22 OCTOBER 1870, Page 2

Soissons capitulated on Sunday, after a siege of only four

days. It was, however, fully invested from the beginning of October, but even then the investment and siege together hardly lasted much more than a fortnight. According to Azamat Batuk, the corre- spondent of the Pall Mall, the little fortress was quite forgotten by the Government, and had received no sort of orders or help since the battle of Sedan, though up to the end of September communi- cation with it was quite possible. It seems that the soldiers were quite ready to continue the defence, but that the pressure of the civilians of the town was irresistible. The capture of the place gives the Germans a second line of railway from Chalons to Paris, which will be at once used for victualling the army.