The Franco-German War of 1870-71Moltke, Helmuth, Graf von
History
The Franco-German War of 1870-71
Moltke, Helmuth, Graf von
Franco-Prussian War, 1870-1871
The Germans had had to do with Cremer's Division, 10,000 strong, which
lost 1700 men, among them 650 unwounded prisoners. The Baden Division
had lost 900 men. It encamped for the night on the market-place of the
town and in the villages to the eastward. Next morning the French were
found to have retreated still further, but the Germans were not strong
enough for pursuit. The XIVth Corps had already been obliged to spare
seven battalions for the investment of Belfort. General von Werder
therefore returned to Dijon, where he assembled all the forces still
left to him with those of General von der Goltz from Langres, and waited
to see whether the enemy would again advance against him. But the month
of December ended without any further disturbance.
THE IST ARMY IN DECEMBER.
While the IInd Army was fighting on the Loire, General von Manteuffel,
after the victory of Amiens, marched on Rouen.
General Farre was indeed at Arras, in the rear of this movement, but the
disorder in which his troops had retired after the battle made it
probable that he would do nothing, at any rate for the present. The 3rd
Brigade, too, was left in Amiens, with two cavalry regiments and three
batteries, to occupy the place and protect the important line of railway
to Laon.
The outlook to the west was more serious than to the north, for from
thence at this juncture hostile forces threatened to interfere with the
investment of Paris. General Briand was at Rouen with some 20,000 men,
and had advanced his leading troops up to the Epte, where at Beauvais
and Gisors he came in contact with the Guard Dragoon regiment and the
Saxon Cavalry Division detached from the Army of the Meuse. The
detachment of infantry which accompanied the latter had lost 150 men and
a gun in a night surprise.
When the Ist Army reached the Epte on December 3rd, both bodies of
cavalry joined its further march, and the French retired behind the
Andelles. The VIIIth Corps reached the vicinity of Rouen after petty
skirmishes by the way, and found an intrenched position abandoned at
Isneauville; and on December 5th General von Goeben entered the chief
city of Normandy. The 29th Brigade advanced on Pont Audemer, the Ist
Corps crossed the Seine higher up at Les Andelys and Pont de l'Arche.
Vernon and Evreux were occupied, whence numbers of Gardes-Mobiles had
retreated by railway to Liseux. On the northern bank the Guard Dragoon
Regiment reconnoitred as far as Bolbec, and the Uhlan Brigade found no
enemy in Dieppe.
The French had retired to Havre, and a considerable force had been
conveyed in ships that were in readiness, to Honfleur on the other bank
of the Seine. The 16th Division continued its march on Havre, reaching
Bolbec and Lillebonne on the 11th.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account