566 THE FRANCO-GERMAN WAR (PART III») 
as a base from which onslaughts were made upon the ubiquitous French 
levies. 
The positions of the contending forces have now been traced up to 
the end of October, at which period the capitulation of Metz set free the 
I. and II. German Armies. The active measures taken by the Tours 
Government were beginning to bring in their fruits. Armies of consi¬ 
derable strength were assembling in the north, south, and east, and 
from each quarter successive attempts were made to raise the siege of the 
capital—efforts both independent and unconnected. Communication 
was, however, maintained between the exterior and interior of the 
beleagured city, and it will be found that the larger sorties were gener¬ 
ally combined with an attempt at relief from the outside. 
Attention is first directed to the campaigns on the Loire, which 
commenced at this period (November), the account of which will be 
continued up to their close. It must be remembered, however, that 
although from henceforward the narrative of each separate campaign is 
kept distinct, they were to a certain extent synchronous; and a careful 
attention to dates can alone give a fair idea of the difficulties the 
German forces had to contend with in preventing the raising of the 
investment of the capital. 
campaign The, First Campatgn on the Loire. —Up to the beginning of 
Loire! November the German staff had not been able to acquire accurate 
information about the newly raised French levies. The Army of the 
Loire, composed of the elite of the existing French forces, was known to 
be organising somewhere between Bourges and Tours, but its strength 
and composition were doubtful. An offensive movement towards the 
capital might soon be looked for, and it was important to discover where 
the main attack was to be made, so as to concentrate a sufficient force 
to ward it off. In view of the impending capitulation of Metz, provi¬ 
sional orders had been sent to the II. Army to march as soon as 
possible with the utmost rapidity towards the Middle Loire, and it was 
calculated that its leading troops would reach Fontainebleau about the 
middle of the month. Till it arrived, however, the defence of the 
country to the south and west of Paris had to be entrusted to the few 
troops that could be spared from the investing force. No hostile 
demonstrations were observed during the first days of November, and 
the troops protecting the investment remained in watchful repose. 
Two French corps (15th and 16th), under the command of General 
de Paladines, were in the meantime assembling to the south and south¬ 
west of Orleans, with the intention of making a combined attack on that 
city, and advancing from thence to second a pre-arranged sortie in force 
from Paris. The movement was executed with lamentable slowness at 
the beginning of the month. The main body (about 60,000 strong) 
moved up the right bank of the Loire from Mer, and Marckenoir, while 
two smaller columns were directed from Salbris* and Gien. 
On the afternoon of the 8th of November, General Yon der Tann 
(who was commanding at Orleans) became acquainted with the 
* 33 miles south of Orleans. 
