Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-02-04
SKETCH OF THE FRANCO.PRUSSIAN WAR.

SkETCH OF THE EFRANCO.PRUSSiAN WAR.
Now that the end has come, and Paris,
after heroic defence, has at last passed
into the hands of her foes, the Franco
Prussiaa war seems naturally to divide it
self, as we look back at it, into two grand
acts. The first begins with the declara-
ton of war and the outbreak into open
conflict of the long smouldering national
hatred and jealousy of France and Ger
many. Then comes, on the Cd of August.
the first crossing of swords at Saarbruck,
telegraphed to Paris rs ''French victo-
ry, and immortal in history as the scene
OF the baptism of fire" of the Prince I'm
perial The. following day the Germans
entered French territory, and from that
time down to the crowning disaster of Sc
dan, the war is but one drearv chronicle
of French humiliation. On the 9th Au-
gust the troops of the Crown Prince at
tackled De Eaillys crops mt Weissemburg
and overwhelmed it by sheer force o
numbers. De Failly retreated, and his
forces having made junction with Mac
Mahon's corps, took up position al
Woerth. On the 9th August the French
sustained the two crushing defeats OF
Woerth and Forback. In the former the
Crown Prince utterly routed MacMahon
and in the latter General Steinmetz in.
flicted an equal disaster upon General
Frossard's corps. For eight days after
these reverses the war paused, and on the
18th Marshal Bazaine, who had been sta.
toned with the Gardes at Metz, was ap-
/ pointed Generalissimo of the French
armies. He decided to retreat to Chalons
with his own large and splendid army
but the decision was made too late. On
the l4th, rs his troops were crossing the
Moselle, he was attacked by Steinmetz,
and two days afterwards it was seen that
by u rapid movement the Germans had
got between the French and Chalons.
The French made desperate attempt to
force passage, but in vain. On the 18th
of August the great battle of Gravelotte
was fought, and upon its ending in a di-
sastrous French defeat, IBazaine found
himself compelled to shut himself and his
army within the defence of Metz.
Meanwhile, MacMahon's army had re-
covered somewhat from its first disaster
and, having been reorganized, set off to
relieve Bazaine by roundabout route.
Two German armies-One under the
| Crown Prince, from Chalons, and another
under the Crown Prince of Saxony, from
before Metz-hastened to engage Mae
Mahon, who was accompanied by the
Emperor in person. On the 30th the
Crown Prince of SaXony surprised DE
| Failly's corps at Beaumont and routed him,
and on the following day took place the
battle of Sedan, which ended in the sur
render of the whole of MacMahen's army
and of the Emperor himself. These are
the bloodstained steps by which the eagles
OF Prussia have climbed TO European su-
premacy.
The second act ofthis eventlul drama OF
strife and death and hatred opens with
the overthrow of the empire and the
march of the Prussian supon Paris. And
that act has now closed. as did the first,
in the brilliant triumph of the German
arms.
Scarcely had the fallen Emperor been
despatched to his prison at Wihelmshohe
and the captured army consigned to the
fortresses of Germany, than the Crown
Prince at once began his advance upon
Paris. That advance was without i
check.
! Day after day the Prussian troops
marched forward, with steadiness and
persistence that seemed to naturally cal
up before the mind of the onlooker the
resistless progress of fate. In about q
couple of weeks, on the 18th of Septem-
ber, their advanced line was only few
miles from Paris. A day of sharp skir-
finishes succeeded; but the defenders of
the city were in no position to risk Il battle,
and the Crown Prince was permitted to
draw his lines closer and closer round the
walls, until, on the 10Th ofSeptember, the
investment was complete and Paris was
isolated by glittering girdle of Prus-
sian bayonets from the outside world.
Vigorous measures had, however, been
taken by the Parisians to make Il desper-
ate and protracted defence. Following
upon the disaster of Sedan and the cap
tivity of the Emperor they had, in the
name of France, renounccd the empire
and amid the widest enthusiasm of patri-
otism declared a republic. On the 4th of
September government of national de-
fence was appointed, headed by General
Trochu, and composed of Jules Favre,
Gambetta, Rochefort, Jules Simons, Mons.
Cremieux, Picard and few more obscure
names. Trochu's reputation as a military
man and his undoubted patriotism inspir-
ed the greatest confidence He apprecia-
ted, perhaps. more clearly even at that
early day than most of his colleagues and
compatriots the peril in which Paris
stood. Under his auspices the prepara-
tons for defence We're strenuously pushed
forward. Night and day thousands ol
laborors toiled to yet further complete the
elaborate Notifications that the foresight
of NJ Thiers years before had caused to be
begun. Provisions of all kinds We're rap
idly collected and stored The patches
of forest that formed the suburbs were
burned down lest they should give cover
| to the enemy Ammunition was unccas-
ingly manufactured, and in every public
square the work of drilling the volunteers
for military service, who bad answered
the call Of the government from every
quarter of the city. was carried on from
dawn to sunset
For the first two or three days after thu
beginning of the siege there was heav,
skirmishing. The Prussians on the 20ti
made n determined attempt to storm
the fort of Mont Valerien, on the ives
side of the capital; but they were re
pulsed with heavy losses. But most O