The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-11-29

and In locating the scene OF the occurrence. Mo.
reui, where the French are reported to have gained
great victory, is one OF the principal towns in the
reimbursement Of Montdldier In the Department OF
Somme. II contains about three thousand inhabi-
tants and is situated on the bank Of the river Azure
and twelve miles southeast OF Amens. Near by are
the ruins Of On ancient abbey ana those OF an old
chateau. The manufacture Of hosiery, paper, a c.
forms the principal industry OF the people.
second despatch, dated from Tours, locates the
scene Of the battle at point between villers and
saleux. This is quite improbable as the nrst named
Amiens, while Saeux is not more than four miles
nearly due west OF the city. Amiens being directly
between the tive places II win be seen that no bat
tie could have been fought near saleux. In the
whose names begin or end with vnlers but there Is
no place Of that alone There ID vilers- Bocage
directly north Of Amiens, and Quovauvilers, to the
southwest. with saleux between the two, but at
neither OF these places could the battle have been
fought The place referred TO as having been
abandoned by the Germans must have been vilers.
Bretonneux, . considerable town In the arrondisse.
ment Of Amiens, some ten miles southeast OF
Amiens and about the same distance north OF
MoreuiL This would locate the scene OF the FIRST
engagement between Moreuil and vilers. Breton.
neux, which we think win prove the case.
We are confident the battle was nrst fought here;
because the despatch speaks OF the French having
been subsequently beaten at Boves, village con.
tanning some eighteen hundred inhabitants and stu
ated on the river Azure, six miles southeast OF
Amiens, forming the apex Of q triangle com.
prlslng Moreuil villers- Bretonneux and Boyes.
As Boves stands In the rear Of the other places men,
toned and nearer to Amions il would be naturally the
point on which the French would fall back. Beaten
there, their next stand would be at Dury, small
village, nve miles Que south Of Amlens, rom
whence 1t Is quite likely tina, their line Of battle ex-
tended to saleux.
TO make the dispatches ineligible we must con.
clude that the battle began between Moreuil and
Vilers- Bretonneux, which latter place the French
were compelled to abandon before the heavy ar
tillery IRE OF the Prussans This retrograde move
ment neccssitated the abandonment OF Moreuil,
when the French forces reiterated to Doves, q
few miles in the rear, where they attempted to
make stand. and where they were beaten.
Instead Of falling back into Amiens they seem to
have moved by their right hank to Dury, q small
town, situated about one mile west-northwest Of
Doves, where they succeeded In making q stand
and in repulsing the Germans. 1t is likely that the
engagement was not confined to Dury, but extended
to Saleux, distant four miles to the northwest.
The London despatch is either an exaggeration or
the Tours report is incorrect. If tho French won q
great victory at Moreu which lasted till nightfal
there most positively could have been no fighting
at Dury till dark. OF the two dispatches that
from Tours is evidently the most reliable, and
should be 30 regarded in the absence OF the de-
tails Of the engagement.