Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-09-16

5 AlOGt S5IOIICU5 panorama DuraC on nv
view. As General FOrsythe, of the United
States army, remarked to me later in the
day, 1t would have been worth coming
merely to see so splendid scene. without
'battle's magnificent stern array" In the
lonely valley below US, Il ON the knoll on
which [ stood with the King and staff, we
could see not only the whole valley of the
Meuse, bat also beyond the great woods,
BOis de LOnp, and Franchural, into Bel
GUM. and as far as the hilly forest of
Numo, On the ether side Of the frontier-
Right at our feet lay the little town OF
Sedan, famous for its fortifcahons by
Nauban, and as the birth place Of Turenne
the great Marshal.
FRENCH BLUNDERs.
TIE French had flooded tho low
meadows in the valley before coming to
the railway bridge at Baz lille, il order TO
stop the Germans from advancing on the
town in that direction. With their usual
npidity, for one can find no other word
for t, tho French bad failed to mine the
| bridge at Bazeillc. and it was Of immense
service to the Prhs,ians throughout the
| battle. The PTussians actually threw up
earthworks on the iron bridge itself to pro
tect it from the French, who more than
once attempted carly IN the day to storm
the bridge in the hope OF breaking the
Bava,ians' communication between the
right and left banks Of the NIeuse. This
they were unable to do, and although their
cannon shot had almost demolished the
parapct, the bridge itself was never ma
terialy damaged. On the projecting Bpurs
OF the hill, crowned by the woods Of La
Na1fee, Of which [ have already spoken,
the Bayaliius had posted two batteries OF
SIX p0uuder rifed reach-loading steel
Knipp guns, which kept up a dUeio until
The very end OF the day with the siege
guns Of Sedan across the Meuse. Still
further 10 the right flank, CT rather to the
east, FIR cur line was p circular one, ores
cent at first, with Sedan in the center, like
a Star on tho Iurkish standard, was an un-
dulating plain before tho village Of 1a-
zeille, terminating about mile and half
from Se9fn. At tho woods near Rube-
court, midway, that IS to say, in z line
from Bazeil!e north there is rayiao,
watered by tiny brook, which VAS tue
scene Of the most desperate struggle and
Of the most frightfui slaughter of the
whole battle. On tho north, behind
the town, rises q hill dotted with
and crowned by the woods Of La
Garrcnne. which rurs dawn to the
valley OF which I have just spoken. Be
tween this wood and the town were several
French camps, their white shelter tents
standing out clear among the dark fruit
trees. in these camps one could see
throughout the day huge N isses Of troops
which were never used. Even during the
height OF battle they stood as idle as Fitz
John Porter at the second battle Of Bull
Run. We imagined that they must have
been urdisciplined Gardes Mobile, whom
the French generals dared not bring out
against their enemy. To the Prussian left,
and near these French camps. separated
from them by wooded ravine, WAS long
bare hill, something Ike one OF the hills on
Long Island. This hill, on which was
some Of the hardest fighting of the day,
formed one Of the l1eya Of the position Of
the French army. When once its crest
was covered with PrEssian artillery the
whole town Of Sedan was completely at
the mercy Of the Prussi2n guns, as they
were not only above the town, but the
town was almost within musket range Of
them. Still further to the left lay the vii
lage Of lily, set on fire early in the day by
French shells. South of this @ broken
railway bridge, blOHn up by the French to
protect their night, was q conspicuous ob
| iect. Right above the railway bridge, on
the line t. 1Iezieres, was the wooded hill
| crowned bg the new and most hide0us
! chateau, as he calls ii, of one Monsieur
Pave. 1T was here the Grown Prince and
| his staff Stood during the day, having a
rather more extensive bat less central
view, and therefore less desirable than
ours, where stood the King, Count Bis
marck, Won Room, the war minister; Gen.
| NIoitke, Generals Sheridan and FOrsy the,
to say nothing of your correspondent
THE FRENCH SURROUNDED.
Having thus endeavored to give some
| faint iIea OF the scene Of what is in al
probability the decisive battle Of the war.
[ will next give an account of the position
| OF the different corps at the commence
| ment of the action, promising that al
| movements were of the simplest possible
| nature, the object of tie Prussian general,
being merely TO close the crescent of troops
with which they began into o circle, 10y
effectiug a junction between the Saxor
corps on their right and the Prussian corps
| on their left. This action took place
about noon, near the little village Of Obey
on Bazeille ravine, behind Sedan, of which
I have already spoken. Once their terri
/ ribe circle formed and we'll sOldeTed to
gether, it grew smaller and smaller until
at last the Notifications of Sedan itSel
we're entered. On the extreme right were
the Saxons, one corps d'armee, with kln&
Williams guard also, corps d'armee II
reserve behind them. The guards anC
/ Saxons, then about Is, 900 strong, Were
all day on the right bank of the Meuse
between Rubecoult and La Chapelle, a
which latter village Prince Albert, o
Saxony, who was in command OF two corp
which have been formed into little extra
army by themselves, passed the night o
Thursday. The ground from Rubecour
to the Meuse was occupied by the is
Bavarian Corps. The I'd Bavarian Corps
extended their front from near the Bazeill
railway bridge to point en- the high roa'
from Doucherry to Sedan, not far fror
! the little village of Torcey. Below the
hill on which the Grown Prince was placed
the ground from Torcey to lily, throug
the large village of Flourig, was held D
the 1st and 81 Prussian Corps belongln
to Prince Frederick Charles, and tempor
arily attached to the army of the Crow
; Prince. This was the position Of tn
troops about o'clock on Thursday morn
; ing. September |, and no great advanc
took place until later than that. for til
artillery at first had all the work TO do
Still further to the left, near Doucherry
h were 90 900 Wurtem burgers ready TO CT