The New York Herald Newspaper, December 29, 1870, Page 3

OCU NEW YORK HERALD, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1870. LAST GRAND SORTIE FROM —TRIPLE SHEET; PARIS. Advatice of the French from MNorth and East of the City---Situations of Bobigny, Bondy, Sevran and Le Grand Drancy—- w- Suan terre OUR BEN < = S -EZ ig A ru pone LE PLESSIS ~ PIOCUET We publish abovea map showing the fortifications | of Paris and the surrounding country, in which are Included the points assatied by the French forces in their last grand sortie. Imposing as was the demon- stration, our correspondent on the ground states that | a was Weakly executed and was foiled tn its object with but little efort on the part of the Germaas. Audced, the entire movement seems to have been made by General Trochu either as King Willam’s despatch says, under the erroneous impression that an army of relief was approaching from the North to co-operate with the besieged forces, or with the idea of compelling the Prussians to concentrate on the cast side of Paris and thus give Chauzy a chance to advance from the West. We are rather inclined to the opinion that it was intended to co-operate ‘with General Faidherbe, who.was supposed to be advancing towards Paris from the direction of Amiens, Aswill be seen in the map the principal point aimed at was Sevran, a small vown on the railroad to Rheims, situated a few miles northeast of Paris. | ‘The possession of that place weuld have enabled the French to virtually gain possession of the entire The only part the French boats seem right bank of the Seine, because having once broken the investing line at that pont, thefPrussians would have been compelied to cross the river to ihe left bank or fall back in the dlrection of Beauvais to prevent their being hemmed in and forced to sur- render by a movement of the French gunboats from Paris i the direction of St. It is singular in this connection that nothing of an important character bas been attempted by these gunboats. They are all of the Fazy pattern, and are said to be impervi- ous to the shells of any guns but those of the largest calibre. tis rue that the sinuosities of tne Seine make them a target from almost any point of the river, But the Seine is not more sinuous than are many of our rivers in the South, which were penetrated by onr gunboats during the war and the batteries erected on their banks successfully run. And our gunboats, it must be borne in mina, were hurnedly constructed affairs, in many respects infe- rior to the Fazy boat. which the inventor was confl- dent could safely run batteries mounting sixty-four pounder guns. Germain. to have FRANCE. Baelligerent Batteries Pounding Away at Each Other Before Paris. Fort Mont Avron and the Saxon Siege Guns in a Spirited Duel. Berlin in Ecstacies Over the Bom- bardment. Bourbaki Reported Advancing on Von Werder. Faidherbe’s Army of the North at Arras. Chauzy Protests Against Prussian Inhumanity. THE BESIEGED CAPITAL. TELEGRAM TO THE NEW YORK HERALD. The Bombardment of Fort Avron Continned— Berlio in Eestacien. LONvox, Doc, 28, 1870, A telegram from Versaiiles dated to-day states that the bombardment of Fort Avron continues. The French reply with vigor, but thelr fre is in- effective, BERLIN DELIGHTED. A Berlin telegram of to-day’s date states that the news of the opening of fire on the fertifications of Paris was received there with public pejeicugte ©montmorency (ON \e@rontensy- AUX. ROSEs BOURG|LA-REIN VIL ETANE USke ly Lis 4 Q @FRESNES LES RUNGIS @RUNGIS a = taken in the last sortie was to run down to the town | several small streams, and the Pout Iblion referred near St. Denis, and open fire on the Prussians, What assistance they could give the Infantry forces in the as Epinay is a further distance from the town than either Forts Double, Couronne or De Est. Trochu’s movement, then, from the Seine must have been so wretchedly feeble as not to have given the Prussians 2 moment’s uneasiness, If his object was tocreate a diversion by threatening to sever the German connection across the river it was equally impotent, because it was unaccompanied by a sortie from the direction of Fort Mont Vaiérien. But it is evident from the points covered by the French forces that the intention was to force the Prussian lines solely on the northeast of Paris. Our correspondent writes that the French right wing rested on Bondy and the left on Bobigny. These places are quite near to each other—so clove, in fact, that it is dificult to see how one hundred thousand men ceuld have been manceuvred between them, ‘This part of the country before Paris is intersected by upture of Sevran we are at « loss to imagine, General NORTH. TELEGRAM TO THE NEW YORK HERALD. Bourbaki Adyanciog ou Von Werder~The Army of the North at Arras. Loxpon, Dec. 28, 1870. It is said that General Bourbaki 1s moving with his army to the eastern portion offFrance, to operate against General Werder. The French Army of tue North has concentrated around Arras, The health of the troops is excelient, FRENCH REPORTS. TELEGRAM TO THE NEW YORK HERALD. Cold Weather in France—Faidherbe’s Army Near Arraw—Protest of Prussian Atrocities. BORDEAUX, Dec. 26, 1870, ‘The weather in southern France is intensely cold. General Faidherbe. ina despatch to the Minister Chauzy Againer Location of Fort Mont Avron. "2 ge es Jpinay, onthe right bank of the curve of the | of War, announces that owing to the intense cold- { | bess of the weather he will encamp his troops near pm 10, from whence the Prussian batteries inflicted | such severe damage upon the French, must be near Le Bourget, open—in fact, frem the ferest of Bondy to Mont- morency there is very little ground ever whic attacking foree can advance to an assault without running the risk of encountering a murderous fire an from an enemy's artillery. Besides Sevran, being farther north than Le Grand vrancy, the possession of the latter place by the Germans would have completely neutralized the capture of Sevran, unless the French had also stormed Le Bourget, in which event the Germans would have been com- peiled to evacuate Le Grand Drancy. Without claiming to any special military know- leage, we are convinced that there is less chance for the French to break through the German lines at the pemts which they assailed on the 21st than at any other points, excepting always the heights of Meudon, near Versailles, on the south. Of course, with a relleving army near by the prospect of suc- cess is more favorable; but those persons who are Arras and await the prosecution of a general move- | ment throughout France for the relief of Paris and deliverance of France. PROTEST OF CHAUZY AGAINST PRUSSIAN ATROCITIES. The Prussians cannonaded the town of St. Calais 2 the 25tn and then entered the place, where they committed many disorders, General Chauzy sent a formal protest to the Prussian Gencral and subse- quentiy issued an order of the day to his troops, in which he sayé:—"T bave warned the Prussians against the further perpetration uf sneh horrible actions asthey have committed against unarmed places and people who merit better treatment from the enemy, because of their extreme humanity to the Prussian sick and wounded.” The General adds that itis evident that France is not combating loyal enemies, but devastating hordea; but she will continue the struggle to preserve her houor and in- depenitenee, i ViLo BAGNOLET CRETEIL g \ i \ ‘The country here 1s also comparatively | \ FZNOISY FTROSN ee \ BiG ONTREUIL \ cr BONNEUIL @ o SMM; Mj, lle, WILLENEUVE | fam | with the neighborhood of Paris will per- ce 4 glance the difficuities which must attend au | advance upon an enemy’s Werks over so open acoun- try. In the sortie of the 2ist the Prussian batteries opened fire at a distance of 1,400 yards, and did such damage to the French line that 1t soon wavered and | fell back. Although this distance is not extraorit- | narily great, itis much greater than usual for feld | ‘That the range of shelis over a length of four-fifths of a mile was so accurate and their effect so decisive asto accomplish the defeat of before it had got close enough to open an effective musketry fire, suflicient evidence of the ill adoptation of the ground to a sortie. Our correspondent says nothing of an attack on Gagny, ajthough the French claim to have captured that place, It ts situated some miles south of Sevran, at the lower end of the forest of Bondy, and is di- rectly east of Paris, It cannot be far distant from the new fort, Mont Avron, of the bombardment of which mention is made in te HERALD despatches of yesterday, This fortis located on the map. It 18 batteries to do any serious damage from. the attacking line is BATTLE OF ST. ROMAIN. Herald Special Report of a Sharp Engage- mnent near Havre. The French on the Offensive—Counter Advance of pete LAVARENNES @ STMAUR ay!) — == BNNES 40, _\ ~~ FONTENAY BOIS EPA z(C ~, Se! Fa ENT 3 Ma K—@__} BRY-& MARNE NE ! \ eevee st RENTON LEP* \f\y = ae I et -TENQ WONSOINVILLE LE PONT. Y epee Pr: rc. ¢ neh, fo. ~ oN if Uy Se me ur \ cv A = ZN OO Beers (Pa aN , _ BOISSY STLEGER? tr fae situated some distance im advance of Forts Rosny and Nogent, and was doubtless fortified by tho it commanded both those forts, It ought to be of great strength, Our expert- French because ence during th ellion proved the superiority of Mont Avron is natarally very strong, and if the guns mounted on it be well manned they ought to silence the Saxon batteries, as they command everything within range. On the whole, we are not inclined to give Trocha much credit for ia last sortie from Paris, while at the same time we doubt if the French soldiers are to be blamed for breaking and falling back when they did, The fault was undoubtedly on their com- mander in seeking to force a passage through the Prussian lines at almost its strongest pomt. If ever the siege of Parts is raised by the garrison, we ven- ture to say It will be elther from the southeast ana south, between, say Bry-sur-Marne and Sceaux, or from Mont Vai¢rien in the direction of St. Germain, but we doubt if the French will ever succeed from the north. earthworks ov brick or stone, fortifcations, intensely excited over the first important struggle which has taken place between the French troops in this department and the German forces advanc- ing upon Havre. fhe engagement took place on Saturday morning, commencing at daybreak. For several days previous we were expecting a fight, It has come at last, and although without decisive the Prussians—Splendid Handling of the French Artillery—Thres Cavalry Charges Repulsed—Attempt to Flank the French—They Retire to Harfleur. TELEGRAM TO THE NEW YORK HERALD. ate “London, Dee, 28, 1870. ‘The New York HERALD correspondent at Havre, writing under date of December 26, gives the follow- ing particulars of an engagement fought near that city between the French ana Prussian forces, Your correspondent writes :— THE PIRST BATT Since last Saturday ¢ NEAR HAVRE, jug ihe city bas been results it is regarded as valuable in proving the efMiciency of the French artillery and the ability of the Gardes Mobiles and Francs-tireurs to success. fully encounter the regular troops of the German army in the open fleid, ADVANCE OF THE FRENCH. After a number of petty engagements aud skin mishes with the uhians aod the Saxon troops the people of Havre became clamorous for a grand sortie upon the advancing army, The military au. thorities yielded to the popular demand, and accord- ingly on the tsth, 1912 and 20th of the present mouth a column of French troops, estimated at five thous CONTINUED ON TENTH PAGE,