The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-09-17
THE PACIFIC
Commercial A0bertiser.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER II.
Twenty Days Later
From the Seat of War
Seven Days Fighting before Metz !
200, 900 French and Prussians
Killed and Wounded.
France Refuses Mediation.

By the arrival of the American bark Nereid
Bearse. Is days from San Francisco, we have the
American mail and dates to August 30th, with
kilograms from the seat OF war to August 29tb.
Our last previous dates were to the Ilth. On
Sunday the 18th, lighting commenced, which con,
tinued with Interruptions for seven days. We give
below a few of the more important kilograms re-
ceived:
LONDON, Aug. 18.-We have it on high authority
from Paris, that it is the universal conviction that
Napoleon's dynasty is ended. The Empress having
packed up and dispatched all her valuables. in
Guiding pictures of value. has left for England via
Belgium. 1t is also believed the Emperor is on his
way to this country by the same track. He does
not return to Paris. Prince Napoleon has fed to
Italy with his family.
PARIS, Aug. 1S.-General Trochu is appointed
Commander-in-chie of all forces at Paris, and has
issued a proclamation counseling order not only
in the streets, but under the trial consequent upon
the situation. He says France must have the de-
meanor of a great nation, conducting its own des-
tiny. and the Government will gain confidence in
themselves. he appeals to all men. TO all parties,
and says he belongs himself to no party, save that
of his country and he declares that all good
citizens must by moral restraint keep down those
who seek, in the public misfOrtunes, the only op-
portunity to satisfy their detestable designs.
LONDON, Aug. 2O.-A rumor is current here of
the sudden death of the Emperor Napoleon. 1t is
asserted confidently by some, but is accepted with
distrust. Apoplexy is named as the cause of his
death.
PARIS, Aug. 2O-The inhabitants of Cbalons
have received orders to get their grain away with
in twenty-four hours. Part of the Prussian army
have re-entered Nancy and named a Mayor for the
city. The Prussian invasion of Luxembourg is con-
sidered imminent, from orders lately given for
subsistence. The PreSSe says trustworthy advices
state that the Prussian loss has not been less than
10000 in the battles of the last two or three days.
Battle on Sunday. August I4th.
A Times cable from Paris, 18th. says: - Fight
ing commenced near Metz at 8 p. NJ. Sunday, by
the Prussians making an attack on Frossard's
Division, which was in the, act of Withdrawing
from its position. The Fourth Corps, under Lam
bert. which moved to the left, sustained the brunt
of the attack. The corps was under Prince Fred
erick Charles and General SteinmetZ. While the
Fourth Corps occupied the attention of the enemy,
the French army commenced to retreat in the most
orderly manner. BaZaine himself was in the thick
est of the fight. and had a horse killed under him.
He is said to be slightly wounded in the foot.
The reports say the execution done by the
French mitrailleurs was frightful. Regiments of
Prussian guards were nearly exterminated. The
French lost 5000 killed and wounded and the
Prussians 10000. On the eve of the 18th the
French attacked the Prussians at Gervalotte. The
Prussian losses were very great, and the French
lost heavily. The Emperor is at Chalons, where a
great battle will be fought with the aid of the new
army now rapidly being pushed forward. The
spirit of the people everywhere is patriotic, and
the Prussians, as they advance, will have to en-
counter an enormous force on every side.
Figaro to-day has the following details of the
battle of Longeyille: THE battle occurred at
Borny, four kilometres from Metz, and not at
Longeville, as has been stated. 1t occurred on
Sunday. Half our army, which was about l00, 900
str9ng, were passing the MoSaile at that place on
one bridge. The Prussians made a mistake. and
attacked about an hour too soon. The corps of
Generals L'Amirault and Decaen were able to
face the enemy in about half an hour from the
time the first attack was made. The Prussians had
evidently a plan of the fertilization of Metz, but
one which apparently did not contain any indica-
ton of Fort Quentin, for. in trying to avoid Fort
st. Julien, they marched directly toward Fort
Quentin, which. when they came within easy
range, opened its artillery and q destructive fire
on them. In their confusion the Prussians re-
treated. and came within range of the guns of st.
Julien, which also opened fire. increasing the loss
of the enemy. The Prussians then attacked another
part of our position, which was defended by only
one regiment of infantry and a masked battery
of mitrailleurs. The latter Immediately uncovered
and made great havoc in the ranks of the trus-
SLAMS. The battle closed at ~half-past seven in the
evening, having lasted from 4 O'Clock. We had
about zoe killed, and perhaps as many wounded.
The Prussian sent a flag of truce demanding an
armistice for the purpose of burying the dead.
They admitted a loss of 5000 killed. The arms
tice was refused. In this battle the First Corps of
Prussians was commanded by General Manteugel,
and the Seventh Corps by Count Seastrow. They
had $4,000 infantry and $4,000 cavalry, and 90
guns.
There is intense excitement and enthusiasm here
at the news of the repeated French victories. The
streets are full of professions, and crowds of
people are roaring the Marseillaise.
The inhabitants of the suburbs of Paris are
moving INTO the Guy. as many OF tue DulIulORS III
the environs are to be leveled, and there is danger
of the appearance of the Prussian scouts.
The appearance of things at railroad depots is
remarkable. The piles of baggage and furniture
are enormous and the number and length OF the
trains arriving and departing is unprecedented.
Crowds are leaving the city and crowds are coming
in, and the widest confusion reigns.
The Battle on Tuesday, August 10th.
BERLIN, Aug. 18.-The details of the conflict at
Pont Mousson have just been received. Marshal
RaZaIne WAS enleaVOrIUU to fall back from Metz to
Verdun. He was attacked at 9 O'Clock on Tues
day morning, by the Fifth Division, and forced to
face about. The Prussians were admirably firm,
though they sustained an attack OF four French
corps. After lighting calamity for six hours, the
Prussian Fifth Division was reinforced from the
Tenth Corps. These achievements arrived oppor-
timely. The French found that a prolongation of
the contest would be impossible, and retired upon
Metz, with the loss of 1000 prisoners, two eagles
and seven cannons. The French utterly disregarded
the convention of Geneva, by mutilating the dead,
firing on the surgeons, ambulances, etc.
A cable special to the New York Tribune, dated
London, August 18th, says: Tuesdays battle is
the browning proof of French co~ncealment. In
the recent telegraphs Palikao is made to declare
in the Corps Legislatif that the Prussians had been
forced to abandon their attempt to interrupt the
French retreat, and that Bazaine was pursuing his
road unmelested to Verdun and Chalons. While
he was speaking the Prussians were attacking the
French flank, and at nightfall one portion of the
last of Bazaine's army had been forced to abandon
the road to Verdnn, and were again shut up in
Metz.
1t is more than ever plain that no considerable
part of the French army has ever succeeded in
getting far on the road from Metz to Verdun.
Their delay, to whatever cause che, gave the Prus-
slams time to come up, and they were able on
Tuesday to attack with a vanguard strong enough
to arrest the French retreat and bring four corps
into action. When Bazaiue found he could not
shake of the Prussians' pursuit, he clearly resolved
to crush the single corps before its support could
arrive.
For hours the Third Prussian Corps, while sup
--uol- -f-Io that bod Rr1 1
attacked, was compelled to bear the brunt of a
vigorous onslaught from twice or thrice its own
numbers. Towards the close of the day they were
reinforced by the TeHth and part OF the Eighth and
Ninth Corps. The Prussians then resumed the
offensive, and when night fell the French army was
greatly divided, and it is doubtful whether either
Of the main roads from Metz to Verdun remains to
Bazaine.
longing to Frossard's and the Imperial Guards,
were brought into the action, which, on the French