Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1870-09-15

rescue they had come. The infantry fled
in its turn, and followed the cavalry to the
place whence they came, that is behind a
ridge about 800 yards on the way to Se-
dan where the Prussian fire could no long,
er reach them.
The great object of the Prussians was
gained, since they were not driven from
the crest of the hill they fought to hold
Holding it thus against cavalry, the Prus-
slams persuaded themselves that it was pos
sible to establish artillery on this hill.
''There will be a devil of a fight for
that crest before it is won or lost" said
Sheridan, straining his eyes through his
ield-glass at the hill which was not three
miles from US. The full sun was shining
upon that hill We gazing upon it had the
sun behind US.
ANOTHER FRUITLEssC CAVALRY CHARGE.
At l 80 French cavalry-this time, /
presume, a regiment of cdrabinicrs-made
another dash at the Prussians, who on their
part. were receiving reinforcements every
moment; but the cdrubinicrs met with
| the same fate as their brethren in iron
jackets, and were sent to the right-about
with heavy loss The Prussians took ad-
vantage of their fight to advance their
line about 200 yards nearer the line which
the French infantry held. r
ANOTHER FRENCH BLUNDER.
This body of adventurous Prussians
split into two portions, the two parts leav-
ing break of hundred yards in their
| line. We we're not long in perceiving the
object of this movement, for the little white
pufs from the crest behind the skirmish-
ers, followed oy commotion in the dense
French masses, show us that these ''didble
de Pr,tssians'' have contrived, heaven
only knows how, to get two our-pounders
up the steep ground, and have opened fire
on the French Something must at this
point have been very much mismanaged
with the French infantry for, instead of
attacking the Prussians, whom they still
outnumbcred by at least two to one, they
remained in column on the hill, and though
seeing their only hope of retrieving the
day vanishing from before their eyes, still
they did not stir.
Then the French cavalry tried to do
j A LITTLE BALAKLAvA BUSINESS.
tired, but without the success of the immor-
tai six hundred who took the guns on which
they charged. The cuirassiers came down
once more. this time riding strai ght for
the two field-pieces but before they came
within 200 wards of the guns, the Prussians
formed line as if on parade. and waiting
till those furious French horsemen had
ridden to a point not fifty yards away, they
fired. The yolley seemed to us to empty
the saddles of almost the whole of the
leading squadron The dead so strewed
the ground as to block the path of the
squadron following. and close before them
the direct and dangerous road they had
meant to follow. Their dash at the guns
became halt
RETREAT OF THE FRENCH,
When once this last effort of the French
horse had been made and had failed-fail-
ed, though pushed calamity so far as men
and horses could go-the French infantry
fell swiftly back toward Sedan 1t fell
back because it saw thatsthe chance of its
carrying that fiercely-contested hill was
gone, and saw also that the Prussians
holding the hill were crowning it with
guns so that their own line could not much
longer be held facing it. In an instant,
as the French retired. the whole slope of
the ground was covered by swarms of
Prussians tirailleurs, who seemed to rise
out of the ground and push forward by
help of every slight rou=hness or depression
in the surfac, of the hill. As fast as the
French went back these active enemies
followed. After the last desperate charge
of the French cavalry, Gen. Sh ridan re-
marked to me that he nevey saw anything
so reckless so utterly foolish, as that last
charge. 'sIt was sheer murder"
The Prussians. after the French infantry
fell back, advanced rapidly-so rapidly
that the retreating squadrons of French
cavalry. being too closely pressed, turned
suddenly round and charged desperately
once again. But it was all no use. The
days of breaking squares are over. The
thin blue line soon stopped the Gallo on
set.
It struck me as most extraordinary that
at this point the French had
NEITHER ARTILLERY NOR MITRAIL-
especially the latter, on the field to cover
their infantry. The position was a most
important one, and certainly worth strain
ing every nerve to defend. One thing
was clear enough. that the French infan-
try after once meeting the Prussianf decli-
ned to try conclusions with them again.
and that the cavarly were seeking to en-
courage them by their example. About
2 o'clock still other reenforcements came
to the Prussians over this long-disputed hill
between Torcy and Sedan to support the
regiments already. established there.
HAVOC AMONG THE BAvARIANs.
All the time that this great conflict was
going on under Fritz's eyes another was
fought not less severe and as murderous
for the Bavarians as the one / have attemp-
ted to describe was for the French. IfI
there was want of mitrailleuses on the
hill above Torcy, there was certainly no
lack of them in the Bazeill ravine. On
that side there was. for more than an hour.
one continuous roar Of musketry and
Two Bavarian officers told
me that the loss in their regiments was
terrific, and that it was the mitrailleuses
which made the havoc
THE FRENCH FALL BACK ON SEDAN
At POS in the afternoon the French to-
tally abandoned the hill, between Torcy
and Sedan, and fell back on the fauborg
of Caval, just outside the ramparts of the
town. '.Now the battle is lost for the
French" said Gen. Sheridan, to the de-
light of the Prussian officers. One would
almost have imagined that the French |
had heard his words-they had hardly
been uttered when there came lull in |
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