The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-08-09

from Neuenkirehen to the boundary,
on the south; but at Saarbruck the
railroad is within reach OF the guns
planted on French territory.
FoRBACH.
Three and a half miles west of
Saarbruck is Forbseh, a small town,
containing the French Custom. House.
1t is an old place on the highway lead
| ing to Paris. The railroad to Metz
runs through the village. Between
the town and the river Saar, on the
north, is the forest of Forbach, while
on the south side of the highway are
a series of low hills, with roads and
paths winding through the ravines.
These hills are near enough to Saar-
| bruck to enable the French artiller-
lists to throw their rif1ed shot not only
into the town, but beyond it, and the
Prussian batteries on the hill east of
Sarrbruck can send theirs well over
to Forbach.
THE VOSGEs.
Between Saarbruck and the Rhine
are the Vosges Mountains, an outly-
ing spur of the Jura range. The
railroad, running due east from Neu-
enkirchen to the Rhine, passes over
and through them-now winding
along narrow and deep ravines, and
now gliding through a tunnel or eros
sing the valley on a viaduct. The
railroad leading TO Strasburg on the
French side, presents the same topo-
graphical features. The town of Bitche,
on the French side. is located on the
western slope of the Vosges. Any
grand movement of either army must
be made west of that locality. Al
though French troops occupy Stras-
burg. and ase found all the way up
the Rhine to Basic, and although
there are Prussian troops &C Rastadt
and Kehl, and other points on the
eastern bank Of the Rhine, the ma
jority of the troops Of either army
are in position between Bitche aud
Sierck. On the west both armies are
hauked by the neutral territory of
Luxemburg, and on the east by the
Vosges Mountains.
THE GAME.
Louis Napoleon has made up his
game Of chess, but how will he play
it? He cannot move by the left flank,
for Luxembourg is in the way. He
cannot move by the right flank, be-
tween Saarburg and the Rhine, with
ont getting entangled among the
Vosges. He cannot make a larger
movement and throw his main force
on Strasburg aud cross the Rhine
without unoovering Paris, and leav-
iDg his railway connections exposed.
Ii he moves straight ahead, across
the Saar, he must force line after line
Of Prussian positions, batteries upon
the hills and sweeping the deiles
among the mountains, all the way to
the Rhine. The Emperor having de-
clared war. King William can wait
with patience his advance by standing
on the defensive.
Should the Prussians assume the
offensive, they will find numerous OBJ
stacles in their path. They can make
no movement by the right flank with
out violating the neutrality of Lux
emburg Ii they move straight on,
the enemy can retire behind the Mo-
selle and hold them at bay. The Vos-
| ges, however, would not be In the way
were they to move by the left hank;
on the contrary, a movement in that
direction toward the west would take
them into an open country.
We make no speculations as to
what either party will undertake to
do, but we aim only to set forth the
Typographical features of the sur
rounding country.
DISPOSITION OF THE TROOPS.
The disposition of the troops in the
accompanying map Of the seat of war
is based upon the meager information
that has been obtained through the
telegraph; but the railway connec
tions, the Typographical and gsograph-
ical features of the country, have much
to do with the general disposition of
the troops of both armies.
From what we know of the coun
! try and the massing of the forces 1t
would seem that the first great en-
gagement must take place somewhere
| in the vicinity of Saarbruek, or Saar-
burg, or Neunkirchen. for if Louis
Napoleon can take and hold the line
of railroads between or at these local
tiles, it will go far to neutralize the
action of the Prussian right wing, and
having accomplished that, France may
stand on the defensive and let Prussia
take the laboriDg oar. The skir-
mishes already had at Saarbruck in
dicate that Louis Napoleon is feeling
the enemy's position at that point.
g. G.. G.