The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-10-21

use faVaSeur'S large, steer Dreecn.loaderS; Dut
speak OF Krupp's guns generally, and because
they are the onts to be used against our walls.
The question comes, then, as to how near the enc.
my will be allowed to mount these guns. Alter
cupatton. OF the redoubt there, the .Prussians-
gained very important point. They hold height
which dominates Fort Vanves, and at distance OF
about II belleve) 5000 yards. From that poin:
Fort yanves can be reduced in few hours That
battery Is also only three and ahalf English
miles from Vanguard, and fire can not only be
opened upon the main fortineations, but upon the
city itself. SuppOslng that the troops are driven
from Fort Vanves, these guns can then oe push.
ed forward, and an efiectual fire opened upon the
main works. No troops can be kept behind
mass OF stones while these terrible projecrtles are
crushing against them; but as for the assault,
when the breech Is made everything depends
upon the spirit of the soldiers within the walls.
AS for the people they can do nothing better than
TO give an example OF coolness and. bravery, Tor
1t may as well he acknowledged at once that, be.
fore organized troops an armed mob could rem.
der but little service, II 1t did not really emoar.
rass the defence.
THE PRUSsIAN ENTRY.
Judpinr from the present indications Lam In.
cliued to think that the Prussians will walk Into
Paris at their first serious attempt. Or course q
great deal depends upon the side upon Woicn me
attack Is made. It Is a fact worthy OF notce
here that the dIsgraceful panlcs OF the 18th and
10Th occurred In the Republican stronghold
the Faub0urg du Temple and La Vllette, the very
places Of all others which should nave shown us
instances OF sublime and patriotic herotsm. IL
was .'the people'' from that quarter who made
the revolution, who marched through the streets
in bands CRYING dechednce who invaded the
boulevards, the Place de Ia Concorde and even
the legislative chamber; and 1t Is the crowd from
this quarter which now talks SO loudly about bar
ricades and OF defendin g; them with the last
drop Of blood. The events OF the two days re.
ferred to shows US that these are the people who
are ready TO sacrifice every friend they hays 10
are very anxious to shed any blood but their own
for the pleasure OF talking treason when they de.
sire. 49,
LATE BATTLES.
The battles Of the 18th were very important,
and they ended In favor OF the enemy. Gloss
over the fact as much as we may for this tickle
populace, no thinking man can fail to see. and to
regret, the advantages In position gained by the
Prussians on them. On the night Of the 18th,
body o. infantry appeared IN front OF Fort Au,
redoubt. II was then fight, and opening IRE
upon them, the fort drove the enemy away with
some loss. The report OF Prusslan .de1eat, IN
which ten Thousand men were ;illed soon
spread through the city. Content with their ex-
plot, and praised for their go'd shooting, the
artillery rested upon Its guns; but 10 the morn
Ing they found well-built fort before them,
and before o'clock. twenty-five pieces Of artil.
iery were firing upon the fort. On the other side
or st. Denis there was fighting also, and consider.
able damage was done 10 the enemy; but, am
assured, nothing like es much as reported here.
The French fire too soon, they fire at too long a
range. and they fire too fast. l am now speaking
more particularly OF small arms, but the same is
true OF their artillery. know very well the dif-
ficulties OF making men fire regularly and In
order, but with the new guns, many OF tne , aiHl'
pear The heavy guns from the forts began firing
as soon as single Prussian came In sfght,sand
during the day 25, 900 cartridges were expended.
So great an amount OF ammunition should have
produced results far greater than have reason to
suppose followed this firing. piece or woods
where some Uhlans appeared and disappeared
was shelled for some hours to no good purpose.
and no end was gained by this waste OF
powder But the Important battle OF the 10th
took place upon the southern side OF thecity. For
q long time have believed that the enemy would
attack'by the heights OF Clamart, and ! have also
seen that the Seine and the Marne were impor-
tant points to be defended. should NOT write
this II had not put the opinion on record i'm.
nediarely after the capltulation OF Sedan IL was
along the Seine that former bealegiug armies met
their severest trials, and more than one army has
been nearly decimated In crossing those two
rivers But these positions were given up with
out q struggle, and the enemy made the passage
OF the Seine without Opposition. onee IN posses,
open to the very forts around Paris, and no en-
gagement took place until the redoubt Of Chatll
lon Yves reached. This work wa, undnlshed and
only partially mounted for the guns were to have
been taken out Two days ago, had not the bad
weather stopped the work. Why these strong posi-
lions were given up is just now explained by some
remarks OF General Trochu and It must be c0niess-
ed that his reasons were illustrated sooner than
any one had cause for anticipating. His first idea
was to defend the Seine and to dispute the pas
sage Of the enemy, but. after the disasters which
had befsllen the army, and the raw state OF many
OF his troops, he could not trust bis men. Even
II willing to place confidence In them, there was
no General at hand In whom they had confidence,
for there was not one here who would not run
the risk OF being summoned, perhaps upon the
old nf haiti n vt a
or to swear eternal allegiance to the Republic OF
the National Guard. For this reason, General
Trochu reluctantly gave up the defence OF the
Seine, and lell back to q point within supporting
distance Of the forts. But at the very last mo:
ment arrived General Ducrot, having escaped
from the capt ulation at Sedan. II was then too
late to defend the river, but General Ducrot
wood Of Meudon, at least for some days. A re.
connoissance, made on the evening OF the 18th,
showed that the enemy had already entered the
wood, and, while one portion OF his force was
pushing on to Versailles, another had turned
face toward Clamart. Troops were being rapid.
ly pushed across the Selne occupying positions
near JuvIsy, or were up as far as Villaautf, and
twenty thousand were already sheltered IN the
wood beyond Chatlllon. General Ducrot decided
to attack them on the morning Of the 18th. At
O'Clock the fire was opened Before Prussian
was seen tile French began to nre into the WOOD
with small arms, and this fire was Kept up brisk.
ly rs the force advanced, but without bringing
q response. When near the wood strange sys.
TEN or tactics was adopted, OF which more anon.
Presently wreath OF smoke arose among the
trees, and q well.directed yoley was poured into
the advancing force. The cavalry Immediately
turned, snd as 1t WAS forced to do, broke through
the infantry, leaving bad impression upon the
fresh troops. At this time General Vinoy
occupied the extreme left resting upon Fort
Bicetre, his. force. stretching along o the IN
plateau in front OF Vlllejulf and his right
resting upon General Ducrot's left. The
second zouaves was on the left OF Ducrot's dlvl-
sion, regiment greatly cut up In the battles
with Mcmahon, and reorganlzed by Incorporating
Young men from the city. The enemy, still under
cover OF the wood, sent another volley Into this
regiment throwing 1t into the greatest confusion,
and another volley caused complete panic. The
zouaves broke, and In an utter rout, without
having seen the head Of single Prusslan, and, In
terror.strcken panic, ned 70 the city. The panic
also spread to some regiments near, and, In utter
confusion, some fifteen thousand men ned to the
FORTS to announce that all was lost, and to say
that the Prussans were close upon them. 1t
was case OF pure fright, and In vain the
chagrined officers tried to rally their men. Only
ascore or two responded, and the retreat was
sounded. This was taken up by other regiments,
and General DucrOt, seeing his force leaving
the field was forced to order retreat behlnd tne
guns of the redoubt. For the first time the
enemy began to move, and, seeing that ne was
being nanked, the guns OF the redou6t were
spiked and left to fall into the hands Of the Prus-
SLAMS. The General and his stat, or the Few men
which remained Of 1t, were the last TO leave Cna-
tillOn,