The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1870-12-29
THE SITUATION.

During the series Of efforts to raise the
siege of Paris which commenced on the
18th of November and continued for
eight to ten days, little could be learned
In relation to the movements OF the sew
eral armies about the city and in the
South. Part of the time the Atlantic
cables refused to respond and during
the remaining days the accounts of what
had taken place we're so confused and
contradictory, that the public mind was
prepared to learn either that the city
had captnlated, or, that victory had re
publican France, and that the Prussians
had been compelled to raise the siege
But nov, that the excitement of the
occasion has passed away, ard we begin
to receive clear accounts OF what was
done and what the position of the forces
is, we are abe to 70 IN an approximately
| accurate estimate of the result On the
2Sth ult, the forts around Paris common
ced fierce cannonade OF the Prusslan
lines, which continued through the
night During the 29th, sortie was
made on the Prussian Fifth corps at
Montretont, the gunboats on the Seine
cooperating. At the same time, an at
tack was made in much greater force In
front Of the forts Blcetre aud lvey, to
the south Of the city. The French ad-
vancei against the Prussian Sixth Corps
and the Second Bavarian stationed
around Chevilly and Choisy-le Roi. The
attack was covered by a newly erected
! earihwork, but the assailants were re-
pulsed with great loss and driven behind
their deiences. Ia these attacks, besides
the killed and wounded, the French lost
sixteen hundred prisoners. Early on
Wednesday the 30th a more vigorous
sortie was made under the direction of
Trochu; Vinoy and Ducrot being in the
immediate command of the troops.
Severe fighting occurred on the east OF
the city. Ducrot crossed the Marine with
very heavy force at several points and
drove the Wurtembergers from their
position. The Germans were reliorced
during the day, and toward evening sue
ceeded in re-taking most OF the lost
ground, but the French retained the
possession of the Marine peninsula and OF
several bridges crossing the river: Early
on Friday, the End day of December, the
Crown Prince OF Saxony with two Corps
and a division Of Wurtembergers, at
tackled Ducrot, and drove him from Brie
and Champigny and captured eighteen
bundled prisoners and compelled him to
seek shelter under the guns of the fortlh
cations, and the following day the French
withdrew their troops across the river
While these conflicts were in progress
around Paris, the army of the Loire
made an attack on the army of Prince
Frederick Charles, between Montargis
and pijhiviers, with the evident inten-
ton of dividing his army and marching
at once on Paris, by way Of Fontainbleau.
The attack was repulsed with q loss to
the French of five thousand killed and
wounded, and nearly two thousand prs
oners Prince Frederick Charles immod-
lately concentrated his army and assum-
ing the offensive, drove the French from
ArtenAy, Chevily and Neville. These
corps swung to the left. and on the first
Of December, General Won der Tam
again attacked the army Of the Loire
under The Immediate command Of Pala-
dine, and won decisive victory. On the
second, the right wing Of the German
army, under the Duke of hIecklenburg,
ATTACHED two corps of Paladine's army
and routed them.and on the third Prince
Frederick Charles drove them from their
tict tGi tlsiGI POSITIONS no! tAl VI oIittiiS.
On the fourth, one of the outer works OF
the city was carried by the Grand Duke
of Mocalenburg thirty guns and one
thousand prisoners were taken, and on
the next day Orleans was evacuated and
the army Of the Loire withdrew to the
south side of the river. In this series
Of heroic struggles the French have not
won one battle, and their losses in killed,
wounded, and prisoners cannot have been
much less than fifty thousand men. With
the army OF the Loire defeated at every
step. and driven south OF the Loire,
there can be no hope of relief for Paris
from without, and in the attacks from
within they have not as yet been able
10 secure any permanent advantage.
Every attempt to break through the lines
OF the besieging army has resulted in
their Icing forced back into the city The
end, therefore, cannot be much longer de
laycd Paris must fab, and Germany be
acsno wledged the controlling power OF
western Europe. France has destroyed
her cwn Emperor and created for Ger
many a successor to Charlemagne.