The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-09-03
is HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF?
Events OF Today as Compared with
Those of the Franco-PrusSian War
of Forty-FOur Years Ago

er of the International News Service.
by the middle of August, 1870,
the French were in desperate
straits. The first German army had
advanced to the immediate neighbor-
German fbombardment of Strassburg
was begun. Strassburg is in the
fighting zone of the present war and
may at any time become the scene
of battle. Since 1871 the town has
been an important German military
post, the kaiser maintaining more
than 1000 troops there in time of
peace.
On the same day that the bonn
bardment of Strassburg commenced,
the first German army, near Metz,
made a successful attack on the
French corps under Bazaine, there
by battling the attempt of that COM
mander to retreat to the line OF the
Marine.
This developed into sanguinary
series of battles at Colombey -Neuil-
| ly, Vionville and Rezonville, on Aug.
IA, 16 and Is, finally won by the
Germans, but with tremendous loss
es. The engagement at Colombey
Neuilly, on August IA, known as the
battle of Courcelles or Pange, was
won by the Germans under Won
Steinmetz, but it was a costly vic
tory.
The battle ragged all day along a
long line. The Prussians lost 5000
men killed and wounded, while the
French losses amounted to $500,
but the superior numbers of the
Germans forced the French to re-
treat
This German victory prevented
the junction of Bazaine's army with
that of Marshal HIcMahon at Chal-
ons. The next day Bazaine was
bitterly censured by Napoleon for
ordering the retreat.
On August 16 at Vionville occur
red the battle of Mars-la-Tour, the
lbloodiest engagement of the Franco
Prussian war up to that time. Tt
was won by the second German army
under Prince Frederick Charles. but
| at terrible cost The tattered vete-
rams of Bazaine's French army were
the aggressors, ASSEMBLING the Ger
man position with dogged determi-
nation. The fighting began in the
early morning and LASTED far into
the night, being marked by astonish-
| ing bravery on both sides. By the
unexpected unmasking of a French
mitrailleuse battery, Prince Henry
of Reuss and many other German
mobiles were killed. AT this, the vic
tory was claimed by the French, but
the Germans fought on and finally
drove the enemy back on Gravelotte.
| During the fighting there was a
Balcalava charge by German regi-
ment of cavalry on French battery,
by which it was almost annihilated,
but to this the German victory was
largely due.
In this great battle Germany lost
twice as many men as at Koenig-
gratz, losing about 900 in killed
and wounded The French loss was
ESTIMATED at about the same figure
| After days rest, during which
both sides buried their dead and
collected the wounded, and Bazaine
concentrated his men at Rezonvillt
Ifor a decisive conflict, there was
thought on August 18 the battle o.
Gravellote, the most sanguinary en-
gagement of the war, perhaps on'
Eof the greatest battles in history
1.-TWO hundred Thousand Germans
commanded by King William him
self were opposed to 100, 900 French
imam. The fighting lasted twelv
hours and the result was long i
suspense, but finally the Frenc
right was outfanked, and lBazaine'
men were forced to retreat, in lutte
rout, to Metz, to the protection c
that city.
The French army was thus con
Ipletely defeated, cut off from con
munication with Paris and bottle
up at Metz In this battle the Gel
mans were said to have lost 800
and the French 10, 900. Another e
Inmate of the losses put the Germa
killed and wounded at 10000 an
the French at 13 900.
Bazaine was now shut up in til
fortificatios of Metz, which town We
invested by the German army undt
Prince Frederick Charles. Simu
taneously the ibombardment
Strassburg was renewed. A despe
ate French sortie from Strassbul