The New York herald., 1870-08-12
E u r O r E.
War Dispatches by Mail to
July 30.
The French Positions at Nancy
and Metz.
Metz---The Fortress, Armament, TOp5..
graphy and Strategical Importance
Special History OF the French
Fertilization.
The Prussians Marching Along
and How They Go to War.
-.-~>>~>>->~>>>~>~~-~-->
First Fighting on the Frontier Prnxsiau
Plans and Dash.
The Prussians 6 Marching Along
and How They Go to War.
First Fighting on the FrOntier-PrnSsian
Plans and Dash.
FRANCE.

| ati0n-DnnGers Of the RaiI--Mctz: Its Hiss
tory, Topography, Immense FortiiicariOnS
and Sweep OF Fire-French Camps and
Sentinel DiaIoxue-Tbe Imperial Position at
! Metz-Reportins TO tho Emperor.
NANCY, July 81, 1870. ,
The last regiment OF the Garde Imperiae left this
morning for Metz. / have just returned from visit
ing the spot which but few hours since stood a.
city OF canvas inhabited by twenty-five thousand or
the choicest French troops Not vestge OF the late
encampment remains with the exception OF the
bundle OF buttons, rags, and other similar vauableI
now being carefully gathered by the ugliest OLD
woman have encountered since bid adIeu TO Paris
she surely cannot he one of those whose trade Isl
to follow armies and strip the dead already at work.
although her battered face and hldeous features
plainly tell Of terrible deeds in bygone days. AS
told you my last the voltgeurs of the Gare left for
Metz on Monday morning. and hearing that the gren
adiers were to follow yesterday started for Metz
at four A. NJ, and returned here last night.
You cannot calculate at the present moment the
hour Of departure or arrival OF your body Trains
come and go with extraordinary irregularity. Col-
lsons are avoided with unaccountable good luck.
An employe OF the railway company was scalded to-
death by the accident to which have before re-
ferred, 1t is true; but then he was soker and bak
the privilege OF being killed in that manner il he de-
sired it, Poor fellow, 1t on HIS programme. The
hour ana half after time which Is nothing; any
thing under six Is not calculated as nowadays. At
Pont Mousson, on the Moselle still overlooked by
its ancient chateau the train stopped for few Min
utes, and thus had the opportunity OF seeing my
friends the voltgeurs de la Garde the casseurs aDd
two batteries OF artillery on tue pon5 OF starting for
Metz, 1t was lovely morning and the men were i'm
hign spirits with the bands playing amid the cheer
ing OF the people. could not, however, repress a,
feeling OF sadness when reflected that hundreds OF
those before me were marching to destruction and
had embraced those most dear to them for the last
time. The troops marched steadily forward az
rapid pace. They had long and dusty road
before them, and 1 felt anxious to see them enten
Metz The train dashed on, and within few mo-
ments the eye could detect nothing to indicate us
march OF troops but clouds Of dust.
LIFE AND SCENES AT METZ.
At length we reached Metz and found IL all Life
and bustle On the slope opposite the railway STA
tion there was q cavalry regiment encamped, anG
IN the station itself were soldiers Of every branch
in the service. Men hugging each other. drinking
and shouting with patriotic madness; women cling
ing to the men with the tenaclty of despair, wnilc
taking long, perhaps, eternal farewell. For some;
time past important works have been in course ot
execution for the purpose of converting Metz and
the environs into vast tntrenched camp.
nIsToHY AND TOPOGRAPHY.
The town OF Metz being most important in a stra.
tegical point of view rapid glance at its history
and present capabilities Of defence VIII be OF inte-.
rest. The ancient capital OF the Medomatrict-S
people Of Celtic origin--lt became one OF the mosE
important cities of Gaul. Ruined in 451 by the
Huns OF Attila it soon recovered and was the
capital OF the Merovingians. At the time
when the empire OF Charlemagne was AsmembereG
in s43, Metz was part Of Lotharingie, from which
the name OF Lorraine springs. In 900 the kings od
Germany and OF France disputed the possession Of
this province, and it ultimately renamed with
the former. In 1882 the Emperor Henry III. gave
1t to Gerard, noble OF Alsace; but the Emperors
reserved 10 themselves the three bish0prcs OF Metz,
Toul and Verdun. In Ia on the demand Of Rene
H., the town was beseiged by Charles VII, ana
saved itself BY paying ransom Of 100000 crowns-
In 1862 Henry II. took possession Of the three
bish0prics, and since that time they have belonged
TO France. Their possession is the key to the mills
tary possession OF Lorraine. The Emperor Charles
Quint attempted to retake the town with an army
Of 900 men, commanded by his best generalss
but the Due de Cuise shut himself up in the tow1
and withstood the siege for siXty-fve days. On the
Serpenoise entrance gate, which Is passed through
on leaving the railway station Is an inscription in
conimemOration OF the event. Charles QnlnG
was forced to retire. with his army reduced
to one-haf by sickness and battle. IN 1916
NauDan sent by LOUIS NV. 10 Iorlly Tue
and the eice,e with It's bastions, which have un-
dergone but slight alterations, were erected. In
1876 the works We're perfected by COrmontaigne ana
the forts Moseilc ana BelecroX were construcied-
Since the year 1914 the system OF intrenched camps
have gained ground. Cologne, Paris, Mayence,
Verona ana other places are surrounded with forts
which would keep the enemy ut distance and
| shelter entire armies between the forts and the
encetnte. This principle has been adopted at Metz
| with great dsoerDment by The french engineers.
| In order to understand the important part that
Metz Will take ia future wars, some description is
nnf afV NJ
| engineers III order 10 permit Of the demoishiDg OF
| the ntdS de 6o'noes as the acute angcd basuons
| have been termed by Marshal lie BHul MetI lS
| situated al the confluence of the Mosele and the
| Seille 1t Is 40 metres above the level OF 'hc sea
Of Gueuleu and Saint Julien, ,n 1n an ar, an, tno
tude Of about $50 metres; on the elt the
more distant heights OF the Mosele are ooV melres.
Snce 1865 in order TO give more ar 10 ,he own INC
st. Vincent front was demoliShea anu Puss.eu ior-
ward on the right bank OF the Moselie seize: ~ would
cover In case OF SIEGE the bridge OF boats necessary
for the service of the garrison On the left bank In
advance Of The ST. vincent front, Is the Fort Mosee
the river ON the right bank, facing the east, the
town was defended only by the Fort de Beile Croix
| erected ny Cormontagne. On the south, between
The Mosee and the Seiic tue place. in case OF need,
is perfectly secured by an ingenious system OF mum
dations With the execution 81 oe S vincent me
important modification mas been enected The
| twelve millions allowed from tue loan loan Of 1867 for
| excusyeIy consecrated to the creation OF forts
necessary to the place the grea: huwark OF the
of France. lie fTeHcIi ruSi!iccIS iClloWcu
example given by Todlebcn at Sebastopo, where
| thc Risslans raised small earthwOrks on prominent
| points which became redoubtabie fortresscs under
the fre Of which the Russians sustained themselves
! during eleven months.
| THE FORTS.
At Metz the heights OF st. quentin, Plsppevtile.
st. Julien and Gueuleu have been crowned with
forts. and az present II would be easy for
garrlsoD Of 50,600 men to surround the intrenched
camp with continuous eaciente earthworks SINH
lar TO the colStfae which connected Malakon with
the Rodan
The Fort dc Gueueu, at a distance OF 2.GGO metres
from tue Porte M3zellc Is composed OF Ave fronts,
| aud contaus classmates capable OF receiving 2,o0a
men. The engineers have strictly conformed 10 the
tradition OF bas!icns; hut to diminish On much as
possible the Inconvenience Cf this system, which