THE plan of campaign adopted by the Germans in the north, after the capture of Amiens on November 27, was considered as pointing to immediate operations against Havre. The greatest excitement, therefore, prevailed there on news being brought that Rouen had been occupied; and the excitement was by no means allayed by the further intelligence that on the same day the Prussians had succeeded in recapturing Orleans. The commandant-in-chief of Havre and the mayor at once issued the following proclamation to the inhabitants:" By a rapid march the enemy has arrived at the gates of Rouen. Havre, more menaced than ever, but long prepared, is determined to offer the most energetic defence. At the approach of danger we make a new appeal to the patriotism of the population. No sacrifice will be too great to repulse the enemy, and preserve our rich and valiant city from pillage and the inroads of the foreigner. Supported by its energetic cooperation, we answer for the safety of Havre." The inhabitants of the neighbouring communes were invited to take refuge within the town, large stores of cattle and fodder were collected, and such things as could not be received, but which might have been serviceable to the enemy, were destroyed. The situation of Havre was especially favourable for defence. There was no lack of men, arms, and ammunition. The fortified works around the town were formidable; and as it could not be entirely surrounded by the Germans, it could evidently stand a very protracted siege. General Briand, with the forces which had evacuated Rouen, shortly came in, together with a large number of franc-tireurs and moblots. Almost simultaneously

VOL. II.

came an order from the Tours government for 4000 of the troops, and a proper complement of guns, to be embarked for Cherbourg. This created a furious scene of riot and disorder. Vast crowds paraded the town, protesting against the order, which the authorities were about to carry into effect. The guns had been shipped, but the mob proceeded to the harbour and compelled the commander of the transport vessel to unship them. Finding that no other course would appease the populace, both the civil and military authorities resolved to disobey M. Gambetta's order, and issued all over the town a proclamation to the effect, that in their opinion he was not in so good a position as themselves to judge of the local necessities of the defence. "In presence, therefore, of circumstances the gravity of which hourly increases, and the legitimate emotion of the population, the superior commandant and the sub-prefect have replied to the government that the departure of troops from Havre was inexpedient just now." The proclamation afforded a curious illustration of the state of discipline prevailing in the country at this time. There have been instances of disobedience of orders in all countries; but the conduct of the authorities of an unruly town in informing the mob, under whose pressure they acted, that they had disobeyed because they knew better, was unprecedented even in the history of France.

After the battle of Villers-Bretonneux and the capture of Amiens, the remnants of the French army of the north fell back behind the formidable network of fortresses by which France is defended on her Flemish frontier.

The three northernmost departments, from the

2 E

Somme to the Belgian frontier, hold about twenty fortresses of various sizes, which, though wholly useless nowadays against a large invasion from Belgium, formed a most welcome and almost unattackable basis of operations in this case. When Vauban planned them nearly 200 years before, he could not have foreseen that they would serve as a great entrenched camp, a sort of multiplied quadrilateral, to a French army against an enemy advancing from the heart of France! But so it was; and small as this piece of territory is, it was for the nonce impregnable, as well as important on account of its manufacturing resources, and its dense, hardy, and patriotic population.

The army of the north first assembled under the command of General Bourbaki; and when the ex-commander of the imperial guard was summoned to take charge of part of the Loire army, the northern forces were left for a time under the direction of General Farre. It was during this interval that the battle of Villers-Bretonneux was fought and Amiens captured.

On

the 3rd December M. Gambetta replaced General Farre by the appointment of General Faidherbe, one of the most competent commanders the war produced. He was a native of the provinces he was called to defend, having been born at Lille on June 3, 1818, and had greatly distinguished himself in Algeria and Senegal.

Opposed to Faidherbe was probably the least dangerous of the German military leaders, as was evidenced by the fact that, had the advantages secured by the battles before Amiens on the 26th and 27th November been promptly followed up, the greater part of the beaten French army would undoubtedly have been captured. So great was the panic that whole regiments of the French lay concealed for days in the woods adjoining Amiens, not daring, in the presence of the dreaded German troops, to retire on the open field. But when, much to their surprise, they found they were not pursued, they collected their scattered forces and retired behind their northern fortresses, while the main body of the Germans went off towards Rouen. Had General Manteuffel, instead of taking this course, made a bold effort to cut off the retreat, it seems certain that French operations in the north would have been permanently paralyzed. As it was, the number who escaped to the triangle protected by Arras, Cambrai, and Lille was so large that, with the addition of some mobiles and drafts

from various neighbouring garrisons, they formed for General Faidherbe an army of about 50,000 men and 70 guns.

The 20th of December was fast approaching when Manteuffel, while engaged in the comparatively sentimental work of capturing open towns and taking seaside trips to Dieppe, received intelligence that a new French army of the north was descending upon Amiens, and Von Göben was hastily despatched back to the scene of his encounters of November 27. General Faidherbe had advanced much sooner than was originally intended, in consequence of a rumour that the Germans were preparing an attack upon Havre. He had gathered together a large number of men, and in his safe northern retreat would gladly have had a little longer time for reorganizing them. The fact, however, that the second seaport of the country was threatened hastened his movements, and he advanced on St. Quentin, a detachment capturing Ham in passing; reconnoitred La Fère; and on the 14th December commenced demonstrations in the direction of Amiens. The German commander had been too well aware of the strength of Havre to lightly attempt an attack upon it; and the fears of the inhabitants, for which, indeed, there had been no real cause, were dispelled by the manœuvres of General Faidherbe; in consequence of which large detachments of Manteuffel's army were at once recalled, and a series of closely-contested engagements ensued, the most serious commencing on December 23 and ending on January 3.

At a little distance from Amiens General Faidherbe found that nature had supplied him with defences much superior to those of the best engineer. From Querrieux to Bussy, on the summit of a hill, or kind of elevated plateau, about three miles in length, the French army was posted, with its artillery, ready for action. Near the foot of this hill ran a small river, the L'Hallu, skirted by a long narrow line of wood, beyond which were numerous small villages-Daours, Pont Noyelles, Querrieux, Bavelincourt, &c. The French right wing rested on a wood on the brow of the hill overlooking Contay and Vadencourt; the centre was at Pont Noyelles and Querrieux, and the left at Daours.

The great festive season of the year had come, and throughout England bright faces, blazing fires, groaning tables, mirth and laughter were to be seen on every side. It was far different, however, with

our nearest neighbours, who, especially here in the north, were busily preparing again to defy their enemies to mortal combat. The morning of December 23 was bitterly cold and the frost most intense, as the army of General von Göben assembled on a vast plain near Querrieux, before marching to accept the challenge of the French. The fifteenth division, under General Kummer, crossed the Somme by some pontoon bridges near Carnon, and, leaving Rivery to the left, formed on the plateau in front of Allonville, with the cavalry of General Count Groben on the right. The sixteenth division, under General Barnakow, marched up the road to Rainneville and Pierregôt to the north of Amiens, whilst a brigade proceeded along the Somme from La Motte upon Vecquemont. General von Göben's plan was to advance upon the French position of Allonville and Querrieux, and to make a strong demonstration on their centre and left flank; whilst General Barnakow, with the sixteenth division, after arriving at Rubemprè, was to wheel round, and, having first taken the villages along the extreme right, to advance upon the French position, and endeavour to turn their right flank, thus encircling them so as to shut them up to a retreat on the Somne, which it was thought would be fatal.

Having ridden some distance out upon the Albert road, the general and his staff dismounted, and, sending their horses to the rear, awaited the advance of the troops upon Allonville. This little village is situated upon one of those ridges of hills that lie along the east side of the valley which stretches from Frèchencourt past Querrieux to Corbie. A magnificent sight was presented by the advance of the troops. The twenty-ninth brigade, commanded by Colonel von Bock, and composed of the thirtythird and sixty-fifth regiments, with artillery, and one squadron of the king's hussars, marched forward to the right of the farm of Les-Alençons; the thirtieth brigade, with the seventieth and twenty-eighth regiments, and two batteries of artillery, advanced upon the left of Allonville, covered by a regiment of lancers; whilst Count Groben's dragoons rode along the crest of the hill, looking across to the heights on the other side, above Corbie. Steadily, as if on parade, marched the compact masses of infantry; the skirmishers in front, with their supports to the right and left of the Albert road. They took possession of the woods beside Allonville, and in a moment the

village was occupied, while as yet not a French soldier was to be seen. But an orderly galloped up to say that the village of Querrieux in the front was strongly held by French troops. At LesAlençons a road leads off to the left through the village of Cardonette, and on to the Pierregôt road. Along this galloped Captain Allborn with orders from General von Göben to the sixteenth division to change front to their right flank, and, marching across between Molliens-aux-Bois and Mirvaux, to storm the French positions in the villages of Bavelincourt, Behencourt, and Frèchencourt. From the château of Bengerie the French tirailleurs were seen retiring upon Querrieux. The twenty-ninth brigade then brought their left shoulders forward, and two batteries of artillery took up position on the right. At ten minutes past eleven the first shot was fired by the French infantry from a windmill to the right of Querrieux, and the batttle of Querrieux-or of Pont Noyelles, as it was called by the French-commenced. By twelve (noon) the village was stormed, and the French had retreated upon the well-nigh impregnable position already referred to. The considerable village forming the centre of their line of battle was thus taken; but the position of the Germans was anything but pleasant, as the ridge and village they occupied were easily commanded by Faidherbe's artillery from the elevated plateau opposite; and the French batteries all along the height, especially that to the right of the villages of La Houssoye, kept up a determined and well-directed fire upon it. Meantime, to the right the Prussians had taken the villages of Daours, Vecquemont, and Bussy, the French retiring upon their intrenched position in front of Corbie. front of Corbie. Here both sides fought hard, appealing to the bayonet to settle the disputed possession of the villages, whose capture in fact formed one of the most remarkable incidents of the battle, as it was accomplished by the Rhenish rifle battalion against a whole division of the French army. With only about 800 men, Major Bronikowski waited till the heavy columns of the enemy who came to attack him were within ninety paces. The Germans had every one been waiting at this point with the eye on their enemy and the finger on the trigger; and when their commander gave the word, "Nun! Kinder, schnell Feuer!" they sent such a volley into the ranks of the French as to leave upwards of forty dead in one place. The Germans had in the meantime been

reinforced, but they had not more than 2500 men in all at this point; and with this inferior number the French left was forced back upon Corbie, the villages of Bussy, Daours, and Vecquemont were taken, and, still more surprising, held against repeated assaults.

At two p.m. the French, under a heavy fire of artillery, endeavoured to retake the village of Querrieux. Hard, indeed, was the struggle between the combatants here. For nearly twenty minutes they fought, actually looking into each other's eyes. But the French again retired, and again their five batteries of thirty guns opened a crushing fire upon the Prussian line. Every eye was now anxiously turned to the left flank, but as yet there were no signs of Barnakow's division. The Prussians were very weak before Querrieux, and the reserve was ordered to move up to the left of that village. The thirtieth brigade deployed in the valley and took a small village, into which the French poured a shower of shell and shrapnel from their batteries to the right of the Albert Road. And now the space between Querrieux and Bengerie began to be filled with those telltales of an action-carts and carriages of all descriptions, bearing ghastly burdens to the rear. Fortunate it was that the waggons of the British Society were there, for they supplied blankets to cover the poor suffering soldiers, the pain of whose wounds was increased by the biting frost and intensely cold winds. About this time half-past two p.m.—the French made a strong demonstration between La-Neuville and Daours. With their guns planted to the left of La Houssoye they opened a heavy fire upon the Prussian right flank, a considerable body of troops at the same time advancing as if to retake Bussy. But Captain Fuchius' battery of horse artillery galloped to the right, unlimbered, and opened such a hot fire upon them that first of all the infantry halted, then faced to the right about, and eventually doubled to the rear in a most orderly manner, the artillery quickly following their example.

About three o'clock the welcome sound of General Barnakow's artillery was heard, and his troops were shortly seen advancing on Frèchencourt from the Contay road. At four p.m. the sixteenth division had stormed the villages of Bavelincourt, Behencourt, and Frèchencourt; but their further advance was stopped by the same formidable position which had brought the fif

teenth division to a halt. Now, however, the Germans held the line of villages in the valley through which the small river L'Hallu flows, and which now formed the line of demarcation between the two armies. On the other side of this stream a natural glacis extended to the summit of the ridge of hills occupied by the French. Up this glacis, with 50,000 troops at the top, and fifty or sixty guns, it was both too late and too dangerous to advance; but the artillery on both sides continued firing, as did also the skirmishers, some of whom were at a distance of but 300 yards apart.

Meantime the village of Querrieux was held by two battalions of the thirty-third and the sixty-fifth regiment. Again and again had the French unsuccessfully tried to retake it. Thus far all had gone well for the Germans throughout the day, and as darkness set in it was hoped the French would give up the contest. Suddenly, however, a fire was opened from the hill, far exceeding in intensity and deadliness the artillery play at Gravelotte. It was dusk, and the spectacle was indescribably grand. To this fire the Germans responded but feebly, as the men had expended their ammunition, which encouraged the French to come down the hill and renew their attack on Querrieux. The sixty-fifth were obliged to fall back, and as they did so the dark uniforms of the French chasseurs were seen advancing at the other end of the principal thoroughfare. They had not proceeded far, however, before they were received by a murderous fire from the thirty-third, who advanced upon them from the cross streets with the bayonet, and once more drove them back pellmell out of the village. The thirty-third and sixty-fifth were now nearly without ammunition, but the gallant fellows would not give up the position so dearly bought; and there they stood, each man in his place, determined to make cold steel do the work of ball-cartridge. It was now dark. The Prussian artillery had ceased firing, and the village of Querrieux was burning in four places, the flames throwing their light far and wide over the surrounding country. Six companies of the thirty-third regiment determined to avenge the last attack of the French. In the dark they stole out of the village, formed line, and at the point of the bayonet charged up to the French battery on the right of the Albert Road. They had spiked two guns and taken the horses when they were attacked by five French bat

talions, before whom they were forced to retire into Querrieux, followed so closely that at one moment it was thought the village was lost. By this time, however, the sixty-fifth had received ammunition, and drove the French back with a withering fire. It was now nearly six o'clock, and the battle of Pont Noyelles was over, in which the Germans had taken seven villages, 900 prisoners, a lieutenant-colonel, and a post-captain in the navy, who was jocosely asked why he had not brought his ship with him. The day had witnessed one of the severest actions of the campaign, but had resulted in no real gain to either party. The Germans had captured the villages and numerous prisoners, but the French still held the formidable position just beyond them, across the little stream. For that reason General Faidherbe claimed the victory, and in support of his claim made his men bivouac on the ground, with the thermometer marking 8° below zero, impressing on them, with the susceptibility of a French general, that the hardship was absolutely necessary to show that the day was theirs. That they fought stoutly there is not the least question, and great credit was due to their artillery, which was well served; but from the course their general felt compelled to take almost directly afterwards, it is difficult to see how he could fairly claim to have obtained any advantage.

As night closed in each army could observe the position of the other, clearly marked by the lines of bivouac fires, which burnt brightly in the intensely frosty atmosphere at intervals of 1500 to 2000 yards. Early next morning Generals von Göben and Manteuffel visited the field of battle, and witnessed the curious sight of nearly 60,000 French troops, with at least seventy cannon, looking down upon 24,000 Prussians with forty guns. There stood the heavy masses of the French infantry, drawn up along the brow of the hill, with their batteries right and left of the brigades, covered by cavalry; there stretched a long line of tirailleurs covering the whole front, keeping up a constant fire, wherever there was a chance, upon the valley below. On the German side all was still. The troops stood to their arms, the artillery was unlimbered, the cavalry kept their bridles over their arms; but not a shot was fired. They felt that they were too weak to attack the powerful force opposed to them, by which every moment they expected to be assailed. The day, however,

wore on; General Faidherbe declined to follow up his "victory;" and the two armies stood still, silently confronting each other. Their weakness in numbers had been apparent to the German commanders early on the 23rd, and Manteuffel had telegraphed for reinforcements. About midday on the 24th, intelligence was received that Prince Albrecht was coming from Paris with a cavalry division of the guard, and that General Schüler von Senden, with a division, was advancing in the direction of Corbie from St. Quentin. Meanwhile, General Barnakow had been detached to the French right, in order, if possible, to turn their position; and the Germans now commenced such dispositions of their troops as would enable them to avoid making an assault on the Franvillers heights. Towards the afternoon a heavy cannonade, intermingled with the discharge of rifles, was opened from the hill, the reason of which was soon after apparent. The French, witnessing the movements of their enemies, had seen at once the great peril they would be in should the Germans succeed in completing their tactics, which must have led to a repetition of the manoeuvre at Sedan. They peopled, therefore, the top of the hill with soldiers, and feigned an intention to continue the battle. For that purpose they discharged cannons and rifles, galloped to and fro along the line, and showed themselves exceedingly busy. But in the rear, behind the hill, was going on the very different movement of conveying men, horses, and cannon to the railway train. This completed, the dummies on the summit suddenly disappeared, and when the sixteenth German division had completed their arrangements for attack, they found that the French had abandoned the most magnificent position nature could give them, and were in full retreat upon Arras and Lille. General Faidherbe admitted the loss of 1400 in killed and wounded, while that of the Germans was officially returned as 800, including twenty-six officers. The brunt of the day's action was borne, on the German side, by the forces under Von Göben, who from this time became general of the army of the Somne, while Bentheim, at the same time, took command of the army of the Seine, with headquarters at Rouen, General Manteuffel still holding the commandin-chief.

With only one of his divisions—the fifteenth, with which he had fought at Pont Noyelles—and with the younger Prince Albrecht's flying column,