New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-08-28
CHAIONs CAMP DESERTED.
Discomfort Among the French Troops.
Bombardment Of Pfalsburg.

Discomfort Among the french Troops
Bombardment Of Pfalsburg.
NEW YORK, August pa cable special
to the Tribune. dated London, August "a,
saws: Our special correspondent from
Rheims, Monday, says. ChalOns camp is so
completely deserted that not straggler is
to be seen. We found them on the road to
Rheims, which was crowded with troops of
every arm. As we approached the city we
saw the French army encamped parallel to
the road from st. Merhault, and separated
from it by the Noir Vesle. They are camped
on the right bank Of the Eesle, looking
down the stream.
will not pretend to say what this move
ment meant, but it looked as if part of
Bazaines forces had escaped from Metz,
and they are expected to join the ChalOns
army at or near Rheims.
There ia a rumor that Bazaine is passing
through Grand Pre- and Vauziers. What
makes it look probable Is that strong force
of light cavalry is here, and two brigades of
chasseurs and hussars. They are probably
the advance guard.
ceiyed at the Prefecture that Bazaine. with
part of his army, is fast retreating by Vau-
ziers, very hard pressed by the Prussians.
He was obliged to abandon his retreat on
the Verdun road. which was completely in
possession of the Prussians, and that is
why all prisoners and munitions were sent
back from Verdun to Rheims.
If any force has succeeded in reaching
Vauziers, or is on the road thither, it must
have escaped from Metz ON the west, or it
is that column which it is believed had got
past Gravelotte before the Prussians had
seized that road on the eighteenth
But no word has come from Bazaine for
two days, and my belief is that he is cut
off; at any rate, his nearest line of retreat
was closed, and if he has been driven OFF
into Ardennes there is no telling when the
expected junction of his forces with McMa-
hon can be accomplished and if they join,
who is to commando for neither will serve
under the other.
Discomfort is spreading fast among the
troops and even among the officers, who
are discouraged by the failure of Bazaine
thus far to unite with McMahon.
His letter, although written two days ago,
supplies later news of the position of the
French forces than has been allowed to
come by telegraph, etc, and lends an air OF
probability to the extraordinary story that
| Bazaine has made his escape with part OF
his forces from Metz, cutting through the
| extended lines of the Prussians-a story
of which there is. as yet, no word OF con
| tirmation from the Prussian side.
French kilograms, both dated yesterday
| morning and evening, received in London
! simultaneously this morning, place Nc Iahon
at Chalons and then at Rheims. The latter
| is true, as the above letter shows.
| have the highest authority for contra
| dieting the statement of the French that the
| Prussians had sought permission from the
French to transport their tthe Prussian
wounded through Luxemburg. The French
look on this as an implied admission OF de
feat. What happened was this:
The Prussian government applied to know
! whether they would consider the transport
alton of wounded men through Luxem
| burg "a violation of its neutrality. The
English government asked the French
authorities whether they objected The
French replied Yes. because it opens the
mission of troops and supplies.
| Prussia rejOins-"Three-ffths of the
| wounded we want to send are French. Il
YOU object we must attend to our own first
nor are the military trains capable OF belnG
employed for the wounded"
Gladstone favors the Prussan view, but
| Hammond. under Secretary OF ForelgI
| Affairs. opposes it on technical grounds, ant
| if the French insist on their view, nOthln!
will be done. and the French wounded viii
| have their own government to thank 10
| needlessly prOlonging their sutferlngs.
The reported meeting of foreign ambassa
| dors in Paris, to consider the possible terms
of peace, is wholly discredited. The Prus
slams would consider such a meeting, helt
in the enemy's capital, gross discourtesy
Such an initiative would be regarded a:
serious. if taken in London or St Peters
| burg. but in Paris it would be almost as ;
! violation of neutrality, and the Prusslan
neither believe the statement nor woult
listen to any such proposal so originating.
Our special correspondent sends iron
| Hamburg an account of the first naval en-
| @agement of the war:
On the morning OF the seventeenth IN
German dispatch boat Grille started out o
the Bay of Kugen to reconnoitre the strengti
and position of the French ships OF war
whose arrival in the neighbOrhod had beer
reported, though nobody had seen them.
After proceeding to sea until within sigh
of the Danish Island of the Moon, the Grill
at length discovered the tall masts OF
squadron consisting OF seven ironclad trlS
| ates and a couple OF smaller vessels. and ap
| preached boldly until within three thousant
PAGES
The French then opened fire, and directed
several broadsides at the little craft, at th'
same time giving chase.
Every now and then lying to to frc
few shots at her pursuers, from her tw'
twelve Founders, in answer TO the guns
the whole fleet. She lured them to follow
her as far as the post house at Nlltom
where the three gunbOats, Drache, Bit
and SaIamander, were lying. which, o.
hearing the cannonading of sea, immedI
ately got up steam and weighed anchor, t.
stand by their consort.
The Commodore of the little squadron
Captain Count Won Walderse, made signal
to the commander of each gunboat to al
tack the enemy at its own discretion. whlcl
produced loud cheers, and they all steame'
| out ready for action with the superior lore
of the enemy.
After running fight Of three hours, tn
gunboats, finding their guns harmies
against the plated sides Of the ironelads. Et
turned to the protection Of their land Dat
! terieS, toward Eue.
1t is thought that the French ponte'
their Guns in good direction but that the,
either fired too high or too low; it was dltf
| cult in the fresh breeze to take steady all
at the little gunboats, lying low ID til
water. and painted gray, So as to be almos
invisible.
Several shots from the gunboats hit thei
mark and shell from the Salamander wa
seen to explode on the deck Of one OF tn
ships, and must have done some damage t.
the men at the guns.
The German fotilla suffered no losse
whatever. though it might have been YER
different had any OF the twenty-elght cent
metre shells fired from the French snip
taken effect and exploded on the decks .
the gunboats.
The latter having filed up their stock o
ammunition and coal at Strathsund, IT
turned TO their stations III the outer harpol
where they are on outpost duty.
Our correspondent with the CroWf
Princes headquarters describes the BON
bardment of Pfalzburg on the fourteenth:
Pfalzburg has already detained q numoe
of German guns for two or three days, an
when last saw it it showed no signs OF CIV
ing in.
The town was sharply cannonaded tn