Gazette Of The United States

Foreign Affairs.

PARIS, September 14.

SIEGE OF THIONVILLE.*

The following is the account of the late attack of Thionville, on the 5th and 6th of September, and of the resistance of the garrison, as stated in a letter which M. Merlin read on Friday last, and the authenticity of which he warranted.

"The enemy had erected their batteries near the chapel of Sainte Anne, between the Luxembourg gate and that of Merz, in a small plain, which commanded the fort above La Hauteguge, on the right bank of the Moselle. The troops stationed to defend the fort, perceiving that the enemy were endeavoring to throw up works, and to form a trench, with a view of establishing their batteries in the spot abovementioned, agreed to suffer them to proceed, until a favorable opportunity for interrupting might occur. The besieged being informed that the enemy meant to give the signal of attack by firing a gun, waited patiently till midnight, each of the cannoneers lying down by the side of their guns.—As soon as the besiegers gave the signal, their batteries began to play, but their fire continued only a quarter of an hour, during which time three shells fell in the town, one on the parish church, another on the house of M. Henrion, in the grand street, which did no damage, and the other in the third story in the house of M. Josse, in Hospital-street, which destroyed the furniture, and set fire to the bed.

"At the end of a quarter of an hour the batteries of the town and fort, lighted by fire-ports, played for three hours. The first discharge, which was with langridge, killed many of the enemy, who had advanced in order to attempt an escalade, and this fire obliged the assailants to abandon the place. The garrison then being at liberty to sally forth, collected the tools left by the enemy, among which they found the planks destined to assist them in scaling the walls. Having carried all these things into the fort, a second sally was made to destroy the works of the enemy. It is asserted that three Princes were killed in this action, among whom was the Prince of Waldeck, who at least lost an arm: and that the enemy carried off three waggon loads of dead bodies. When the garrison made their first sortie, they found near the batteries of La Hauteguge, limbs and arms of every kind, together with cloaks, watches, &c. The enemy, satisfied with this ill check have attempted nothing since. The deserters from the camp of Richmont say, that they lost in this affair 450 men, and that they would have given our thousand to preserve the Prince of Waldeck. The environs of the town are at present inundated by the river Sevile, the current of which has been stopped. Fresh orders have been given to the citizens to cut down all the trees within 20 toiles of the town. The army of the enemy, composed now of 35,000 men, 120 of whom are cavalry, quartered Vaud la Moselle last Sunday, in order to advance towards Bar. Others say that a part of this army have joined that of Dumourier, and that two columns have blocked up the King of Prussia in Verdun.

* A strong fortified town, lying on the river Moselle, about 150 miles from Paris.
that he had received accounts of the reinforcement destined for Thionville, having entered that place without the knowledge of the enemy. The following decree was passed with much applause:

1. M. Wimpfen, the troops of the line, and the volunteers who compose the garrison of Thionville, and the citizens of that town, have honourably discharged their duty.

2. An extract from the proces verbal shall be addressed to them, to the 83 departments, and to the army; and also to the three hussars who while the enemy invested that town, were not afraid to brave the dangers which threatened them, and carried to the place of their destination some dispatches entrusted to their care. The executive power is ordered to devise some mode of rewarding and promoting these brave hussars.

3. A fund shall be committed to the disposal of the minister of war for erecting barracks at Thionville.