[1][2] In order to complete and secure the conquest of the Alsace, Werder's first task was to drive the French forces out of the Vosges range, and on 1 October the advance elements of the German XIV Corps, led by General Alfred von Degenfeld, began marching through the Vosges.

[1] With Moltke's permission to extend his operations to Besançon, General Werder took Vesoul in late October 1870.

Meanwhile, General Cambriels reorganized his forces and established a strong position at Kuoz and Etuz along the River Oignon to halt the German advance.

Both sides struggled for a long time,[3] but in the end, Beyer's troops captured the French positions.

[1] In the chaos,[1] the French retreated across the river, and were forced to abandon the village of Auxon-dessus they had temporarily captured.