NEWS BY THE MAIL.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 784, 4 March 1871, Page 2

NEWS BY THE MAIL.

One of the most courageous episoda of the war has been both the attack oi Beaune-la-Kolande by the French, ano its equally brilliant defence by a verj inferior force of Germans under General Voights Rhetz. The "Times" 1 special correspondent at Versailles Mr Russell, describes the battle in hi letter published last Wednesday fron exclusively German sources, and doa full justice to the heroism bothofthi attacking and the attacked troops, The Germans had a very strong bar ricaded position, and fired a perfed hail of bullets from behind the barri cades, while the town, riddled andse! on fire by the French artillery, w& burning in their rear. The Frenc! fell fast, he says, under the hail o bullets, " as they neared the barricade but the column still went on tilli reached the barricade, when, greets with glistening bayonets, it melt« away beneath the rolling fire. Lodj lines of dead and dying marked it path, thickest where the crossing c the brook caused a momentary dek] and gave a steadier aim to the Prus sians." The German resistance m as heroic as the French attack. Gene ral Wedel, who was the immediati commander at Beaune, sent to Genen Voights Rhetz to say he would hoi Beaune while he had a man left, an he was almost held to his prombe reinforcements from Prince Fredericl Charles from Pithiviers reached hii only just in time to check the Frew! and compel their retirement. Tt Germans had shelter and a good pos tion, the French the advantage i numbers; the gallantry was quit equal. Alsace, by all accounts, both Freni and German, continues incurably rei less under conquest. The "Allji meine Zeituug" (published at Attj burg) says that the Alsatians will i accept office under the Germans, at that the newspapers daily give lettei from officials resigning the offices J signed to them, and declining to he! the Germans, so that German admit trators are brought from a distance! govern the province. Attacks » constantly made on the telegraph U railways, so that Alsatians are coi polled to accompany the trains I ensure the safety of the Gent officials. Young Alsatians escape considerable numbers to the i'reo armies, and German Alsatians prete: not to understand German, answers their German conquerors in bad Freu with " Je ne combrens bas." The following are the sentences wK German courts-martial have beeuordei to pass upon Alsatians tried bet them : " For enlisting or enlistments in military service the German army, 20 years' hard lahfl and a fine of LISOO ; if under extendi ting circumstances, imprisonment hard labour amd a fine of LISU V defaming the King of Prussia or as;H the allied German Princes, not less tM two months' imprisonment or hi a fortress for any term not five years. For obstructing any <>§■ or soldier in the execution of bis two or five years' imprisonment and a fine of L3O or a year's ment for passive, obstruction." are not cruel sentences, as the prise™ would, of course, be released on'jß termination of the war ; but they tfH

Irespeit harsh. Only a German d punish a people under invasion, Jo t yet conqutre 1, for forming or jssing a bad opinion of the principal ler. Imagine what they would said if Napoleon had imprisoned a (.master on such ground! The tiau revenge is an apt one. The ,qs who before spoke a patois now c French. e Germans are evidently approachbe end of their resources in men. have been compelled to call out the 100 Landwehr between the ages of d 10, men who are all married, who • expected to serve, Jind who suffer itionally during a winter campaign. with these additions their numbers >ly keep up, Prince Frederick Charles g with him but 90,000 men, while orce round Paris suffers terribly the daily Josses by disease, invalidusufticient food, shelling from the and three days of battle. Excluding the garisons of A lsace and Lorraine, ind the forces employed in siege operaions, the armies really maintaining the contest can scarcely muster more than 100,000 men, while the French have nearly twice that number who may some day fight like their own marines. Wonderful efforts are still being made for the prosecution of the war, and the oldest classes of the Landwehr are being drafted, equipped, and sent to the front, calls being made upon officers formerly in service to return to active duty. Officials of various departments are sent, with muskets on tlieir shoulders, to fill the civil posts in the conquered territory. Playbills announce that the actors, singers, aud g scene-shifters have all gone to the war. :l The Potsdam and Anhalt railways fare daily forwarding 115 loads of the (largest projectiles. The great gun foundry at Spandau is incessantly at work manufacturing ordnauce of the I largest calibre, ! M, Thiers estimates the entire i number of French troops at 750,000. I A Prussian column trying to cross 1 the Loire on the ice lost 300, who were I drowned. The Prussians are fortifying their line of retreat between Versailles and Metz. PRUSSIAN EXCESSES, Ten theusaud Prussians, with artillery occupy Blois, and have pillaged the public and private houses. Twenty thousand Prussians are at Orleans. Men and officers are pillagers. They committed excesses because the ruined inhabitants were not able to give the requisitions demanded. The Prussians threaten to take away as hostages fifty prominent citizens, unless 600,000 francs for maltreatment of soldiers be paid. The Prussians caunonaded St. Calais, then entered the place, committing disorders. Chancey sent a protest to the Prussian General, and issued an oraer of the day to his troops, saying he had warned the Prussians against such horrible actions, Committed against unarmed places and people who merit better treatment, because they are so humane to the Prussian sick and wounded. Chancey adds: " France is not combating loyal enemies but devastating hordes She will continue to preserve her honor and independence." A " Herald " cable from Bordeaux, dated the 21st says: —Great excitement prevails at the conduct of the Germans at Orleans, who subjected Bishop Dupanloup to the greatest indignities. It is reported that he has addressed a pastoral to the clergy, invoking the vengeance of Heaven upon the barbarians who, while in a cathedral filled with thousands of French prisoners left without bread or fuel, caused the organ to be played in derision of their suffering (?). A priest wearing the dress of a member of the International Aid Society, while attending dying soldiers, had his head laid open by a sabre cut. Another priest was shot for refusing to give information relative to the French army. The French have completed beyond Mont Valerien fortifications which throw shells beyond Versailles, thus rendered untenable for the Prussians. It is reported that the Prussians are incensed at the reports of the English correspondents with their armies, and have sent many away after bad treatment. Thirty-seven new battalions of the National Guards have been created in Paris. In the north and north-east the Prussians have lost heavily by battles and sickness. The villages are encumbered with wounded. Numbers of Germans also suffer from sore eyes. At Chalons-sur-Marne there are 18,000 sick and wounded Germans. The Germans assaulted Belfort twice, hut were repulsed with considerable loss. On December 29th the Prussians assaulted Belfort again, and were repulsed with loss. In the assault on" the 21st, they had fifty waggons full of wounded, which were taken to Chatenois. When they arrived there nearly all were dead—frozen frozen. The Prussians are now sending to the front Landwehr of the second bund, aged 42 and 43 years. It is considered that the utmost effort which Germany is capable of making is being made. The system of supplying the vast army, though it is admitted to be admirable, cannot obviate the dissatisfaction and distrust which exist in considerable sections of the territory, notwithstanding the official statements concerning victualling and clothing of the troops. The Government appreciates the difficulty of the situation in its proper light, although no sign of discouragement is perceptible. The

former enthusiasm has ceased to exist and a strong desire for peace is expressed. A rose-colour tint is given to all official accounts, so that only from piivat3 sources do we learn that the hospitals around Versailles contain 8000 sick and wounded.