The New York herald., 1870-09-28
8 e d A N .
Bismarck's Report to King William on the
Capitulation Of Sedan.


Capitulation Of Sedan.
We give below the full text OF the report nom
Count Bismarck to King william regarding the
capitulation OF Sedan, q summary of which has
already appeared In the columns Of the HERALD
DONCHERY. Sept 2. 1870.
After had repaired hither last evening by your
Majesty's command, In order to take part In tho
negotiations as 70 the capItulatIon they were inter-
for consideration. This General Wlmprel begged
for after General Moltke had firmly declared th1t
approved, ana thar the bOnbardment would be re-
sumed ut nine A. NJ u the capltulation were moi
previously coacaasd s,s Eary taIs mornng toward
he informed me tnat the Emperor wished to see me.
and was already on his way from Sedan. Tbs Gem
eral Immediately turned back In order to tell hM
Majesty that was following him, and shortly
afterwards, half way between mere aud Sedan. IN
tne vicinity ~ an oan osPraae v
three superior Officers, and with IKE number o4
horseback close by. Among the latter Genera1
in the foot and vaubert, were PERSONALLY known tq
ME. Arrived at the carriage dismOunted steppeq
up immediaIely to the EmPsrors Per side, ana s asssd
that yo your Majesty was at DoHchery After had rs
moment three tierman) miles distant at vendresse.
the Emperor asked whether any place mad 0een
fixed In the locality whlihcr he might repair and.
piled that had come here when IL was quite DARK:
the country being unknown to me, and placed 2!
his disposal the house occupied by me at DOnchery,
Which | would at once vacate. the Emper0I
accepted this, and proceeded towards Dom
bridge leading into the town. before a working
mans house standing by ITSELF ana asked whether
he could not dismount there. sent Count Bismarck
BOhen, who, in the interim. had followed me to In
spect the house, and after he had announced That lB
internal accommodation was very poor and narrow.
but that 1t was free wounded. the Emperor dis
Here In very small room, containing one table
aud two chairs, | had about an hours conversation
anxious to obtain more favorable terms OF capttula
ton for the army. declined to discuss this matter
was pending between General Motke and General
Wimpfen. On the other hand l asked the Emperor
whether rh MS Majesty a was Inclined ah TO negotiate 1os
was not now IN position to do so, and on my
further question by whom, In his view, the execu.
represented, his Majesty referred me to the govern
ment at Paris After the clearing up OF this point
your Majesty coud not be certainly judged Of per-
Ceived. and did not conceal this from the Emperor,
that the situation to-day as yesterday, offered NO
signifled the necessity which therefore rested on
OF obtaining, before all things, through the capt
tulation OF Sedan material pledge for the stability
OF the military results already achieved. I mad
already yesterday evening considered the question
on all sides with General Moltke whether a would
to offer more favorable conditions than those lalQ
down, in difference 10 the military feeling OF honor
OF an army which had fought weil After due con-
sderation we had felt ourselves obliged to settle
this question In the negative When. therefore,
General Moltke, who meanwhile had come from the
town. went to your Majesty for the purpose OF lay.
ing before you the EmperOr's Wishes tins was not,
as your Majesty knows, with the intention OF sup
porting them.
The Emperor then went out into the open air and
invited to sit by him before the door Of the house,
was not practicable to allow the French army To
cross the Belgian frontier in order that they might
be disarmed and 'lnterned." l had already the
previous evening, cOnversed on this eventuality
with General Moltke AS regarded the political situ
alton, on my side did not take the initiative, nor
did the Emperor, except that he deplored the mis-.
fortune OF war, and allirmed that he himself had
not desired war, but had been forced into 1t by the
pressure OF public opinion IN France.
Through inquiries in tine place, and especially
through search by officers OF the general stan,
II had meantime, between nine and ten O'Clock.
FrenOls was suited to the reception OF the Emperor.
and, moreover, was not occupied by wounded.
place Which i Should 10 propose to your Majesty for the
interview. and accordingly put 1t to the Emperor
whether his Majesty would wish to proceed
small workingmans cottage was inconvenient.
and tho Emperor would possibly require some
rest. His Majesty gladly acqueSced and accom-
panied the Emperor-a guard Of honor OF your Ma
jesty's bOdy-cuirassler regiment preceding him-t0
the chateau OF Bellevue, where In the interim the
EmperOr's additional suite and equipages, the
arrival Of which out Of the town had TILL then ap-
peared uncertain. had come from Sedan. General
Wimpnen also arrived, with whom. in expectation
OF the return Of General Moltke, the discussion Of
the capitulation negotiations broken or yesterday,
was renewed by General P0dbelskv, In the presence
OF Lieutenant Colonel Verdy and General Wimpnens
chief OF the staff, both which officers drew up the
protocol l only took part in them by sxetchtng the
political and legal situation according to the explain
atoms given me by the Emperor himself From
Count Nostiz, commissioned by General Moltke,
received the announcement that your Majesty
would see the Emperor only after the con-
clusiOn Of the capltulatiOn-an tntimatiOn ON
which the hope on the other side OF OBJ
tainlng other conditions than those laid down
was given up 1 rode Off upon this with the
intention OF informing your Majesty Of the position
OF a1alrs towards DOnchery but on the way met
General Moltke with the text OF the captulatlOn ap
proved ny your Majesty; and tins, after we wene
with him to FrtnOls, was then accepted and signed
without dispute. The conduct OF General Wimpffen,
as also that OF the other French generals the pre-
vlous night, was very becoming That brave officer
could not retain from expressing to me his great
pain at being called on, 1ortyeght hours after his
arrival from Africa ana hall day after taking the
command, to subscribe his name to capitulatiOn
so deploraDle for tile French nation Want OF pro-
visions and munitions, however, and the absolute
tmpOssibility OF any further defence imposed on him
as general the duty Of restraining his personal
feelings, as further bO0dshed could not alter the
situation The concession oil the release OF the Ot
GERS on their word Of honor was accepted with warm
thanks as an expression of your Majesty's inten-
ton not to Overstep the limits which our political
and military interests made necessary with regard
to the feelings OF an army which had fought bravely.
TO this sentiment General Wimpffen afterwards gave
expression in letter, In which he thanked General
MOltke Tor the very cOnslderate manner IN which
the negotiations were on his side conducted.
PERSONAL, TNTETTTGENCE