The New York herald., 1870-08-20
MACMAHON's ARMY.

Diflcnlties Of Obtaining News-Both Boliig- |
ereuts Hostile to War 'sSpecials''-What a |
French General Thinks of the Pre- 80 News |
Marching to the Front In a Rain Storm |
All in the Dark to the Exact Situation |
French Artillery and Christian Rejection
Immense Forces TO and through Strusbourg-
What Follows the Want OF Independent
Press Wrirers-Snilors in Fortress and n
Grand Surprise.
STRAsBoURG, HEADQUARTERS OF MARSHALL
MAoMAHoN's ARMY CORPS, August 4, 1870.
Whatever else this war may effect, 1t Will not Ger.
sainy increase the respect Of intellectual America
or England for French officials. There Is only one
thing that be said IN their favor which is that
In their intensely stupid wish to keep everything
secret from the press they are possible surpassed
by their still more still stupid enemies the Prus.
SLAMS.
Yesterday was breakfasting at the caJs de Byo,te
with French colleague and fellow sufferer from
perverse rules introduced by Monster olivier. My
friend is the special correspondent of Paris Journal
OF the best and by far the WHY or the Paris
press. AT the next table to General De Lartiaue
who commands the Fourth division OF MacMahons
corps, was partaking OF the same meal. NV col
league OF the Paris paper is old friend OF MIS- and
commenced to Joke him about the useless foly OF
attempting to keep the press in the dark as to what
Is going on. pleasant and a genial gentleman is
the General, who having at the age OF forty-eipht
won his epaulets as General OF Division, from
beng a private soldier, can be no fool
But like nearly all his fellow countrymen, ne cannot
see the advantages OF allowing the press TO
have every means Of gaining information COM
pahle with not publishing what might be OF use to
the enemy. The General Is, however French: or
rather, should say, French military to the back
bone He could not be made to see how very much
better IL would be II newspaper correspondents
were not only furnished with authentic news but
also were shown by the authorities what was
really the truth, so as to prevent any mistake or
But the General would not see the matter in
that light "Silence" he said, "was the best side
In all military matters. and to insure success
silence ought always TO be Observed both as to the
future and as TO the past, excepting only when the
authorities themselves like to publish what he's
taken placer
MARCHING FROM sTRAsBoURG.
At length the First army corps has left this
place. and your correspondent Will follow in few
hours The Third division, az / wrote In my last
left yesterday the Fourth under General de Lartque
marched at TWO A. NJ to-day, under as heavy rain
az ever saw. They must not only have been wet
through and through long before they started. but
must have had to carry wet tents, wetI great
coats wet blankets and wnat not-a terrible add
tion to the already overburdened meu. Even As /
write these lines Marshal MacMahon and his star
are snatching hasty breakfast In the dining room
of the hotel, and leave for Haguepau about twenty
miles from this at once, where the headquarters OF
the division is to be, but where, believe there
viii be serious work out for the whole force ere
world id many hours older There some report going
about that the Prussans have assumed the offensive
But it Is impossible, or next TO impossible, to as
certain even the most simple facts without an
amount of personal investigation and inquiry that
you would hardly believe. The cdnards flying about
are. as matter OF course, very plentiful indeed and
each one Ia wilder than Its predecessor Then what
ever you ask French onlcia civil military, you
are met with the old regulation answer, 'sMon Dieu
Monsieur je ne sas rien; e puis rten vous dire.n
THE ARTILLERY OF THIS ARMY CORPS.
This force marched out yesterday. What sight
It was Eight batteries Of ten guns each all
twelve Founders, and four batteries OF mitraeuses
ten OF those fearful weapons in each battery What
an amount OF blood could be shed by these engines
OF war; what an amount OF extra misery can be
brought Into the world by them 1t Is when we see
these preparations in cold blood to taKe the lives ~
thousands OF men now living that we begin to est.
mate war ut its true value
During the fortnight have been here have seen
another. How many OF these will ever see the year
1917 How many Will be In the world to come a
fortnight hence How many VIII die fearful, hard,
homes they could not endure mad dog to
der And yet because this Is called m%ssr
we regard 1T as meritorous rather than otherwise.
a fortnight ago these 800 900 men were like huge
stone quarry out OF which the materials for building
up an edIdce had TO be hewn and shaped and fitted,
Now the mansion has been built and we are waiting
with impatience to blow IL up by means OF gun
powder.
THE MOVEMENTS OF TROOPS.
| am writing this by fits and starts as get
nance, amid a din and Babel OF tongues which Is
enough TO drive one insane. French stan off1cer.
)ns or tne very few who have ever given me hints
worth having OF what was about to happen, tells me
hat ou.>st not to 20 to Haguenau, Tor that QueQue