Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-10-01
The Siege Of Paris.

we can lay before our readers.
The Siege of Paris.
The military operations in the envirors
of Paris during the last few days, es-
pecially the sanguinary conflict which
took place on Tuesday last, in front of
the three southwestern forts, Issy, Van
vres, and Montrougc, between n portion
OF the Third German Army under the
commanded tae Crown Prince OF Prus-
sia, and the fifty thousand French soldiers
under Generals Ninoy and Ducrot, not
only give us some insight Into the
plan OF the German Generals in regard
to the assault upon the bcleaguered city,
bat seem to indicate that General Trochu,
and commander OF Paris, is hardly equal
to the herculean task that. has been in-
trusted to him. At all events, he has
either been guilty of Il lack OF viglerce,
or he has committed serious error of
judgment, and acted upon detective in
formation concerning point of the high
est Importance to the defenders of Paris.
General Trochu, might, reasonably, have
been convinced that General Moltke,
after cutting off Paris from all conncc-
tions with the outer world, would direct
the principal attack Of the German armies
upon the northern front of the iortiiica-
tions, and after taking the forts in front
OF St. Denis, penetrate by the latter
point toward Montmartre, contentinr
himself meanwhile, as regards the east
ern, southern, anb western forts of the
Notifications, with merely threatening
and making irigned attacks upon them
III order to prevent the French comman-
der from withdrawing part of his troops
from those sides aud reinforcing the
ranks OF the defenders Of the northern
tort. Impressed with this belief, and be-
sides sharing in all probability the most
erroneous opinion with which the French
Generals entered upon the present war
namely, that the German artillery was
Inferior to that Gf the French army, and
that tie range of the former is consdera
bly, less than it really is, General Trochu
did not strengthen the southwest err
Notifications of Paris us those on the
northern side. Especially did he fail to
take advantage of the peculiar configura.
tion Of the ground in front of Forts
de lssy, dc Nanyres and Montrougc.
From the bend which the Seine makes
at Billancourt in an castcrly direction
AS far as Fort dc Montrougc, there eY
tends the plain Of Clamart, bordered OF
, the south by the wooded heights O
M,udOn. These wooded heights O
Mcudon reccde little at point oppo
site Clamart and Fort d'lssy, and The,
project again rs far as The village o
Chatillon opposite Fort de Nanyres
These heights Of Mcudon would there
fore be position of the highest lmpor,
ance for the defense Of Paris, if the bat
tcries of the bcsieging army on thos
heights could open II destructive fire oi
Forts d'lssy and dc Nanvres. But tn
French Generals did not believe that tn
German armies had cannon of suricien
range and destructive power tor tha
purpose, and SO, although n few earth
works were thrown mp at various point
OF the forest OF Mrudon, and some piece
of artillery placed III them, no serious 81
iectS we're made 10 prevent the PrIss a.
from occupying them. IL was taken fo
granted on TIE part of the French GeI
erals, that the German troops, even
they should think OF attacking Fort
dlssy and de Nnnvros, would have /
descend into tbe plain, aud there be eA
posed TO tho .fta @e"|er from the arIiller
of the two forts in question, and to til
rakiug fire OF the gun-boals on tn
Seize.
y Within the last few days, however
i General Hochu has apparently change
> his mind, aud we can see now for wha
II reasons he ordered Generals Ninoy an
IA i)ucrot 10 take the offensive toward til
A enemy IN the southwestern environs ,
q farls, aud to make on Tuesday las
y with the Whole force OF regulars no,
" concentrated in the French capital, thu
sortie which terminated SO disaslrousl,
7, The fact that the whole Third Germu
= Army, under tho command OF the Grow
# Prince Frederick William that arm
:. which, during the present war, has uai,
a ed most hurels in storming heights an
!, driving the enemy from strong and oI
II slinatcly defended positions-was mass,
c in scmiclrcle of comparatively limitt
l. extent, from Versailles, where the hea
20 quarters of King William and of his So
were established, TO point in the ncig
~ I" oorhood Of BagneuX, and, besides, Il
~ discovery that the qualities of the Gle
~ man artillery has been mlePrated, we
80 PROBABLY the principal reasons III,
ne caused General Trochu TO abandon a
le belief that the principal attack upt
TO Paris would be made on the north sid
IN Above all things, the enemy who hs
TO commenced to penetrate in the Forest
II. Meudon had TO be prevented from a
vancin0 as far as the edpe Of tho hais,hi