6 Aug. »

18 Aug. »

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9 Aug.

24 Aug.

FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR, continued.

Mahon and the army of the Rhine; they

retire to Saverne to cover Nancy 6 Aug. 1870 Battle of Forbach: Saarbrück recaptured, and

Forbach (in France) taken by generals Von
Gæben and Von Steinmetz, after a fierce

contest; all the French retreat
Gen. Turr publishes, in a letter, statements of

proposals by Bismarck for the annexation of Luxembourg and Belgium by France, in 1866 and 1867.

6 Aug. The emperor,'' reporting these defeats, says, “Tout peut se rétablir"

7 Aug. The Germans occupy Forbach, Hagienau, and Saarguemines

7 Aug. Marshal Bazaine appointed to the chief

mand of the French army at Metz (about 130,000); MacMahon has about 50,000 near Saverne; Canrobert about 50,000 near Nancy,

8 Aug. Nine French iron-clads pass Dover for the Baltic

9 Aug. St. Avold occupied by the Germans Marshal Bazaine takes command of the army at Metz

9 Aug. Phalsburg invested

9 Aug. Treaty with Great Britain, guaranteeing the neutrality of Belgium, sigued on bebalf of Prussia, 9 Aug. ; of France

II Aug. Forced resignation of the Ollivier ministry 9 Aug. , New ministry constituted under general Cousin Montauban, comte de Palikao, war minister,

10 Aug. Strasburg invested by the Germans, 10 Aug. The king of Prussia, at Saarbrück, proclaims

that "he makes war against soldiers, not against French citizens

10 Aug. Lichtenberg capitulates to the Germans,

10 Aug. MacMahon's army retreating upon the Moselle,

11 Aug. 1 The little fortress, “La Petite Pierre,” evacuated,

11 Aug. Commúnication with Strasburg cut off, 11 Aug. Nancy occupied by the Germans without resistance

12 Aug. The Bavarians pass the Vosges 12 Aug. The king at St. Avold forbids conscription for the French army in territories held by Ger

13 Aug. Marsbal Bazaine made commander of the army of the Rhine

13 Aug.
Bombardment of Strasburg begun
The French government declare that “there

can be, for a moment, no question of negotia-
tion of peace

14 Aug. Blockade of the German ports on the Baltic, from 15 Aug., announced by the French ad

miral . Many French volunteer sharp-shooters (francs

tireurs) take the field (not recognized as sol

diers by the Germans) about 14 Aug.
Toul refuses to surrender
The emperor retires to Verdun
Marshal Bazaine's army defeated in three long-

continued sanguinary battles before Metz (see
Metz) :-
1. Battle of Courcelles (Pange or Longe-

ville) gained by Von Steinmetz and the
Ist army

14 Aug. » 2. Battle of Vionville or Mars-la-Tour,

gained by prince Frederick Charles

and tbe and army
3. Battle of Gravelotte or Rézonville, gained
by the combined armies commanded by

The king appoints governors-general of Alsace and Lorraine

17 Aug. 1870 Energetic fortification of Paris by general

Trochu, the governor, and the “ defence
committee

18 Aug. Estimated German losses : killed, wounded,

and missing, 2088 officers, 46,480 men ; up to Severe bombardment of Strasburg 19 Aug. ) MacMahon's army of the Rhine retreats as the

Prussians under the king and crown-prince
advance ; prince Frederick Charles opposed
to Bazaine at Metz;[German armies in France
about 500,000

the French armies about
300,000; communications between marshals
Bazaine and MacMahon very difficult), about

20 Aug. » Lieut. Harth, a Prussian spy, tried and shot at Paris

20 Aug. The French camp at Chalons raised, 20 Aug.,

and the troops extended along the line of the
Marne,

21 Aug. Exportation of food prohibited

21 Aug. Bazaine at Metz said to be completely isolated,

22 Aug. » MacMahon at Rheims with his

army, including the remains of the corps of Failly and Canrobert; he marches in hope of joining Bazaine: the crown-prince and prince of Saxony start

in pursuit, 23 Aug.; marching upon Châlons, Prussian royal head-quarters removed from

Pont à Mousson to Bar-le-Duc (125 miles from
Paris)

24 Aug. » The alleged violation of the neutrality of

Belgium denied by its government, 25 Aug. The Germans in the arrondissement of Vassy,

25 Aug. » Germans repulsed in an attack on Verdun, 800 French national guards captured at St. Menehould

25 Aug. » Châlons occupied by the Germans 25 Aug. » Capitulation of Vitry, a small fortress, 25 Aug. Formation of three German armies of reserve

in Germany, and a fourth army in the field,
under the crown-prince of Saxony, to co-
operate with the crown-prince of Prussia
against Paris

26 Aug. Strasburg suffering much by bombardment,

23-26 Aug. » Powerful sortie of Bazaine from Metz repulsed, Phalsburg heroically resisting 26 Aug. Thionville invested by the Germans, 27 Aug; » Engagement at Busancy, between Vouziers and

Stenay : a regiment of French chasseurs
nearly annihilated

27 Aug. » Two German armies (220,000) marching on Paris

28 Aug. » Continued retreat of MacMahon's army ; severe

fighting at Dun, Stenay, and Mouzon, 28 Aug. „ Nicholas Schull, á German spy, shot at Metz,

28 Aug; Vrizy, between Vouziers and Attigny, stormed by the Germans

29 Aug. Municipal meetings at Berlin, Königsberg, and

other German citics, protest against foreign
intervention in arranging terms of peace,

30, 31 Aug MacMahon's army, about 150,000, accompanied

by the emperor, retreating northwards ; part
of it defeated near Beaumont, between
Mouzon and Moulins; several other engage-
ments, unfavourable to the French, occurred

during the day
Count Bismarck-Bohlen installed governor of

Alsace at Haguenau
The Germans enter Carignan ; attack the
French in the plain of Douzy; the French, at

25 Aug.

mans

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14 Aug.

26 Aug. 1

14 Aug.

30 Aug.

18 Sept. »

8 Sept »

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FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR, continued. first successful, are defeated, and retreat to Sedan

31 Aug. 1870 A French army of oid soldiers, about 100,000, said to be forming near Lyons

31 Aug. Metz: Bazaine defeated in his endeavour to

escape from Metz; after a fierce struggle, retreats into Metz

31 Aug. 1 Sept. Battle round Sedan: begun at 4 a.m. between

Sedan and Douzy; the French at first successful; after a severe struggle and dreadful carnage, the Germans victorious ; Mac Mabon wounded, 5.30 p.m.; general De Wimpffen refuses to accept the terms offered by the king of Prussia

i Sept. » Capitulation of Sedan and the remainder of Mac Mahon's army; the emperor surrenders to the kirg (see Sedan)

2 Sept. » Vigorous artillery action at Strasburg : a sortie repulsed

2 Sept. , Revolution at Paris after the declaration of the

capture of MacMahon's army; proclamation of a republic (see France)

4 Sept » Rheims occupied by the Germans and the king

5 Sept. , Jules Favre, the French foreign minister, in a

circular to the French diplomatic representatives, says “We will not cede either an inch of our territories or a stone of our fortresses,"

6 Sept. General Vinoy and a corps sent too late to aid MacMahon, retreat and arrive in Paris,

6, 7 Sept. » St. Dizier occupied by the Germans

7 Sept. Strasburg now invested by 60,000 men, 8 Sept. , Verdun vigorously resisting The German army, in five corps, advancing on Paris

9 Sept » Laon surrendered to save the town froin de

struction; by the accidental or treacherous explosion of a magazine some of the German staff and many French perish

9 Sept. Metz, Strasburg, Thionville, Phalsburg, Toul,

Bitsche, and other fortified places holding out

10 Sept., Messages between belligerents transmitted by

lord Lyons (at Paris) and count Bernstorff (Prussian minister) in London

9-10 Sept. German attack on Toul repulsed 10 Sept. » Bridge at Creil over the Oise blown up, 12 Sept. Seven German corps (about 300,000 men) ap

proaching Paris, which is said to contain 300,000 combatants .

13 Sept. » M. Thiers arrives in London on a mission from the government

13 Sept. » Colmar occupied by the Germans

14 Sept. General Trochu reviews the troops in Paris,

13 Sept. ; delivers a stirring address; thé daily guard ordered to be 70,000 14 Sept. » Estimated German loss : 60,000 killed and

wounded; between 20,000 and 30,000 sick; about 1000 prisoners

15 Sept. , French prisoners in Germany: 62 generals,

4800 officers, 140,000 privates, about 15 Sept. » Correspondence between count Bernstorff and

earl Granville respecting neutrality said to have been broken; denied by the earl

1-15 Sept. , Siege of Paris begun; ingress and egress prohibited without a permit

15 Sept. Blockade of the Elbe and Weser non-effective,

15 Sept. Important circular of M. Favre, condemning

the war and recognizing the obligations of the country

17 Sept. Circular letters of count Bismarck, recounting

the history of French aggressions on Germany, and asserting the necessity of obtaining material guarantees for the future safety of Germany and removing the frontiers and point of attack further west 13, 16 Sept.

Prussian head-quarters at Meaux (20 miles from
Paris)

18 Sept. 1870 32 German merchant ships reported to have

been captured by the French fleet up to Vessels sunk in the Seine and Marne, and other vigorous defensive measures adopted,

18, 19 Sept. Paris said to be completely invested ; thé forti

fications reconnoitred by the king, who has fixed his head-quarters at Baron Rothschild's

château at Ferrières, near Lagny 19 Sept. ,, Three French divisions under general Vinoy attack the Germans on the heights of Sceaux; repulsed with loss of 7 guns and 2500 prisoners :

7 the defeat attributed to the disorder of the Zouaves; the national guard behave well,

19 Sept. , Count Bismarck consents to receive Jules Favre

(about 16 Sept.); they meet at Château de la Haute Maison, 19 Sept. ; and at the king's

head-quarters, Ferrières, near Lagny, 20 Sept. Jules Favre reports to the government the

result of his interviews with count Bismarck: Prussia demands the cession of the departments of the Upper and Lower Rhine and part of that of Moselle, with Metz, Château Salins and Soissons, and would agree to an armistice in order that a French constituent assembly may meet; the French to surrender Strasburg, Toul and Verdun (or Phalsbourg according to Favre), and Mont Valérien, if the assembly meet at Paris ; these terms are positively rejected by the French government

21 Sept. » Versailles and the troops there surrender,

19 Sept. ; entered by the crown prince of Prussia

20 Sept. » A lunette captured at Strasburg

20 Sept. , General von Steinmetz sent to Posen as governor

general; prince Frederick Charles sole commander before Metz

21 Sept. » Sèvres surrenders

22 Sept. The blockade of German ports raised; officially announced in London

22 Sept. The French government issue a circular ex

pressing readiness to consent to an equitable peace, but refusing “to cede an inch of our

territory or a stone of our fortresses,' Three conflicts before Paris : at Drancy, Pierre

fitte, and Villejuif; the two last reported favourable to the French

23 Sept. » Toul surrenders, after a most vigorous resist

23 Sept. Levée en masse of men under 25 ordered by the

French government
Germans repulsed in conflicts before Paris ;

said by them to be unimportant Verdun invested by the Germans

25 Sept. , Desperate ineffective sallies from Metz,

23, 24, 27 Sept. All the departments of the Seine and Marno

occupied by Germans The iron cross given by the crown prince of

Prussia to above 30 soldiers beneath the

statue of Louis XIV. at Versailles Circular of Von Thile, Prussian foreign minister,

stating that as the ruling powers in France decline an armistice, and as no recognised government exists in Paris, the government de facto being removed to Tours, all communication with and from Paris can only be carried on so far as the military events may permit

27 Sept. , Clermont occupied by the Germans after a brief vigorous resistance, overcome by artillery,

27 Sept. » Commencement of attack on Soissons,

23 Sept.

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23 Sept. »

23 Sept.

26 Sept. »

26 Sept. »

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28 Sept. »

8 Oct, 1

9 Oct.

30 Sept.

9 Oct.

9 Oct.

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10 Oct.

1 Oct.

1 Oct.

Io Oct.

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2 Oct.

10 Oct.

FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR, continued. Capitulation of Strasburg, 27 Sept. ; formally surrendered

28 Sept. 1870 The duke of Nassau said to be killed near

Rheims by the francs-tirailleurs, about 28 Sept. Sortie of general Vinoy's army (at Paris); re

pulsed, after two hours' fighting, crown prince present; above 200 prisoners taken; general Giulham killed

30 Sept. » Above 375,000 national guards said to be in

Paris
Conflict near Rouen ; at first favourable to the

French ; their loss 1200 killed and wounded;
300 prisoners

30 Sept. , Beauvais captured by the Germans

30 Sept. » Mantes occupied by the Germans Circular from count Bismarck, disclaiming any

intention of reducing France to a second

rate power The American general Burnside visits M. Favre,

1 Oct. Surgeon-major Wyatt writes that Paris is well

provisioned, and nearly inexpugnable 1 Oct. M. Thiers' fruitless visit to Vienna, 23 Sept. ; to St. Petersburg, 27 Sept. ; dined with the

2 Oct. The grand duke of Mecklenburg at Rheims appointed governor of the country conquered

in addition to Alsace and Lorraine M. Favre, in the name of the diplomatic body,

requests count Bismarck to give notice before bombarding Paris, and to allow a weekly courier; the count declines both requests, but permits the passage of open letters:

reported Count Bismarck in a circular corrects Favre's

report of the negotiations, and accuses the French government of keeping up the difficulties opposed to a conclusion of peace; reported Epernon and La Ferté Alais occupied by the Germans after an engagement

4

Oct. The king's head-quarters removed to Versailles ;

arrival of the king, Bismarck, Moltke, and

others The Germans victors in several small engagements

2-6 Oct. General Treskow, in command of a German

army, to advance into Southern France, 5 Oct. Colmar occupied by the Prussians for an hour, Battle at Thoury; General Reyan, with the ad

vanced guard of the army of the Loire under general La Motte Rouge, defeated the Germans between Chaussy and Thoury, and captured some prisoners and cattle Fictitious manifesto of the emperor Napoleon III.,

entitled “les Idées de l'Empereur,' 'advocating
peace on moderate terms, dated 26 Sept.,
published in the imperialist journal in Lon-
don, La Situation, and in Daily News, 4 Oct. ;
disclaimed by the emperor

6 Oct. M. Thiers' mission to foreign courts reported to be quite abortive

6 Oct. Part of the army of Lyons, under general Dupré,

defeated by the Badenese under general Von
Gegenfeld, near St. Rémy and Nonpatentize;
French loss, about 1500, and 660 prisoners;
German loss, about 430

6 Oct. General Burnside leaves Paris in order to meet

count Bismarck
Great sortie from Metz; the Germans surprised;

40,000 French engaged ; repulsed after severe
conflicts; French loss, about 2000 ; German,

about 600
Estimated number of French prisoners in Ger-

many, 3,577 officers, and 123,700 men, 8 Oct. Neu Breisach bombarded

8 Oct. Breton volunteers organising by M. Cathelineau; volunteers in the west organising by general Charette (from Rome)

German attack on St. Quentin vigorously repulsed

8 Oct. 1870 Long despatch from count Bernstorff to earl

Granville, complaining of the British supplying arms to France M. Thiers again at Vienna

8 Oct. Garibaldi arrives at Tours; enthusiastically re

ceived .
Garibaldi reviews the national guard at Tours,
Reported that the Germans occupy Mulhouse,
Direct mediation is declined by Russia, Great

Britain, and Spain
Prussian circular to the European powers, re-
gretting the obstinate resistance of the
French government to peace, and foretelling
the consequences-social disorganization and
much starvation

10 Oct. Ablis, near Paris, burnt for alleged treachery

(killing sleeping soldiers) M. Gambetta escapes from Paris by a balloon,

7 Oct. ; in his proclamation at Tours, states that Paris possesses 560,000 troops; that cannon are cast daily, and that women are making cartridges; he urges unanimous,

devoted co-operation in carrying on the war, Part of the army of the Loire defeated at Arthe

nay, near Orleans, by Bavarians under Von

der Tann; about 2000 prisoners taken, Prussian attack on Cherizy repulsed French reply to Bismarck's circular on the negotiations

1o Oct. About 20 villages burnt, and 150 peasants shot for illicit warfare

up to 11 Oct. The French fleet appears off Heligoland, 11 Oct. 3000 national guard mobilised at Rouen, 11 Oct. Three first shots fired against Paris

11 Oct. Orleans captured by gen. Von der Tann after

nine hours' fighting; the army of the Loire defeated retires behind the Loire

II Oct. Stenay captured by a sortie from the French garrison of Montmédy

11 Oct. 12 Gen. Bourbaki accepts the command at Tours;

gen. La Motte Rouge superseded in the com-
mand of the army of the Loire by gen.

D'Aurelle de Paladines.
Battalions of Amazons forming in Paris, 12 Oct.
Favourable intelligence from Paris by balloons
received

12 Oct. Garibaldi appointed commander of the French

irregulars Epinal captured by the Germans

12 Oct. M. Arlès Dufour of Lyons appeals to the people

of Great Britain for active sympathy in endeavouring to obtain peace

12 Oct. Breteuil occupied by the Germans after a sharp resistance

12 Oct. Slight engagements (termed victories by the

French) before Paris
All the Vosges district in arms; no regular

army; the defiles occupied by the francs

tireurs Reported successful sorties; Neu Breisach com

pletely invested
Reported French success at Bagneux, near

Paris—the Prussians surprised
St. Cloud fired on by the French and burnt,
Frequent sorties from Metz about 14 Oct.
Sharp fight at Ecouis ; the French escape from

being surrounded
Gambetta announces that the Germans are dis-

lodged from their innermost belt round Paris, M. Thiers arrives at Florence; Garibaldi at

Besançon
Gen. Boyer, aide-de-camp to marshal Bazaine,

FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR, continued.

arrives at Versailles and meets count Bismarck

14 Oct. 1870 Gen. Trochu's letter to the mayors of Paris, on

re-organising the national guard and repressing the ardent desire for immediate action,

24 Oct.

15 Oct.

24 Oct.

27 Oct.

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19 Sept.

27 Oct.

17 Oct.

17 Oct.

17 Oct.

a

29 Oct.

Thiers undertakes the mission to obtain an armistice

about 24 Oct. 1870 Capitulation of Schelestadt (2400 prisoners and

120 guns taken) A girl calling herself a successor of Jeanne d'Arc

at Tours Marshal Bazaine surrenders Metz and his army,

“conquered by famine” (see Metz). The French defeated near Gray (Haute Saône) by Von Werder

Oct. About 2000 sick and wounded of both nations

in Versailles Le Bourget, near Paris, recaptured by the French

28 Oct. A safe-conduct given to M. Thiers to enter

Paris

28 Oct. Despatch from count Bismarck to earl Granville,

expressing desire for the meeting of a French national assembly to consider terms of peace; but stating that overtures must come from the French

28 Oct. Badenese troops defeated near ' Besançon ;

Prussian attack on Formerie on the Oise repulsed

28 Oct. Gen. Von Moltke created a count on his moth birthday

28 Oct. Vigorous proclamation of Bourbaki to the

French army of the north
The crown prince and prince Frederick Charles

created field-marshals
Dijon captured after bombardment
The francs-tireurs defeated by the Würtem-

bergers between Montereau and Nangis, Estimated : 856,000 Germans in France; French

prisoners in Germany, 223,000 Le Bourget retaken by the Germans; heavy

losses on both sides ; about 1200 French

prisoners
Proclamation of Gambetta, accusing Bazaine of

treason; the war to go on
M. Thiers enters Paris
Garibaldi defending Dole (Jura) with about 7500
M. Thiers receives powers from the French de-

fence government to treat for an armistice,
and has interviews with count Bismarck,

31 Oct. and i Nov. Gen. Bourbaki attempting to form an army of the north, near Lille

Oct.-Nov.
Thionville invested
The francs-tireurs dispersed in several slight

engagements between Colmar and Belfort, Letter from marshal Bazaine repelling the charge of treason

2 Nov. Count Bismarck offers an armistice of 25 days for the election of a French national assembly,

Nov. Defeat of an attempted revolution in Paris : see France

3 Nov. „ M. Favre declares to the national guard that

the government has sworn not to yield an inch of territory, and will remain faithful to this engagement

3 Nov. » Proclamation of Garibaldi to the army of the Vosges, and appealing to other nations,

about

3

Nov. “Campagne de 1870; par un Officier attaché à l'état major-général” (a pamphlet ascribed to the emperor), appears in the Daily Telegraph,

4 Nov. » Failure of the negotiation, as count Bismarck

will not permit food to enter Paris during the armistice without any military equivalent; M. Thiers ordered to break off negotiation,

6 Nov. Châteaudun recaptured by the French, 6 Nov. The Prussian semi-official journal says, “The

French government having refused to listen

30 Oct. 30 Oct.

Soissons surrenders after three weeks' invest

ment and four days' bombardment 16 Oct. French successes before Paris denied by the Prussians; who hold the same position as on

16 Oct. M. Gambetta proceeds to the army of the

Vosges ; gen. Bourbaki appointed commander of the army of the north; gen. Mazière appointed to a command in the army of the

Loire Montdidier attacked by the Germans ? 150

mobile guards captured The emperor Napoleon declares that “there can

be no prospect of peace, near or remote, on the basis of ceding to Prussia a single foot of French territory; and no government in France can attach its signature to such a

treaty and remain in power a single day," 4000 French attacked and defeated near

Châteaudun after ten hours' fighting and the barricaded town stormed

18 Oct. Circular of Jules Favre, asserting that Prussia

“coldly and systematically pursues her task of annihilating us. France has now no illusions left. For her it is now a question of existence. We prefer our present sufferings, our perils, and our sacrifices to the consequences of the inflexible and cruel ambition of our enemy.

France required, perhaps, to pass through a supreme trial-she wilí issue from it transfigured"

18 Oct. Asserted repulse of the Germans at Fort Issy before Paris

18 Oct. Despatch from earl Granville to count Bismarck

urging the negotiations for peace on terms lenient to the French

20 Oct. Conclusive reply of earl Granville to count Bernstorff's charge of breach of neutrality,

21 Oct. Vigorous sortie from Mont Valérien against

Versailles ; an engagement at Malmaison; the French retire after three hours' fighting, losing about 400 killed and wounded and 100 prisoners: German loss about 230 killed and wounded Chartres occupied by the Germans under Wittich

21 Oct. Intervention of the British government (sup

ported by the neutral powers) to obtain an armistice for the election of a national assembly

21 Oct. Vesoul occupied by the Germans

21 Oct. Many deserters from Metz

20-22 Oct. Schelestadt bombarded vigorously

22 Oct. Engagement near Evreux

22 Oct. Fighting at Vouray, Cussey, &c., in the Vosges ;

French “army of the east" defeated, 22 Oct. German attack on Chatillon le Duc repulsed by gen. Cambriels

22 Oct. M. de Kératry assumes command of the army

in Brittany St. Quentin taken by the Germans after half an

hour's cannonading, 21 Oct. ; evacuated by

them Reported failure of the suggestions concerning

an armistice, through Prussia demanding that France should consent to a cession of

territory Gambetta informs the majors of towns that

“resistance is more than ever the order of the

day” Reported negotiations for the surrender of