General Chanzy evidently believes in himself, and has had the
power to make his troops believe in him. He has sent a spirited protest to the German commander at Vendame against the forced contributions and plunder authorized at St. Calais, a town which had, said General Chanzy, treated the German sick and wounded very kindly ; and asserting that he had not been defeated, as the Germans alleged ; that he had fought and held in check the Duke of Mecklenburg's army from the 4th December till his arrival at Le Mans, and that he intends to pursue the struggle "ii outrance withbut truce or mercy." Though he has not yet moved himself, he appears to be already scouring the country with flying columns. On the 27th he sent General Jouffroy to the south-east in the direction of the Loire to surprise the enemy at Montoire (between Vendome and Tours), which he succeeded in doing and in driving them back towards Chateau Renault (some 20 miles north of Tours), and in taking 100 prisoners and some ammunition waggons. This looks like preparation for action. The Germans in their account of the same action admit the defeat and the loss of men, but say they carried 230 prisoners with them.
Previous page
