The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-09-07

make this delightful pilgrimage by the hun
dreds, and the result will be a full reward to
both sides.
The Battle ut Srdan-Eie Description
Continued.
Especial to the New York Ifabune) There
will be IL of fight for that crest before IL Is
won or lost" said General Sheridan, straining
his eyes through his field glass at the NIL,
which was not three miles from us where we
stood, with the full sun shining omit from be-
hind us.
At half past one the French cavalry made
another dash at the Prussians, who, on their
part met the same fate as their brethren IN the
iron jacket, and were sent win heavy loss to
the right about. The Prussians took advan-
tage of their flight to advance their line a
couple ofhundred yards nearer the line which
the French infantry held.
These adven .urous Prussians split into two
bodies. The two bodies having break OF q
hundred yards 10 their line, we were not long
ia seeing the obi.c of this movement, for, in
little while, pntfs from the crests behind the
skirmshers, followed by a commotion in the
dense French masses, showed us that the Prus-
slams have contrved, heaven only knows how,
to get q 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 Prussians, whom they still outnumbered by
at least two to one, they remained i'll a column
on the hill, seeing their only hope of retrieving
the day vanishing before their eyes; still they
did not stir. Then the French cavalry tried to
do a little Badklava business, but without the
success of the immortal six hundred.
Down came the cuirassers once more, this
time riding straight for the Two held pieces,
but before they had got within 200 yards of the
guns the Prussians formed line as if on pa
rade, and waiting until that furious French
h,rx had on tn wards
away, they fired.
Tne H. seemed to us to empty the saddles
of almost the whole Of the eadin. squadron.
The dead so strewed the ground as 10 block
the path of the following squadron, close before
them the dangerous road they meant to follow.
When once this last effort of the French horse
had been made and failed-failed, though
pushed CALAMITY as far as men and horses
could go-the French infantry also fell swiftly
back toward Sedan. 1t fell back because il
saw that it's chance of carrying that fiercely
contested hill was gone, and saw that, with the
Prussans holding the honor of GROWING II
with guns of their own, the French line in its
pace could not much longer be held.
In an instant, as the French retired, the
whole slope of the ground was covered by
swarms of Prussian Tierlle, who seemed to
rise out of the ground and push forward by
the help of every slight roughness and dent on
the surface. AS fast as the French went back,
these restless enemies followed. After the last
eral Sheridan remarked to me that he
never saw anything So reckless, so utterly fool
ish as that last charge. 1t was sheer murder
The Prussians, after the French infantry fell
back advanced rapidly, so ranidly that the re-
treating squadrons of the French cavalry, be-
ing pressed SO closely, turned sullenly round
and charged desperately once again, but it was
all Of no use. The days of breaking square.
are over, and the thin blue line soon stopped
the Gallic onset 1t struck me as most extra
ordinary that at this point the French had
neither artillery nCr mitraiieurs, especially
the latter, on the hill to cover the Infantry
The position was a most important one, and
certainly worth straining every nerve to de
fend. One thing was clear enough, that the
French infantry, after once meeting the Prus
sions declined to try conclusions with them
again, aud that the cavalry were seeking to en-
courage them by their example. About two
O'clock other renforcements came to the Prus
slams over this long disputed hill, between
Farey and Sedan, to support the regiments al
ready established there All the time tina
this great conflict was going on under Fritz.
eye-and mine, may Iadd-another was Tough
none the less severe, and as murderous for tht
BavarianS as the one Just described.
Two Bavarian officers told me that the loss
in their regiment was terrific, and that it wa
the miraileurs which made the havoc.
At five minutes past two in the Afternoon
the French totally abandoned the hill between
Tarey and Sedan, and fell back on the Eau
bourg OF Cevalvert outside the ramparts Of the
town. Now the battle is lost for the FIench,
said General Sheridan, to the great delight o
the Prussian officers One would fancy that
| the French had almost heard his words; the,
| had hardly been uttered when there came
| lul in the firing all along the line, or rattle
| circle, as it had now become. Count Bis
marck chose that moment to come and have {
| talk with his English and American frie nds
| L was anxious to know what the Fedora
Ghanpalinr lDna n q
| traljty of Belgium, aud my curiosity was soor
gratlfied.'' have told the Belgian Minister O
| War; said Count Bismarck, that so long al
! the Belgian troops do their utmost to dsarn
any humber of French soldiers who may eros:
the frontier, will strictly respect the neutral
| ity of Belgium but if, on the contrary, the
| Belgians, either through negligence or mac
| tvty, do not disarm and capture every mar
| in French uniform who sets his foot in theil
| country, we shall at once follow the enemy in
| to neural territory with our troops, consider
| ing that the French have been first to violate
| Belgian soil. | have been down to have loof
at the Belgian troops near the frontier" added
| Count Bismarck, ''and l confess that they dt
not inspire me with very high opinion O.
| their martial order or discipline. II is only
when they have their greet coats on that one
can see great deal OF paletot, but hardly any
soldier 1 asked His Excellency where he
thought the Emperor was, in Sedan? "Oh
no." was the reply Napoleon is noe very
WISE, nut ue is not QuiLe SO 1OOilSn as 10 pun
himself in Sedan just now" For once ia bis
life Count Bismarck was wrong.
Al a quarter to three O'clock the King came
to where L was standing, saying that he
thought the French were going to try and
break out just beneath us in font of the sec
oud Bavarian corps. At ten minutes to foul
Gen. Sheridan told me that Napoleon and
Louis were in Sedan.
At twenty minutes past three the Bavarians
below us not only contrived to get inside the
Notifications of Sedan but to maintain them
selves there, working their wav forward from
house to house. About four O'Clock there was
a great fight for the possession OF the bridge
above Bazeille, and that done, Sedan was
swept on all sides by the Prussian cannon.
About five o'clock there was again sudden
suspension of the cannonade along the whole
line. Many were the Speculations as to the
cause, but nobody seemed to divine the truth.
You may judge of our surprise when, four
minu'es later, we saw a French officer attend
ed by the Uhans coming at a hard tr0t up the
steep bridge path from Sedan to our post, one
OF the Uhians carrying awhile du'ter On tag-
got SICK as flag OF truce. The messenger
turned out to be French colonel, who scame
TO ask the terms OF surrender
THE SURRENDER
After very short consultation between the
King and General Won Motke the messenger
was told that in matter as Important the
surrender OF at least $4,000 men ard au impor-
tant fortress it was necessary to send an officer
of higher rank. You are therefore to return
to Sedan and tell the governor Of the town to
report himself Immediately to the King of
Prussia. Ii Re does not arrive in an hour our
guns will again open fire. You may tell the
command mt that there is no use of his trying
to obtain any other terms than unconditional
surrender" The Parlementaire rode back
with the message When he was fairly out
'Of earshot his mission was most eagerly can
vassed. AT hall SIX there arOs, a cry among
the members Of the Kings staff, Der Kaizer
ist da!' aud then came a loud hurrah,
Soon we began to look apxiously for the Sec
ond flag of truce, and in ten minutes more
General Reilly rode up with a-Jetter for the
King of Prussia. AS soon as the French Cen
eral was in sight, the slender escort of cuiras.
sirs and Dragons that we had with US was
drawn up in line, two deep, behind The
King.
In front of the escort was the staff and ten
yards in front of them again stood His Males
ty, King William of Prussia, TO receive Gen.
Reilly. That officer we soon learned. was
the bearer OF an autograph letter from the Em-
peror Napoleon to King William The EN-
peror of the French wrote: Gas cannot die
at the head OF my army lay my sword at the
feet of your Majesty
Why Napoleon 81 could not die as did thou
sands OF his soldiers, sword in hand with his
face to the foe, is not SO clear
On the receipt of this most astonishing let
ter there was brief consultation between the
King the Grown Prince, who has come over
on the arrival OF the flag on truce, Count Bis
marck, Gen. Won Moltke and Won Room.
After a few minutes conversation the KIM
sat down on rush bottom chair, and wrote a
note GU another chair, held as table by two
aides-de-camp, to the Emperor, begging him
to come next day to the King of Prnssa's
head quarters at Vendrez. While this note
was being written, Count Bismarck came IN
to Generals Sheridan and Forsythe and myself
and heartily shook our hands.
"I,et me congratulate YOU most sinceraIv