The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-09-09
ANOTHER FRu1rLEss CAVALRY CHARGE.

ANOTHER FRUITLEss CAVALRY CHARGE.
At 1870 French cavalry-thls time, pre-
sumo, a regiment Of cGrdbinierS-made
another dash at the Prussians, who, on their
part, were receiving relnforcements every
moment; but the cardbiniers met with the
same fate as their brethren In iron Jackets,
and were sent to the right about with heavy
loss. The Prussians took advantage Of their
flight to advance their line about two hundred
yards nearer the line which the French in
fantry held.
ANOTHER FRENCH pLuNDER-
This body of adventurous Prussians split
into two portions, the two parts leaving q
break of hundred yards In their line. We
were not long In perceiVing the object of this
movement, for the little white pufs from the
crest behind the skirmishers, followed BY q
commotion in the dense French masses, show
us that these "dia6les de Prussin,s" have con-
trived, heaven only knows how, to get two
four-pounders up the steep ground, and have
opened fire on the French. Something must
at this point have been very much misman-
aged with the French Infantry; for, instead of
attacking the Prussians, whom they still out
numbered by at least two to one, they re-
NAMED in column on the hill, and though see
ing their only hope of retrieving the day van.
lSnl0H lTOu uciOIe Iucn SyCos oah u.Ss o.u
not stir. Then the French cavalry tried to do
A LITTLE BALAKLAvA BUSINESS,
hut without the success of the immortal
six hundred who took the guns on which they
charged. The cuirassiers came down once
more, this time riding straight for the two
feld-pieces, but, before they came within 200
Yards OF the guns, the Prussans formed line
as If on parade, and waiting till those furious
French horsemen had ridden to point not
fifty Yards away, they fred. The volley SEEM
ed 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 a
halt.
RETREAT OF THE FRENCH.
When once this last effort of the French
horse had been made and had failed-faied;
though pushed galantlv so far as men and
horses could go-the French infantry fell
swiftly back toward Sedan. 1t fell back be-
cause 1t saw that the chance OF its carrying
that fercely-contested hill was gone, and saw
also that the Prusslans holding the hill were
crowning it with guns, 80 that their own line
could not much longer be held facing It.. In
all instant, as the French retired, the whole
slope of the ground was covered by swarms OF
the ground, and push forward by help OF every
slight roughness or depression in the surface
of the hill As fast as the French went back
these active enemies followed. After the last
desperate charge of the French cavalry, Gene
ral Sheridan remarked to me that he never saw
anything so reckless, so utterly foolish, as that
last charge. ut was sheer murder
The Prllsslans, alter 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 suon stopped the
Gallo onset
It struck me as most extraordinary that at
this point the French had
NEITHER ARTILLERY NOR MrTRAILLEURs,
especially the latter, on the field to cover their
infantry. The position was most important
one, and certainly worth strafning every
nerve TO defend. One thing was clear enough,
that the French infantry, after once meeting
the PrussIans, declined to try conclusions with
them again, and that the cavalry were seek
Ing TO encourage them by their example.
About 2 o'clock still other reinforeements
came to the Prussians over this long disputed
hill between Torcy and Sedan to support the
regiments already established there. ).
BIsMARcK's FIRST MISTAKE.
Iasked his Excellency where he thought the
the reply; Napoleon is not very wise, but ne
Is not so foolish as to put himselfin Sedan just
now." For once in his life, Count Bismarck
was wrong.
At 2:45 the King came to the place where |
was standing. He remarked that he thought
the French were about to try to break out
lust beneath us, in front Of the Second Bava-
rIan Corps At $50 General Sheridan told me
that Napoleon and Louis were In Sedan.
BRAVERY OF THE BATARIANs.
At 3:2O the Bavarians below us not only con-
trived to get themselves inside the fortifca-
tions of Sedan, but to maintain themselves
here, working their way forward from house
to house. About there was great fight for
the possession of the ridge above Bazelle.
That carried, Sedan was swept on all sides by
the Prussian's cannon. This point OF vantage
was carried at 4:40. When carried there could
no longer be q shade of doubt as to the ultl-
mate fate Of Sedan.
HAVOC AMONG THE BAvARIANs.
AL the time that this great conflict was
going on under Fritz's eyes, another was
fought not less severe and as murderou5 for
the Bavarans as the one have attempted to
describe was for the French. II there was q
want of mitrailleurs on the hill above Torcy,
there was certainly no lack Of them In the Ba-
zeile ravine. On that side there was, lor
more than an hour, one continuous roar OF
musketry and mitrailleurs. Two Bavarian
officers told me that the loss in their re2i-
ments was terrific, and that 1t was the mitrall-
leurs which made the havoc.
THE FRENCH FALL BAcK ON SEDAN.
2:05 In the afternoon the French totally
abandoned the hill between Torcy and Sedan,
and fell back on the faubourg of Caval, just out
side the ramparts OF the town. NOW the bat.
tie is lost Tor the French" said General Sheri-
dan, to the delight Of the Prusslan officers
One would almost have imagined that the
French had heard his words-they had hardly
beer uttered when there came a lull In the
hriLg along the line, or rather circle, a. 'aca
it had now become.
BELGIAN NEUTRALITY.
Count Bismarck chose that moment to come
and have o talk with his English and American
friends, was anxious to know what the
Federal Chancellor had done about the neu
trality of Belgian, now threatened, and my Gu
riosity was soon grati6ed. " have told the
Belgian Minister Of War;" said Count Bis.
marck, .sthat so long as the Belgian troops dc
their utmost to disarm any number OF French
soldiers who may cross the frontier, Will
strictly respect the neutrality OF Belgium; but
If, on the contrary, the Belgians, either
through negligence or inability, do not disarm
and capture every man In French uniform
who sets his foot in their country, we shall at
once follow the enemy into neutral territory
with our troops, considering that the French
have been the first to violate the Belgian SOIL.
I have been down to have a look at the
Belgian troops near the frontier" added
Count Bismarck, .and ! confess theNdo not
htfyl n