winzengerode and Bulow, took
place in the vicinity of Laon, scissors, and
Rheims. Separately these battles were indie
cisive, but they continually weakened Napo-
leon. He was, moreover, in perpetual fear
of the advance of Schwartzenberg with the
grand army, which, returning from its pro-
posed retreat, passed again through Troyes
At length he found it necessary to cross the
H. =
gagement at Arcis-sur-Aube, Napoleon under
took to get behind Schwartzenberg and strike
his line of communications in the rear.
This movement of Napoleon threw open
the road to Paris by way of Sezanne to the
grand army of Schwartzenberg, and they
seized the advantage. Blucher came down
from the north at the same time, to strike
large portion of Napoleons army that was
marching to join him in his endeavor to
strike the rear of the grand army. This part
of Napoleons army was met and utterly de-
feated at Fere Champenoise, and its broken
fragments fed to Paris. The allies crossed
the Marne near Meaux on the 2Sth March,
there completing the union of the three
armies, and on the morning of Both March,
1914, appeared before the barriers of Paris
The citizen soldiers of Paris were of little
value for defense, as Napoleon had never
allowed them the use of arms. Such forces
as could be collected were hurried to the front
outside the CITY, Active fighting commenced
before daylight, and a tremendous battle
took place, in which the allies, according to
some statements, lost no less than eighteen
thousand men. At length the vast forces of
the allies began to be collected upon the hills
surrounding the town. They formed a cres-
cent of six miles around the north and east
sides of Paris, the extremities on either side
touching the Marne and the Seine. The
French army, convexly curved within this
crescent, fought in vain against overwhem-
ing numbers, and were forced back about
noon upon the city, withdrawing within the
barriers only when the order to stop firing
was given, preparatory to capitulation. The
hills overlooking Paris were now densely
crowded with the victors, while three hun
dred pieces of cannon were ready, as the
Russians expressed it, to make 'Father Paris
pay for Mother Moscow"
In accordance with the instructions left by
Napoleon, in the event of such disaster,
the Empress and her infant son left the city,
taking the road to Rambouillet The inhabi-
tants of Paris were plunged into sadness by
her departure. Strange to say, when the
city had capitulated they prepared to receive
the conquerors with acclamation. A crowd
insulted or destroyed the busts and monu-
ments of Napoleon l. and endeavored unsuc-
cessfuily with a rope to pull down his statue
from the column in the Place Vendome.
Failing in the latter undertaking, they
wrapped it in sheet-in order, said Napo-
leon, on hearing of it, ''that might not look
upon their baseness" The Emperor Alex
ander afterwards felt obliged to issue pro-
clamation to stop the demolition of the monu-
ments of Napoleon.
The next morning, the Allies, entering in
procession, found the streets thronged, the
windows and housetops crowded with the
citizens anxious to witness the great military
spectacle. No effort had been spared to give
the ''pomp and circumstance of glorious
war to the occasion, as far as the Allies were
concerned. Uniforms had been brought by
the household troops of the Emperor of Rus
sia, kept clean and dry in their knapsacks.
with the expectation of making display on
this occasion, and these were carefully put in
order OF course, the sovereigns themselves
were decked out with unusual care. Paris,
ever alive to the elegance of spectacle, went
into raptures over the magni6cence dis
played, and applauded the victorious host.
and especially the monarchs, with the widest
enthusiasm. The Emperor Alexander had on
his arm white scarf, which he had pre-
viously worn as distinctive badge in battle.
The King of Prussia rode at his right, and
Prince Schwartzenberg on his left, brilliant
staff following them.
A group of '1oyalists, who since morning
had been perambulating the streets of Paris
with white banner, met the sovereions
with enthusiastic cries of "VS0e Louis Dig-
huitienael Vi0e ALesd1adre! VSge GatiUaunseI"
Large numbers of elegantly dressed ladies
waved their handkerchiefs in welcome, as
one of their countrymen says, with the
passionate vivacity of their sex, )" from the
hotels in the finest quarters of the city, In