As soon as Prince Schwartzenberg was made acquainted with the commencement of hostilities in Belgium, he gave his Orders for the advance of his Army. The Fourth, or Bavarian, Corps d'Armée was directed immediately to cross the Sarre: and, by turning the Vosgian Mountains, to cut off the French Corps under General Rapp, collected in the environs of Strasburg, from its base of operations; and to intercept its communications with the interior of France.
A Russian Corps, under General Count Lambert, forming the Advance of the Army of Count Barclay de Tolly, was united to the Corps d'Armée of Prince Wrède; who was to employ it principally in keeping up the communication with the North German Corps d'Armée, under Lieutenant General von Hacke.
Fourth Corps d'Armée, Prince Wrède.
On the 19th of June, the Bavarian Army crossed the Rhine at Mannheim and Oppenheim, and advanced towards the Sarre. On the 20th, some trifling affairs of Advanced Posts occurred near Landau and Dahn. On the 23rd, the Army having approached the Sarre, proceeded, in two Columns, to take possession of the passages across the River at Saarbrück and Saargemünd.
The Right Column, under Lieutenant General Count Beckers, attacked Saarbrück; where it was opposed by the French General Meriage. The Bavarians carried the suburb and the Bridge, and penetrated into the Town along with the retiring French; of whom they made four Officers and seventy men prisoners, and killed and wounded one hundred men: suffering a loss, on their own part, of three Officers and from fifty to sixty men killed and wounded. Count Beckers occupied the Town, posted his Division on the Heights towards Forbach: and detached Patrols along the road to Metz, as far as St Avold; and to the right along the Sarre, as far as Saarlouis.
The Left Column, consisting of the First Infantry Division, under Lieutenant General Baron von Ragliovich, and of the First Cavalry Division, under His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Bavaria, advanced against Saargemünd; at which point the French had constructed a tête de pont on the right bank of the river. After some resistance, this was taken possession of by the Bavarians; whereupon Baron von Ragliovich marched through the Town, and took up a position on the opposite Heights, commanding the roads leading to Bouquenom and Lüneville.
The Fourth Infantry Division, under Lieutenant General Baron Zollern, advanced towards the Fortress of Bitsch; which, however, the French Commandant, General Kreutzer, refused to surrender.
The Russian Corps, under Count Lambert, attached to the Right Wing of Prince Wrède's Army, advanced as far as Ottweiler and Ramstein.
On the 24th, Prince Wrède occupied Bouquenom; and detached the Cavalry Division under Prince Charles towards Pfalzburg, to observe this place. His Second, Third, and Fourth Divisions, and the Reserve, were collected at Saargemünd. The Russian troops under Count Lambert occupied Saarbrück; having previously detached the Cavalry, under Lieutenant General Czernitscheff, as far as St Avold.