The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1870-09-15
Vol %, No. %
Battle OF sedan.

q Vol %, ~ 0.nEd
Battle Of Sedan,
The following is an extract from
the 1ribune's special correspondence
report of the battle Of Sedan:
The real battle did not commence
until six o'clock, becoming sharp
artillery fight al nine. whenthe bat
tories had each got within easy range,
and shells began to do serious mis-
chief AT 11:55 o'clock amusketry
fire in the valley in the roar Of Sedan,
which had opened about u:25, be-
camc exceedingly lively, being one
continuous rattle, only broken by
tho growing of mitrailleurs. which
played with deadly effect on the ad-
vancing Saxons and Bavarian col
nmns. General Sheridan, by, whose
side | was standing, told me he did
not remember ever to have heard
such q we'll sustained small arms fro.
1t made itself heard above the roar
of the batteries at our feet. At IL
o'clock precisely . Prussian battery
Of six guns on the slope above the
broken railroad bridge over the
Mouse near La Villette, had silenced
two batteries of French guns at the
foot Of the bare hill already mention
ed, near the village Of Flaing. Atten
minutes past II o'clock the French
infantry no longer supported by their
artillery, were compelled to retreat 10
Flaing and soon afterwards the juno
ton between the Saxons and tho
Prussians behind Sedan was announ-
cod to Us BY General Won Room, who
was eagerly peering through q largo
telescope, as being safely complated.
From this moment the result of the
battle could not DO doubtful. Tho
French were completely surrounded
and brought to bay.
At 1925 we were oil astonished
to SEQ clouds Of retreating French
infantry on the bill between Fiaing
and Sedan, the Prussian battery
making good practice with porous
sion shells among the recoding ranks.
The whole hill, for q quarter of an
hour, was literally covered with
Frenchmen runniDg rapidly.
Less than half a hour after, Gen.
Won Room called ournattension 10
another French column in full. re-
treat, to the right Of Sedan, on the
road leading from BasilIes to La
Garcnne wood They sewer haatcd
until they got to small red rooted
house on tho outskirts Of Sedan itself.
Almost at the same moment, GencrAl
Sheridan, who was using my opera
glass, asked me to look at the third
French column, moving up the
broad grass road, through Lac arennc
wood Immediately above Sedan,
doubtless % support the troops de-
fending the important Baziile kayiDe
to the northeast Of town. ~
AT ons O'Clock the French batteries
on the edge Of the wood towards
Tony and above it opened q vigorous
fire on tho advancing Prussian
columns Of tho Sd corps, whose evil
dent intention it was to storm the
hill northwest Of Lat CAYENNE, and 10
gain tho key Of the position on that
side. At Ills yet another French
battery, noar the wood, opened On
the Prussian column, which was
compelled to keep shifting their
ground till ready for their final rush
at tho hills, and In order to avoid of.
ering 80 good o mark TO- French
shells. Shortly afterwcrd we saw
the first Prussian skirmishers on the
crest of the La Gavenne hills above
Toney. They did not seem in
strength, and Gen Sheridan; who was
standing behind me, exclaimed, aOh.
the beggars are too weak--they can
ncvcr hold that position against the
French" The Generals prophecy
soon proved to be correct, for the
French, advancing at least six to one
Prussian, forced them to retreat down
the hill to sock endorsements from
the columns which were hurrying 10
their support. In five minutes they
came back again this time in great.
or force, but still terribly inferior to
those huge French masses.
"Good heaven! the cuirrasseurs
are going 70 charge thom," cried
Gen. Sheridan. and, sure enough, q
regiment of cuirrasseurs, their he'll
NETS and breastplatcs flashing in the
September sun, formed in sections OF
squadrons and dashed down on the
scattered Prussians, who, without
turning to torn in line squares are
not used by tho Prussian Infantry,
received thes cuirrasseurs with u
crushing quick fire at about o hun
dred yards distance, loading and &.
ring with great rapidity and unfailine
precision into the dense French
squadrons. Tho effect was startling
Ovcr went horses and men in masses
-by hundreds-and the squadrons
ofproud cuirrasseurs went hurriedly
back in disorder-went back faster
than they came--wcnt back scarcely
u regiment in strength; it's comedy
array was suddenly changed toshape.
less and helpless crowds of flying
men.
The moment the cuirrasseurs turn.
ed back, the bravo Prussians actually
dashed forward at q double quick
infantry pursuing cavalry. Such a
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 not q
more striking episode In the battle.
When tho French infantry saw
their cavalry thus fleeing before foot
soldiers, they in turn came forward
and attacked tho Prussians. The
Prussians waited quietly, patiently
enduring rapid and telling fire from
the Chasscpots, until their enemies
had drawn SO near as to be within
100 yards Of them. Then they re-
turned with their needle-guns the
rapid fire from the Chassepots, and
the French infantry could no moro
endure the Prussian fire than the
cavalry to whose rescue they had
come. The infantry fed in its turn,
and followed the cavalry to the place
from which they came-that is, be.
You'd the ridge some five hundred
yards on the way TO Sedan, whore
the Prussian mitrailleurs, with their
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