Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-09-15
SEDAN.
Scenes after It's Captare by the Prusslans
Under King william.

From friends, whom l found at
the hotel, l learned that the Emperor,
who had started in the afternoon for
the field of battle, had returned about
the same time that L did, and passed
through the streets with his staff.
One of my friends was nearhi on the
Place Turenne when a shell fell under
his horse, and bursting killed the
horse of a general behind him. He
himself was untouched, iand turned
around and smiled, though my friend
thought he saw tears in his eyes,
which he wiped away with his glove.
Indeed he had cause enough for tears
on that fatal LIST of September. In the
meantime, shells began to fall in the
direction of our street and hotel. Veal
stood under a vaulted stone entrance
as the safest shelter we could find. l
trembled, for the caissOns were still
standing in the street and filling all
space from end to end. It was at this
time, while we waited, watching pain
fully for a shell which would have sent
us all together in another world, that
General Wimpfen came past, making
vain efforts to rally and inspirit
his flying troops. lie shouted
/" Viee Ia France" en- dUasft,"I
but there was no response.
He cried out that Bazaine was taking
the Prussians in the rear. This new 5,
which had been current all morning,
at intervals, coming from the mouth
of General De Wimpien, came to be
believed; and a few thousand men
were rallied who followed him out of
the town. The people began TO have
hope, and for a brief moment we be-
lieved the day might yet be saved.
Alas! need l say that this statement
was a patriotic falsehOod of the brave |
General De Wimpfen. Mad with an
guish, and in direct opposition to the
EmperOr's orders, he had resolved to
rally what men he could and make a
stand. He could not have known
that he was bound in the grasp of at
least three hundred thousand men.
The bugle and trumpet rung out on
all sides. a few thousand men
hearken to the sound. My friend
Rene, the Quiray of the Chasseur
d'Atrique, whom 1 had just met, after
losing sight of him for ten or twelve
years, got on horseback again and
joined the general.
This is what took place in the
sOrtie. They went out at the Porte
de BalOn. The houses of the suburbs
are already full of Prussians, who fire
en- the French out of every window.
The church especially is strongly gar
risOned, the heavy doors are closed.
The General sent off an equirry to
fetch two pieces of cannon. These
soon arrived and with them the door
of the church was blown in.
Two hundred Prussians were cap
tured and brought back with the
French, who, spite of all efforts, were
soon obliged to retire again to the
town. 1t was the last incident of the
battle-the last struggle. While this
took place at the Porte de Balon, the
Prussian Smelling went on, and the
shells began to fail into the hotel.
Shocking scenes followed. A boy,
son of a tradesman, round the corner
of the street, came in crying and ask
ing for a surgeon, saying his fathers
had been shot of. A woman in l
front of the house met the same fate. {
The doctor, who went to the /
tradeSman, found him dead, and re- c
turning attempted to carry the woman \
20 an ambulance; he had scarcely
made a step when she was shot dead e
IN his arms. Those of us who stand q
n the gateway and witness such 4
scenes have got beyond the feeling of
my personal fear; any of us, l will G
venture to say, would have given his
ife to spare France this dreadful day. .
Yet we stand pale and shuddering at
he sight of the fate which befalIS the
)OOr people of the town. Civilians.
md even the jaded soldiers are ss 4
as they.
l pass over details; l care not to
on the horrors which neVerthe-
ess, l shall never be able to forget. /
ould mention more than one brave
tficer who did not fear to shrink from !,
he sight OF what had become a mere o
oessacre. Those who were safely =
ut Ofthe way-as MISUNDERSTANDING =
Ulcers or men need moi be pitied. e
When, after a time, it became :
lear that there was no sign of Ba-
aine, the hopes of the French again
eparted. A sullen sort of q fight
till went on; the guns of the town
nswered the Prussians. An aid-de-
amp of the Emperor went by on
Dot, and I heard him ask the officers
ear by to help him in putting an end
D the fire, such being the Emperor's 6
Iish. At length the white flag was y
oisted on the citadel. The cannon !,
de ceased suddenly at about half-Dast
our, Eager as we are to know the
ause, we cannot leave the house. for :
be street is impossible, and we have
be content with learning the mere
,Qt of tho Crtrron1ar tA H
on, the crowd a little dimin-
he'd, and by some effort it was pos
bic to make ones way about town.
he spectacle 1t offered a few hours 7
was more horrible than ever !
lying everywhere-civilians and q
)ldiers mingled in the same slaughter.
In one suburb i counted more than =
ny bodies OF peasants and bourgeois, ~
few women among them and one
lIld. Inc ground was strewn with
ohnters OF shells. The starving sol
lers We're cutting dead horses to "A
and eat, for provisions had again "
He'd as everything had failed since
campaign began. j was glad to
1t away from the sight of our disas- M
rs and lose their memory in a few
ours sleep.
The next day we were told that 60
le Emperor had gone to the Kings w
tOtreat for surrender. !,
t ii O'Clock his household and car
ages left town, and we knew he was a "
rls0ner and the Empire wasnomore.
beat the same hour there was ptst5d
the streets a proclamation from
enerai Wimpfens SAYING that, not Q
Outstanding they were pr0digies of
the army, having no more
nmunitiOn, found itself unable to &
spond to the summons Of its CHIEFS,
I'd force its way to Montmedy; that s.
ing surrounded he had made the IM
st conditions he could-conditions s