Mr. Washburne to Mr. Fish
Sir: Nothing of very great importance has taken place during the last week. The French have been driven off the plateau of Avron by the Prussian artillery, and three of the French forts have been severely bombarded. No very great damage has as yet been done to the forts, but I think the French military authorities have been greatly surprised at the long range and heavy metal of the Prussian guns. Many people are now predicting that the Prussians wall have possession of one of the French forts before long. Such possession would enable them to bombard the city. As for myself, I have no information to enable me to form any opinion on the subject. The excessive and exceptional cold weather continues, and the suffering in the city is steadily increasing, The fuel famine is likely to become as severe as the food famine. The deaths in the city for the last week, independent of the number dying in the military hospitals, amounted to the frightful number of 3,280. Great discontent is now prevailing among the poorer classes, but yet there seems to be a disposition to hold out to the last extremity. Opinions differ as to the length of time the city can stand, but I think the prevailing idea is that it will not surrender till the 1st of February. There are some who even think it will hold out longer than that. It is all speculation, at best. I have myself been so often at fault on this subject that I will not hazard a further opinion.
The number of indigent Germans who are now calling on me for assistance is increasing fearfully. It amounts to-day to seventeen hundred and fifty-three. They are suffering severely, in spite of all I can do for them. They have become so numerous that the legation could not accommodate them, and so I have hired a small room on the ground-floor immediately under our legation, where I have their wants administered to. I am doing everything in my power to alleviate the sufferings [Page 278] of these unfortunate people, but if the siege continue much longer, I really do not know what is to become of them, for the time is fast approaching when money cannot procure what is necessary to sustain human life. My position in this regard is becoming embarrassing to the last degree.
The government has no intelligence whatever from the outside world since the 14th ultimo. I have London papers of the 23d, and New York papers of the 10th ultimo, but I cannot make their contents known. The dispatches I have received from you will be acknowledged in another communication.
With the compliments of the season for yourself and for those gentlemen in the Department with whom I was associated, even for so short a time, I have, &c.,