Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-09-13

uelu pieces. beyond ILLS was the
citadel, in the heart of Sedan, on a
rising hill, above the Meuse. to the
southeast, but completely commanded
by the hills on both sides of the river,
which was in front of the citadel.
THE NUMBER OF TROOPS
Engaged on the Prussian side is esti-
mated by Gen. Moltke at 100000,
and that of the French at 100000
We know that Mcmahon had with
him on Tuesday 10000 men-that
is, four corps-his own, that lately
commanded by Gen. De Failly, now
under Gen. Lebrun, that of Fitz Dou-
ay, brother of Gen. Abel Douay, kill |
ed at Weissenbug, and the fourth
corps, principally composed of the
Garde Mobile, the commander of
which has escaped. Mcmahon. al
though wounded, commanded in chief
on the French side.
THE BATTLE COMMENCED.
1t is almost needless to say that
the real commander-in. chief of the
Prussians was Won Moltke, with the
Crown Prince and Prince Albert of
oaxony Immediately nextin command.
There were few cannon shots fired,
but the real battle did not commence
until six o'clock, and becoming sharp
artillery fight at iine, when the bat
teries had got within easy, range and
the shells began to do serious mis-
chief. At 11.5j O'Clock the musket-
ry fire in the valley in the rear of Sc
dan, which had opened about 1925
o'clock, became exceedingly lively,
being one continuous rattle, only
broken by the growing mitrailleurs,
which played with deadly effect on
the advancing Saxon and Bavarian
columns. General Sheridan by whose
side | was standing, told me that he
did not remember ever to have heard
such well sustained small arm fire
1t made itself heard above the roar
of the batteries at our feet.
At II o'clock precisely the Pru8sian
battery Of six guns Ga the slope above
the broken railway bridge over the
heuSe, near Villete, had silenced two
batteries Of the French guns at the
foot of the bare hills already men
f toned near the village of Floing. At
, ten minutes past y o'clock the infan.
: try, no longer supported by their ar.
] tillery, were compelled to retire tc
FIoing, and soon afterward a junction
between the Saxons and Prussians
E behind Sedan was announced to US BY
E Gen. Won Room, who was eagerl,
/ pcering through telescope, as safely
/ completed. From this moment the
e result Of the battle could no longer bt
:. doubtful. The French were complete
G Iy surrounded and brought to bay.
D AT 1925 o'clock we were all as
e tonished to see clouds of retreatins
French infantry or the hill between
Floing and Sedan, Prussian batter1
making good practice with percussion
shells amongst the receding ranks
!, The whole hill, for quarter of al
! hour, was literally covered witt
Frenchmen running rapidly In les
: than half an hour after, at so, Gen
Won Room called our attention t
another French column in full retrea
to the right of Sedan on the road lead
Z ing from Bazeile to La Cavern
= wood, and they never halted until the
- got to a small red rooted house O
Z the outskirts of Sedan itself Almos
:, at the same moment General Sheridan
who was using NY opera glass, aske
me to look at the third French coum
that was moving up broad gras
road through La CAYENNE wood. in
: mediatcly above Sedan, doubtless t
- support the troops defending the in
II pOrtant BaZeille ravine. to the nortl
a! west of that town. At one o'cloc
:, the French batteries on the edge {
" the wood toward Forcy, and above !
i, opened a vigorous fire on the advant
, ing Prussian columns of the thir
- corps. whose evident intention was I
~ storm the hill northwest of La CIR
!, venue and so gain the key of the p
- sition on that side.
At LIS o'clock vet another FrenC
" battery near the wood opened on tt
!, Prussian columns, which were cor
. PEELED to keep shifting their grouu
~ until ready for their final rush at II
. bill, in order to avoid Offering so GOO
~ a mark to the French shells. Short
10 afterwards we saw the first Prussia
II skirmisher5 on the crest of the Loga
T. ne hills, above Toucy. They did n
seem in strength, and Gen. Sherida
:: who was standing behind me. e
u claimed, "Ahl the beggars are tt
~ weak; they can never hold that Pc!
~ ton against all those French general
The prophecy soon proved corre(
for the French advanced at least s
~ to one, and the Prussians were force
at so retreat down the hill to seek rel
IS forcements from the columns viii
vc were hurrying to their support.
d. five minutes they came back aga
en- this time in greater force, but tn
cd were still terribly inferior to those
rs the huge French masses. $50,
7r, heaven the French cuiraSsiers a
st going to charge them" cried &c
I'M Sheridan, and sure enough a regime
IN of cuirassiers, with their helmets al
ut breast-plates flashing in the Septe
en- Der sun, form in sections Of squadro
10 and dash down on the Prussian SIX
ne mishers without deigning to form
'h, line. The squares, never used by t
. Prussian infantry, received the Gu
de assiers with crushing quick fire
In about 100 yards distance, loadi
'u- and firing with extreme rapidity a
EST unfailing precision into the den
'ut French squadrons. The effect W
M startling; over went the horses a
we men in numbers, in masses and
hundreds, and the regiment of
proud French cuirassiers went h
9TH riedIy into disorder. They went ba
ed faster than they came. They We
I'VE back scarcely a regiment in streng
so and not at all a regiment in form.
e's comely array was suddenly turned
ely to a shapeless mass and helpl'
on crowd of flying men. The mom'