WAR ITEMS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 157, 9 February 1871, Page 7

WAR ITEMS.

The "Union de TOuest" prints a letter from Champagne dated Nov. 12, in which the following extract from a letter of Madame la Marechale de MacMahon is quoted :— " You have probably read in the paper that my husband has been at Cassel. This is not true ; but the fact is that he was invited by the Prussians to proceed there with the other marshals. He obstinately declined to do so, not wishing that his name should be associated with the intrigues of the enemy. Say it, and repeat it as loudly as you can."

" Marshal Bazaine is short, and decidedly stout, with close-cropped hair, moustache, and beard, the latter dyed a dark brown. His manner is somewhat curt, as military manners in the higher grades are apt to be, but perfectly friendly and courteous. I was, indeed, agreeably surprised, bearing somewhat vividly in mind the sore complaints of the unhappy Emperor Maximilian at the sans faeon of the marshal with regard to him, and not by any means expecting to find that recent misfortunes, or the pleasantries of citizen Gambetta, had rendered him any more agreeable. I found him, however, as pleasant an old gentleman as one would wish to meet, though I could quite fancy his being able to make himself othei-wise if he chose. Judging by his- manner, I should say Bazaine's feeling with respect to Citizen Gambetta and his accusers of treachery was one of simple contempt. Soldiers, as the Marshal very justly observed, cannot live on air. I remarked that M. Garnbetia's proclamation was rather a strong step. The Marshal shrugged himself all over — hands, shoulders, eyebrows, all. It was very natural. M. G-ambetta had got out of the way of truth, aud there was nothing for it but to go on. But the truth would be known some day." Achille Bizzoni, writing from Bourg on the 10th, thus gives his first impressions of the Graribaldian camp : — We seem here in the midst of a bal masque. Thousands of different costumes are to be seen. Children, at most sixteen years old, are camping in the mud of the fields, scarcely covered with a thin blue blouse, like thoso worn by our carters. The Bretons and Ereneh Garibaldians wear low broad-brimmed hats, like those in the opera of Dinorali. The Francs-tireurs all dress unlike each other. The Mobiles, intermixed with the last remnants of the line, a few hussars between the dragoons and the Chasseurs d'Afrique who escaped from the Prussians at Sedan and Metz ; hospital attendants, with the red cross on a white field, and amid this mass of soldiers, who are not serious, but careless, a number of women and children, who wander through the field, in order to avoid the terrible enemy — such is the picture which presents itself to me."

The expense of the war to North Germany, according to the " Cologne Gazette," is more than a million thalers (a thaler is about Bs.) per day. It has already cost 112,000,000, or including the marine, 121,000,000 thalers. A new loan having become necessary, the proposal of the Government is that they shall have general authority to borrow 100,000,000 thalers, it being contended that it is neither politically nor economically advantageous to depend on foreigners, and that Germans are 7'ieh enough to advance the necessary- funds. Austria, llussia, Italy, and Turkey are cited in proof of the undesirability of raising a loan abroad.

The balloon post is threatened with a new enemy. Tbe " Cologne Gazette" mentiors the passage through the town of a balloon cannon, constructed by Krupp at Essen. It consists of a platform resting on four wheels, movable in all directions, from the centre of which »v iron cylinder five feet high rises obliquely. In the upper part of this fixed cylinder a tolerably short gun is inserted, movable in all directions. The arrangement is something like that of large stationary telescopes. The range of the gun is 1300 or 1500 feet.

A Berlin correspondent states that great interest was excited there the other day by a wounded soldier, believed to be a lady. She is about twenty-four years of age, and is said to have entered the army under the name of Von Weiss, after having passed the necessary examination's with eclat. It appears that she distinguished herself on the field by recovering a German flag which had fallen into the hands of the enemy. For this gallant deed she was decorated with the Iron Cross. She had received four wounds, and was re-., turning home to Tilsit to get her health re-established.

There are at present in Germany upwards of 29,000 widows and 120,000 fatherless children, owing to the losses in the Landwehr corps.

The " Siecle " estimates the number of soldiers who made their escape from Metz at about 10,000.

A letter from Toulon, in tho " Messager dv MicTi," communicated by Mr. Reuter's express, .says: — " A ballon •monte which had been signalled by telegraph, was noticed in the clouds as *t crossed over the Department of Vau|luse, rushing towards the. south with fieadlong speed. The instructions sent

rto the Departments bordering the seaordered everyone to follow its course carefully, and to help it in case of need. It seems that it struck on the mountain top of the the Sainte Baurae, where the

aeronauts at last were able to alight, not on the ground, but in the snow, having travelled over two hundred leagues in less than 15 hours. This balloon had left Paris the day before, and in its flight had met with a whirlwind from the north-west, which carried it away like r feather, and prevented its conductors from descending, and thus avoiding the overwhelming current of air. The"*" travellers were at last able to fasten their gi apnel on a rock, about a thousand metres above the level of the sea ; and it was high time to do so. At the first dawn of day they found they were in sight of the blue waves of the Meditfceranean, where they wonld have run every risk of being drowned. The travellers and a few hundred kilos of messages are on their way to Tours."

If the war has made the Germans ungenerous towards the French, it has given occasion for the display of a great deal of good feeling among thamselves. A small farmer, who has sent no less c*han three stalwart sons to the array, was in great distress as to the ploughing of his fields in their absence. He could not afford to pay for help. At once his neighbours — proving, as the German papers remark, that — Ein Nachbar an der Hand Ist besser als zhen Freunde iiber Land — came forward and offered to do everything that would have been clone if the sons had been at home. Instances of a similar kind, we believe, have been frequent all over Germany. The same farmer went at the proper time to pay his rent, having had some difficulty, in the circumstances, in procuring the required sum. He laid the money on the table, waiting to get the usual receipt, To his surprise the landlord pushed back the thalers, and looking up, said, "No, no, N., you have three sons with our brave array in France, put the money in your pocket again, and help the young people with it. I am paid." Those who know the financial position of most country magnates in Germany will be able to realise how much was implied iv this proceeding.

Marshal Bazaine has written a letter to tho " Nord," bearing date Nov. 2. He says :—": — " I have read your political bulletin of Nov. 1, in which you refer to M. Gambetta's proclamation. You are right ; the army of the Rhine would not have obeyed a traitor The only reply I shall make to this lying lucubration is to send you tho order of the day (already published) which was addressed to the army after tho couucils of war held on October 26 and 28. M. Gambetta does not seem to be aware of what he is say.na;, c of tbe position in which the army at Metz was placed, when he stigmatises, as he does, its chief, who strug^led for three months against forces double those at his disposal, and whose effective strength was always kept up. I received no communications from the Government at Tours, notwithstanding the efforts made to place ourselves in relations. The army of Metz had one marshal, 24 generals, 2140 officers, and 42,350 men struck by the enemy's fire, and it trade itself respected in every fight in which it engaged. Such an army could not be composed of traitors and cowards. Famine and disorganisation alone caused the arms to fall from the hands of tho 65,000 real combatants who remained. The artillery and cavalry were without horses, it having keen necessary to kill them to alleviate the privations of the army. Had the latter not displayed such energy and patriotism, it would have had to succumb in tbe first fortnight of October, when the rations were already reduced to 300 grammes, and later on to 250 grammes of bad bread. Add to this dark picture the fact of there being 20,000 sick and wounded with their medicines on the point of failing and themselves suffering from the effects of the torrential rains. France has always been deceived as to our position. I. know not why ; but the truth will one day prevail. We are conscious of having done our duty."

The official journals pass under silence miseries that reign in Prussia, and the other journals do not speak of them for patriotic or other reasons. In the proviece of Westphalia there are 11,817 widows of the Landwehr fallen on the field of battle, who during the last month have addressed the Governingat asking for succour. The number of children of these widows is 22,723. In the Rhenish provinces there are 14,312 widows, with 26,619 children, and in the province of Hanover there are 9,624 widows, with 26,416 children, and all asking for alms. In Eastern Prussia the distress is indescribable. To the list; of widows and orphans above mentioned we must add still 80,000 womon and children, of whom the fathers and husbands are still in campaign, and who are asking also for help from the Government.

"The shocking casualties among prominent conwnanders iv the present war, followed by sudden and amazing recovery, will be cited," says the New York " Tribune " of October 7, t:hereafter as the greatest curiosity of history, The Emperor Napoleon died at Chalons at an , early period of the struggle.' He died again between Chalonfr and M6zieres. He tried to die a third time at the .head of bis army, but could not. At present he is in better health than he .has, enjoyed for years. Marshal MacMahon, after being instantaneously killed at Sedan, recovered in time to be mortally wounded and die in Belgium. He is

now convalescent. General Faiily was shot by his own troops. lie was after-> wards killed in battle by the Prussians. Finally he was executed for cowardice. He is now alive and well. King William went raving mad, and was convoyed to Berlin in a strait-jacket, ever since which time he has been in command at the front. Bismark has been shot. The Crown Prince was killed in action three weeks ago. Subsequently the former gentleman held several interesting conversations with M. Favre and the " Tribune " correspondent : and the Prince, notwithstanding; his untimely demise, has continued to make pretty lively times iv the neighbourhood of Paris. The latest victim is General Von Moltke, who has been borne to his grave in three lead coffins, at three different times, and with three splendid funeral processions. He has not reappeared yet ; but he has been so effectually buried that the resurrection will take longer in his case than it did in others." It is unnecessary to add that the great Prussian general has reappeared loug ago. Of all the war incidents I have read (and I have read not a few), I never met with anything so touching as the following: — "A Prussian hussar, w'io had got off his horse to carry water to dying comrades, was killed, with the poor soldier he was relieving, by a shell, iv the very act of pouring the water down the throat of one of them ; and just then his regiment moved off, his empty horso following in the ranks, — whereupon the -'Times" correspondent remarked :—": — " Only those who have seen a battle-fteld can form a notion of tho extraordinary way in which the horses, as long as they have a leg to stand on, will follow the regiment to which they belong. I saw what had evidently been sergeants' horses keeping their position in the rear of their squadron, wheeling with it, and halting exactly as if thoir riders were on their backs, and ail the time streaming with blood. Poor creatures ! they are indeed to be pitied, for they neither have Vaterland, promotion, nor the coveted medal to think of, whatever may be the issue ; and few indeed are there whic'i have been in action which have not some honourable scars to show." The correspondent of the c: German Post " relate.-! that " after the slaughter at Vionville, on the 18th of August, a HLrange and iouchiug spectacle was presented. On the evening fall being sounded by the first Regiment of Dragoons of tho Guard, 602 I'iderlesa horses answered to the summons, jaded, and iv many cases maimed. The noble animals still retained their disciplined habits." Six hudred and two riderless horses answered to the evening call. AVhat a subject for the pencil of a Bonheur or a Landseer ! I never hoar anyone express any sympathy for the poor hor&e, who shares with his master all the horrors of this terrible war, Yet who that reads these incidents can doubt that he deserves it ? This using of the horse for war purposes may in time come to be looked upon as a horrible species of cruelt) to animals, and be put down by the voice of public opinion, as privateering is now.