New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-08-14
rHs rHsArRR OF wAR.

| VNEN ES.
The Prussian right wing reaches to Trcve'
on the MOselle. This is one of the Oldes
towns in Europe. When Julius Caesar lee
the legions Of Rome into Gaul he found L
the chief town of the Treviri-one of tht
| most powerful of the aaxen-haired tribes Of
Germany. An inscription on the wall OF
| the Bath-HOuse informs us that it was built
before Romulus laid the foundations OF
Rome. The Treviri became the allies OF
Rome, and Augustus used them well. He
made Treves the capital of Gaul, and estab
! lished Senate and appointed magistrates to
manage the affairs Of the empire north OF
the Alps. Here the great Roman highway
crossed the Moselle on magnificent stone
bridge, erected % b. c., which was blown
up by Louis XIV. Its remains are still to
be seen. Prussian soldiers now occupy the
basilica erected by the architects Of old
Rome, and go through their dress parade on
the campus, where Caesar and Constantine
the Great reviewed their legions. Treves
has railroad connection west with Luxem-
burg, and with the Rhine by the line which
runs southeast up the valley of the Saar to
Saarbruck, and which then turns right
angle to the northeast. The supplies for
the Prussian troops at Treves and in the
valley of the Saar must come either by this
one line of rail or by steamboats, up the
Moselle. Treves being near Luxemburg,
which is neutral territory, the Prussians can
not receive anything from the west, and
the loo, 900 soldiers encamped on the hills
around this old town must obtain all their
supplies from the Rhine.
THE VALLEY OF THE sAAR.
The Saar rises in the Vosges. the range of
mountains that lie west Of Strasburg, and
drains their western slope. 1t is beautiful
stream, winding through wide, verdant
valley The cD,Yran Of fha r;yor ia rd
the north, joining the Mose!le, near Treves.
1t has given a name to several towns.
Travelling south from Treves, we find Saars-
burg, then SaarhOlzbach, then Saarlouis,
Saarbruck, and Saarbuliengen all in Prus-
sia; crossing the stream, we have Sarregue-
mines, Sarreable, Sarrunian, and Sarre-
haney, in France. In this enumeration the
order has been southwark from Treves.
SaarlOuis and Saarbruck in Prussia, and
Sarreguemines, in France, are of great inn
pOrtance, but the others are of little ac-
count. ...---.
1t is fifty y-six miles from Treves to Saar-
bruck, and the important towns on the
rOnte are Saarburg. Merzig and SaarlOuis.
The last named place is about forty miles
South of Treves. 1t is fortified town,
surrounded by wide meadows, and two
thirds encircled by the river, which at that
point is a sluggish stream. The fortifica-
tiOns were, constructed by VaubOn, and
fosses, and bitches. 4 canal connects the
bitches with the river, and the garrison, by
opening the sluices, may fill them with
water on short notice Prussian engineers
have strengthened the works and adapted
them to the requirements of modern mill
tary science. The town is located on the
western bank, and it is fully mile across
the meadows to the hills that bound the
valley on the west. The character of the
soil is such that the piece can not be taken
by the regular siege operations. ,.....-..-
The railroad runs along the eastern bank
of the stream. all the way from Treves to
Saarbruck. The railroad station at Saar-
louis is connected with the town by fine
stone bridge. 1t is about as wide as the
at Fredericksburg. The
Prussian line of defenses is along the east
ern bank, and if the French army would
get at the Prnssians anywhere between
Ireves and saarbruek, they must bridge
the stream either by pOntoons or by more
solid structures. The distance from Saar-
louis to the boundary is about four miles: it
Is the same from Merzig to the boundary;
but as we approach Saarbruck. fifteen miles
further up the valley, the distance between
the river and the frontier is not more than
a mile and a half ........---.-
SAARBRCCK.
This is a railway junction, and, perhaps.
the most important point on the entire line
between Luxemburg and the Rhine. Its
will be seen only by review of |
he situation. The railroad running south
vest from Saarbruck into France leads to |
he town of Metz, and there connects with |
he lines running to Paris. The Prussian |
inc from Treves follows up the valley of |
he Saar to this point Its general course |
las been little east of south, but here it |
makes sharp curve round a high hill, |
caves the Saar, turns northeast, follows up
J small brook through ravine, passes a
oal mine and the little hamlets of Dutt-
villes and Sultzbach, goes UP an ascending
caches the summit between the valley of
he Saar and the Nahe and descends that
tream to Bingen on the Rhine. Eleven
niles east of Saarbruck is Neueukirchen,
mother important point. 1t is the
unctiOn of the line leading to BingeA.
nth the equally important line reach
1g the Rhine at Mannheim and Speier. Up
1ese two lines to Neucnkirchen, and over
his single line west Of Neuenkirchen, the
russian army, or at least 100000 men,
lust receive their supplies. 1t IS fully
wenty miles from Neuenkichen to the
Oundary on the south, but at Saarbruck
ne railroad is within reach of the guns
lanted on French territory
FORBACH.
Three and half miles west of Saarbruck
Forbach, a small town. containing the
rench CustOmhOuse. 1t is an old place on
le highway leading to Paris. The rail
lad to Metz runs through the village. Be
xeen the town and the river Saar, on the
Drth, is the forest of Forbach, while on
!e south side of the highway are series
low hills, with roads and paths winding
trough the ravines. These hills are near
lough to Saarbruck to enable the French
to throw their rifled shot not
lily into the town, but beyond it, and the
russian batteries on the hill east of Saar-
'uck can send theirs well over to FOrbach.
THE vOSGES. ---..--,.
Between Saarbruck and the Rhine are the
Osges Mountains, an outlying spur of the
IRA range. The railroad, running due
asst from Neuenkirchen to the Rhine,
lsses over and through them-now wind '
g along narrow and deep ravines, and
Nv gliding through a tunnel or crossing
e valley on a viaduct. The railroad lead
g to Strasburg, on the French side, pre- i
nts the same Typographical features. The 1
wn OF Bltche, on the French side, is loca-
on the Western slope of the VOsges. =
ny grand movement of either army must
made West of that locality. Although a
'ench troops occupy Strasbirg, and are I
und all the way up the Rhine to Basle,
ID although there are Prussian troops at
,stadt and kehl, and other points on the t
lstern bank of the Rhine, tile majority of r
e troops OF either army are in position :
tween Bitche and Sierck. On the west, =
til armies are hanked by the neutral ter +
DRY of Luxemburg, and on the east, by the l
,sses Mountains. e
THE GAME. n