The New York herald., 1871-02-17
VALER!EN OCCUPIED.


The German Approach TO the Works-Ap.
pearnnce OF the French Soldicrs--Alm0st in
n Starving Ccndition-TEe German Troops
Occupy the Fort and thc German Tri.
Color Floats from the Signal Tower.
correspondent at the German headquarters
transmitted the following account Of the German
occupation OF Mont valerien:-
The day was so thick that the hill on which the
fort stands loomed like q rock in the sea- The
smoke OF houses still burning al ST. Cloud aud Mon
tretout mingled with the fog. Before lay Garcnes
village OF pleasure houses and country seats,
picture OF desoatlon as the eye mas rarely rested
upon. Vileneuye, Garches, ST. Cloud. Montretont,
all In ruin, sometimes smoking, sometimes cold and
snow-covered. We had The road all 10 ourselves;
there no one to be seen and yet we were near
Ing Valerien. The tops OF helmets first came IN
bivouac fires biazed merrily. Then cavalry pickets
then batteries I'LL whole little army in battle array
sepr as IN sS up oe on oa, directly
no living thing could be seen. And,
strange to say, the men close at hand were
looking not a bit elated no noise IN the ranks
solemn, sturdy fellows, who had been looking at
'front.' OF US was the Prlssian line whcn was going
TO occupy Val rien The column near us OF six
thousand men or so was a reserve-a corps of OBJ
servaton-ln case OF any treacn9ry or passion, any
sudden caprice or rupture, and when the General
was satisfied the head oil the tape had turned the
corner and Was IN Valerien he marched his men
away and went OF 10 quarters. We drove straight
for Val rien IN front OF some three or four houses,
fort, there was group OF women and children and
TWO men. AS we drew up tc ask question: which
eagerly, and when one OF the women inquired il
we could give them anything 70 eat they looked
IKE wolves, ana there was cry from them all
1--WE are ready 10 die oil hunger "nad tney lived
there ali during the hgntingyn "Yes; aud they had
wounded men in their houses. and had helped
Prusslan oicer." '.Hsw they had suneredr' And
then Old LADY said some thing .'only seeing
gt9ot again. AS Nalerlen Is approached, Its size
ana strength grow on you, and the apprehensons
ad
walls below and IN the neld-wsrks scarcely TO
be Jusliaed. There Is cemetery-part OF the
ancient Calvaly-outside on the south face. and as
the road ascends the slope II Is swept by the gsns OF
the rampant The hill on which II stands is honey
combed with quarry shafts. The mines In them
were drawn last night. thousands OF people have
visited altrien merely as point from which parls
can pe wen seen on one slue aus pretty panorama
mp 10 81 Cloud and over the seine bl M,ry and st.
German on the otner. The vast mass OF the works
On the sugar loaf hill is very imposing TO look at
Not shot has been fired against II with power to
damage 1t: but from what l saw there is an impress
sion my mind that yalerien is not strong as
looks. Inc road winds 10 The east round the face OF
the hill, turns and slopes westward and thus
mounts the outer ditch. Ine outer ditch Is clear
and deep. There were sentries already on tile gate
and guard al the entrance. The road leads to
gate with oraWbrdge over second ditch. and
over the entrance Is inscribed Fort Vaeren, 1874"
Here there was another guard. No signs OF French
occupation yet but. getting further on, there on
our right Knot OF bell tents, near bombproof dug
out and provided with stoves. from which thrifty
PrussIslls issuing with blankets left by care
less prenchmen. Still climbing the rampant which
gradually goes 10 the nortn anu then the north
east face, you pass :he circular semaphore tower.
from which ] have SO often seen the signals
for the southern forts TO direct their fire
rylng, and then al distance OF
hundred yards begond and still above in the
Place diArmes and the two great barracks and the
Hall OF Arms the commandments house on the night,
&c. Here the Whole square was filed with inrln-
try, cavalry and guns. There was battery OF
French field artillery by the hrst salient entering
but only saw one French soldier as yet-one OF the
attendance. The red, white and back trIcoor
noated from the signal tower-the spiked helmets
ned tie square. Anything more Wretched tnan
the barracks could not be conceived Gaunt, lofty
rooms with q foul odor about them, which forced
the soldiers 10 throw open the windows Nothing
down and walked through the ranks OF the men.
The officers were telling them oil 10 the various
rooms, and bleak night was before them. | went
round the parapet on the lelt south face, ana was
somewhat astoglshcd 10 find the armament was not
near so powerful IN SIZE OF guns or III numbers |
expected. There were in the Cavaliers four guns
which ] could not measure brt they seemed to be
armament was various-bronze field guns, land
guns and coast defence guns, with sponges and
rammers beside them and pointed at various angles
Just as they had last been tired. The great o. linen
which was so evll-mInded TO 81. Cermaias lay with
mis- big duh eye fixed on the terrace Just TO be
traced below the trees over the Seine. battery Of
artillery was coming up as ! LEFT the place, about
twenty minutes 10 i've, and the men were slowing
themselves away III the barracks as well as they
could. "ln solid occupation OF Nalelien.o The
French were 20 nave marched out al nine put did
not ILL near noon when they retired into Paris. The
regulars vii lay down their arms at Iagny within
fourteen days. | Wish could write OF the hungry
round The fort In the hope OF getting morsel. Their
lauuts