The New York herald., 1870-08-24
THE SiTUAT TON.
Position of the Belliserent..

On Monday morning, IN our article the situation
In France, we expressed doubt Of the report that
Marshal Bazaines army had been shut up In Metz,
and further expressed the opinion that it had retired
in n0rthwesterly direction to some point between
Thonvile and Verdun. Dispatches published
yesterday morning. and those which came in the ar
ternoon and last night seem TO confirm this opinion.
Bazaine's army, by the present reports, is placed
between Montmedy and verdun, and a statement is
made that 1t has been reinforced. We doubt If 1t is
as far west as that, because unless it badly
cut up as TO be incapable Of Offering vigorous
sistance at the present tme the aim OF the French
generals would naturally be to keep 1t as near to
Metz as possible with view to giving and receiv-
ing aid from the garrison the event Of another en-
gagement.
Promising that the army is either between Longwy
and Verdun, or between the latter place and Mont
medy, The statement OF the route of his retreat Is
evidently correct. IRON Metz to Thionvllle Is nne-
teen miles, in northerly direction Thionville is
the terminus OF a railroad line which runs along the
frontier OF France from Gvet beyond which 1t Is IN
Belgian territory. Bazane Is said to have retreated
by way OF Autun and LonguIon. The first named
place is thirteen miles west OF Thionye, and
fifteen miles further west Is Longmion. Montmedy
lies about the same distance west OF LonguIOn the
entire route traversed being thrty-three miles from
Thlonville or afy-two from Metz. Montmedy, it
should be stated Is Of the frontier fortresses OF
France, and forms, with verdun. Longwy, Thionvile
and Metz, qulnquangular. partly in the centre
OF which are the German forces.
Some fifty miles west.northwest OF MOntmedy Is
the fortress OF MeZieres, ten miles east of which
stands Sedan, also fortress WHERE it is said, the
trains laden with provisions and ammunition were
stationed awaiting the safe retreat Of Bazaine The
reader must not confound the Mezieres referred to
with the place Of the same name reported to have
| been occupied by the Prussians, the one being
| on the river Meuse, near the Belgian frontier,
and the otner on the Mosele river, between
Metz and Thionvie and about eight miles from the
former place. Fiftyfour miles sOuth-southwest OF
the fortress Of Mezleres, which here refer to is
the CITY of Rheims the reported headquarters OF the
Emperor. All the places named here are connected
by railroad which runs from Rheims to Mezeres In
nortlnortheast direction and continues to Thion-
vile by an east southeast route.
From the foregoing statement Of the railroav we
have an explanation Of the report that Bazaine had
been reinforced by MacMahons army. CLalons,
which lies southeast Of Reims, is connected with
that city by railroad also, and the dispatches Of
three days ago reported the French army encamped
along the line of this road from Chalons to Mour-
melon, distance Of some twelve miles. 1tis there
fore, altogether probable that these reinorcements
all sent by rail- from Chalons to Rems thence
Mezieres and Montmedy, or Longuon, as the case
may be- MacMahon, in the meanwhile, keeping up o
show Of force In front Of the advancing army OF the
Crown Prince. WHAT seems surprising Is that
BaZaine was not reinforced at an earlier date by
these railroads. which have been, certainly far
Montmedy, absolutely safe from raid OF the Ger
mans. 1t may be, however, that the army was not
then sufficiently organized to move.
This view OF the situation does not, by any means,
conflict with the statement that MacMahon had
moved out to st. Menehould the railroad between
Chalons and verdun. II his army be as large as the
French assert 1t is 100000 men, he would, after
sending heavy relnrorcements to Montmedy
by rail, still have a powerful force to
man9uvre with In the open country. Grant
ing, then, that he Is moving towards the Aire
river from the southwest and Bazaine from the
north, the two armies ought to form junction near
varennes, or between that place and Grand Pre-
If Bazane was at MOntmedy on Sunday night, such
O junction ought to have been made already
Where the next battle Will be fought, should this
union have been effected, depends, first, on
the condition Of the French army, and next
upon which army advances. Should Bazaine be
strong enough he will undoubtedly assume
the ofYensIve and Will probably move up The Meuse
and force the Prussials to uncover Metz and give
him battle between that place and st. Mhel, or he
may move upon the road between Verdun and Metz
and light again upon the battleaelds OF last week.
Should, on the other hand. the Prussians advance
battle would be likely to take place verdun in
the vicinity OF the Argonne forests.
OF the Prussian movements and position we hear
nothing except that the headquarters of the Crown
Prince are at Bar lie Duo, II they are there his
army must he west Of that place. In which event he
could not have formed q junction with Prince
Frederick Charles as reported from London.
We, however, believe that the two armies
have been united, as neither Of them sipgly IL
match for the combined forces Of MacMahon and
Bazaine Whether as Is stated from Paris the forces
of Prince Frederick Charles and General stenmetz
are too crippled Tor further offensive movements Is
open to DOUBT. 1t Is more likely that the Prussans
are waiting for their reserves TO come up before
making another advance.
Since writing the above despatch has arrived
from Paris stating that MacMah0n has effected q
junction with Bazaine by way Of Rheims, Mezleres
and MOntmedy, precisely as suggested above