Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-10-10
vINDIcATIoN OF THE EMPEROR.
Declaration Of His Aide-de-Camp In
Relation 10 the Emperor's Con-
duet at the Battle of Sedan.


From the Independence Beige, Sept. 16.J
| The account which the Patre has pub.
lished OF the last incidents of the battle
of Sedan and which it is said It received
from an officer attached to the staff OF
General Wimpffen, has put the conduct
of the ex-Emperor of the French in so
unfayorable light that one could only
expect some denial of the account on
the part, or in the name of the prisoner
at Wilhelmshohe. Subjoined is docu-
ment which has been communicated to
us, its object being the refutation of the
account in the Patrie We publish it in
a spirit of impartiality, and because
there are some discussions from which
information may always be derived, As
to its value and the degree of confidence
it merits, we will content ourselves with
remarking that it emanates from the
aides-de-camp who accompanied the
sovereign at Wilhelmshohe, and WHO
bear testimony, in some degree for
themselves, while they think, no doubt,
that they are only bearing testimony in
favor of their accused leader. The fol-
lowing is the document in question:
The letter which appeared in the Pa
trie of the llth of September, and which
is attributed to an officer of the staff of
General Wimpffen, duplicates in SO grave
and so unjust manner the responsible
ty Of the Emperor in the catastrophe of
Sedan, that the officers who had the
honor to remain with his Majesty cannot
allow sucb assertions to be made without
stating the true facts of the case. When
the different commanders of army corps
came to warn the Emperor that their
troops were repulsed, dispersed, and in
part driven back into the town, the En-
peror sent them to the commander-in-
chief, in order that he might ascertain
from them the actual situation. At the
same time the commander-in-chief sent
to the Emperor two officers of his staff
with letter in which he proposed to his
Majesty not to save the army, but to
save his person, by placing him in
the midst of strong column,
with which, he said, an attempt
might be made to reach Carignan. The
Emperor refused to sacrifice large
number of soldiers in order TO save him
self; besides" said he, "Carignan is
occupied by the Prussians; but if the
general thinks he can save some portion
of the army, let him do So. At the
same time that the reply of the Emperor
reached the commander-in-chief, the lat
ter impaired to Gen. Lebrun, the com
mander of the Twelfth corps, his project
to collect two or three thousand men,
place himself at their head, and make
gap in the Prussian lines Gen. Lebrun
answered him, You will cause three
thousand more men to be killed and you
will not succeed, but if you wish to try
will willingly go there with you" They
left each other, indeed, and less than
half an hour afterward Gen Wimpflen,
convinced that his attempt was imprac-
ticable, and no other course was open to
him except laying down arms, General
Wimpffen went back to Sedan, and con-
sidering that it was hard for him, who
had only taken the command ad interim,
to afiix his signature to capitulation,
he sent in his resignation to the Emperor
in the following terms:
SIRE-I shall never forget the marks
of kindness which you have accorded to
me- and | should have been happy, for
the sake both of France and of yourself, |
to have been able to terminate to-day's
engagement by glorious success.
have not been able to bring about that
result, and | think / shall do well il / |
leave to others the duty of leading our
armies
Under these circumstances | deem it |
my duty to resign my post of command
er-in-chief, and ask that may be allowed
to retire. | am, etc, De WIMPFFEN.
The Emperor refused to accept the
resignation. 1t was necessary, indeed,
that he who had had the honor of the
command during the battle should secure,
as far as possible, the safety of what re-
mained Of the army. The General m
derstood these reasons, and Withdrew his
resignation. 1t was then o'clock ip
the evening, and the firing had ceased at
nigbtfall 1t is entirely false, to say that
the General was opposed to the Emperor
in his ideas, and the orders he was able
to give, for His Majesty only met him
for moment on the field of battle, be-
tween and 10 O'clock. The General
was coming from Balan, and the Empe-
ror asked him how the battle was pro-
qeeding on that side. The General re-
Piled: y Sire, things are going on as well
as possible, and We are agining ground
To the observation which bis Majesty
made that an officer had just warned
hia that a considerable corps of the
enemy was oalaapking our left, the Cen
eral replied: | n |,
y Very well, so much The better. It is
necessary to let them do SO; we will
ifiVe them into the Meqse, and we shall
gain the victoFy," ,-uali
These are the only relations WHICH The ]
Emperor had with General Wimpffen
during the action, and it is equally false !
10 say that there was the slightest alter ,
5aii0a between the Emperor and the
General. when they separated, the
Emperor embraced tbs General most
lffectionately.
lSigned] PRINCE DE LA MosKowA, |,
CAsTEL.NAU, 4,
DE- WAUBERT,
~ m lr CogSF REmLR, /,
l....f.. an. NIcCouNr DaroI