New-York tribune., 1870-09-06

triyed, 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 Prussans, whom they still out
numbered by at least two to one, they re-
mained in column on the hill, and though see
ing their only hope of retrieving the day van
ishing from before their eyes, still they did
not STIR Then the French cavalry tried to do
A LITTLE BALAKLAyA BUSINESS,
tried, but without the success of the immor-
tai six hundred, who took the guns on which
they charged. The cuirassiers came down once
more, this time riding straight for the two
field-peces but before they came within 200
yards Of the guns, the Prussians formed line
as if on parade, and waiting till those furious
French borsemen had ridden to a point not
fifty yards away, they fired. The volley seemed
to us 10 empty the saddles Of almost the whole
of the leading squadron. The dead so strewed
the ground as to block the path of the squad
ron following, and close before them the direct
and dangerous road they had meant to follow.
Their dash at the guns became halt
RETREAT OF THE FRENCH.
When once this last effort of the French
horse had been made and had failed-failed,
though pushed gallantly so far as men and
horses could go-the French infantry fell
swiftly back toward Sedan. 1t fell back be-
cause it saw that the chance of its carrying
that fercely contested hill was gone, and saw
also that the Prussians holding the hill We're
crowning it with guns so that their own line
could not much longer be held facing it. In
an instant, as the French retired, the whole
slope of the ground was covered by swarms of
Prussian tirGilleurs, who seemed to rise out 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, Gen.
Sheridan remarked to me that he never saw
anything so reckless, so utterly foolish, ar that
last charge. at was sheer murder"
The Prussians, after 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
souares are over. The thin blue line soon
stopped the Gallic onset
1t struck me as most extraordinary that at
this point the French had
NEITHER ARTILLERYiNOR MITRAnLEUsEs,
especially the latter, on the field to cover their
infantry. The position was most important
one. and certainly worth strainiDg 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 seeking
70 encourage them by their example. About
o'clock still other reenfOrcements came 10
the Prussians over this long g-disputed hill be-
tween Torcy and Sedan to support the regi-
ments already established there.
HAVOC AMONG THE BAvARIASs.
All the time that this great conflict was
going on under Fritz's eyes, another was
fought not less severe and as murderous for
the Bavarians as the one | have attempted to
describe was for the French. If there was
want of mitrailleuses on the hill above Torcy,
there was certainly no lack Of them in the
Razeille ravine. On that side there was, for
more than an hour, one continuous roar OF
musketry and mitrailleuses. Two Bavarian
officers told me that the loss in their regiments
was terrific. and that it was the mitrallleuses
L
which made the havoc.
THE FRENCH FAIL BACK OK SEDAN.
At S:O5 in the afternoon the French totally totally
| abandoned the hill between Torcy and Sedan,
and fen back on the fauborg of Caval, just
outside the ramparts of the town. Now the
! hottle il lost for the French" said Gen.
| sheridan. to the delight of the Plussian Off
GERS. One would almost have imagined that
the French had heard his words-they had
hardly been uttered when there came lull in
tLe firing all along the line, or rather circle;
AS such it had now become.
BELGIAN NEUTRALITY.
Corrt bismarck chose that moment to come
and have a talk with his English and Ameri-
can friends. | was anxious to know what the
Federal Chancellor had done about the nen-
tralitv of Belgium, row threatened and my
curiosity was soon gratifed. Il have told the
Relgian Minister of War; said Count Bis
morck. that so long as the Belgian troops dc
their utmost to disarm any number OF flenci
! .al.i;4r. whe, may cross the hCntler' vii
..... .|.