The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-09-06


Al 10000 We know that SlcNSahoa bad
| Win him 90 Tuesday 10000 mM-thGS
IS four corps bis own, that lAlely com
mandkd by GeneFal De EEilly, DHE under
General 10 HEgn, thai q Felix DooAy,
brother oE General Abel DOuzy, killed A
! Wet-senbuFs, and 4 fOurth Cups pfinci.
lniIV edn1iiSsd Of GaT8O Mobile, tbs
name Of whose commander hiss escaped
ime, MGAIahop, although wounded, cotn'
msnded 10 chief on the French kide; II
! 4 almost needless 10 say thai the Com
mAnde1 10 ChIei Of The PrUNiShS va!
! Won Moltke, with the Gown Prince and
! Prince Albert Of SaI0uy. imm1dAteIy
next 10 command.
There were ieW STTuy cannon shots
Hrcd. There were sighting SPots, hoG'
ever, a son Is the range was Obtained,
but the real battle did MOI commence I'LL
six O'Clock, becoming 4 sharp artillery
dEht al nine, when the batteries had eaeh
VOt within easy range, and shells began 10
| DO soriOt& WORK. Al lIi55 0cltack mus
kerry IRE IN the valley in the rear q IS
dan opened: about 1928 o'clock II became
exceedingly lively, being one continuous
tirc, only hrOken'by the growing o. NE
mitr4llousCs, which played with dreadful!
effect on the advancing Saxon and Bava'
rian columns. General Sheridan, by
whose side was standing, told me heidi
not remember ever To have heard Slleh u
wen sustained anSll arms Dire. Il made
itself heard above the roar OF battle al our
feet
Al twelve O'Clock precisely, 3 PUAsian
battery OF six guns on the slOpe above
the broken railway bridge over the Meusc,
near LII Villette, had silcnccd two batter
les Of French guns ut the foot OF the bare
hills already mentioned, near the village
OF FIoing.
AT ten minutes past twelve o'clock the
infantry, no longer supported by Tue AZ
tillery, were compelled 10 retire 70 Floing,
and sibon Afterwards tho junction between
die Saxuns and the Pru&Siaps behind
Sedan, was announced to us BY General
Won Room, who was eagerly peering
through large telescope, as being safely
completed. From this moment the result
Of the battle could no longer DO doubtful.
The French were completely surrounded
and brought 70 bay. At 1928 wo were
all astoniShcd 10 see clouds Of retrcattng
French infantry on the hill between Flo
ing and Sedan, the PrusSian battery max
ing good practice with shells among the
ranks. The whole hill tor quarter Of
an hour was literally covered with French
men running rapidly. Less than half an
hour after, a. 1880, Gen. Won Room called
our attention TO another French column
in full retreat TO the right Of Sedan, on
the road leading from BAZiellcs TO La
Gevcnne wood. They never halted until
they got ,tO q small rod rooted house on
tho outskirts Of Sedan itself Almost at
tic same moment, General Sheridan who
was using my OperA.glASs, asked me TO
look at the third French column moving
up the broad grass road through LsGRV-
enne wood, Immediately above Sedan,
doubtless to support the troops defending
the important BazelllCs EEvinC on the
northeast Of the town. u.
At one o'clock the French batteries on
the edge Of the wood toward Toncy and
above Il opened a vigorous fire on the nd.
vancinE PrlBsian columns Of the Third
Corps, whose evident intention 1t was 10
storm the hill northwest Of LaGavcnnC,
and so gain the key Of the position OF that
side. At1:16 o'clock another French bat.
terry near the wood opened on the PruS'
SLAMS, whowere compelled 70 keep shiil.
ing their ground until ready for their final
rush at the hills, and In order TO avoid Of
ferlng so good mark TO the French shells.
Shortly afterwartl VIC saw the PruUsian
administers on the skirts Of the hills above
TOncy. They did not seem in strength,
and General Sheridan, who was standing
near me, said: "Ah, the beggars arc much
too weak. They can never bold that pO'
sltion against all those French" The
Generals prophecy soon proved correct,
for the French advancing at least six To
one, the Prussians were forced to retreat
down the hill TO seek rCinlOrccmcnts from
tho columns which were hurryIng 10 their
support. IN Ave minutes they came
back again, this time in greater force,
but still terribly inferior TO those
huge French masses. "GOod heavens
the French Cuirassers are going to
charge theml' cried General Sheridan !;
and sure enough, regiment Of culrlssel s,
their helmets ind brcAst-plates flashing In
tho September sun, form in sections Of
sQuRdrOnS and dash down on the scatter.
cd Prussians. The skirmishers, without
deiguing toforn in line squares arc never
used by PruSsian infantry, received the
cutrasSers with crushing quick fire at
about q hundred yards distance, loading
and firing with extreme .rHpidity and lln-
falling precision into tho dense French
souadrOns Over went horses and men
in numbers, in masses, In hundreds, md
the regiment Of proud French cuirGssIers
went hurridly back in dtsorder-wcnt
back faster than It came-went back
scarcely q regiment In strength, and not
at all regiment In form. It's complete
array was suddenly changed into shape
less crowds Of flying men. The moment
the cuirasSers turned back the brave PTus;
slams actually dashed forward Ia hot pur!
sail. ut double quick, the infantry plainly
pursuing the flying cavalry. Such d thing
has not often been recorded In the annals
Of war. know not when an example to
compare precisely with this has occurred.
There was no more striking episode in the
battle &C.,. .r..'g -
When the French infantry saw their
cavalry thus fleeing before foot soldiers,
they in their turn como forward and Of.
tackled the Prussians The Prussians
waited quietly, patiently enduring the
rapid and telling fire from the Chase
pots until their enemies had drawn so
near rs to be within q hundred yards from
them. Then they returned with the
needle gun tho rapid fire from the Chase
pots. and the French infantry could no
more endure the Prusslnn fro than the
cavalry to whose rescue they had come.
The infantry hed in is turn, and followed
tho cavalry 10 the place from Which they
came-Lhlt Is, behind the ridge some five
hundred yards on the way 10, Sedan,
where the Prussian mitrailleurs, with
their teasing. fire, could no longer reach
them. The great object Of tho Prusslaps
was gained, since they were not driven
from the crest Of tho hill they fought to
hold holding 1t thus against The cavalry,
the Prussians persuaded Themselves that
I. was possible TO establish artillery on
this hill, r. i