Middletown transcript., 1870-10-15
THE FRANCO-PRUssIAN WAR.

The condition of affairs in and around
Paris is daily becoming more interesting
and critical. The Prussians are closing
In upon the city by slow but regular ap-
proaches. Hitherto, ordinary guns only
have been used upon the French forts and
defenses. But during this week heavy
siege pieces will be mounted, and then
the fire will open in earnest. 1t is said
by military men that no works constructed
OF stone can stand against Kruppes can
non at the range at which the Prussians,
owing to their recent advances, can place
them. The accuracy of this judgement
will be tested in short time. The works
of Paris are not wholly of stone however.
They are supported by earth in many
places, and the resistance of this class of
defenses was sufficiently demonstrated at
Sevastopol. Rumcr fixes the beginning
of the bombardment of Paris in the early
part of the coming week. This will be
preceded by formal demand for sur
render of the place. This will be refused,
and then the iron rain will commence to
fall. For the defense of Paris there are
gathered within its walls $50, 900 Nation
al Guards-50, 900 regulars of the line
and 200, 900 Garde Mobile. These rcgi-
ments and battalions are drilled inccssant-
ly, and have reached high state of dis
cipline. The guns of the various forts
are manned by experienced gunners taken
from the feet, and the guns will be used
with skill and effect on the Prussian forts
and batteries. Thirty eight Hundred
French guns are ready to defend Paris,
and they will form Gordon of fire, death
and destruction not easily encountered or
pierced. The artillery duel will be fright
full, and no assault can be thought of by
the Prussians until most of the leading
French forts are rendered useless. The
whole German forces now occupying the
lines before Paris consist of seven army
corps numbering two hundred and eighty
thousand men, besides cavalry, which will
probably bring the total up to three hun
dred and thirty thousand or three hundred
and forty thousand men, and the result of
their operations thus far in front of the
city is summarized in a special dispatch
from Versailles, which announces there
has been no important progress made in
the siege up to the 1st of October, and it
is evident that the French in Paris have
fully availed themselves of the long delay
in the German advance upon the capital.
While Paris is thus preparing for the
bloody contest, the French people in all
parts of the Republic are rushing to arms
in order to expel the invaders Volun-
teers are gathering under the lead of
brave, bold men, and rifemen harrass the
Prussians in all quarters. Officers are
PICKED off, scouting parties captured or
decimated, conveys of provisions taken or
destroyed, and the movements of the ene-
my seriously interfered with. At New
Brcicach the French troops fought fierce
ly, and there have been hot contests at
Pithiviers, near St. Remy, and at other
points. The rails of the Strasbourg road
have been moved, in order to delay Prus-
sian supplies, and two armies of more than
hundred thousand Frenchmen each are
forming in the rear and on the fanks of
the force investing Paris. There are in
dications of reaction among the French
people. They have recovered from the
stunning blows received at Woorth and
Sedan, and are preparing for hard, dcs-
perate fighting