The Sun.
London, England, 1870-09-10 00:00:00

CAPTAIN JEANNEROD AT SEDAN.

In a letter, dated Brussels, Tuesday, 6th, Captain Jean-
nerod continues his graphic account of the disaster :--

I will not attempt (he says) to, give you a stra-
tegic account of the battle. That can be done later,
when the documents are collected, but could not be done
with accuracy at present. I have seen several accounts
in the French and Belgian papers which appeal plausible
enough, but are, in many things, altogether 'erroneous ;
as, for instance, in the retreat of the Emperor and the
army on Mdeibre& It was impossible to se dearly one
so extended a battlefield. Our troops were ranged around
Sedan, and held excellent positions. The Prussian army
ranged concentrically all round, held us within an im-
mense circle, thanks to its enormous numerical
superiority, and during the first part of the day they acted
in such a fashion as to- lead us to hope confidently for
victory. There were three fatalities in this day.
The wound of MacMahon, which from six in
the morning left the army without a chief ;
the arrival of the reinforcements of the Prince of
Saxony and the Crown Prince, which arrived towards
midday, and crushed our already exhausted troops ;
thirdly, that monstrous treason which has weighed
us down during the whole campaign, the want
of ammunition in presence of an inexhaustible
artillery. You must have read it, and it
will be often repeated, for it is true. The battle of Sedan
was on the part of the Prussians nothing but a battle
of artillery. We had before us the contingents of
the South, and Our soldiers rushed upon them
with an elan they were little prepared for. " At last we
shall see them ! " cried our ranks, as they climbed the
hillsides covered with fire. But they did not see them.
On the be:ghts, carried with so much difficulty,
there was nothing. Infantry and cavalry, casquettes
and helmets had disappeared in the earth, or in the woods,

and fresh batteries from the other side began scattering
death and destruction. Our men meanwhile fired with a
slowness which was soon explained to the general con-

sternation.
When I went the town was quiet, but was speedily
agitated by the news of MacMahon's wound. MacMahon
has, perhaps, committed some mistakes in his tactics, but
they are nothing in comparison with the faults of negli-
gence and stupidityof those who were second to him. We
had heard the exclamation of sorrow and of anger with
which he approached the Emperor to tell him of the
fresh instance of incapacity which had lost Failly's
corps and given the first blow to the army. It was known,
too, that he had done all that he personally could, and
was indefatigable In his devotion to his duty.
He often slept on straw, and never, like some other
generals, carried in his suite cases of fine wine. Then he
was wounded, and his daring traditional in Africa,
Crimea, and Italy, had not had its usual good
fortune. The wound was variously described, but it is
said to be slight, though caused by a bursting
shell, and, I think, iu spite of the unfavourable reports
we may still hope. I met one of those who took charge
of the Marshal and gave him over to the Belgian general
who was to escort him to Sedan. The Duchess of
Magenta had arrived calm and somewhat reassured.
This same fatal shell, however, left the army from the
very beginning of the day without chief, without guidance.
The corps fought in individual detachments. General
Wimpffen, who only arrived the evening before, and was
invested with the command was not au coumns with any-
thing, and to this want of information must be attributed,
next to the lack of provisions and of ammunitiqn, -a
capitulation unexampled in the history of war.
It was eight o'clock. I had ascended to the clock
again, but could see nothing but a circle of fire. The
cannon of the citadel began to sound over the
city. I descended and ran with other perwas into the
streets for a little bread. At this sad time it seemsidle
to speak of privations which nevertheless give the key to
the situation. For twenty-four hours the stores ha,dhad no
resources, and you must obtain something by force or
address if you would not drop from inanition. As we
were waiting round a baker's door to catch the loaves as
they came from the oven, a shock stronger than usual told
us that a Prussian shell had burst on the ramparts.
We were eating our hardly earned bread with our eyes
fixed on the bridges by which the artillery trains kept
steadily defiling when we saw an extraordinary movement
among men and horses. A terrible whistle was heard
over our heads. A shock more terrible still shook the
place, and some 20 metres from where we sat a column
of smoke and loud shrieks told us that the first projectile
had exploded in Sedan at the foot of Turenne's statue.
We rose calmly though deeply moved. I have •
seen bombs and bullets on the battle - field,
but in a town in the midst of houses
the sinister sound is something different. A
calm succeeded this tumult, and we entered a café
where the owner took us for safety into a little kitchen
overlooking the Meuse. We had scarcely left the billiard
saloon, which we entered first, when a fresh whistle made
us start. A shell had carried off the window at which we
stood five minutes before, and wounded a boy. Enough,
however, of this, which lasted. from nine in the morning
till half-past three in the afternoon, time which seemed
long'enough to us, I assure you. The shelter of the kitchen
was useless. We opened a door which led to a little
cellar, below the level of the Meuse, and
every one went down. The worst of such scenes
are one's surroundings. Nervous women cried after
each fire, " A doctor !" " The wounded !" The humor-
ous element was not wanting. A gendarme all tbrough
the day wearied us by repeating at five ininute intervals,
,` We shall win, gentlemen ; remember that it is a gen-
darme, an old artilleryman, who tells you so. Listen to
the explosions. My experience tells me that they have
gone back twelve kilometres." And then, as confirmation
of his words, an explosion would take place close by us.
" That," he would say, "is the cannon of the
citadel ! "

But in fact, up to midday, in spite of the wonderful
artillery of the enemy, the advantage was on our side.
What, however, could be done against oeaseless rein-
forcements, without generalship? After the wound of
Macmahon the army was left to itself. The Emperor, it
is said, in melancholy imitation of Montereau, himself
directed the cannons of the citadel. Then he came down
and went towards the bridges. Where he went I know
not. In passing our cafe a shell burst at two paces from
his horse, but not a muscle of his face moved, and some
cheers, repressed by a movement of his hand, greeted
him. Evidently this man, overcome by his great fall.,
was resigned to everything, but this resignation cured
nothing; and the command was always in fault. The
wounded officers and soldiers who arrived in our midst
were full of indignation, and told us unparalleled things.
Ne one, whether actor or spectator, can forget those
hours. The cavalry which MacMahon knew so
well how to send forward at the right moment,
had been massed under fire, and .perished
without• even the rowel, to avenge itself. "Where
are the generals?" they cried on all sides% "We
could see no one," and those who were mentioned, such
as Marguerite and Cambriels, were only the exceptions
that confirmed the rule. One division was fop a
time commanded by a lieutenant-colonel of the staff.
When it came to the formalities respecting the departure
of the soldiers who had signed the declaration the presence
of some generals were necessary, and the generals were •
not to be found. "Gentlemen," said the Prussian
Commander of the place, " I cannot do every-
thing. Your generals know the duties which
circumstances impose on them, but they are always asleep.
It seems to me that in such a case one might rise at six in
the morning." Later in the afternoon nearly the same
words were repeated by the same speaker in the open street
a few paces distant from where I was. The Prussian
commandant was a colonel of the Brandenburg HuFsars, ,
of the Slave type, with a loud voice and an indescribable
air of conqueror. Such men know nothing of our army,
which is often without commanders, and is therefore not
scrupulous about obeying. At one moment difficulties
threatened to arise. Some thousands of stragglers were
in the streets when the Prussians were coming in. What
conflicts might not arise between the arrogant conquerors
and the conquered, some of them overcome by shameful
intoxication, others by rage and sorrow !

" Take care, gentlemen," cried the ferocious colonel, in
my hearing, " make them evacuate, or I will not answer
for anything." " But our soldiers no longer obey us.„
" That concerns you. As for me, I must have order, and
_ _ _ _

I will have it. I should regret to charge upon unailne,

men, but I may be obliged to do so, and against those
who no not know how to obey, I only use the bayonet."
I saw some painful instances of want of dignity,
A French colonel chatted gaily with a Prussian general
discussing the chance of such and such places to the dis-
gust of the bystanders. You know how the cruel day of
the Ist ended. Toward evening the army
driven back into Sedan found itself, as General Wimpffen
said, without ammunition or food. It was
necessary to send a flag of truce,and the Municipal Coun-
cil accompanied it. Sedan was already burning in several
places, what would it be if bombarded in earnest? We did
not then know the spectacle which should await us on
the morrow, or the grief with which we should

see our shattered army fill the bed of the Meuse with its
broken weapons and defile before the enemy's legions.
Still less did we know that our disaster, thoughgreat, was
not altogether inevitable—that there was a means of es-

cape at one point, though at the price of great loss of
cutting through the fiery circle and rallying the remnants
of our army, which could not be done in the town, but
as I have said before,al generalship was wanting. A fear-

ful scene of misery filled the streets, which I shall re

member all my life. At every step I met old
friends who hurried up and greeted me affectionately,
saying, "Now, at last, you will speak out."
To-morrow you will receive my last letter, for I shall
return immediately.

GEORGE% JEANNEROD.

HOW THE EMPRESS ESCAPED-.

A correspondent of the Daily Telegraph gives some in-
teresting details of the departure of the Empress from

Paris :

"So far as I have been able to see, the accounts of the
Empress's escape from the revolutionised capital on Sun-
day, which have been published in this country, are im-
perfect and inaccurate. I have just returned from Paris,
where I had special opportunities for observing the
stirring events of Sunday ; and I give you
what I know to be the true story of her Majesty's
escape. The deposition of the Wpoleon dynasty
was voted in the Corps Ljgislatif about one o'clock
on Sunday afternoon. At two o'clock M. Pietri—then
Prefect of Police—rushed breathlessly into the Empress's
apartments at the Tuileries with the startling announce-
ment and warning : ' The Wcheancl has been declared. I
have not a moment to lose. Save your life, Madame, as
I am now hastening tosave myown !' Then he disappeared
—and with good reason too, for the Revolutionary Go-
vernment would give something to be able to lay hands
upon him now. The Empress found herself alone with
her old and trusty secretary and friend, Madame le Bre-
ton, and with M. Ferdinand de Lesseps; who both
earnestly urged her to fly at once. .But her high spirit