The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-09-09
Special 10 the New York Tribune.
TIE RATTLE ar SEDAN.


fore 10 is won or lost said General sheridan, strain
hog his eys~ through his hsld grass at the hill.
which was not three miles nom Us ~here we stood,
with the full sun shining on u RON behind us.
At half.past one the French cavalry made another
dash at the Prussians who, on their part, met with
the same fate as their brethren In the iron jacket,
and were sent with heavy losses 10 the right-about
The Prussians took advantage OF their flight ~ adj
vance their amy couple OF hundred yards nearer
the line which the French infantry held.
These adventurous Russians split into two bod.
les. The two bodies having a break OF hundred
yards In their line, wo were not long In seeing the
object Of this movement, for, In little while, pus
ffom the crest behind the skirmishers followed by
I a commOtlOn In the dense French masses, showed
us thai the Prussans have contriyed, heavens only
knows how. ~ get a couple OF four.pounders up
/ the steep ground, and have opened ON the French.
Something must have been very wrong with the
French infantry, for instead OF attacking the Prus-
SLAMS, whom they still outnumbered by at least two
10 one, they remained In column on the HILL see
Ing their only hope q ,s the day Thsa Ing
French cavalry tried 10 do little Balaklsya busi-
ness, but without the success OF the immortal SIX
hundred.
Down came the cuirassiers once more, this time
riding straight Tor the two held-pleces, but before
they had got within 40 yards Of the guns the Prus-
sions formed line ~ II on parade, and waiting
until thai furious French horse had ridden on to a
point not any ya-ds away they fired.
The IRE seemed b. US 10 empty the saddles OF al.
most the whole OF the leading squadron. The dead
owing squadron and close before them the dan
gerOus rad they meant 10 follow. When once this
last effort OF the French horse had been made and
fIled-hailed, though pushed calamity rs Tar as
men and horses could g,,-the French Infantry also
fell swiftly back toward Sedan. IL fell hack because
ID saw that Its chance Of carrying that Hereby con-
tested hill was gone, and saw that with the Pms
SLAMS holding the honor Of browning II with guns Of
their own, the French line In it, place could not
much longer b. held.
In an Instant, as the French retired, the whole
slope Of the ground was covered by swsrms OF
Prusslan Tierile, who seemed tO rise out OF the
ground and push forward by the help Of every slight
roughncss and dent on the surface. AS lat as the
French went hack. these restless enemies nllosed
amer the last desperate charge OF the French cav
airy.
General Sheridan remarked TO me that he never
saw anything reckless. 50 utterly foolish as tat
Last charge II was sheer murder The PrussiAns,
after the French infantry fell back advanced rapid
w. rapidly. that the retrcatns squadrons OF the
French cavalry, being pressed 81 closely, tn,red
sullenIy round and charged desperately oncy again,
but II was all OF no use. The days OF 6eas'ny
squares are over, and the thin, blue Ire soon
stopped the Galle onset IL struck me as most el-
Their artillery mitrallsurs, especially the latter,
on the hill 10 cover the infantry. Tie position
was most important one AMI eerta. ,ly worth
stranng every nerve To defend. One thing was
clear enough, that the French infantry after meet
ing the Prussiars declined 10 try conclusions with
them again, and that the cavalry were trying 10
encourage them by their example, About two
o'clock other achievements came b. the Prussians
over this long disputad hill between farey and Sc
dan. ~ support the regiments already established
there. An the time that this grvat conflict was
another was fought none the les severe, and as
murierOus for the Bayarians a. the one just de-
Two Ravarian officers told me that the loss in
their regiment was terrific, and that II the mi
traiIIeurs which made the havoc.
AT ave minutes past tso In ne afternoon .he
and Se,an, ADD fell tack on the faubourg OF Cayal-
/ vert, outside the ramparts OF the town. "NOw the
battle Is lost Cor the French, said General sheridan,
IN the great delight Of the Prussian officers. One
would fancy that the French Ia almost heard his
words; they had hardly been uttered when there
came ul In the firing all along the line, or rather
circle, ~ IL had now beenms Count bismarck
/ chose that moment Ia come and have talk with
his English and American friends i was anxious
/ To know what the Federal Chancellor had done
about the threatened neutrality Of Belgium, and
nv curiosity was soon gratiied 81 have told the
Belgian Minister Of War" said Count bismarck,
''that 10 long the Belgian troops do their utmost
% disarm any number OF French soldiers who may
eross the rOnter will strictly respect the neutral
ity IL Belgium, but IT. on the contrary, the Bel
gians, either through negligence or Inactivity. do
not dlssrm and capture every man In French uni
form who sets his bot in their country, We shall at
once follow the enemy into neutral territory with
our trOaps, considering that the French have been
The arst 20 violate Belgium sol, have been down
Ia have look At the Belgian troops the IRON
tier" added Count bismarck, ''and confess that
they do not inspire me with very high opinion Of
their martial order or discipline. II Is only when
they nave tnett great cuotr ON tntt one can see
great deal of paletot, but hardly any soldier" l
/ asked Ills Excellence where he thought the Empe-
/ rur WAS In SEDAN, "Oh no." was IN reply. "Sa-
poleOu !. not very wise bat he !. not quite 80 Foolish
his life Count bismarck was wrong.
| Ats ouarter to three O'Clock, the King came 10
where 1 was standing, saying that he thought the
meath Us In tront the second Bayuian corps At
ten minutes 10 fur 8enerA sheridan told me that
Napoleon and Louis were In Sedan.
low N. nat only contryed ~ get inside the Orthca
tions Of Sedan but 10 maintain themselves there,
working their way forward nom house 10 house.
poSsesson OF the bridge above Barcille, and that
done, Sedan was swept on AL sides by the Prussian
cannon. 20
/ pen.ioa OF the cannOnade along the whole line.
Many were the spcculations ~ 10 the cause, but no
body seemed 10 divine the truth. You may Judge
o. our suryris. when. four minutes later. We "a.
freneh oficer attended by the Uhlsns coming at
hard trt up the steep bridge nom sedan Ia our
post, one Of the rhlans carrying white buster on
q hgxDt stick AZ fsg Of truce. The messenger
turned out IN be French colonel; who came to ask
be terms Of surrender. s.srs
raE srsRESpER.
Amer avery short consultation between the King
and General Won Moltks the messenger was told
that In matter a. Important the surrende- OF at
least NAN men AMI an important fortress u was
are thercfSrs ~ fetarn 70 s~ian AMI tell tho roS
ernor Il the town 10 report himself immedlately
"a the King Of Prussia fhe does not arrive In an
hour our guns will again open Gre. You NAV
tell the commsnant that therv Il use uf hi. try-
ing b obtain any other terms than unconditional
/ surrender" The pArlementalre rode back with the
message. When he wss larlysou Of earshot his
/ MISSION was most eagerly cansasssd AZ half past
stu there arose q cry among the members of the
Kings stan, "Dcr Kaiser da," and then came
loud hurrah.
Soon We began to look anxiously for the second
dag OF truce, and In ten minutes more General
Reilly rode mp with letter Tor the King OF Prula.
As .oon - The French 'EcnerN Va In sight, the
slender escort Of euirasslers and dragons that We
had With us Vas drawn mp In line, two deep, be-
hind the King.
Il In fvnt etthe eseort MS the s.aa, and teuyards
,s fss. = r The, .s,ia .sssd Ne h.,saS Mins