The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-07-27
France. and Prussia-The Probable
~ Cumpaaan Ground.

O2AHlp11&A "EOukn1Ao
The plan-of the coming war campaign,
forwarded from, Europe by telegraph, may
or may not be entitled to credenee. There
IL little doubt, however, that the fighting
will mainly occur on the Rhine, OH one oil
the Notifications, therefore, will be read
with interest:
II FRENCH FoBTIFICATI0NS. s...a
OF the French towns on the west bank oil
the river, Strasburg is one of the most
noted. 1t has 81, 900 inhabitants, chiefly oil
German descent. The fortress has been
lately strengthened, and the numerous out.
works and detached forts, including the
citadel, render it q place or great strength.
A bridge here crosses the Rhine, which Is
strongly fortified on the French side.
Though partially upon the Rhine, the town
hes chiefly upon the river Iii, which Is also
bridged. .ats.... .s.s s.s..s# FL. s-s.jf. !.
Farther up the III are Colmar and schlett-
stadt, both strongly fortified, and securing
important communications. @H. .
Neu Bresach is on the Rhone canal
mile west of the Rhine. 1t has strong tow
ers, and Fort Mortier, nearer that. river, is
q strong fortication. ..s .s.,
I Metz, on the river Mosclle, is the most
i important strategic point in the eastern part
/ of France, and has most powerful for-
tress, which is yet uncompleted. The city
contains &C, 600 Inhabitants and garrison of
10000 men. A strong wall with bastions
surrounds it., and the Notifications at large
are constructed with a due allowance for
the force of modern projectiles. They stand
OH four commanding sites. The river Selile
meets the Moselle at this point, and in case
| of siege the water of both streams can be
raised sufficiently to inundate the low
ground to the south and southwest Of the
town. ....-- =. ,.....s.l
| Montmedy, verdun, and Longwy, on the
Rhine. are all Strongly fortified; and near
| to Metz, on the Moselle, is Thionville,
within a few miles of the Prussian frontier.
The river is bridged at this point, and the
| Notifications are strong. The Moselle fur
nishes the most direct line of operations be-
tween France and Prussia, and struggle
! will in every probability take place for its
several strongholds.
The Weissenburg line is a chain of light
works running from the left bank Of the
Rhine fifteen miles along the Lauter, in the
neighborhood of Basic. The line was aban-
doned in 1867, but the works were not
| RACED. ...,...
The Vosges mountains run parallel with
I! the Rhine, and form an additional barrier
| for the French frontier. They average
| 4, 900 feet in height, and are twenty five
miles wide. All their practical passes are
fortified. The most northern of these is the
fortress at Bitsch, which in 1893 and 1915
withstood two Prussian attempts. The
central passages of the NOsSes is by way of
Saverne, and is held by the fort at PlalZ-
burg, supported by Strasburg at short dis
lance. Between Saverne and Belfort there
are but two practicable passes, that by way
ofSt. Die and that of Remiremont. These are
we'll guarded by the fortresses on tho neigh
boring plains and by Belfort. The latter is
in the centre of the opening between the
Jura and Fosges mountains, and being in
the direct line between Basic and Paris, is
an important junction for land commune
cations. 1t has been much strengthened Of
late, .......,....
PRussIAN FoRTIFIcAT1oNs.
Of the fortresses on the Rhine and its
vicinity the most important are Mayence,
Rastadt, Ehrenbretstein, and Cologne.
Mayence was formerly a city Of the Ger
man Confederation, the old Zollverein, and
was garrisoned by Austrian and Prussian
troops. Its peculiarly dangerous position,
being on the left bank Of tbs Rhine and
greatly coveted by the French, led to its for
titications being of the strongest character.
1t was originally garrisoned by 5000 men.
but after the decisive defeat of Austria in
the late contest it was agreed by the treaty
of Prague that its Notifications should be
dismantled and its garrison withdrawn.
This stipulation was insisted OH by Austria,
but the Prussians have never carried out
the conditions, and Mayence is at this mo-
ment one of the strongest cities in the world.
The four lines of works are greatly
strengthened by outWorks and detached
forts, and by Fort Weisenau. which is on
the upper bank of the Main. The city of
Mayenee is opposite to the mouth Of the
river, which here falls into the Rhine about
twenty miles west of Frankfort, to which it
is connected by railway, 4 bridge some
l 900 feet long connects it with the fortified
suburb of Castel. 1t has now a very large
garrison, and is commanded by Prince Wal
demar, of Schleswig-Holstein. .3
Rastadt is on the right bank Of the Rhine,
and is very strongly fortified. 1t Is In the
territory of Baden-Baden, and formerly held
Il garrison for the German Confederation,
Prllssian. 1t is situated fourteen miles
south Of Carlsruhe and some thirty from
Strasburg, and will undoubtedly be point
of capital importance during the coming
struggle. Its fortifications are on the Vau-
ban system, and declared to be the perfec-
ton of engineering, hut experience has
proved that earthWorks are stronger than
Stone walls. There are three large forts on
the little river which runs past Rastadt,
which have many bastions, wet bitches,
curtains, gIacis, and lunettes, but the chief
strength will probably be in the fortified
camp which the Prussians are aboutto form
there. Should it be necessary to withdraw
its garrison, it could easily be replaced by
Baden soldiers, the Grand Duke having
shown the most unmistakable sympathy for
the Prussian cause. j..
Ehrenbreitstein Is the fortress par ercet-
lence of Prussia, and is regarded as the I'LL
braltar OF the Rhine. 1t is on the right bank
of the Rhine, opposite to Coblentz:, 1t Is
connected with this town bya bridge OF
boats. Part of the Notifications lie at the
foot of the hill, 1853 feet in height, and almost
perpendicular; but since it was taken by
the French in 1896, and again in 1899, its
Notifications have been trebled and quad
rupled in strength, and the entire hill has
been turned into fortress. 1t has been
thought unnecessary to scarp the steep
sides, though it is on record that q British
tourist, accompanied bya terrier, made the
ascent to the intense establishment of the
sentry. The garrison amounts TO l4,000
men, and has been hitherto Under the eon,=
mand of Governor Prendzynski, who be-
longs to the eighth army corps, commanded
bv General Herwarth, whose headquarters
are in Coblentz, on the opposite side OF the
river, The troops are furnished with water
by an artesial well, and the fortress contains
steam cooking apparatus Of uneyampled
magnitude Provisions for three years are
continually kept In store, and the greatest
precautions are taken TO pFeVenb u Know
ledge of the Notifications falling into the
hands Of strangers. :Ehrenbfeltstein mas
been besieged many times by the trench,
and was taken onlydon one occaslon-ln
Az r..