Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1870-08-05
Tie French Position And plans.
immense Wariike PTeraTatlonF-Elgll Hum
dr:j 1h0E,aifd nea On thc Frontier
Everything Eeady fer All advance.


LONDON, Wednesday, July 27, 1870.
The Tribune special correspodentAt
Metz, on Sunday night, sent the fol-
lowing very important letter contain
ing the first clear statement of the
French position and plans:
l lett Hagsnau on the 25th, taking
the train by the line which leads past
Bitche and Sarreguemines to Metz.
Along this line warlike preparations
of every kind were to be seen. pass
cd field batteries PARKED complete at
the different shunting places, until |
got tired of looking at them. Although
the French carry their infantry and ar
tillery good deal over the railroads,
they seem inclined to allow the caval-
nv to march along the roads. We saw
moro than "a single party OF horsemen,
and i'm one case whole regiment
walking along the highway, which,
lust before we arrived ut the Vosgcs,
ran parallel with the rails. The regi-
ment in question seemed in the highest
spirits, as they waved their hands and
spurred their iaded steeds into a trot
i'm answer to the solutions which
reached them from the foot soldiers on
our train. About four O'Clock we
reached the Nosgcs. This range OF
hills, which takes rise near Beliort,
runs nearly parallel with the Rhine
until it slopes downward TO the low
lands about Coblent2 and Alayence,
where the Strasbourg, Bitche, and Metz
lines pierce the range. As "A military
obstacle the Nosges have always been
considered the second line of the de-
fence possessed by France on the east.
still, the thinness of the range, the
breadth of which near Bitcheis under
20 miles, and the large number OF val
lows which cross it in n traverse di-
rection, prevent it from forminga very
considerable military obstacle. There
Is "A society called the Trancs-Tlrdi %
lcurs uf the Nosgcs,n - which on small
scale hears some resemblance 10 our
volunteers. AS n self-organized force
it seems contrary to the military
genius of France. They have always
been considered i'm an amusing light
by the French journals which are,
however now beginning 20 express
their astouishment at finding that the
hands OF the NOsges are seriously de-
manding permission to elect n general ;
and cooperate with the regular forces.
After Wndingforsome time through
n dchle, and before we had altogether
deccndcd the western slopes of the
Noswes, we arrived nt Bitche, u small
| fortified place with strong citadel, the
strcgnth Of which seemed 90 lie in the
high and scarped sides Of the hill up
on which il was pcrohed. From Bitchc
to Sarreguemines we passed camp after
camp. True, many of these werl
small, but everything connected VIII
them unmistalkably revealed that thesC
were the outlying parts OF the huge
| force. From Bltcho To Sagreugeminc'
| il about twenty milos and throughout
| this distance, and for about twenty
miles, west of SarreguominCs, forty
miles I'm all, the limo constantly ap
proaches within a few miles OF the
/ Frontier.
Between Bitche and SaTegucmine
| their numbers evidently inspired th'
/ French with confidence; But heyOnt
the latter post ID was clear that the line
which, avs Il leads from Metz tOIlltche
IA lust now of eNtraOrdnnry' impor
tanco, WAS carefully picketed. O
course, only saw a portion of the pre-
| cautions taken, but could observe th0
! 90 important points, such as when
roads crossed the line, there Wcr
camps of cavalry and artillery com
bincd, evidently placed 20 support Oh
! Videttos and pickets which are watch
ing The frontier and ~ save the iln