Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-09-06

Z 4uhIJ6I HUH lHe lOWu, We COulu c<AS1ly y
distinguish its principal edifices with
out field glasses. On the left was
pretty church, its Gothic spires OF
sandstone offering a conspicuous
target for the Prussian guns, had
Gen. Moltke thought of it, to
lombard the town. To the
right, on the southeast of
the French was large barracks with
Notifications of citadel beh ind, and
beyond this, to southeast, again was
an old chateau Of Sedan. This build
ing is now an arsenal. Beyond this
was the citadel Hortzdan, on a rising
! hill above Hibler to the southeast,
but commanded by hills on both
sides of the river which runs in front
of the citadel. The French had
flooded low meadows in the valley
before coming to the railroad bridge
at Bazeille, in order to stop the Ger
mans from advancing on the town in
that direction. With their usual stu
pidity, the French had failed to
mind the bridge at Bazeille,
and it was an immense service to
the Prussians throughout the battle.
The Prussians actually threw up earth
works on the iron bridge itself, to pro-
tect it from the French, who more
than once attempted in the early part
OF the day to storm the bridge in the
hopes of breaking the Bavarian COM
mand between the right and left bank
of the Meuse. This they were unable TO
do, and although their cannon al
most demolished the parapet of the
bridge, it was not materially damaged.
On the projecting spurs of the
hill crowned by the woods,
Camarfee's Bavariaus had already
posted two batteries Of six Founders.
rifed breech loading steel guns which
kept up a dull fire till the end Of the
day, with siege guns of Sedan across
the Meuse still further to the right
flank, for our line was circular--one
crescent at first, with Sedan in the
center like a star On a Turkish STAN
dard. There was an undulating plain
above the village of BaZaille, termina-
ting about a mile and half from Sc
dan at woods near RubecOurt, mid
way from BaZaille, north. There is
ravine watered by a tiny brook,
at which there was most desperate
struggle and of frightful slaughter
throughout the battle. The stream,
whose name i have forgotten,
runs right behind the town of
Sedan, from the woods of Fleigruse,
on the north behind the town, rises,
still dotted with cottages and crowded
by wood, the COrgareune, which runs
down to the valley of which have Just
spoken. Between this wood and the
town several French camps, with
IL Oh e~4e nHnk
clear along the dark front trees. In
these camps one could see through
out the day huge masses of troops
which were never used. Even dur
ing the hight of battle they stood
as idly as FitZ John Porter at
the second battle of Bull Run.
We imagined that they must
be undisciplined Guards Mobiles,
whom the French Generals dared not
bring out against their enemy. To the
Prussians left of these French camps,
separated from them by a wooded ra-
vine, was a long, barren hill, when
once its crests were covered with Prus-
sian artillery, the whole town of Sedan
was completely at the mercy of the
German guns, as they were not only
above the town, but almost within
musket range of their still farther viii
lage of 1lley, set on fire early in the
day by the French shells. South of
the broken railroad bridge, which
was blown up by the French
to protect their right, a cOnspic-
uOus object, right above the
railroad bridge on the line to Mes
siers was a wooded hill, crowned by
Aides Chateau, of one Monsieur
Power. It was here that the Crown
Prince and his staff stood during the
day, having rather a more extensive,
but less central view, and, therefore,
less desirable than ours, where stood
King William, Count Bismarck, Won
Room, Gen. Moltke and Gems. Sheri-
dan and Forsyth, to say nothing of
your correspondent. Having thus
endeavOred 10 give you some faint
idea of the scene of what is, in all
probability, decisive battle
OF the war, / will hereafter give
an account of the position of the diff
ferent corps at the commencement of
the action, promising that all move
ments were of the simplest possible
nature, the object of the Prussian
Generals being merely to close to a
crescent the troops with which they
began forming into circle by effect
ing a junction between the Saxon
corps on their right and the Prussian
place on their lett. This junction took
noon near the village of Hey, on the
Bazeille ravine, behind Sedan.
Once their terrible circle was formed
and well soldered together, it grew
steadily smaller until at last the fortit1-
cation of Sedan itself was entered. On
the extreme right were the SaxOns,
one corps d'armee with King Viii
liam's guard; also ore corps d'armee
in reserve behind them. The guards
had suffered terribly at Gravellotte,
where they had met the Imperial
guards, and the. King would not allow
them to be again 50 cruelty decimated.
Justice compels me to state that the
arrangement was very far from being
pleasing to the guards themselves,
who are ever anxious to be in the
front of battle. The guards and Sax
ons then, about, 20, 600 strong, were all
day on the right bank of the Meuse,
between RubecOurt and La Chapelle.
which latter village Prince Albert, of
SaXOny, who was in command Of the
ID corps which have been formed into
a little Fextra army by themselves,
passed the night OF Thursday on the
ground. From Rubecourt to the Meuse
Is occupied by the lst Bavarian corps.
The I'd Bavarian corps extended their
front from near the Bazeille railroad
bridge to a point on the high road
from DOuchery to Sedan, not far from
the village of FOrey below the
hill on which the Crown Prince was
placed.
1t is almost needless to say that the
real commander-in-chief of the Prus-
SLAMS is Won Moltke, with the Crown
Prince and Prince Albert of Saxony
Immediately next in command.
There were few stray cannon shots
fired-merely sighting shOts-hOw-
ever, as soon as range was obtained I;
but the real battle did not commence
till am. with sharp artillery, which
had got within easy range and shells
began to do serious mischief.
At 1855 O'Clock musketry fire in
the valley in rear of Sedan, which
had opened about ll:25 O'Clock, be-
came exceedingly lively, being one
continuous rattle, only broken by the
growing of the mitralleurs, which
played with deadly effect on the ad-
vancing Saxon and Bavarian col
umns. General Sheridan, by whose
side / was standing, told me ne did
not remember to have ever heard
such well sustained small arms fire.
1t made itself heard above the roar of
the batteries. AT u O'Clock, precisely,
Prussian battery of six guns, on the
slope above the broken Railway
bridge over the Meuse, near La Viii
lette, had silenced two batteries
of French guns. At the foot
~ Wara hiIlS already mentioned