Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-09-15

becoming sharp aruiIery ngnt AT nine,
when tie batteries had each got within
easy range, and the shells began to do Sc.
rioas damage. AT ffty.fve minutes past
eleven o'clock the musketry fire in the val
levin the rear of Sedan, which had opened
about twenty-five minutes past eleven
o'clock, became exceedingly lively, being
one continuous rattle, only broken by the
| growing of the mitrailleuses deadly effect
/ on the advancing Saxon and Bavarian col
umls. Gen. Sheridan, by whose side
was standing, told me he did not remember
ever to have heard such well-sustained
small arms hred. 1t made itself heard
above the roar of the batteries at our feet.
At u o'clock precisely the Prussan bat
terry OF six guns on the slope above the
broken railway bridge over the Meuse,
near La Vietta had sllenced two batteries
of French guns at the foot of the bare
| hills already mentioned, neaf the village OF
Floing. At ten minutes past Il o'clock the
infantry, no longer supported by their ar
| tillery, We're compelled TO retire TO Floing,
] and soon afterwards the junction between
, he Saxons and Prussians behind Sedan
was announced TO us byGeneral Won Room,
who was eagerly peering through large
! telescope, as being safely completed. From
| this moment the result Of the battle could
no longer be doubtful. The French were
completely surrounded and brought 10
bay. At 1926 We were all astonished
70 sac clouds of retreatlng French in
| fantry on the hill between Eloing and Sc
dan, the Prussian battery making good
practice with percussian smells amongst
the receding ranks. The whole hill, for a
quarter Of an hour, was literally covered
with Frenchmen, running rapidly Less
than half an hour after, az 1850, General
Won Room called our attention 20 another
French column in full retreat, 10 the right
OF Sedan, on the road leading from b.
zeiles to the LaGavenne road. They
never halted until they got to q small red
rooted house on the outskirts OF Sedan It.
self. Almost at the same moment, Gen.
Hindon, who was using my opera glass
asked me to look at third French COL
umn moving up the broad grass road
through the LaGavenne wood, immediate
" above Sedan, doubtless TO support the
troops defending the important village OF
Bazeilles and ne ravine TO the northeast
Of the town.
AT / o'clock the french batteries on the
edge OF the wood towards Iorcy and above
it opened vigorous fire on the advance
Prussian columns Of the third corps, whose
evident intention it was TO storm the hill
northwest Of La CAYENNE, and SO gain the
KEY of the position on that side. AT l:l0
O'Clock, yet another French battery near
the wood opened on the Prussian column,
which Was compelled to keep shifting their
ground till ready for the final rush at the
hills, end in order TO avoid Offering so
good a mark to the French shells. Shortly
a1terward we saw the first Prussian Skin
misAers on the crest Of the La CAYENNE
hills, above ToYcy. They did not seem to
be in strength, and Gen. Sheridan who
was standing behind me, exclaimed, Oh,
the beggo.s were too weak They
can never hold that position against oil
those French. The Generals prophecy
soon proved correct for the French, add
vancing at least six to one, the Prp.sians
were forced TO retire down the hill, te seek
achievements from the columns which
were hurrying to their support. IL five
minutes they came back again, this time
in greater force, butstill terribly inferior 10
those huge French masses. Good heaven!
French cuirassiers are going to charge
them? cried Gen. Sheridan; and, sure
enough, regiment OF cuirassiers, with
their helmets and breast-plates flashing in
the September sun, form in sections OF
squadrons and dash down on the scattered
Prussians. The skirmishers, without Iurn
ing to form line squares are never used
by the Prussian intantry-received
the cuirassiers with a crushing, quick
fire, at about one hundred yards
distance, loading and firing with extreme
rapidity and unteiling precision into the
dense French squadrons. The eject was
terrible. Instantly over went horses and
men in numbers, IN masses, in hundreds,
and the regiment Of proud French cuiras-
siers went hurriedly back IN disorder
went back faster than they came-went
back scarcely q regiment in strength, and
not at all q regiE eut in form. Its comely
array was suddenly changed into shapeless
and helpless crowds Of flying men, The
moment the curiasSieIs turned back the
brave Prussans actually dashed forward IN
hot pursui. at a double quick Infantry
plainly pursuing flying cavalry Such
thing has not often been recorded in the
annals Of war. know not when an ex-
ample to compare precisely with this has
occGrred, There WIS no more striking
episode in the battle.
gs When tle French infantry saw their cav
airy TINS fleeing betoIe foot soldiers, chey,
in their turn, came forward gad attacked
the Prussians. The Prussians waited
quietly and patiently enduring rapid and
telling fire from the chassepo., until their
enemies had drawn 50 near as to be within
one hundred yards from them; then they
returned with the needle-eun the rapid fire
fIom the chassepot, and tho French intan-
Try could 10 more endure the Pussian fire
than the cavalry, to whose reseue they had
come, The infantry fed in its turn, and
followed the cavalry to the place they
came from, that is, beyond the ridge some
five hundred yards, on the way TO Sedan,
where the PrussiGn mitrailleuse, with their
tearing fire, could no longer reach them.
The great object Of the Prusgiaus was gam
cd, since they we're not driven from the
crest CT the bill they sought to hold Hold
ing it against cavalry, the Prussians per-
1 ~. .1-.aeyi1a 10