The Sun.
London, England, 1870-09-06 00:00:00

THE BATTLES OF SEDAN.

A military correspondent of the Times gives the follow-
ing account of the disastrous. battles which have ended in
the capitulation of MacMahon's army, the surrender of
the Emperor to the King of Prussia, and the overthrow
of the Imperial dynasty :—On Tuesday last the Prus-
sians, having occupied the woods near Beaumont,
suddenly surprised De Failly very much as they had
done at Wissemburg, and after a severe action fought on
Tuesday afternoon, in which some of the Marines particu-
larly distinguished themselves, De Failly, with consider-
able loss, repassed the river and- joined the mein army.
On that afternoon the Emperor was at Carignan, but later
in the evening the orders for a retreat were given out, and,
leaving one division near Carignan, the rest of the army
threw back its left and occupied the heights between
Bazeille and Francheville. Early on the morning of
Wednesday the Prusstan army, having crossed the
Meuse, opened a heavy fire upon the right and centre of
the French position. The division left at Carignan
fell back close to the Belgian frontier, and, after ,

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making a long and useless detour with no enemy
near at hand, got one brigade into position to the
left of Francheville at about 2 o'clock in the afternoon.
In the meantime a heavy fire had been going on, especially
on the French right, without any decisive result, but
rather favourably for the French. At about 1 o'clock the
Prussians pushed down a considerable cavalry force, and
drove a crowd of French stragglers into the woods
near Francheville, but a division of French cavalry
deploying on the heights to their left checked
any further' advance. Towards 4 o'clock the tire
slackened on both sides, and had almost ceased
long before dusk. Soon after daylight on the
morning of Thursday the battle recommenced with a
heavy cannonade on both sides. During the night the
French left hadbeen still further reinforced, and their line
now extended from Bazeille by Givoque to the heights in
front of La Chapelle. Thus their right rested upon the
Meuse. and their left upon Belgian territory. In the ,
meantime the Prussians had occupied the heights
of Francheville in force, and had brought up
some fresh corps not engaged on Wednesday.
They searched the woods on the Belgian frontier
with clouds of light cavalry, and pushed forward to the
attack ef La Chapelle, which they carried with eat', at
about 11 o'clock, the village being defended only by a
battalion of Frans-tilemis. The attack upon the French
right and centre, which occupied a strong position on the
main road from Bouillon to Sedan, with a sluggish and
wooded stream running along the front, had not been
successful ; but after taking La Chapelle the Prussian
left advanced rapidly, and pushing back Lebrun's corps
in utter disorder, together with five cavalry regiments
on the French extreme left flank, completely turned
Givoque. The French division on the left fell back in
utter rout upon Belgian territory, and the cavalry,
galloping wildly from the field, broke up into small
detachments, and sought safety in the immense woods
of St. Cecile. The French right still resisted stub-
bornly, but, passing the Meuse near Donchery, the
Prussians threatened their communications, while their
completely victorious right gradually hemmed in the
remains of the army of MacMahon. MacMahon
himself had been wounded, and by five o'clock the
whole French army was in full retreat in a disorganised
state in the direction of M6zieres. About 7,000 men had
already reached Belgian territory, and the roads near the
frontier were blocked with deserted caissons, while
cavalry, infantry, and artillery, all mixed together, still
crowded wildly on. The Prussian cavalry pushed for-
ward on their right, and by 7 o'clock the French army
rarly surrounded. At eight the Emperor, who had
in Sedan, sent in a proposition to surrender himself,
and at 10 on Friday morning he did so in person, while