The New York herald., 1871-02-27

waited with anxiety. Night was approaching.
Reinforcements were expected. At last they
arrived, and the waning strength of the Ger
mans was sustained aud strengthened. The
Germans pressed on with renewed energy,
and the battle was won, Bazaine, with the
flower of the army Of France, was forced into
Metz, never to leave II unless prisoner Of war
in the hands Of viotors. In the three days
battle which concluded on that day fully one
hundred thousand men were either killed or
wounded.
While these events were taking place, which
resulted in Bazaine's retreat from Verdun
being cut. MaeMahon was at Mourmelon.
On the 2lst of August he commenced his
march to the rescue of Bazaine. Ascertaining
the French Generals movements, the Crown
Prince abandoned his plan of advancing on
Paris, and sought instead to prevent Mac
Mahon from realizing his intention Of
going to the rescue of Bazaine MGzieres,
Montmedy and Sedan, and the keeping Of the
line of railway, became of vital Importance to
the army in Metz. Without it Bazaine could
ments. MacMahon thoroughly appreciated
this, and hence pushed on with all possible
haste. On the evening of the 2Sth ofAugust
he was at Vaux, only two miles from Sedan.
On the next day another portion Of the army
came up. The belief that the Germans
were not near and the carelessness of
the French commanders was such that
little or no precautions were adopted
to guard against surprise. This neg
lect was criminal. The Prussians were
Almost before they knew it the Saxon troops,
over sixty thousand strong, surprised De
Failly's corps. The next morning the Crown
Prince, with an immense force, came up, and
the battle ragged all that day. Toward
evening the French fell back on Sedan. BY
rapid marching large German reinforcements
arrived during the evening, and MacMahon
was fanked. The lst of September witnessed
the magnificent army of MacMahon completely
at the mercy Of the Prussians. Early in the
morning the Marshal was carried from the
field severely wounded The command
devolved on General Wimpfen, good general,
but one unknown to the army. All day the
battle ragged, though the French were nearly
out of ammunition. The result was inevita-
ble Moltke again was victor, and the last
of the imperial armies in the field with their
Emperor, surrendered.
The events which followed Sedan are still
fresh in the minds of the readers Of the
NEW YORK HERALD, and it may, there-
ton them in order to call them to miad
Paris was almost Immediately invested. Metz
had been already surrounded, and outside
Strasbourg lay another German army Star
vation soon brought Strasbourg and Metz to
surrender; not however, without attempts on
the part of the garrsons to cut their way
out Paris at last was compelled to
capituate The republican armies which
were called into existence with the
proclamation Of the republic did far
better than was expected Of them. At Orleans,
Beaune la Rolande, Bapaume, Havre and lie
Mans the French levies fought with great
bravery; but valor counted for naught. The
guiding spirit of the German armies was
Moltke-the one comprehensive mind which
moved the whole machinery of German or
the republic were the French armies guided
by great commander. Several generals had
several plans, many of them drawn up without
reference to the effect they would produce
outside the immediate field Of operations for
which they were prepared. On the German
side it was all harmony and cooperation; !;
and in this consisted the main points of
difference between the two systems In refer
ring to our late war we can bear testimony to the
evil effects of the system which, either through
design or otherwise, the French adopted.
Previous to General Grant taking charge of
the forces of the Union signal defeats resulted
to the operations Of the armies. Grant changed
all this. Not few Of the successes of Moltke
find parallels in the successes of the Union
armies under Grant. Vicksburg, where Penn
berton was penned up by Grant, finds parallel
in Metz, where Bazaine was locked in after
the battle of Gravelotte by Moltke. For
the Appomattox campaign and the capitu-
lation of Lee we have Sedan and the
| surrender Of the remaining forces Of
France, with the Emperor at their
head. Many others might be enumerated
Some of the most decisive victories were won
by the flank movements of the Germans, as
were many of the triumphs of Grant. Where
Mcclellan hesitated and attempted success
without energy to secure it in the PENN
sular campaign, Grant, by moving rapidly
and pressing heavily on the enemy's
flank, proved eminently successful. The
same hearty cooperation between Moltke
and his generals was observable in Grants
campaigns. Moltke moved with heavy masses
and everpowered his enemy by superior
strength. coupled with skill, Judgment, fore