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

the very next day, the Duo de Gramont for |
mally announced TO the Senate aud Corps |
Legislatif the declaration Of war by France
against Prussia
On July "a decree was published APP
pointing the Empress Eugenie Regent of
France, and on the 2sth the Emperor left st.
Cloud, accompanied by the Prince Imperial,
arriving on the afternoon of the same day at
Metz, to place himself at the head Of his
principal army. On the I'd Of August, the
hostile forces came face to face for the first
time at Saarbruck, on Prussian soil, where q
large French force INDUCED in cannonading
q mere handful of Germans for two hours
the Prince Imperial exhibiting so much calm
ness during the uproar that ''the soldiers
wept at his tranquility" TIE French having
struck the first blow and been the first to
cross the line, the army of the Grown
Prince of Prussia was at once put in
motion, and on the ith Of August it encoun-
tered and defeated a portion of Marshal Mac
Mahon's army at Weissenburg. On the 9Th
MaoMahon was again engaged at Woerth,
and, after terrible and destructive struggle,
completely routed by the Crown Prince and
driven towards Paris. On the same day the
Prussian right, under General Won Steinmetz,
advanced across the border, routing General
Frossard at Forbach, and driving him back
upon Metz The result of these two disas-
trous defeats was the overthrow of the So
called liberal ministry of Olivier, which was
driven from power on the 9th of August, and
the formation of a reactionary min
istry under the leadership of
the Count de Palikao. Then followed series
of terrific engagements around Metz between
the French under Marshal Bazaine and the
Germans under Prince Frederick Charles,
commencing on the nth and eliminating at
Gravelotte on the 18th. AS the result, Ba-
zaine was defeated in his attempt at with
drawing his army from the line of the Mo-
selle and the neighborhood of Metz, and
driven back under the guns of that fortress,
to be there held as ia vice until famine be-
came the ally of the Germans and forced
him to capitulate. MacMahon, re-
treating first to the northwest and then to the
west, was followed by the victorious Crown
Prince at his leisure. AT Chalons, MacMahon
turned to the north, suffering the advance Of
the Crown Prince army to make threaten
ing demonstration towards Paris, while he
of endeavoring to relieve Bazaine. AS soon
as his purpose was we'll defined, the army of
the Grown Prince was diverted from the
advance upon Paris and, reinforced by portion
of the army which had invested Metz, was
hurled upon MacMahon at Sedan. The French
commander started on his eastward move
ment on the 25th of August. On the 30th, a
preliminary battle was fought at Beaumont,
and on the two succeeding days the grand
conflict around Sedan was waged to termi-
nate on the I'd of September in the capitufa-
tion of the entire French force and the sur
render of the Emperor in person.
Thus far, the war had been a hand o-hand
struggle in the open field, in which superb
ority in numbers and discipline had given
the Germans invariably the Advantage. With
the overthrow of the Empire and the promul-
cation of the Republic the contest was
changed into struggle for the possession Of
the cities and fortresses between the capital
and the frontier, the interest centering at
Paris after the downfall of Strssburg and
Metz. The movements of the Army of the
Loire in the neighborhood of Orleans,
and of the Army of the
North around Amiens,, were all
directed with the view of molesting the
Germans in the siege of the capital; while
those eff the Army of the East had for their
object the protection of Lyons and the rails
ing of the siege of Befort. This change in
the nature of the struggle has involved less
radidity of action, but has been equally
fruitful of results and now another culmi-
mating point has been reached, by the addi-
tion of Paris to the long list of captured
cities, towns, and fortresses which includes
Laon, Toul, Strasburg, Orleans, Soissons,
Schlestadt, Metz, Dijon, Verdun, Neuf
Breisach, Thionville, Amiens, Rouen, Ven
dome, Tours, LIE Mans, Pfalsburg, Mont
medy, Nuts, Mezieres, st. Quentin, and
Longwy.
Ok SATURDAY evening a complimentary