Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-09-14
WAR NEWS.
The Tribune's Graphic Account of McMa-
hons Last Rattle,

We published yesterday morning a di-
gest of the preliminary movements of the
great battle about Sedan, which was sent
us in our Sunday night special dispatches.
We give below the details of the move
ments, as telegraphed 10y the New York
Iribune's correspondent last Thursday
night, from King Williams headquarters
Having thus endeavOred to give some
faint idea of the scene of what is in all
probability, the decisive battle of the war,
! will next give an account of the positions
of the different corps at the commencement
of the action, promising that all the move
mcnts were of the simplest possible nature
the object of the Prussian generals being to
close the crescent of troops, the shape the
line with which they began battle, intoa cir
Gle, by a junction between the Saxon corps
on the right and the Prussians ON the left.
This took place at noon, near the village of
Obey, on the Bazcillc ravine, behind Sc
dan, of which have already spoken.
Once thier terrible circle formed and
well soldered together it grew steadily
smaller, till at last the Qualifications of Sc
dan itself were entirely enclosed. On the
extreme right were the SaNons-one corps
d'armee, with King Williams guards,
also corps d'armee in reserve behind
them. The guards had suffered terribly at
Gravelotte, where they met the Imperial
Guard, and the King would not allow
them to be again so cruelty decimated.
Justice compels me to state that this ar
rangement was very far indeed from being
pleasing to the guards themselves, who are
ever anxious to be in the fore front of bat
tie.
The guards and Saxons, then about TO-
900 strong, were all day Oh the right bank
of the Mouse, between Rubecourt ana La
Chapelle, at which latter village Prince
Albert of Saxony, who was in command
of the two corps which had been formed
into little extra army by themselves
passed the night of Thursday.
The ground from Rubecourt to the Mouse
was occupied by the LIST Bavarian corps.
The ID Bavarian corps extended their front
from near the Bazeille railway bridge to q
point on the highroad from Donchery to
Sedan, not far from the little village of
Torcy, below the hill on which the Crown
Prince was placed. The ground from Tor
cy to lily, through the large village Flo
ing, was held by the LIST aud Sd Prussian
corps, belonging to Prince Frederick
Charles, and temporarily attached to the
army of the Crown Prince
This was the position of the troops about
O'Clock on Thursday morning, September
], and no great advance took place till later
than that, for the artillery had at first all
the work to do. Still further to the left,
near Donchery were 10000 Wurtemberg-
ers, ready to cut off the French from Me
Zieres in case of their making push for
that fortress. The number of Prussian
troops engaged is estimated by Gen. Moltke
at 100000, and that of the French to 120,
600.
We know that Mcmahon had on Tues
day 10000 men, that is, four corps-his
own, that lately commanded by Gen. De
Failly, now under Gen. lie Brun that OF
Felix Douay, brother of Gen. Abel Douay,
killed at Weissenburg, and a fourth corps,
principally composed of the Garde Mobile,
hose "a MOI
me.
Mcmahon, although wounded, COM
manded in chief on the French side.
1t is almost needless to say that the real
commander in chief of the Prussians was
Won Moltke, with the Crown Prince and
Prince Albert of SaXony Immediately next
in command. There were few stray can
non shots fired, but the real battle did not
commence until o'clock, becoming 4
sharp artillery fight at O'clock, when the
batteries had each got within easy range
and the shells began to do serious mischief
At 1l:55 o'clock the musketry fire in the
valley in the rear of Sedan, which had
opened about lbs o'clock, became exceed.
ingly lively, being one continuous rattle
only broken by the growlings of the mi
trailleuse, which played with deadly effect
on the advancing Saxon and Bavarian col
Umns.
An officer, by whose side was standing
have heard such well-sustained small
arms fire. 1t made itself heard above the
war of the batteries at our feet. At !.
o'clock precisely the Prussian battery o
six guns on the slope above, between thu
railway bridge over the Meuse, near III
Villette, had sienced two batteries of thu
French guns at the foot of the bare hills al
ready mentioned, near the village of Flor
ing. AT 1910 o'clock the infantry no long
er supported by their artillery, We're com
PEELED to retire to Floring and soon after
ward the junction between the SaXOns anC
the Prussians behind Sedan was announc
ed to us by Gen. Won Room who was eager
ly peering through large telescope, as be
ing safely completed.
From this moment the result of the bat
tie could nolonger be doubtful. The Frencl
were completely surrounded and brough
to bay at 2:25. We were all surprised t
see clouds of retreating French infantry OF
the hill between Flooring and Sedan,
Prussian battery making good practic
with percussion shells among their reced
ing ranks. The whole hill for a quarter q
an hour was literally covered with French
men running rapidly Less than half al
hour after, at 1880, General Won Roo
called our attention to another Frenc
column in full retreat TO the right Of Seda
on the road leading from BaZeilles TO Tn
CAYENNE road They never halted unit
fla..t frf.tf To, liz. 1 T.