(JKKMAX-KUKXni \\.\li. 



<lto allow this, ho went through 

 01 t-. Versailles, whoro In- arrived on 

 'ili. Mismaivk was willing to con- 

 an armistice of four weeks, during which 

 ilitary situation was to remain unchanged. 

 Fillers, in the name of the Provisional 

 Government, also demanded that Paris bo al- 

 1 to take in fresh provisions, without otlVr- 

 iiu' fur this concession a military compensation. 

 This demand was rejected by Bismarck. < >n 

 November 7th, Thiers returned to Tours with- 

 out having accomplished any thin-,'. 



In tho south, the Germans had, in tho 

 mean while, boon compelled to abandon a few 

 of tho places which they had occupied. Any 

 intention of marching upon Bourges was 

 abandoned when it was learned that tho forti- 

 fications of that place had boon greatly strength- 

 ened. On Tours, General von der Tann hesi- 

 tated to march, as it appeared dangerous to sep- 

 arate too far from tho bulk of tho Third Army. 

 Soon it was seen that this precaution was well 

 grounded ; for tho French army, in conso- 

 quenco of tho zeal displayed by Gambotta, 

 and the indefatigable efforts of able generals, 

 in particular of the chief commander, Gen- 

 eral Aurelles do Paladines, increased to a much 

 greater strength than the Germans had antici- 

 pated, and on November 5th, numbering about 

 100,000, began to advance on the right bank of 

 tho Loire. On November 7th the vanguard of 

 the two armies met in tho wood of Marchenoir. 

 The French outnumbered tho Germans, and 

 the engagement, which by the French is called 

 the battle near Poisly, ended in the retreat of 

 tho Germans. The French conceived the plan 

 of turning the position of Von der Tann, in 

 order to shut him up in Orleans ; but Von der 

 Tann saw their design, and on November 8th 

 left Orleans with his corps, which numbered 

 from 17,000 to 18,000 men. On the next day the 

 two armies met at Coulmiers. Tho general- 

 ship of tho French in this battle was, accord- 

 ing to the testimony of tho German officers, 

 better than in any other battle of tho war. 

 The Bavarians were largely in the minority, 

 still they successfully repulsed seven attacks 

 upon their position. The engagement lasted 

 from 7 o'clock in tho morning until 5 in the 

 evening, when tho Bavarians began to retreat 

 toward Toury, without being in the least har- 

 assed by the French. Tho French took in this 

 battle two cannon (the first in the war) and 

 twenty wagons of ammunition ; but their 

 losses were greatet than those of tho Ger- 

 mans. In Orleans, which the French occu- 

 pied on November 10th, about 1,000 Germans, 

 mostly sick and wounded soldiers, fell into 

 their hands. The fear entertained in Germany, 

 that this success of tho French might have an 

 influence upon the siege of Paris, proved to be 

 groundless. Von der Tann was at once re- 

 enforced by several detached bodies of troops ; 

 moreover, the Grand-duke of Mecklenburg- 

 Schwerin, with the Thirteenth Army Corps 

 and tho Third Bavarian Division, left the army 



in front of Parid, in order to form a junction 

 with him and to assume tho chief command. 

 This changed tho situation* all the more, 

 becanso Prince Frederick Chariot, who at 

 first was supposed to have an intention of 

 marching into tho valley of tho Rhone, like- 

 wise advanced by forced marches to tho relief 

 of Von der Tann. On November lUth the 

 prince reached Fontainebloau ; on tho follow- 

 ing days Troyea and Seez were occupied, in 

 order to establish a connection with (i 

 von Wordcr. Nevertheless, Aurellea de Pala- 

 dines made one attempt to throw himself be- 

 tween Paris and the Duke of Mecklenburg, but 

 the latter, being informed of tho movement, 

 advanced upon Dreux, and on November 17th 

 forced the whole French line to fall baclc. On 

 tho same day General von Tresckow dispersed 

 a French corps of 17,000 men, took Dreux, and 

 pursued tho enemy to Le Mans. 



With a view, probably, to a cooperation with 

 tho Army of the Loire, General Trochu, on No- 

 vember 12th, had completely reorganized tho 

 Army of Paris by dividing it into three armies; 

 tho first, consisting of 276 battalions of resi- 

 dent National Guards, under General Thomas ; 

 the second, consisting of tho corps Vinoy, Re- 

 nault, and Exea, under Ducrot ; tho third, 

 comprising seven divisions, under General 

 Trochu himself. Soon (November 27th) tho 

 vanguard of Frederick Charles struck the ont- 

 posts of the Army of the Loire. The first 

 skirmishes took place at Ncnville, Bois Com- 

 mun, and Maizieres. An important and bloody 

 encounter took place on November 28th, at 

 Beaume-la-Rolande. The French lost about 

 1,000 killed, 4,000 wounded, and 1,600 prison- 

 ers were taken on this and the following day. 

 The total loss of the Germans was about 1,000 

 men. The Grand -duke of Mecklenburg, who 

 had driven back the French beyond Le Mans, 

 and advanced in a southeasterly direction, in 

 order to cooperate with Frederick Charles, 

 was, on December 2d, attacked at Bazochesles- 

 Ilautes, thirteen miles north of Orleans, by the 

 left wing of the Army of tho Loire, which 

 again endeavored to advance toward Paris. 

 The French were defeated, and the Twenty- 

 second Division advanced as far as Artenay. 

 Eleven pieces of ordnance fell into tho hands 

 of tho Germans, and th Seventeenth Division 

 alone took 1,800 prisoners. On the next day 

 the two armies met at Chevilly, and tho 

 French were again defeated. Prince Frederick 

 Charles, on advancing from Pithiviers, where 

 his headquarters had been on November 21st, 

 encountered tho right wing of the Army of 

 tho Loire at Chilleuse-anx-Bois, and drove it 

 back into the wood of Orleans. On Decem- 

 ber 4th, the battle was renewed by both the 

 German armies, and the French on all points 

 forced to fall back upon Orleans. In the even- 

 ing, the Ninth Corps (Manstein) stormed the 

 railroad depot and tho suburb St. Jeanne la 

 Ruello. During tho night Orleans was evacu- 

 ated by the French, who, being split into two 



