The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-01-20

The French and the Prussians have
had a decisive fight at Lemans. The
French General, CHAUsEY, says that
from some ineXplicablc cause his ar
my became panickstricken, and fed.
IIis loss is about 10000, and the Ger
man loss is also very heavy. The
French outside Of Paris have been
divided into several distinct and sep
aratc armies, and being on the outside
Of the circle around the beleaguered
city, their enemies have doubtless
had bur little difficulty in conccntrat-
ing an immensely superior force on
CHAUsEY. 1t is stated. however, that
the defeated generals forces rctrcated
in good order and discipline after
the first day. This is yer, rcmarka-
bic, if true. The French, capable of
anything when stimulated by yicto-
rv, have ever been deemed incapable
Of enduring defeat. That raw, I'M
trained and undisciplined troops
should remain firm and undaunted
after multiplied defeats under incom.
potent leaders and against over
whclming numbers of the enemy
shows conclusively that The French
people are terribly in earnest, in de-
tense of their homes against this la
test invasion of the modern Goths
and Nandals.
Newspaper correspondents around
Paris are planning a grand strategic
movement for TRocHU and the army
inside Paris. Valerian, the largest
} fort around Paris, aud one that is
deemed impregnablc to assault even
by the Germans themselves, with
their formidable Krupp batteries, is
being immensely strengthened by
vast bodies of French soldiers erect
ing minor forts around il. 1t is con-
iectured that when the entire works
are all completed, and provisions get
scarce among the population OF Paris,
TRocHU will put his army inside Fort
Talerian, and leave the city to be fed
by the Prussians. The Fort is on a
hill, and commands the entire city,
and the Prussians would reap but a
barren victory i'll capturing Paris.
Probably this is what TRoCHC means
when he says he does not mean to
surrender. Unencumbcrcd with the
population of Paris, lac might be able
TO hold out many months longer be-
fore he would get out of food. But
the question arises, how could his ar
my live, lhyrc and have their being
under a continuous fire from fifteen
hundred pieces Of artillery? Dir. W.
III. RUSSELL, correspondent for the
London Times, who gained the dis
like of both the North and the South
during our late struggle, by his plain
spoken truths, and called by them
Bull Run RUssELL, is with the
Prussian army around Paris, and en-
tcrtains the belief that TRoCHU is pre-
pairing 20 eyacuatc Paris and shut his
army in Fort Nalerian. He says:
"Nl day masses of infantry were OBJ
served outside of Nalerien. One person
r.l~ 80, Int
a:.d there were many hands engaged on
the new works below the fort. 1 have
often spoken of these works. / have
watched them growing every day; have
gone in the direction with fresh interest,
and have now arrived al the conclusion,
with moral certainty to my mind, that
Trochu is forming vast intrenchd camp
under the guns of Nalerien, into which
he intends TO retire when Paris is all but
starved and the population is becoming
troublesome. As the Provost of Dunn
fries said, Even j, my ain self, may be
mistaken But that is my theory The
fort is in ITSELF q little town; it is safe
from fire; II commands Paris. Day after
day have seen long conveys OF carts
going along the road from Courbevoie to
the rear OF the fort, as if heavily laden
and returning briskly, as If light. The
labor bestowed on the intrenchments and
their extent indicate some large scheme
In good maps there is a windmill mark
cd about eight hundred metres TO the
est-north-west of Nalcrien. This is the
centre of one great redoubt. There i,
another still larger-to the south oftht
Mill Battery and beyond it TO the soutl
again-that is, nearer TO the German
POSITIONS vet another work, with it:
front defended 10y rifle-pits. There cal
be no question about the intention o
these intrenched positions; they can cove
very larga force"