The battles of the week have been trifling skirmishes, if
we except Ricciotti Garibaldi's surprise of the Prussians at Chatillon- sur-Seine, which also was but a small affair, and important only for the gallantry of the victory won by a very small number over one greatly superior. This day week, according to the German account, the Landwehr battalion Unna and two squadrons of the fifth Reserve regiment of Hussars were attacked at Chatillon-sur- Seine, and retreated to Chateau Vilain, with a loss of 120 men and 70 horses. The French detailed account is very different. It is stated that Ricciotti Garibaldi had only 400 men with him ; that he surprised 750 Prussians, who were expecting a large reinforce- ment of 1,400 more the same day ; that 120 were killed, 167 made prisoners, while 52 horses and 4 ammunition-waggons were cap- tured, Ricciotti Garibaldi's own loss being only 4 killed and 12 wounded. Many surprises of this kind would seriously interrupt the German line of communications. Another affair of the same sort, though we do not know the relative numbers, was the cap- ture of a great train of provisions between Vernon and Mantes (both on the Seine, north-west of Paris), and the flight of the German convoy, who were 1,500 strong.
