The New York herald., 1870-08-10

OF the Imperial Guard In addition Is
probable that the troops concentrated at Dunk1rs
tsome 100000 have been hurried by rail to
Metz, and 1t is not unlikely that part Of the Garde
Mobile has also been sent there. Considering that
OF these troops Frossard's corps alone has been In
action, the force concentrated at Metz cannot be
less than one hundred and fifty THOUSAND and may
! reach as high as two hundred thousand. Whether
oazaihe VIII risk general engagement with THIS
army seems undecided, as we have o report that he
intends retiring to the yosges mountains, thereby
| uhcoVering Paris. To the superficial mind such
movement as this may seem another evidence Of
| fiehch weakness. But in fact, 1t would be an
admirable change OF front. It IL the same plan
winch Napoleon ]. began in 1sI4-viz., to uncover
Paris and retire to the iortresses of Asace and Lor.
raine. Baron Jomini writes that had Marmont or
| Morher joined him, "and had he possessed $4,000
| more men, this plan would have produced the most
decisive results and have put the seal on his mil.
| tary careern
METZ AS AN OBSTACLE TO A PRUssIAN ADVANCE.
| Should the French army concentrated In
| front OF Metz be defeated IN general engagement
and fall back upon the V0sges mountains, should
1t voluntarily retire to the mountains the roaa to
| Paris would be open TO the Prussians. Before an
| advance could be made 1t would be necessary
| to reduce Metz. And just here the Ger
| mans would encounter their first diiiculty.
| Metz Is the strongest fortress In France and
is regarded as impregnabie to anything but starva-
lion or voluntary surrender. In 1852 the Constable
Montmorency gained possession OF 1t by stratagem.
Charles ", Emperor OF Germany, Immediately after
besieged il with an army OF 100 900 men. At the
end OF ten months he raised the siege and retired,
having lost 80 600 OF his force in fruitless contest.
! The present iortidcatIons Of Metz were planned
! by vauban. 1t may be wen to say here that the
| city Is seated the Mosele river ut the
| junction OF small stream called La Sellc.
| me population Is nearly 10000. The city IL
| entirely surrounded by Notifications, 80 con-
| structed that they can be defended by 10000
men or by 100000. Several forts, crossing each
others lire and sweeping the surrounding country
for miles, situated at intervals around the place.
One Of the most important OF these Is called Belle
Croix, and Is egarded as a chez d'eucre Of mill
| tary construction. Next In strength comes
La Double Couronne an immense work,
| surrounded by triple ditch filed with
water. In addition there is the great redoubt OF Le
| Pate, which can be converted into an island by
closing the suices on the SeIlle. About 500 guns Of
| heavy calibre are mounted on these works. T1iere
are besides bastons and redans for light artillery,
fourth great fort Is said TO have been constructed
quite recently, which, II true, adds greatly
| to the strength OF the city In fact,
| when 1t Is borne In mind that to reach
the Notifications it viii be necessary for an
assang force to cross two bitches, nfty feet wide
! by eighty deep, the impossibllty OF carrying Metz
by storm viii be perceived. Furthermore, the
waters OF the Se!c be raised twenty four feet,
| noodna the surrounding country as 10 form
| lake six miles In extent.
ordinarily the garrison Of Metz numbers about
| 1900 men, Should the French army uncover Paris,
we suppose that a force OF 5000 or $4,000 men,
| without including thei Garde Noble OF the city,
would be left to defend it. And here, as we said
above, the troubles OF the Prussians begin. Nothing
short OF ueachsry cowardice starvation Is likely
| to reduce Metz. Twenty thousand men can defend it
against any force that possibly be brought against
II. Nevertheless II the Prussians push TO Paris,
leaving 1t behind. and are defeated In general en-.
gagement, they could only retreat back to Germany
by cutting their way through the garrison which
would by this time have sailed out to oppose them.
1t is true that they could leave corps to watch the
city but this would weaken the main army and ex-
pose this corps OF observation TO sudden and DIS
astrous defeat from the French.
THE FRENCH CENTRE
is at present located at Nancy where the bulk OF tn
Imperial Guard and the greater part of the Sixth
corps IL stationed, the whclc commanded by Mar
shal Canrobert We have no Idea what the strength
OF this force s but It number less than sixty
thousand men. Standing midway between Metz
and Savegne Canrobcrt ought to be in q position
to afford aid to either MacMahon or Bazaine
|
and is capable Of resisting q severe attack, but it Is
by no means impregnable. The great advantage it
possesses as defensive position Is the large plain
which surrounds 1t. An advancing enemy would
have to move across an entirely open country ex-
posed to raking artillery fire. Nancy is 20 miles
from Paris.
| THE FRENCH RIGHT,
Or to be particular, the right CENTRE the extreme
right being at Befort, is at Saverne TO which place
ofia "a J,fa
woerth on saturday. Here he has his own
corps, and near BY Is the corps under
de Fanly, the whole numbering perhaps
seventy thousand men. Saycrne Is situated on the
east slope Of the Vosges and not far from The for-
tress OF Plalsbourg. which stands the rocks and
commands the delles Of the mountains MacMahon
Is at present safe from any attack OF the army COM
manded by the Crown Prince, and will probably be
allowed to reorganlze his force unmolested.
sTn,sBoURG DEsIEGED.
despatch from Carlsruhe announces that 10000
German troops have surrounded Stras5ourg, and
that as the garrison numbered only 1000 men an
carly surrender Is expected. This expectation will
not be realized. Strasbourg Is, like Metz,
one OF the strongest fortresses IN Europe,
and Is regarded AS absolutely impregna-
ble The fortdcaons, including the citadel
of Ave bastlons extend to the Rhine ana are OF i'm
mense strength. Situated near the confluence Of
the little river III with the Rhine the same arrange
ments for defence have been made 8s with the
See at Metz. By means OF large sluices, the whole
country around Strasbourg be laid under water,
except on the side of the Porte DIES Mines, and
there the qacis ia mined. Six thousand can hold
Strasbourg against $1,000 men. The inhabitants Of
the city, VINO number 75,ooo, can unaded resist any
| force the Prussians can besege them with. Such
| being the case we have no idea that Stras-
| bourg viii surrender anu it Is absout ely
necessary to The prusslans before they at.
tempt an advance TO the de6les Of the vosges
| Mountains. In fact nothing could be
dangerous than to leave two such fortresses Sras-
| bourp and Metz In the rear while should the Ger.