The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1870-09-07
Iketch of the French situation.

NEW YORK, Aug. 81, 1870.
The Times letter from Verdun says =
"Let me sketch position of the French
army as l understand it to be. On Sun
day, the 14th, the main French force lay
in a seni-clrcle in front of Metz, facing
westward. They had large detachment
of Decaen's corps thrown about b miles
to the front of Metz and Pague, and the
little river Med, which flows northeast to
the Saar A part of the heavy baggage
of the trains had already the day previous
been sent across the Moselle by the brid-
ges under cover of the guns Of Metz, on
the road to Verdun, and Bazaine was only
holding his troops at Metz until he could
effect retreat in light order The Ger
man armies OF the Saar and Rhine We're
however, determined to prevent Bazaine
from retreating on Verdun, and Joining
his forces from the new levies of France,
and form formidable line of defense along
the valley of the Meuse, between Verdun
and Commercy, Steinmetz on Sunday
again opened the ball and pressed forward
his skirmish line upon the outposts of the
great French detachment thrown forward
at Pogue. He desired to prevent them
crossing the Meal on their pontoons, and
Jolnting main body to the rear. So hot
became the flight that to save this advance
force, Bazaine was obliged to bring for
ward a large part of Admiralt's corps,
which brought on a fierce engagement
that opened at about three or four in the
afternoon, and lasted until nearly dark
The result was that after several repulses
of the Germans the French troops were
finally forced back to the protection of
their stall works to the east of Metz. The
losses were very heavy on both Sides
Upon the forcing back on Sunday of the
whole French army to the protection of
the guns at Metz, the army of the Saar,
consisting of the seventh Weshphalia and
eighth Rhenish corps, with the Branden-
burg division of cavalry deployed to the
night and left from their massed position
IN front of Metz, the cavalry taking the
extreme right and stretching its outposts
almost to Thionville on the north. The
army is under Steinmetz and numbers
over 10000 men, of all arms, and has $50
cannon. Meantime Prince Frederick
Charles was deploying his magnificent
army of the Rhine to the left, hurrying
horse and foot for Pont a-Monssen, aDouT
ten miles above Metz, on the Moselle, to
cross and cut oft Bazaines retreat toward
Eerdun. Prince Charles probably has un-
der him 100000 men, the first East Prus-
sian, the second Pomerian third Braden-
burg, fourth Mogdeburg and Thuringian,
ninth SchleswIg-H -HolsteIn, tenth Hanover
ian, and twelfth Saxon corps, and a few
small divisions of infantry, and five cav
airy divisions and ITO batteries with guns.
THE GERMAN MOVEMENTS
Have been so well timed that on the same
day (the l4th) a large detachment from
the army of the Crown Prince, made its
appearance IN front of an old fourth class
fertilization of Toul, commanding the rail-
way track between Nancy and Commercv,
and demanded its surrender, which, of
course, was refused. On Sunday night
and Monday morning, the 18th inst, there
fore, found the Prussians in motion, but
occupying a semi-circle with its concave
side to the westward: Steinmetz on the
right and facing Metz, with his pickets al
most at Thionville; Prince Frederick
Charles in the center and the Crown Prince
Frederick William on the left, stretching
across the Nancy and Paris railway at
Toul, with his cavalry outposts thrown
forward to Commercy. Under the Crown
Prince there are perhaps 10000 men, in
cluding the Wurtemburg and Bavarian
troops, sixth cavalry division Eleventh
Hesse and Nassau corps, sixth Silesian,
fifth Posenaud, the splendid corps of guards
Llso. between and 500 field pieces.
Opposed to this vast army the French
had the army of the Rhine under Bazaine
at Metz, consisting of about 10000 men
and some 600 field pieces, and the reserves
and new recruits at Chalons, consisting of
100000 of the Garde Mobile and the var