The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-09-09 00:00:00

THE FIRST OF SEPTEMBER IN SEDAN

A Corrospon.lent writing from Sedan, the lot inst., to the
Doily Sem., 8:13•3

Being in the neighbourhood of Sedan on the anni-
versary of the great battle which decided the fate of
the Empire, I determined to pay a visit to the town,
and see how Frenchman and German would comport
himself on the occasion. The morning opened brightly,
as that which saw the decisive struggle of 1;,70, and
going abroad early I found all the shops closed as on
Sundays, mid the streets dressed with French am!
German colours —the former predominating, and with
them a Large number of black flags in token of mown-
At nine o'clock the German troops, bearing only
their side arms, began to march through the streets to
the number of about 2,500. There are quartered here
about 3,500 men, amsisting of the 10ith Regiment,
two batteries of Artillery, anti one company of cavalry,
all Saxonti. was curious to ascertain what ft am: of
rejoicing. or of triumph, on the occasion of the celebra-
tion of their great victory the Germans would adopt ,•
and was pleased as well as surprised to find that
the programme contained nothing of gratulation,
but that, with admirable good taste, it consisted
merely of a religiom service—or rather services—
and that the day was to be devoted to mourning for
the departed dead At half-past nine the Roman
Catholic portion of the German troops attended to
hear high mass at the church in Sedan, while more
than 2,000. Protestants went to the Place Givonne, to
holtbs aligious service in the open air, there being no
Protestant places of worship in the town large enough
to contain that number. The spot was well calculated
to awaken feelings of Ike', interest. The point at
which the strife, if not the demlliest, was the inost.
critical, and at which the Emperor took his last stuid,
ere he retreated upon the town, was in sight. It is a
turdeovered, tree shaded promenade, just outside the
town, and at the entrance of the now famous village ot
Givonne. On one silo of this leafy shade is the high
road to Bouillon and the Belgian frontier ; on the
other is the green bank of one of the earthworks which
surround the towit but which modern artillery has
rendered all but useless. This latter afforded a point
of vantage to the observer of the interesting and im-
pressive ceremony which I attempt to describe.
The troops came marching up from the town in com-
panies, and took their stand around a hollow square,
under the shade of the lofty plane trt.ea. Al oue end
of the square the united hands were posted; at the
other end were posted the officers of all ranks; while
around, or rather forming the ,uare, the troops stood
at eaMe, the cavalry being dismounted. At the upper
end, near the band was planted a simple ernes, about
ten feet high, formed of wood and covered with foliage

and inunortelles. In front of this cross, which marked
one of the countless graves in the neighbourhood
was placed a pulpit of wood, raised on a platform'
painted white and decorated with crosses and wreathe'
iunmortelles. M. Fickgrt, a Protestant pastor
of the Lutheran Church, and chaplain of the
With Saxon Regiment, commenced the Service by
calling on "his comrades," to sing a chorale. lie
then read the Scriptures, and preached a sermon en-
tirely extemporaneous, which produced. a deep im-
pression. Prayer was then offered, at which all the
troops uncovered, and then two more chorales were
sung, and the service concluded with the prayer of
Moses, "The Lord Mess thee and keep the," ke. The
service was the most impressive I had ever witnessed,
and the effect of the choral singing of so large a body
of men, trained as are the Germans to sing in concert
and in harmony, was indescribably gratuL Supported
and led by. a band of thirty wind instruments, the
sound echoing along the avenue of trees, which, for
size and height, might well be taken for the columns of
a cathedral. The conduct of the men was admirable;
not an eye wandered, and when the chorales alluded to
the "lead, many a tear was hastily brushed away by a
gloved hand.
The service over, the troops marched without arms
or military music to their barracks. The eaft;it are all
closed to-day, and the usual military concerts in the
Place Eugene is to be ditwinted with this evening. I
have only room to mention that the day is kept by the
, French as ii day .nf strict mourning at all the churches
in Sedan, awl in the numerous villages involved in the
wide-spread slaughter. Maw; is said as on Sundays,
the townspeople and peasants all appear in the morn-
ing, and the toiling td bells is continually heard. It
will perhaps interest your readers to learn that ,incere
mourning on one side, and good taste and feeling on the
other, have brought into accord, for one day at least,
the two races who on other occasions certainly do not
regard one another as brethren.