Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1870-09-09
The Great Battle of the War,
CAPTURE OF NAPOLEON AND THE En-
TIRE Wrench ARMY.


battles were fought, the most decisive be-
ing that on Thursday which resulted in
the total rout and defeat of the French
army under MacMahon, and the surren-
der of his army and Napoleon with it.
The main battle appears to have been at
Sedan, which will probably be known
as the Waterloo Of Napoleon third. Mac
Mahon was trying to get away to make
circuit to aiG Bazaine, but the crafty
Prussians were too much for him.
The number of French soldiers engag-
ed must have been 100000 The num-
Der OF Prussians 100000, The number
Of French prisoners captured is said by
later news to be 10000 and must in
clude some 600 pieces of artillery. Among
the prisoners is the Prince Imperial who
was captured with his father
The people of Paris on receiving the
news of the disaster, declared against
the Emperor, and in favor of Repub-
lie. They still talk of continuing the
war, but all the capitals of the old and
the new world, the surrender at Sedan
is regarded as the end of the war. For
the account OF the decisive battle of
Thursday, by Tribune correspondent,
he gives the following
The real battle did not commence
until o'clock A. NJ, becoming sharp
artillery fight at 8, when the batteries
had got each within easy range, and
shells began to do serious mischief. At
noon the musketry fire in the valley be-
hind Sedan, which had opened about
half past II, became exceedingly lively,
being one continuous rattle, only broken
by the growing mitrailleuses, which
which played with deadly effect on the
advancing Saxon ane Bavarian columns.
Gen. Sheridan told me he never heard
such we'll sustained small-arm fire. 1t
was heard above the roar of the batter
les at our feet. At II o'clock precisely,
the Prussian battery of six guns, IN the
slope above the broken railway bridge
over the Mouse, near La Yillette, had
silenced two batteries of French guns
at the foot of the hills already mention
ed near the village of Flooring. At 10
minutes past II, the French infantry,
no longer supported by their artillery,
were compelled to retire to Flooring, and
soon afterward the junction between the
Saxons and the Prussians, behind Sedan
was announced to us by Gen. Won Room,
who was eagerly peering through a la rge
telescope.
{ The result of the battle could no lon
ger be doubtful. The French were COM
pletely surrounded and brought to bay.
At 1925 we were all astonished to see
clouds Of retreating French infantry on
the hill between Floring and Sedan, a
Prussian battery making good practice
with percussion shells amongst the re-
ceding ranks. The whole hill for quar-
) ter of an hour was literally covered with
Frenchmen running away rapidly. Less
than half an hour after, Gen. Van Room
called our attention to another French
column in full retreat to the right of
Sedan on the road leading from Bazeil-
les to the La CAYENNE woods; they new
er halted till they got to small red
rooted house on the outskirts of Sedan.
Almost at the same moment, Gen. Sheri-
dan pointed out a third French column,
moving up the broad grass road through
the La CAYENNE wood, Immediately
above Sedan, doubtless to support the
: troops defending the important Bazeilles
a ravine, northwest of the town. At /
q o'clock, the French batteries on the edge
: of the wood toward Torey and above ii
opened vigorous fire on the advancing
Prussian columns of the third corps
= whose evident intention was to storm the
/ hill northwest of La CAYENNE, and 81
e gain the key of the position.
On that side, at a quarter past one
o yet another French battery near the
], wood, opened on the Prussian columns
> which were compelled to keep shiftin,
l. their ground till ready for their fna
h rush at the hills, and in order to avoid
Is offering so good mark to French shells
t. Shortly afterward we saw the first Prus
s. sian skirmishers on the crest of La Cav
> enne hills, above Torey. They did nc
Q seem in great strength, and Gen. Sheri
d dan exclaimed, "Ah, the beggars are to
d weak; they car never hold that pos
o ton against all those French generals.
is His prophecy soon proved correct, fo
'e the French, advanced at least six {
d one against the Prussians, forced ther
lie to retreat down the hill, to seek reinfol
Of cements from the columns hurrying t
g their support. In five minutes the
to came back again, this time in create
ID force, but still terribly inferior to thos
d, huge French masses.
in GOOD heavensl the French cuirassier
IN are going to charge them," cried Ger
yp ShariJo, apJ e,ro ao1,~l