THE FRANCO-GERMAN WAR (PART III.) 
565 
southwards, lie came in contact with a French division at Artenay, and 
drove it back in disorder. Following up his success, the advance was 10 th. Oct. 
continued the next day, and a portion of the newly-formed 15th French 
Corps attacked in a rear guard position it had taken up to the north of 
Orleans. The elements of the future Army of the Loire were much 
scattered at this period, and the French forces, unable to hold their 
ground, fell back, after a stubborn resistance, through the city, which 
was occupied the same night by the German troops. 11 Oct. 
General Yon derTann, having thus fulfilled his task, was ordered to 
hold Orleans with the I. Bavarian Corps, and keep a careful watch with 
his cavalry on the growing strength of the enemy at Tours and Bourges.* 
The 22nd Division and 4th Cavalry Division were despatched by a 
westerly route back to the army of investment, but did not proceed 
further than Chartres, on account of the determined opposition which 
was offered to them at Chateaudun by some Franc-Tireurs and Gardes 
Mobiles. isthOct. 
While the troops of the III. Army had thus cleared the country to 
the south and southward of the capital, the Meuse Army had been 
equally successful in a series of petty actions in the north. The French 
troops opposed to it consisted of small bodies of the National Guard, 
who were driven back without difficulty to their bases of operations at 
Amiens and Bouen. On the south-eastern side, near Nogent, several 
skirmishes of small importance also took place. The positions occupied 
by the German troops were unaltered during the latter portion of the 
month, and the territory occupied by the blockading army extended to October, 
the Loire on the south, the Eure on the west, and as far as Mondidier 
on the north. 
In the eastern theatre of war, the capture of Strassburg had left 
the greater part of its besieging force free for further operations. The 27 th sept. 
Guard Landwehr Division was sent to Paris, and a XIY. Corps formed 
and placed under command of General von Werder, for the purpose of 
checking hostile enterprises from Belfort and its neighbourhood, and 
in order to clear a new line of communication to the capital by way of 
Chaumont. The fortresses of Schlestadt and Neu Breisach were at the 
same time invested by reserve troops. General Werder, after some 
fighting in the Yosges with detached bodies of the enemy, pushed south¬ 
wards, and reached Epinal on the 12th October. Finding that a French 
force was assembling near Besan^on, a further advance in three columns 
was made, and Yesoul reached on the 19th. Two days later a brisk 
fight took place on the Ognon, the French being thrown back on their 
main stronghold at Besan 9 on. The defensive position of the enemy being 
very strong, Werder determined to continue his march westward, 
dispersing on his way the newly forming levies of Garibaldi. New 
instructions were, however, received at the end of the month, owing to 
the expected surrender of Metz. By these the XIY. Corps was detailed 
for the investment of Belfort, and the general observation of Southern 
Alsace. In accordance with these fresh orders, Dijon was attacked, and 
captured after a stubborn resistance on the 31st October, and served 3ist Oct. 
To the south and south-west of Orleans. 
