The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-05
THE BATTLES OF WEISSENBURG
AND SAARLOUIS.

THE Prussians gave the French a full
grown Roland, in the battle of W~eissenburg,
for their Oliver of Saarbruck. The last
named engagement consisted in a compare
lively trihing assault by the left wing of the
French army upon an indefensible Prussian
town, while the more recent Prussian victory
was a bold invasion of French territory by
men who apparently went to stay, and who,
journeying ten miles east of the Rhine,
stormed, captured, and held an important
military position, We~issenburg, being a
station on the French rail way running par
allel with the French frontier, and its capture
preventing rapid REORGANIZATION between
the right and left wings of the French
army. That this was an affair of real i'm
portance is indicated, not only by the bold
ness of the advance and the strategic value of
the place captured, but by the number and
character of the troops engaged. The Prus-
sian force was commanded by the Grown
Prince in person, and it consisted of the
whole I'd Army Corps of Bavaria, in addition
to two regiments of other corps, while the
French forces defending the town, though in
ferior in numbers, embraced an entire divi-
sion of McMahon's Corps. The victory of
the former was complete, the French COM
manding officer being killed, his encampment
and one piece of artillery being captured,
and five hundred wounded prisoners falling
into the hands of the conquerors. The moral
effect of q substantial triumph like this will
be a thousand-fold greater in Germany than
the fanfaronade over the Saarbruck affair
can possibly prove in France. It's military
significance is also important. 1t proves that
the Prussians are not content with mere de-
fensive operations. 1t makes a diversion on
the southern line of operations that will give
time and opportunity for m~assing a tremen-
dous array of German forces in the imme-
diate front of Napoleon. 1t breaks the
French line of communication, and it shows
the Emperor that if he risks too much in a
desperate dash upon Berlin he may mean-
while leave open a favorable highway for a
Prussian advance to Paris
Meanwhile, however, if q despatch received
this morning is entitled to full credit, Napo-
leon has followed up his Saarbruck affair by
a demonstration of much greater Importance.
1t is said that he has captured Saarlouis after
a great battle. The significance of this
achievement, if the report be correct, lies in
the fact that the Emperor has made a sue
cessful struggle for the possession of the
railway running parallel with the strictly
Prussian frontier. We said yesterday that if
a very great battle was to be fought soon,
the banks of the Saar, on or near which
Saarlouis is situated, was the locality most
likely to be selected; and this opinion seems
to be already confirmed. Further details
will be awaited with great interest. They
will probably indicate whether the Prussians
have been so badly defeated as to be CON-
PEELED to fall back upon their great natural
line of defense, the Rhine, or whether they
will be able to make an effective stand at q
point nearer their frontier, and to contest,
inch by inch, every foot of the soil of their
West Rhenish territory.