The only really important military news of the week is
the gallant fight made by General Chanzy with a couple of corps of the defeated Loire Army, on four successive days, the 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th of December, at Beaugency, on the last two days of which he is admitted by the German reports to have assumed the offensive and attacked instead of defending him- self. The King of Prussia, in claiming a victory for his troops on all the four days, adds significantly, " though no ground of importance was won, on account of the enemy's numerical superiority ;" and he even admits that on the 12th December " the enemy unexpectedly withdrew towards Blois and Tours." Evidently General Chauzy was not defeated, and he himself claims to have retaken the village of Origny on the last day of the battle, as well as to have taken 400 prisoners ; had he been defeated, his retreat would not have been " unexpected." The cause of it seems to have been that the Germans had succeeded in defeating
a French force on the southern side of the Loire and entering the southern suburb of Blois, so that, if they had restored the bridge, General Chanzy might have been attacked in the rear. Blois was wholly occupied, according to German report, on Tuesday. The Duke of Mecklenburg reports the heaviest losses. The Hanseatic brigade alone lost nearly 1,000 men killed, wounded, and missing. Whither General Chanzy's gallant army has withdrawn, no one has yet discovered. Probably to Le Mans, whence it could receive Breton reinforcements, and advance on the inner line towards Drees and Versailles.
