New-York tribune., 1870-11-15

round this position and those Of De Faly and Douay
attacked snaS and rom thence to MonmSdy
Bnt the ensmy was already in strength In the first Of
%Ss v The with SasSss
occupied ak days With fatged argaps p euahsb head
quarters at Raucour in order to pass thes mouse ~
Whe on the morning Of August 80 portion Of the
army Effected this movement already executed on n rhe
previous evening by Enc Ge m nanR Of the MeHs
engaged near Beaumont with the yangiarn OF n hv n
S nv The Attacking troops fought well Tor several
hours but 1t finally thrown BACK IN @ m t "d I'm
the r@trcat As for Cen Donay arriving at Rsmny he
obliged to cross tho narfSw nnsues Confusion took
place also among his troops Finally the corps o, Du
crGd G the third Re Marshal compelled
70 abandon the project going to the succor OF Marshal
M dnT 6aNn. shown him tie mpossibty OF reaching
Montmeiy he gave the order to withdraw upon sedan
saes sds AND incapable Of resisting power Of the
| artillery. Ii was moreover, imperiecty ARMED ala
offered no shelter to an army retreat; In fac had
no Importance except that 1t is Joined TO Mezores and
means Of re-pFOvisionmg the army.
THE ARMY RETREATS TO SEDAN.
The troops weakened by continuous marches, affected
by successive checks, fell back without much order
towards Sedan where they arrived, harassed and ex.
hausted on night Of the Soh and the morning OF the
s1st The Emperor who, on the evening OF the 3oth,
WAS at Carignan with the corps OF Gen. Ducrot where
head quarters established received the same even
S nT,s se take the railway to sedan
Nothing could have easier for tho Emperor than to
TO to sa do 80 was made to him. but he re-
jected it. desirous not to separate from q mG NEAR army n n
the morning of the sst the following proclamation was
.o opening event. Of orun.
set aside s ps.nn noss sra By g1 psSc
Up the present crowned Efforts
'Rfs' Tss d Meti and hat only s.ls.
There is then reason 70 be discouraged We have pre-
s enemy sy S% Tas e 10 s1 es aa at % fa
press worthy representing me IN Paris, have preferred the Tos 81
soldier to % "a ii sS, b,s % o %sn cosss and there e
cowa the military law and public contempt viii mete out justice to
soer be worthy your reputation God will not abandon
Given :. Imperial Headquarters at Sedan August 81 Is1O
This proclamation which he had barely time to dis
tribute the last appeal which the Emperor addressed
While the French army took mp Its position around
Sedan the Prussans to the number OF 10000 continued
moment as ourselves in sight Of the town. It too
late avoid the battle which they offered and which we
were obliged to accept in the dSadyantsgeous posi-
ton where We had been driven.
Our corps darmee massed, not far from the
city in the assigned the movement OF retreat
The seventh Corps which formed the rear guard on the
roaS Sf o% Msse to f the :"
occupying the ground from Flong 70 Calyaire Oily
Sonnes fS rs' and DAsny The Fifth Corps was posted
partially in the town partially on the nights when con- ON
Twelfth Corps occupied La Moncele, La Petite Moncehe
and La Platlnerte. near Bszeiiles ,.,..,. .,, .,o
toWn @ the two Wings leaning on the Meus
an eTE plan Of operation is ooSs
assuring line OF retreat on which are the reserves lne
ne1s on all Sides without any line
retreat and IL they had the misfortune 10 attempt 10
refuge bto tn o nf s ass % Rur
gates and seets ncumbered with wagons and baggage
campaign imposed Paris and contrary TO the most
elementary principles & OF the art Art OF war o, Ibrun
had already engaged and had sustained the strug
gle with equal energy ana snrarSv no OF nunbes had
divided its forces into two principal masses whlch were
by the left His object was to turn the wings Of our
army, and by reuniting again upon the nights pennu
posed OF infantry and large body Of cavalry drawn up
In the plain t Ea so paeead esd f the 10
batteries, upon the left bank Of the Meuse We're bris
ling numerous artillery, which hanked the hie Oh
, CONTEMPLATED RETREAT BELGIUM.
Under circumstances appeared to us that only
one last resource remained by which the army could be
saved and that was, to take up line of retreat upon
the neutral territory of Belgium 1t too late to at
tempt to break through either the east toward Carg
nan or to west toward Mezeres for in both direc-
tions the army would have found itself exposed to
escape from investment, and to effect safe retreat,
~ was t tc town ~ sedan To- its own re-.
TO face about and to retire by the roads leading
|
BY crowIAng with a numerous artillery the nights
which have been mentioned was to be hoped the en-
escously covered Unfortunately, however, the two
generals who succeeded MacMahon, after he wound
ed h the command Of the army each proposed hler-
ent plan and, consequence the plateau OF NY,
which the most important position, was but eeby
; THE BATTLE OF SEDAN
Before O'Clock the morning Of Sept. !, the attack
commenced toward the east at Bazeies. extending 10
Moncelle and Giyonne and to the west upon the nights
| Of I1ofpu knipo MarGl al MarM alet
to the advanced posts near Bazeles and to inform
the Emperor who mounted his and hastened to
the field of battle ON his way he met the Marshal who
3 was being carried back to Sedan, wounded by the
mencement OF the action was an evil omen; the army
had unbonded confidence in the bravery and xii OF the
Gen. Ducrot who fully informed OF his plans. Gen.
wimpffen however being the senior oheer and proanc
demanded and obtained the supreme command This
substitution was pro bfSu1euSe OF srevous s
previously made while battle is being fought. .
For nearly two hours the troops maintained with vigor
an unequal fight about this time the army of the
Crown Prince of Prussia coming from the west effected
Prince Of saxonys men, who marching from the
east and the French army found itself entirely eneom;
lost and army prisoners for cut off from Mezeres,
whence ii drew its supplies and ammunition, II could
only retire behind the fortfcatons Of sedan where it
would become central point exposed TO the fire Of 500
cannon placed round its circumference; Moreover,
darte and of the officers generay-neher the heroisn
of our artillery nor the brilliant charges OF our
RMPERoR's PART IN THE BATTLE.
The Emperor was, from early morning in front OF the
village Of Balan, where. has been said, the Twelfth
Corps commanded by Gen. Lebrun heavily engaged
with enemy and well maintained its position; thence
Lie assembled the slopes Of Moncele crowned with bat
teres OF artillery from whence there cOmprehen
sive view Of the battlefield He then rode along
by the bottom of Gvonne meeting great number OF
wounded and among them the brave Colonel OF the bth
| Regiment stretched