NOTES AND INCIDENTS

Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 788, 4 February 1871, Page 1 (Supplement)

NOTES AND INCIDENTS

There are at present in Germany upwards of 25,000 widows and 120,000 fatherless children, owing to the losses in the Landwehr corps. A balloon was seen by a trawling sloop to descend about five miles south of the Eddystone Lighthouse. The balonn was too far to the leeward for the sloop to render any assistance. The aeronauts seemed to realise their position, and the balloon rose suddenly and went off very rapidly, before an east wind blowing. An east wind has been blowing stovngly in the Channel from the east all day, and if the balloon did not make the Scilly Islands, there is every probability of its being carried out across the Atlantic. It is supposed to be a Paris balloon. The Dan+zic, from Christiansund, arrived in Leith with a box addressed to the French Consul, containing 4001 b weight of letters, which had been picked up by some fishermen near Mandal, in Norway. These letters formed a balloon post, which left Paris on the 26th ult. for Tours. The balloon was driven northwards, and the letters were dropped a quarter of a mile from the shore. The letters have been forwarded to London, and will be conveyed thence by special messenger to Tours.. The Posen Zeitung mentions the arrest atßromberg on the 24th of Bertha Weiss, the heroine whose fame was recently trumpeted as having served in the army, and received the Iron Cross for rescuing a flag captured by the French. The whole story is a fabrication, apparently concocted for the purpose of obtaining

presents of money from a credulous public. She has been escorted by soldiers to Konigsberg, her apprehension creating no little sensation. Mr Worth, a British subject, is in prison at Versailles. Mr Worth was shut up in Paris, and, having a hundred pounds at his command, sought to leave the capital without troubling Mr Wodehouse or any one else. With three others he went up in a balloon more than a fortnight ago, with a wind which would have carried the travellers into Belgium, but on its changing they were carried into the Prussian lines. When it was almost dark, they were obliged to descend to earth. As they were about 250 yards from the ground, they were welcomed by a shower of Prussian bullets, some of which pierced the balloon. The descent was long and arduous, and while it proceeded the Prussians still continued firing. At last they ceased, and the travellers were made prisoners just outside Verdun. The well-known steamers which run between Brest and New York have recently brought rifles, cartridges, and even cannon and mitrailleuses, into France to an extent throwing the exportation of our merchants into the shade. They have, indeed, according to credible statements, gone beyond this, and, in violation of the laws of the Federation, have carried recrnits to the French army. Shipments within two months of nearly 400,000 guns and carbines, of 45,000,000 cartridges, besides 11,000 boxes of them, of five mitrailleuses, and fifty-five cannon, are facts that can be ascertained at New York by any one who will take the pains to resort to the proper channels of information there. The Germans find some rigour necessary in governing the occupied provinces of France. At Rheims three physicians have been arrested and sent to Magdeburg, on the charge of hostile machinations. At Strasburg, on Saturday, an arrest was made at the Hotel d'Augleterre at the close of a concert given by a Bavarian military band, and attended by the principle people of the town. The arrest is said to be connected with the discovery of a secret post, which regularly brought letters from the interior -of

France to the adherents of the Provisional Government in Alsace. In Lorraine, since the recovery of Orleans by the French, the rural population have regained confidence, and the most absurd rumors of Prussian losses before Paris circulate among them. The explosion of Fort Plappeville, at Metz, though accidental, and fatal to not more than 50 soldiers, is greatly exaggerated. At Neu Briesach, according to a correspondent of the Carhnihe Gazette, many still expect deliverance, and their hopes rise rapidly, even on the news of the capture of the smallest detached post. The universal reply to his question, who was responsible for the misery the place has undergone, was, "The Emperor and all his clique." " But there will come a terrible reckoning for him," added one inhabitant. Another was glad that Germany had freed France from the Emperor, whom he accused of still working on the minds of the people through the priests, but insisted that after Sedan Germany should have stopped the war. A third remarked, "It is all the same to me whether I remain French or must become German, but we ought to be enabled to live quietly and in permanent peace." Wurtemburg, Baden, and Hesse Darmstadt have definitely agreed to enter the North German Confederation, but Baden insists on reserving her military and diplomatic sovereignty. A Frankfort telegram, dated Friday, says : — " The negotiations which have been carried on with the South German Ministers at Versailles having demonstrated that there is no prospect of Bavaria agreeing to join entirely the German Confederation, an agreement is to be brought about instead by treaty for establishing a close connection between Bavaria and the new Confederation.

The Gauhis of the 7th November says that after the attempted revolution in Paris on the 31st October a letter was found on the table where Flourens and his associates had been sitting, apparently addressed to the director of the bague at Toulon, and in these terms : — tl Citizen, we must at any price have William's head. Send a hundred resolute convicts. Make haste ; time presses." The signature was illegible. This proposed assassination of the King of Prussia shows that in the eyes of the partisans of the Commune all means are legitimate. The revolutionists not only broke or spoilt the furniture at the Hotel de Ville, but stole the coats, paletots, military uniforms, umbrellas, and everything they could carry off. Near Metz there is a small house, probably for sheltering cattle, which stands half-way between the French aud German outposts. In thiß little house, every evening after dusk, for the last few days before the capitulation, the German patrols left some bread, some salt, and whatever they could spare from their own rations. Every man of them — the 2nd Jagers and the 54th Pomeranian Regiment — saved from his bread, from his meat, from his salt, from his little stock of tobacco, something to add to that store left every night by the soldiers of Germany to assist the French. The secret papers disclose the cause of President Delesvaux's suicide. For every political prisoner brought before him (and he never had the weakness to acquit one) this Judge received a sum of money proportioned to the number of months' imprisonment and the amount of fines inflicted, and the political and social standing of the prisoner. These Imperial largesses enabled the corrupt Judge, whose salary as president of a correctional tribunal was ridiculously small, to accumulate a large fortune. Finding his iniquities brought to light, blockaded in Paris, unable to escape, and certain to be brought to trial, he resolved to do justice upon himself.

A letter from Carlsruhe describes an ambulance which was sent from thence to Paris, fitted up in the most perfect way for the wounded. It consists of thirteen carriages, like the Swiss railway carriages, having a passage down the middle, and on each side a double tier of berths, one over the other as in a ship, with an arm-chair between each for the attendants. A kitchen is attached to it, a surgery, and everything needed. Four doctors accomj! pany it. The Grand Duchess went last week to see the hospitals at Strasburg. The horrors there are beyond description. There are 115 wounded women and children. The Grand Duchess has just been making arrangements to have a children's hospital for the wounded now in Strasburg. A house has been given

for the purpose about an hour from Strasburg. Prince Frederick Charles's army, on its march from Metz to the south-west, encountered at several points hostile demonstrations on the part of the population. At Troyes some of the inhabitants wanted to defend the city, but the more intelligent and well-disposed people, headed by the mayor, gained the upper hand, and the obstructions to the entry of the Germans were removed or filled up. An Uhlan of the vanguard was, however, attacked, owing to which the city was fined L4OO. In a neighboring village some soldiers were fired at from the houses, an artillery officer being killed and a subaltern wounded. Four hostages were taken from the village to be interned in a Prussian fortress. The food and lodging of the troops in Troyes were generally satisfactory. In the towns and villages between Troyes and Sens the soldiers found the people experated against them by the press and the priests, and only restrained by the fear of retribution. Between VUleneuve, l'Archevd6que, and Sens the' raads were obstructed by excavations and stones, the milestones being also removed. This gave the pioneers some trouble. At Sens, a place with 10,000 inhabitants, the entry of the troops wa» threatened with opposition, which, however, was abandoned on a few batteries being sent to the front.

The Eclto dv Nord gives the following account by an eye witness of the fighting near. Amiens : — "On Satnrday evening the right of our small army was established at Boves and Dury, our left leaning on Villers-Bretonnenx. Considerable masses of the enemy were in front of us, but positions, were unfavorable as we were impeded by the river Somme. On the night of Saturday to Sunday, the engineers of the left wing were ordered to construct earthworks- in front of Tillers for batteries to be established there. I accompanied Captain A „ who started for that purpose with his men. The works were built at a short distance from a mill and a brickfield,, whicli I mention on account of the share they after-wards-had in the issue of the affair. Our artillery was placed in position and opened fire at dawn. The; enemy's guns had already been thundering far some time. Onr skirmishers at once- deployed, supported by a battalion of Marine Infantry, which during the whole day showed great firmness, and a courage above all praise. Most of the skirmishers were Mobiles. They behaved bravely, did not once break out of their line, advanced or withdrew, according as the necessity of the fight demanded, just as would have been done by experienced troops. The fight lasted thua till the evening. At 4 p.m. the enemy was repulsed, and we had gained ground. Oar artillery, handled with the utmost bravery and skill, had caused considerable injury in the ranks of the enemy, wlo r attacked on all sides by onr projectiles^ in spite of numerical inferiority of our batteries,, had been compelled to withdraw. At half-past 4 all fire had ceased, the skirmisher* had reformed, each preparing for departure, and congratulating himself on an incontestable victory which had been obtained without much loss. We only waited for orders from Head-Quarters to- go and find food and rest, which we needed extremely. Suddenly an orderly came up at full speed, and having exchanged a few words with an artillery officer^, galloped off, whereupon the artillery immediately left its positions. Not receiving any orders, we determined to follow the artillery. Captain A — and his men proceeded down the road, and I accompanied them. A party of ten engineer pioneers was detached to go and fetch the tools which had been deposited in the morning at the above-mentioned mill, some 300 paces from the road, which mill bad been during the day used as a refreshment place for our soldiers, who had only just left it. We waited for a qitarter of an hour. Noboby was to be seen ; the party of pioneers not returning, Captain A , growing impatient, pushed on to the house. At the same moment a wounded sergeant came out of it, shouting, 'Do not go in ; it is full of enemies.' He had hardly spoken, when a tremendous tiring was opened from the inside of the mill, of the bricklayers' house, and from the adjacent hedges. Captain A , miraculously preserved, ordered a quick retreat, which was effected under a shower of bullets. Darkness soon saved us from complete destruction. We ran at the doable towards Villers-Bretonneux, which we reached sadly decimated. At the extremity of the high street of Villers, we saw a black, motionless mass, above which a white flag was waved. An incredible thing ! There again were Prussians in occupation of the positions in the rear which we had just left, and where our reserves ought to have been. Well knowing what the Prussians were capable of, Capt. A ordered us to enter a by-street. It was high time we did so, as we had hardly turned the corner when a volley swept the street. At the extremity of the street we had entered another black mass was seen approaching. They were the Prussians again. We made another move to the left, and found another street obstructed, We were surrounded. What were we to do? Surrender? Never. We quickly agreed to try each of us to escape as best we could. With Captain A a lieutenant, a sergeant, and one pioaeer, I entered a small house. We hid ourselves in a kind of dark granary. An old woman came and ordered us to be oft*. 'I am old and lonely,' she said, 'You will cause me to be murdered. Be off ! or I will denounce you.' We were indignant. We heard the Prussians as they passed and repassed along the street, howling, firing in all directions, and breaking open doors. We preferred to stay where we were. We had at least a chance of escape. The old woman did not denounce us. After some hours of anxiety she brought blouses and caps, for which we paid 40f ; and protected by darkness we left the house. We succeeded in reaching Albert in spite of dangers of all kinds. Here we are now ready again to encounter the enemy." From the foregoing, the Echo says, we may conclude that we were outflanked, and that the Prussians must have received considerable reinforcements at the last moment. A wounded German officer told us that the enemy's plan was to reach Lille and Dunkirk, and to occupy the north with a view to check the operations of the 22nd Army Corps.