New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-09-09
SEDAN.
Continuation of the Report Of Thursdays
Battles.

L.
devil of a fight for that crest before it is
won or lost said Sheridan. straining his
eyes through his tieldglass at the hill. which
was not three miles from us, where we
stood with the full sun shining on II from
behind Us.
At halfpast one tho French cavalry-this
time. presume, % cgiment OF carDlnlers-
made another dash at the PrUssians. who,
on their part. were being reinforced every
minute. But they met with the same fate
rs 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 line a couple Of hun
dred yards. near the line which the French
infantry held. These adventurous Prus5lan5
split into two bodies, the two bodies having
a break Of hundred yards in their line.
We were not long in seeing the object of
this movement, for the little white puifs
from the crest behind the siirinishers, fol
lowed by q c0mmotion in the deISe'French
masses, showed us that Yes, dia5Ies de
ihttsSidns have contrivcd, heaven only
knows how. to get a couple Of four-pounders
up the steep gr0und, and have opened on
the French.
Something must have. at this point, been
very wrong with the French infantry, for
instead of attacking the Prussiaas, whom
they still outnumbered by at least two to
one they remained in column on the hi:i,
seeing their only hope ofretricving the day
vanish from before their eyes; still, they did
not stir.
Then the French cavalry tried to do a lit
tie Ba!aklaya husinaSs-trled, but without
the success of the immortal six hundred,
who took the guns. Down camo the CUR
rassers once more, this time riding traight
for the two field pieces; but before they had
got within two hundred yards of the guns.
the Prussian formed Il line, us if on parade.
and waited until that furious French horse
had ridden on to point not fifty yards
away.
They fred The fire seemed to US to
empty the saddles of almost the whole of
tne leading squadron. The dead so strewed
the ground as to block the path of the fol-
lowing squadron and close before them the
direct and dangerous road they meant to
follow. Their dash al the guns came TO Il
halt.
When once this last effort of the French
horse had been made and had failed. though
pushed gallant!y as far as men and horses
could 90. the French infantry also fell
swiftly back toward Sedan. 1t fell back be-
cause it saw that its chance of carrying that
terceiy contested hill was gone, and saw
that with the Prussians holding the honor
of crowning it with guns, their own French
line in its face could not much longer be-
held.
In an instant, as the French retired. the
whole slope of the ground was covered by
swarms of Prussian tiraileurs, who seemed
to rise out of the ground and push forward
by help of every slight roughness and dent
on the surface. As fast as the French went
back these reckless enemies followed.
After the last desperate charge OF the
French cavalry, General Sheridan remarked
to me that he never saw anything so reCk-
less, so utterly foolish as that last charge.
1t was sheer murder.
The Prussians, after the French infantry
fell back. advanced rapidly. so rapidly that
retreatng squadrons OF French cavalry
bcin. pressed too closely, turned suddenly
round and charged desperately once again:
but it was all of 40 use. The days OF break
ing squares are over, and the thin blue line
soon stopped the gallant onset.
It struck me as most extraordinary that
at this point the French had neither artillery
nor n1itrailleurs, and especially the latter,
on the field to cover their infantry.
The position was a most important one,
and certainly worth straining every nerve
to defend.
One thing was clear enough-that the
French infantry, after once meeting the
Prussians. declined to try conclusions with
them again, and that the cavalry were seek
ing to encourage them by their example.
About two o'clock in the morning other
reiufOrcements came to the PruSsians over
this long disputed hill. between Torcy and
Sedan. to support the regiments already eS
tablished there All the time that this great
conflict was going on, Under Fritz 5 eyes and
mine, may add that another was fought
none the less severe and rs mGrlerous for
the Bayarians "a the one have attempted
to describe for the French.
IF there was want of 1nitraileur, on the
hill above Torcy, there was certainly no
want OF them in the Bazaile5 raviue. On
that side there was for more than al hour one
continuous roar OF nIusketry and I!traii-
ieurs. Two Bavari3n officers told me that
the loss in their regiments was terrific, ami
that it was the mit-aillcurS which made the
havoc.
At five minutes past two O'Clock in the al
tcrnoon the French totally abandoned the
hill between Forcv ard Sedan. and fell back
on the fourgour OF the canal. just outside
the ranpartS OF tie town.
Nov the battle !, lost for the French,
said General Sheridan. to the great delight
Of the Pruasian officers. One would fancy
that the French had almost heard his words.
They had hardly been uttered when there
came iull in the firing all along the line
or rather circle, as it had now become.
Count Bismarck chose that moment to
come and have talk with his English and
American friends.
Chancellor had done about the threatened
neutrality of Belgium, and M curiosity was
soon cratitIcd.
Il have told the Belgian Minister %
War said Count Bismarck. that SO long
as the Belgian troops do their utmost to
disarm any number OF French soldiers who
may cross the frontier, | will strictly respect
the neutrality Of Belgium; but if. on the
contrary, the Belgians, either through negli-
opupn nr DahilitV. do not GiStIm and can
ture every man in French uniform who sets
his loot in their country, We shall ut once
follow the enemy into neutral territory with
our troops.
Considering that the French have been
the first TO violate the Belgian soil, have
been down to have 3 look at the Belgian
troops near the frontier" added Count bis
nartk.
~ confess they 10 not inspir" me with a
very high opinion Of their martial ardor or
discipline; only whsn they have their great
coats On one can see a great deal of paletot.
but hardly any soldier
asked his eXcelencg whether he thought
the Emperor was in Sedan.
ooh. no.. was tn. reply. Napoleon IS
not very wise, but he is not quite 80 foolish
;ts 10 put himself III Sedan just now"
For once IN his life Count Bismarck was
wrong.
At quarter to three o'clock the king
came TO where | was standin- :. saving he
thought the French were going to try and
break out benea III lis IL the Second Bava
rian Corps.
At ten minutes to four o'clock Geacral
Sheridan told me that Napoleon and Louis
were n Sedan.
At twenty minutes past three O'clock the
Bavariars below us not only contrlved to
get inside the fortifcations OF Sedan, bat 20
~. y,l-r1, -Aaf,,,.