Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-09-13
War News--Surender of Mcmahon
and Army at Sedan--Napoleon a
Prisoner.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE BATTLE
AT SEDAN

hurSday night, sept. L. After
their defeats on the Both and 3lst
ult., the French retreated en- masse on
Sedan and encamped around it. From
what | learned from the French pris-
oners, of whom, as you may imagine,
there was no lack in our quarter, it
seems they fully believed that the
road to Mezieres would always be
open to them, and therefore, in case
OF another defeat before Sedan, their
retreat would be accomplished On
the evening of Wednesday, from five
to eight o'clock, was at the Grown
Princes headquarters at Chemery
village, some thirteen miles from Sc.
dan, to the south-southwest, On the
main road. At halfpast five we saw
that there was
A GREAT MOVEMENT AMONG THE TROOPS
Encamped all around US, and we
thought at first that the King was rid
ing through the bivouacs, hut soon
the 9th regiment came pouring thro'
the village, their band playing ode
wacht au Rhein." AS they marched
along with swinging stride, saw at
once by the mems faces that some
thing extraordinary was going on. 1t
was plain that the troops were in the
Iishtest possible marching order; all
their knapsacks were left behind. and
they carried nothing but cloaks strung
around their shoulders, except that
one or two bon yiUants had retained
their camp kettles; but if their camp
kettles were left behind, their cartouch
cases were there, hanging heavily in
front of the mems belts, unbalanced,
as they should be, by knapsacks.-
: Soon | learned that the whole Prus.
sian corps-thOse lent from Prince
Frederick Charlcs's army, the second
army, and the Grown Princes army
were makisg forced march left, In
the direction Of Douchenv and Mezi.
eres, in order to shut il Marshal Ne.
Mahon's army in the west, and SC
drive them against the Belgian from
tier. learned from the officers o.
the Grown Princes staff that, at the
same time, while we were watching
regiment after regiment pass through
Chemery, the SaXons and Guards
$4,000 strong, and the Plussian right
under Prince Albert Of Saxony. wer,
! also marching rapidly to close on th,
- doomed French army Oh the RICH
# bank of the Mausc, which they hac
5. crossed at Remilly on Tuesday, tn,
3Oth, in the direction of La Chapclle
a small village of $50 inhabitants. OIL
4, the road from Sedan to Bouillon. il
Belgium, and the last village befor,
crossing the frontier.
q ENTHUSIASM OF THE TROOPS.
Anything more splendid than tn
mems marching would be impossible
to imagine. | saw men lame in bot
+ feet bobbing along in the ranks, kin,
comrades less fOot-sOrc carrying thei
needle gnns. Those who were actu
ally incapable of putting one foot be
r fore another had pressed peasant wag
Ons and every available conveyanc
ID into service and were following in tn
rear so as to be ready for the gIea
battle which all felt sure would com
> off on the morrow. The Bavarian.
!, who, it is said, do not march so we
Il as they fight, were III the centre, bt
tween US and Chemery and Sedan. Ell
10 camped around the woods Of Lamar
m fee, famous for a great battle in 1874
during the war of the League. Whe
H. | had seen the last regiment das
through--for the pace at which the
went can really not be called marcl
ing, in the ordinary sense-I rode 0
about quarter past eight in the ever
ing for Nendresz, where the King
headquarters were, and where hope
to find house room for man and beas
especially the latter, as being ia
more important on the eve of a gre;
Is. battle.
When l got within about half
mile of Vendresz, going at stead
trot, a sharp "HaltW rang out thr
the clear air. brought my horse I
a standstill. knowing that the Pru
sian sentries are not to be trihed wit
and as pulled up heard the clicl
of their locks as they brought the
weapons to full cock and covered N
My reply being satisfactory, | jo
ged on into Vendresz, and my MAJ
and myself had soon forgotten SEN
nels, forced marches and coming ba
ties, one of US on the straw ana Il
other on the floor.
EN- ROUTE FOR THE BATTLE FIELD.
At I o'clock Thursday morning Il
servant came to wake me, saying tn
the Kings horses were being harnes
ed and that His Majesty would lea
in half an hour for the battle feel
and as a cannonade had already be,
heard at Sedan, | jumped up, seizt
nv. some crustS of bread, wine and ciga
and crammed them into my holst(
taking my breakfast on the way. Ju
as l got to my horse King Villa
drove out in an open carriage wi
four horses, going to CheVange abo
3 IL miles south of Sedan. Mu
against my will was compelled
allow the King staff to precede l
on the road to the scene of actiC
where | arrived myself soon after
o'clock. 1t was impossible to ri
fast, all the roads being blocked wi
artillery, ammunition, wagons, ami
lances, etc. As rode on to the crt
l. of the hill, which rises sharply abe
600 or 700 feet above, the little ha
let of Chevange nestled in the gro
below.
A MOST GLORIOUS PANORAMA
Burst on my view. AS Gen. Forsy
of the United States army remark
l. to me later in the day, it would la
been worth coming merely to see
splendid scene, without the bait.
magnificent stern array in the Low,
valley below, as from the knoll
which | stood with the King and
staff we could see not only the VIII
valley of the Meu8e, bat also beyo
the great woods of Bots de Loup a
Fraucheval into Belgium, and as
z q