El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-09-03
present great European conflict

ms the third IN n series OF ar
ueles by Herbert Temple showing
the points of similarity thus far in
the Fr-ancO-Prussian war and the
present great European conflict
London, Eng, Sept 3.-By the middle
u august 1870, the French were in
desperate straits. The first German
army had advanced TO the immediate
neighborhoOd Of Metz. On August Il
tne German bombardment Of Strassburg
was begun. Strassburg is in the fight
ing zone Of the present war Since
Lot4 the town has been an important
GERMAN military post, the kaiser main
Ialning more h a 10000 troops there
IN time Of peace
On the same day that the lombard
meht OF Strassburg commenced. the first
German army, near Metz, made a sue
eessful attack on the French corps I'M
der BaZaine. thereby battling the at
Tempt OF that commander to retreat
70 the line Of the Marine.
This developed into the ~sanguinary
series Of battles at Colombey-NOuilly,
Nlonv1lle and RezOnville. on August Il,
10 and IS, finally won by the Germans,
but with tremendous losses The en-
gagement at Colombey-Nouilly. on
august Il, known as the battle of
CourceLes or Pange, was won by the
Germans under Won Steinmetz, but it
was a costly victory.
The battle ragged all day along a
long line The Prussians lost 5000 men
killed and wounded. while the French
losses amounted to 3500. but the super
lo- numbers OF the Germans forced the
French to retreat-
Prevents Junction OF Armies.
rms German victory prevented the
junction OF BaZaine's army with that
o. Marshal MacMahon at CnaIons- The
next day Bazaine was bitterly ~censured
by Napoleon for ordering the retreat.
On August Is at Vionville occurred
the battle Of MarS-la-Tour, the blOodiest
engagement Of the FrancO-Prussian
war IN n that #Hmra t. NO. - 49,
the second German army under prince
Frederick Charles, but at terrible cost.
The tattered veterans of Bazaine's
french army were the aggressors. as
sauIJlng the German position with
logged determination. The lighting
began in the early morning and lasted
Tar INTO the night being marked by
astonishing bravery on both ~ides. By
the unexpected unmasking OF a French
mltralueuse battery, prince Henry Of
Eeuss n many other German mobiles
We're killed. At this, the victory was
claimed by the French. but the Ger
mans 1ougnt on and finally drove the
enemy back on Gravelotte-
During the fighting there was a
Balaclaya charge by a German reEi-
ment Of cavalry on a rench battery. BY
which It was decimated, but to this the
German victory was largely due
In this great battle Germany lost
twice as many men as at KOeniggratz.
losing about 1900 in killed and
wounded The French loss was esti-
mated at about the same figure.
The Battle of GraveIotte.
after a day OF rest, during which
both sides buried their dead and col
Iecled the wounded and Bazaine con-
centrated his men at ReZonvile for A
decisive conflict. there was fought on
Angus IS the battle Of G~raveIotte, the
most ~Sanguinary engagement Of the
war, perhaps one Of the greatest battles
IN history Two hundred thousand
Germans, commanded by king William
himself were opposed to 10000 french
men The fighting lasted u hours and
me result was long in suspense. but
finally the French right was ont
Thanked, and B~azaine's men were forced
70 retreat in utter rout to the pro-
lection OF Metz.
French Bottled Up.
me French army was thus comDIete-
ly defeated, cut off from
ton with Paris and bottled up al Met
In this battle the Germans were said
70 have lost $4,000 n the French
$1,000 Another estimate Of the Losses
put the German killed and wounded al
$1,000 and the French at 1900.
Bazalne was now shut Up in the for
t~ltications Of Metz. which town was
invested by the German army uDdar
prince Frederick Charles SiunI+s1-
eously bombardment Of ~Strassburr was
renewed A desperate French sortie
rom S~Lrassburg was repulsed and rhe
were driven back from PbaIs-
-a.AA N&AAEA AAaA0I6 WIN
10000 men n was there Joined bv
emperor Napoleon. About the same
time Prussia laid claim to AIsace and
and king William appointed
governors for those provinces
The loss OF Alsace and Lorraine was
the bitterest blow France received in
the war. n humiliation from which me
i nation has not yet recovered. It
to wipe out the sting Of 1870 thar
france moved her first troops toward
AlSace ana Lorraine when the war of
began
On August 20. MasAIahon. marching
20 the releI or Metz, was cut off by the I
king and crOwn prince and forced
retreat On August - Mac8Iahon
Iifted his camp at Chalons. which vas
ing day
With hinor engagements fought IN
aye august at Vrizy, Vitry, Versan and
olner smaH towns. I'm which success
vas o equally divided. MacAfahon's
cohIlnued to retreat until Sep
-smber J. when began the rwo dav bat ]
-le az sedan JUST south OF the Belgian 4
oorder' the decisive battle of the var