Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-09-08
From the Springfield Republican,
The ssCroIvming 6Iercy'' at Sedan.


King William has been az FORUM te in
this war az Cromwell used to be in his
and his last victory WAS browning
mercy" like those won by Oliver at Dan
bar and Worcester. Few of the details
have as yet reached M, but enough to
show the general range and course Of the
battles We have already described those
of Tuesday, in which McMahou's army
was beaten on both sides of tho Mouse
aud fell back on Sedan from the east and
the west, a. we'll as from the south But
on, wednesday. when the fight was again
renewed, the French held a strong position
and the Crown Prince in this affair lost
several thousand men without injuring
the position of the French or gaining any
great advantage. The French were elated
by their success, and so foolish was their
confidence in their ability to cripple the
Prussiens, that the Prince Imperial re-
turned from Avesuea to Mezeres.
But, on Thursday morning, the Crown
Prince had not only reorgauized his
forces on the west bank of the Mouse, but
very strong army of Germans, made up
IN part OF some troops OF Prince Frederic
Charles, detached from Metz, and in part
0i the forces commanded by the Crown
Ltihee OF SuTony, was on the east bank.
Inc hKht opened early on Thursday
morning. and the greater part of Mac
Al anon army was engaged. His forces
In The battle are stated at 10000, while
the Germans had, on both sides of the
Meuse, at least 100000 men. The van
OF the Russians, we are told, under cover
OF tremendous cannonade, crossed the
Meuse by two bridges, and rapidly
formed into line of battle. The remain
ing columns continued to pour over the
bridges, against which several batteries
OF mItraIlleuses were pouring a CON
tinOus fire, the machines moving
angular swaths through the ranks OF
the solid columns which were crossing.
Whole regiments of the Prussians were
broken and cut down, but when the
Russians succeeded in effacting Il cross
ing, they surrounded Sedan, completely
investing the city. The French cavalry,
which had assembled behind the town.
was unable to fight in consequences of the
mountainous locality rendering cavalry
operations impossible, and we may pre-.
sumo that so much of the French infantry
as was posted in the rear, that Ia, north Of
the town, was kept out of action for &
similar reason. As the Prusslans swept
round toward the northeast aud finally
occupied Givonne, at the same time, We
may presume, moving up on the south
west of Sedan, by Donchery, the position
of MacMahon soon became a very critical
one. He could not retreat south of Sc.
dan, because the Crown Princes army
hemmed them in; north Of him but a few
miles was the Belgian frontier; to the
eastward lay the army of Frederic Charles
already victorious over Bazaine; so that
his only way out of the net was by falling
back on Mezieres.
MacMahon was attacked by the Ger.
mans at O'Clock Thursday morning in
the neighborhood of Douzy, where his
center stood. He resisted stoutly with
inosketry and artillery. Early in the af
SSSrHoou, when the firing slackened, the
1 ethAns assaulted with the bayonet
-, nIS way Too much for the French, who
oovaV,a 100 e. at all points and driven in
a. Pr disorder ecross the Mouse into
.n .s narrow 'Oxbow" on which the west
side OF Sedan is built IN p.,s,a;a..s
held the field and had tbna oa 49,
cornered their enemy. MacNT a,
wounded and Gen. Wimpffen, who had
IuT, osrn sent to take command of g.
ra'iiy,s corps, was left in command - az !.
whole French army, or what was left 'n &c
IT, surrender had become inevitable ~,
iess cue French preferred to die of starva.
1ion' ior the peninsula of Sedan did not
contain provisions enough to feed them a
single day, we suppose. Accora;na,n c. q