The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-09-21

fenced patch of forests (firs) on the summit.
At each side of this wood the Prussian
batteries, which brought such ruin on the de-
tenders Of the intrenched plateau over Floing,
were established. This hill is about three
quarters of q mile from the bridge over
Floing, and inside the ridge the French we're
intrenched--a breastwork taking the natural
line Of the slope, and series of detached
epdttlen,eats being formed higher mp. Now,
it is purely the old story of Chlum over again.
Generals ought to aoatch the aoedtteT. 1t may
be true that MacMahon's force did not permit
him to occupy the mamelon. In that case
his position was very weak on the northwest;
but it was worth making strenuous effort TO
do it. At all events, he should have got
great strength of artillery to sweep it and
check Prusssian occupation.
BUT IT WAS A FoGaY MORNING.
The weather. as we'll as the gros 6GtGtIIons,
helped the Prussians Their advance and
their passage of the Meuse below lDonchery
by two pontoon bridges were unnoticed; SO,
apparently, was their approach to the wood.
The force which Marshal MacMahon had at
his disposal consisted of the First, Fifth,
Seventh, and Twelfth Corps, with part of the
Sixth Corps. 1t was thought that they may
have reached 10000 men, with AGO guns,
but have no precise information as to their
strength in either, nor will it be known for
some days 1t is almost ridiculous to sup
pose that MacMahon, with an enormous army
under his nose, and with river between
him and them, should not have watched most
jealously the slightest indication of an in
tention to throw pontoons across, and have
tried to vex and defeat it; but the Prussians
believe he was not informed of the ex-
istence of the bridges, and that their ap-
pearance before Floing was almost sur
prise. Egeqytting about the SOGr is q sur
prise from beginning to end. The prisoners
say it was believed they could hold out for
five weeks in the intrenched position they
had made. The batteries of the 9TH and II tn
Army Corps demolished their confidence.
From the plateau of Floing the ground falls
towards the Meuse, but retains its elevation
and bluff like formations towards the north,
cut by several deep ravines running generally
north and south. In one of these hollows,
sweeping in a semicircle towards Sedan, lie
the villages of La Chapelle, Iley, Givonne,
&c. Woods on the SUBMITS of the ridges or
sections formed by ravines conceal the fea-
lures of the country from general view.
Sedan itself screens good deal of the field
from the eye. On the right, towards
Bezeilles and over the road by which the
Prince of Saxony advanced, the woods are so
thick as to look like continuous forest.
THE POSITION.
Any one with good map (Reyman's Special
Karte will do) can get an idea of the position
and nature of the ground by filling the line
from Cazal by Floing, and SO on round by
Givonne to Bazeilles, and he can mark the
little rivulets which flow into the Meuse east
of Sedan. There were outposts in the villages
towards Mouzon, but generally the ground
held by the French was included within this
semicircular line. The army of the Crown
Prince of Saxony, consisting of three corps
and of the Prussian Guards, came from the
east side, and had to deal with the principal
force of the French. 1t was at one time ex-
posed to an offensive movement, and had to
attack positions most savagely defended, in
cluding those which covered the depots. One
division of this army was not engaged at all,
but the losses were severe. Gone battalion
of the Queens Regiment of the Guards, the
Augusta, lost 28 officers and 500 men, The
Bavarians attacked Bazeilles and the
works of Sedan. Of the Grown
Princes army on the west only the
5th and 18th Corps attacked and all
the divisions of these were not equally en-
gagged. The Wurtembergers watched Me-
zieres towards Donchery on the left, cover
ing the bridges. The 9th Army Corps was in
reserve. Altogether there were about 10, 900
men engaged and in reserve on the attacking
force at the very least, and if we take Mac
Mahon to have had 10000, and count the
prisoners and capitulated 80, 900 off, there
remain 10000 to be accounted for as killed
or wounded. The disparity in force was,
however, more than compensated by the posi-
tion held by the French as long as it was not
bulged in or contracted; but as soon as they
allowed their line to be forced they were ex.
posed to a converging fire from the semi
circle closing in from east and west and
north, and put in desperate straits. Then
| there only remained the chance of breaking
the fence and of forcing back one or Other
army, and their efforts were directed tc
repulse the Grown Prince of Saxony, with
the result known by this time to all the
world. The Prussian guns were
! AS SUPERIOR IN NUMBER AS IN POWER;
in fact, if Marshal MacMahon could, hs
ought to have evaded an encounter with such
force, and would have done 80. But wha
men call fate was upon his track. The genius
of Prussia, in the heads of two men, was
humanity speaking, irresistible The Em
peror and his army were hunted down
fenced in, brought to battle, and over
whelmed in vast ruin, of which mankind
will speak and read as long as history en-
dures.
! THE PRISONERS.
Beyond the town a strange scene presented
itself. In the large fields near the railway
station there was body of French prisoners
unwounded, fenced in by line of Wurtem.
bergers. They were about 20OO in number.
and were of several different regiments, com.
prising all arms, drawn up as if in military
order to receive rations, their officers taking
down their names and calling out their mum.
bers. They we're remarkable fine body OF
men, taking them all in ALL Many were toe
young-mere boys, but even in their depres
sion, after night of cold, after day of ter
rible trial, they had that military as distin
guished from warlike air which is character