The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-01-30

This was accomplished on the 26th On the 27th
another terrible blow was dealt the French Ia
The Capture Of StrasburE,
ty which 45i officers and 1900 men we're takeB
prisoners and the key to the ancient province of
Asace placed in German hands. The invest
ment of strasburg had been commenced on the
10th of August Immediately after tue battle of
Woerth, with force OF 300 600 men under the
command of the Grond Duke of Baden. The
besieging force was soon increased 10 $1,000 or
10000 mostly South German troops under
General Won Werder, and on the 10Th OF August
the bombardment was opened, to be kept up
steadily until General Uhrich, the French com
marder, was persuaded to put end to the
sufferiugs of the inhabitants by surrendering
Just as an assault in force was about TO be made.
The siege OF Paris.
The siege of Paris had at last become stub
born reality, and the Parlsans inaugura,ed that
series of sorties which has become not less
famous for its pertinacity than for its futiity.
The first sortie in force was made on September
3Oth, on the south of the beleaguered capital,
against the 5th and 9th Prussian Corps, portions
of the Crown Princes army. The struggle lasted
two hours, at the end of which time the French
sought shelter under the guns of the forts, with
a loss Of at least 1000 while the Germans suf-
fered inconsiderably.
Meanwhile there had been some futile talk OF
peace. Lord Lyons and Senor Olozaga had
been busy to no purpose, and finally Favre
himself tried his hand at it. On the 22d of Sep
tember NJ. Favre had visited the Prussan head
quarters at Meaux where he had an interview
with Count Bismarck. The only terms TO
which Bismarck would listen involved the an
nexation of Alsace and Lorraine to Germany.
This concession Favre, supported by his col
leagues, repudiated, and in circular issued on
the oath declared that "Paris is exasperated,
and will rather bury herself beneath her own
ruins than agree to such insolent pretensions"
! NJ. Tbiers had likewise, on September l2, started
on peace mission, visiting London, Vienna, and
! st. Petersburg, in the endeavor to interest the
! neutral powers in the cause of an honorable
| peace. But his mission was a total failure, and
by the end of the month he was homeward
bound.
The talk about peace had led the Government
| of Defense to contemplate the calling of q Con-
stituent Assembly to ratify its terms and estab-
| lish permanent and authoritative government,
but the failure Of the negotiations led the Paris
section of the Government to declare the clec
tions postponed indefinitely. The Tours branch
of the Government, however, concluded to pro-
ceed with the elections, and issued a decree fix
| ing the 10th of October as the date. This
action, which was taken on October 1, was re-
yersed on the 9th, and the elections de dared
| postponed until France should be free from i'll
vasion. Considerable discomfort was man
fested both in Paris and the provIp cial cities,
at this course Early in October there were
serious disturbances in Lyons, and laer in the
month Marseiles was greatly agtated by the
demonstrations of the Red Republicans Gam
beta, escaped from Paris, announced his arrival
at Tours on the 9th of October by the first of
series of formidable proclamations, by which
cheap method he strove to the last 10 smother
discomfort and dispel despair. Gradually the
| provinces were queted, before q grand crisis
was precipitated by the fall of Metz and The
occurrence Of serious disturbances in Paris.
The friends of France, meanwhile took en-
couragement from the noble manner in which
Metz still held out, from several successful sor-
ties from Scissors about the first of Oclober,
and from the stout resistance made by the petty
fortress of Bitche, near the Bavarian frontier
Scissors, however, succumbed on the morning
of October 10Th, after a terrible destruction of
life and property and most heroic resistance
The Germans, under the command of the Duke
| of Mecklenburg- -SchWerin, had invested the for
tiers with force about q, 900 strong, for three
weeks, the destructive bombardment, however
lasting only four days. With the surrender
4725 prisoners and 12S guns were captured, and
a second railway line was opened between the
army investing Paris and its base of supplies.
Even more important, temporarily was
The Capture of Orleans,
which the Germans entered on the night of
October II, after a struggle lasting from 0
| o'clock in the morning until in the evening.
| The German army, which was commanded by
| General Won Der Tam, was made up principally
of Bavarians, and was greatly superior, In point
of numbers, to the French Army of the Loire,
then just entering on that famous career upon
which the hopes of France were centred so
long. The Germans captured 5000 prisoners,
drove the French to the left of the Loire, and
threw the Government at Tours into a fright,
by threatening to swoop down upon that city.
The Fall of Metz
But still more terrible blow was impending.
On the 9th of October, all France was con-
vulsed with desperation and despair by the capi-
tulation of the "Virgin City" of Metz, through
whose gates hostile army mad never before
marched. A German force of about 200 00O
men, under Prince Frederick Charles had COM
pletely invested the fortress after Bazaine had
been driven to the walls at Grayelotte, on the
18th of August. The investment partook of the
character of blockade rather than siege, the
policy of the German commander being to re-
pulse all sorties merely, and leave the rest to
famine. On the 23d of September, Marshal
Bazaine had made serious attempt at break
ing through the German lines, following up
this futile assault on the Gath of September
and again on the 27th. On October there was
another sortie, and still another on the 7th
most formidable and desperate of all, but