Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1870-10-14
The Battle .ArOMnd Sedan.

Il
rcpulscdth the French attempt to drive them
from hill commanding the French posi-
ton.
The great object OF the Prus.ians was
gained, since they were not driven from
the crest of the hill they fought to hold.
Holding thus against cavalry, tho Prus-
SLAMS pursuaded themselves that it WAS
possible to establish artillery on this hill.
There will be ID Of fight fol that
crest before il is won or lost" said Gen.
Sheridan. straining his eyes through his
field glass at the hill, which was not three
miles from whore we stood, with the full
sun shining on it from behind US.
At hall past one the French cavalry
made another dash at the Prussians, who
on their part. met the same fate as their
brethren in the iron jacket, and were sent
with heavy loss to the right about. The
Prussians took advantage of their flight
to advance their lines couple Of hundred
yards nearer the line which the French
infantry held.
These adventurous PIussians split into
two bodies. The two bodies having n
break OF a hundred yards in their line,
wc were not long in seeing the object OF
this movement, for in little while, puifs
from the crests behind the skrmishers,
followed by commotion in the dense
French masses, showed Us that the Prus-
slams have contriycd, heaven only knows
how, to get couple of four-pounders up
the steep ground, and have opened on the
French.
Something must hare been very wrong
with the French infantry, for instead OF
attacking tho Prussans, whom they still
by at least two to one, they
in column on the hill, seeing
their only hope of retrieving the day
vanishing before their eyes; still they did
not stir. Then the French cavalry tried
10 do little BalAklaya business. but with
out the success of the immortal six
hundred
Down came the cuirassicrs once more
this time riding straight Tor the two field
pieces. but before they had got within
200 Yards OF he guns the Prussians form
cd line rs il on parade, and waiting un-
Ill that furious French horse had ridden
on to point not fifty yards away, they
fired.
The fire seemed 10 us to ompty The
saddles Of almost the whole of the lead.
ina squadron. The dead so strcwcd the
ground u, to block the path Of tho follow
inc squadron. close before them the
dangerous road they meant to follow.
When once lhi, last effort of the French
horse had been made and lailcd-lailed,
though pushed galantly as far rs men
and horses could go-tho French infantry
also fell swiftly back toward Sedan. 1t
fell back because il saw that its chance
OF carrying that lierccly contested hill was
gone, and saw that. with the Prussians
holding the honor of crowning it with
guns OF their own. the French line in It's
place could not much longer be held.
In an instant, as the French retired. the
ground was covered by swarms Of Prns
SLAMS Tierile, who seem to rise out of the
ground and push forward by the help oI
every slight roughncss and dent on the
surface. As last as the French went back
these restless enemies followed. After
the last desperate charge ot the French
cavalry, General Sheridan remarked to
me that he never was anything so reck
less, so utterly foolish as that last charge
II was q sheer murder. The Prussians
after the French infantry lell back, adj
vanced rapidly. SO rapidly that the re-
treating squadrons of the French cavalry
turned sulenly round and charged des'
perately once again, but it WAS all OF ne
use. The days of breaking squares are
over, and the thin, blue line soon stopped
the Gallic onset. II struck me as mos,
extraordinary that al this point the French
had neither artillery nor mitrailleurs
especially the latter, on the hill to covel
The infantry. The position was mos
important one, and certainly worth strain
inc every ner.e to defend. One thing
was clear enough, that the French in
fantry, after once meeting the Prussisn'
declined to try conclusions with then
again, and that the cavalry were seeking
TO encourage them by their example
About two o'clock other reinforcement
came to the Prnssians over this long dis
puted hill between Farey and Sedan. L
support the regiments already established
there. All the time that this great con
ilict was going on under Fritz's eye-an'
mine, may l add-another was Tough
none The less severe, and rs murderou
for the Bavarians as the one just de
scribcd.
Two Bavalian officers told me that th'
loss in their regiment was terrific, an'
that it was the mitrailleurs which made
the havoc.
At five minutes past two in the alter
noon the French totally abandoned TIT
hill between Farey and Sedan. and fcl
back on Faubourg OF Ccvalvert, outside
the ramparts OF the town. "Now tn
battle is lost for the French" said Genera
Sheridan, to the great delight OF tn
Prussian officers. One would fancy tha
the French had almost heard his words