The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-09-06

from the outset they seemed to
possess the confidence of the peo-
pie, and they went to work with will to
repair the shattered fortunes of France. M.
Magne, who had frequently been at the head Of
the Department of Finance before, and had
been the instrument through which Napoleon
had negotiated nearly all the loans of his reign,
introduced and carried measure for a new war
loan of $500, 600, 600 francs, aud Imperialists
and Republicans We'd with each other in advo-
eating measures for the placing of every able
bodied Frenchman under arms. The Republi-
cans, lead by Favre, Gambetta, and Keratry,
however, indulged in daily assaults upon the
head of the Government, denouncing the Empe-
ror for meddling with the management of the
army, and charging the majority with the re-
sponsbility of having entered upon war for
which the country was not prepared.
Marshal Bazaine was placed In chief CON-
mand of the army; LIE B9uf, who, as previous
Minister of War and subsequently Major-Geue-
raj or Chief-of-Staff of the army, was Justly
held accountable in great part for the Prussian
victories, was deposed; General Trochu, who
had enjoyed high reputation as a soldier,
without having an opportunity to display his
ability, was named as lie Beufs successor, but
sent at first to the camp at Chalons to organize
the new levies and from that position called
back to Paris, on August II, as Military Gov
ernor of the capital in place of Marshal Bara-
quay d'Hilliers; and throughout France as well
as in Paris, there was such an expression of de-
termination to repel the invader, that The
entire nation appeared at last to have realized
the magnitude of its peril and risen to an
equality with the situation.
The Battles Around Metz.
Meanwhile the valley of the Moselle had be-
come the scene of stirring events. The Prussian
right, as already stated, had followed the re-
treating French under Frossard after the battle
of Forbach until they were close upon the Mo-
sele, in which threatening position they awaited
the arrival of the Prussian centre, under Prince
Frederick Charles. The latter, striking the
Moselle near Pont-a- Mousson, crossed that
stream on Sunday, August IA, with the object of
turning the French right and cutting off COM
munications with MacMahon, who had, sas
already stated abandoned Nancy on the 18th
and fastened westward towards Chalons, closely
followed by the Prussian left under the Crown
Prince.
The abandonment of the line of the Moselle
was the first thing determined upon by Bazaine
after his increased authority under the Palikao
administration. On Sunday, August H. he
began the movement of his army aero, the
Moselle in the immediate vicinity of Metz.
where he had collected it on the 12th. Before
he had accomplished his purpose, however, the
1st and 7Ch Prussian Corps of General Won
Stenmeiz's command fell upon his rear, and q
serious engagement ensued, at the end of which
the entire French army had succeeded in effect
ing the passage of the stream. But, while the
Prussians suffered loss quite out of propor-
tion to that inflicted on the French the west
ward movement of the latter was materially de-
layed, and the first object of the PrussiaHs
practically accomplished.
On Monday, the 15th the army of General
Won Steinmetz having crossed the Moselle, the
hostile forces were engaged principally in
maneuvring for position; but there appears to
have been two distinct and determined engage
ments, and on the following day, the 10th, there
was protracted and bloody contest. The
fighting was continued on the 18th, and the
struggle for the possession of the roads from
Metz to Verdun eliminated ON the 18th, in the
great battle of Gravelotte. By this time the
original positions of the hostile armies were re-
versed, the Prussians facing east and the
French west. The final struggle lasted from 10
o'clock in the morning until in the evening 1t
was the battle of Sadowa, fought over again. At
the opening, the junction between Prince Frede-
rick Charles and General Won Steinmetz had
not been effected. The French were between
two fires, but that of Won Steinmetz did not be-
come effective until evening, when he swept
down from the northeast, and, turning the
right flank of the enemy, decided the fortunes
of the field. BaZainc was thrown back on Metz
his communications with Paris were cut Off and
the Crown Prince was left at liberty to pursue
his advance towards the capital, without the
danger of encountering any opposition other
than could be presented by MacMahon's demo-
rallied force and the new levies that were being
gathered at Chalons.
Paris ia Peril.
From first to last, the engagements around
Metz were claimed by the French as victories
but the only foundation for this claim consisted
"a the alleged fact that the Prussians lost the
greater number of men in killed and wounded
the truth of which it is impossible even at this
late day, to ascertain. The attempt of Bazaine
to transfer his army from the neighborhood of
Metz, however, was certainly foiled; and while
portion of the united armies of Prince Frede-
rick Charles and General Won Steinmetz was
detached TO watch the French, the remainder
were pushed forward towards the still ad-
vancing army of the Crown Prince.
By the time that General Trochu assumed
command of Paris, the capital was fairly per-
suaded that siege was inevitable, and every
nerve was strained to prepare determined and
desperate reception for the enemy, in case they
should advance to the gates of the capital. AS
already stated, this contingency appeared im-
minent, for parties of Prussian cavalry ap-
preached to within 40 or so miles of Paris, and
at one time the eastern terminus of the railroad
to Chalons and Rheims was fixed at Chateau
| Thierry, but As miles from the capital and only
| half the distance TO Chalons. General Trochu
/ assuuaA the command of Paris in a rrocla =