The New York herald., 1870-08-28

/
gem IS General Beyer, aud the Englisn Minister here
air. bayiey, ~ Trying TO get me a letter irom the
nlinlsies OF War here 70 mat oiiicer The general
VINO has the direction of the siege ~ General Blunen.
tha, cnief oi he star oil the trussian army. with
the frince Royals army. Tue incessant ram we
havef had Tor tue last i've days VIII greatly iacill
tate the deielce Of SrasbOurg for IL Will enable
the French TO hood all the country surrounding the
town. But how they can hope 10 hold out for any
| time or how they can possibly expect 10 DO any
| good by not giving up the town do no not quito
see, confess. However, with hapoleon's present ia
| len fortunes t would almost seem like treason To
| surrendera place OF such importance at once. The
! PrussiaDs nave cut or the COMMUNICATION between
Nancy and Strasbourg by rail, and two divisions OF
| Frederick Charles army quite command the only
road by which cavalry or stores could move 10 help
| Strasbourg.
! And now tnlnk am able TO communicate very
curious piece OF Intelligence, for the accuracy OF
which can youch. IL was told me yesterday ana
SHOWN 10 me In black and white, aud In such man
ner ana by such person that there can be no
doubt whatever or Its ruth. IL iS As fOllows:-
You no doubI remember how II was all along, until
barely week ago. expected that tho French wouiu
take the initiative IN this war; would either cross
| the Rhne az Strasbourg or move across the Bava-
| rian frontier and carry on the war In their
enemys country. You also probably recolect
how every one believed that the Prus5iaIlS
| would take the defensive, wonld 1rst occupy tho
| line upon which they would have Landau as
| centre, then fail back on the Mosele, and finally
! make stand at Mayence. Lastly, you cannot have
forgotten lfor it occurred within the last lew days.
| now astonshed the word was when the frusslans,
and not the French took the initiative; and then,
instead OF the war being carried INTO Prussia by
Napoleon, 1t was carried into France by the Prince
Royal The latter change OF tactics every one put
down 10 accident or, at any rate. 10 the aci oi the
French not beng ready to cross the Rhiae when
they ought 10 have done so.
Well. 1 have, within the past few hours been
shown an Official document which proves beyond
all doubt that from the very nrst the plan OF the
campaign determined upon Ut the Yrussian head
quarters was exactly line for line and movement Tor
movement what is now being carried on.
Bismarck and MOtkc never Intended that "A shot
should be fred in Germany. Tney knew month
ago exactly the state OF iorwardness, or rather
the state OF backwardness, OF the French army.
Wherever horses or provisions we're being gain
cred together for the French, there was u Prus-
sian agent taking stock OF The same. AT Berlin,
ana indeed throughout Germany there were out iour
| persons admitted 10 Know Inc plan ol Invading
France, and nor allowing France 20 invade Prussia.
| These were Bismarck, Mokte, Blumenthai and the
King. Tbe idea was Of course fostored that the
French would certainly iDvadc 'fatherland FOR by
so doing tne national spirit was rendered all tue
intense. 1he secret was Wen kept, wen that
throughout Europe every one Dtieved Prussia would
have 10 act npon the defensive. and that French ar
mics would be red on German ground. Aud this be-
lief worked in another way Tor the advantage 0l
Prussia. IL mace the French AL the more careless
about providing tor the feeding Of their army. 1ney
believed that IN one or twO day III moss after taxing
the field they would be ia the yatey OF L1e nne or
that OF The Moseile, and nave nj The crops and
stores at theIr disposition. But what II tel sou
what have smysef seen. in . document which all
mits OF no possible doubt, that so long ago as Tue sd
oi Juiy the exact day upon wh,cn the Prussians
would Lle frontier IN loCc, ana the very places
where they were to cross were already settled and
named ny the initiated few who directed aiairsf
What II l tell you that the advance upon Wlssem-
bourg C,shea, wonder. viii my letter containing
an account OF tnat afair turn up y, me subsequent
following OF the Freach troops, the breaking OF hcir
line by attacking them somewhere in The valley OF
the Saar ana The forcing oil them back upon Metz
or Macy, II they were not utterly beaten before.
was all mapped out by master nand IN the great
art OF war twenty days ago for the truth OF what
here stare l Will be responsible. It Is impossible
GT me TO stale where or how got tue iuformltiou;
but WGat | say Is the TACT, and one hardly Knows
which 20 admire most, the mead lnat planned tins
attack upon the enemy tiat expected 10 be the IN
yader or the marvellous secrecy win winch The ia-
tentons OF the Prussian leaders were concealed 50
long az there was any reason for doing 50.
ALWAYS READY.
Let me relate another anecd0te respecting tho
management OF Plussian military affairs which wlI
help 10 give you some little insight ile reasons
why tnis war, IKE that OF 1856 in Bohemia, mas been
50 lar series OF successes on the part of Germany
An ILLUSTRIOuS NoS-COMBArANT.
on Monday last, rty-eight hours after the fight
ct Woerth, during my ride OF ilty miles along the
frontier IL search OF post olllce and telegraph,
lei IN VITA sWaoian geatlcman OF great wealth |
whom had known some years ago IL Paris. His |
name is Prince Wadour9-Ieit He has a brother a
cardiual at Rome, anu ~ perhaps, one OF the rich
est land holders IN Europe. He IS TOO old aud too
shortsighted 10 take up arms AZ nghring man,
but, like hundreds OF other Germans, mas followed
the army to tbe ned IN order 10 neip aud afford
sistance 70 tue wounded. lie aske me 10 give him
u seat in my conveyance froin Woertt to Gaser,
sa..li tow woere hospitals being formed, aad
jatter place he ,old me mat Colonel M F. a
French stan ouicer wnom we both knew very wen,
was wounded and In one OF tie houses taere. 1
wenr 10 see him, ana The conversation nat'i-
DAY, the French o.ncer not hesitltng for
moment TO term At a defeat Of the best army corps
with the French. ''But," said he, ''what aston
lshes me most is how the Prussan army gets lis in
formation. Whai maps have tney, and where are
lhey drawn upi"
Upon this Prince Waldburg took ont map OF the
French province O Alsace, winch he SAID mad been
given Inn by the Typographical department Of che
Prussian army at Berlin The French officer looked
at 1t carefully aud asked whether maps ike that
were plentiful in The Prussian army The Prince
said thai they wero and that almost eyery com
ms Ilftip. carr M
wonder" replied he French ouicer that You beat
MS on our own ground, for you have infinitely BET.
ter maps Than we have OF oar own Provinces
These maps, must tell you oi Asace and Lorraine
have been made by the Prusslans durlng the past
lew years. J have one by me. and IL helps me Won
derfaily They are accurate IN the nilntesT pIriicu
lars.
MACMAHoNs TOPOGRAPHY.
As "A contrast 10 tns may tell you That afier Mac
Nahon's uank had been turned on Saturday the
MARSHAL himself rode Oh TO The farm house OF pea
SAINT near Woerh, ana asked the road 10 oayerne,
place upon which ne had determined to fail back.
Here then. may be summed up In very few wortis
the causes wlici lea to the results oi saturday last.
on the French side immense bravery, great dash
and utter reckessness US TO suffering or discomfort.
On tne Prossian side overwhelming numbers, I'M
mense discipline great order, great iorettought
aud a perfect management OF those small tnings
without which great achievements IN this word are
Impossible.
FRENCH COURAGE.
or the french puck, courage, reckisssness OF life
ANA power 10 bear fatigue there can be no
question whatever; but Of order and disci-
pine not only have they idea what
ever-they utterly despse anything OF this
sort / not eXag9eratng when
say that under the heaviest lire at Woerh,
the other day, when big guns aud chassepots were
both playing upon them, as the hose OF FIRE engine
plays upon house that is in flames, the Prussians
marched In better order, were IN far more soldier
like form and infinitely more in hand than tue
French corps we're when they marched out OF Stras
bourg a week ago, with their own generals watch
ing them. Do you recollect what wrote from Stras
Dourg about fortnight ago concerning French
regiment Of hussars that had just arrived from
Lyons and had left the horses OF the corps TO KICK
and fight each other as only stations can tight and
kick2 That regiment Ct lost all Its tents and bag
gage at Wlssembourg this day week. was type Of
The French army as 1t Is now. Order and regularity,
careiuness m small matters and the discipline ON
parade OF the men it regards as child's play. so
long the soldier keeps his arms ready for use and
Is anle 10 make mis- mess the officers believe all VIII
go welt. Whether the result jusGiues these IDEAS
nccd hardly say. r.
No NEWS FROM HOME
We have no French or English papers here later
than thuse OF Saturday, the 6t the day OF the light
~ Moevtb. The French accounts OF TINS later abair
reach yesterday by Bstse, but are utterly nntrust