Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-09-16

com Ihan0er has escaped me. McMahOn,
although wounded, commanded in chief
on the French side. It is almost needless
to say that the real commander in chief OF
the Prussians was Won Moltke with the
Grown Prince and Prince Albert of Saxo-
ny Innediately next in command.
BEGINNING OF THE BATTLE.
There were few stray cannon shots
| fired, bat the real battle did not commence
until O'clock, becoming a sharp artillery
| fight al 8. when the batteries lad got with
IL easy range. and shells began to do Sc
! rions mischief. At II :35 o'clock the mus
| kerry fire in the valley IL the rear of Sc
dan, which had opened about %, be-
! came exceedingly lively, being one con-
! tiruous rattle, only broken by the growl-
ing OF mitTaiilenrs. which played with
deadly effect on the advancing Saxon and
| BaYarjan columns. General Sheridan, by
whose side I was standing, told me that
| be did not remember ever to have heard
such we'll sustained small arms Ere. Il
| made itself heard above the war Of batte-
ries 2t cur fcot.
CL0cING IN.
Al Il O'clock precisely a Prussian bat
try OF six guns, on the slope above the
broken railway bridge over the Meuse,
near La Viilcte, had sience1 two bate
ries OF the French guns at the scot of the
bare hills, already mentioned, near the
village of FIOring. At 10 minutes past II
O'Clock the infantry, 10 longer supported
by their artillery, were compelled to retire
to FiOripg, and soon afterwards junction
between tho SaxonB and PruesianS behind
Sedan was announced to rs By General
Won Room, who was eagerly peerirg
through a large telescope, as being safely
completed From this moment the result
Of the battle could no longer be doubtful.
The FreUch were completely surrounded
and brought 10 bay. At 1855 We were all
asionibhed to see crowds of retreating
French infantry on the hill between Flor
ing and Sedan. Pcussian battery making
good practice With percussion shells among
the receding ranks. Tho whole hill for
quarter of an hour was literally covered
with Frenchmen running rapidly. Less
than half an hour afterwards General Won
Room called our attention to another
French column in full retreat TO the right
OF Sedan. on the road leading from Ba-
zeille to La CAYENNE wood. They never
halted until they got to a small red rooted
house on the outskirts Of Sedan itself. Al
mos at the same moment, Gen. Sheridan.
who was using my opera glass, asked me
TO look al third cOlumn moving up
broad grass road through La CAYENNE
wood, immediately above Sedan, doubt
less TO support the troops defending the
important Bazeillo ravine, to the north
east Of the town. At one O'Clock the
French batteries on the edge Of 5le wood
towards Toney and above it, op, led Wig
Orous fire upon the advancing Prussian
columns Of the third corps, whose evident
intention it was to storm the hill north
east of La CAYENNE, and SO gain the key
of the position on that side.
TERRIBLE SCENES OF CARNAGE.
At 1:15 o'clock yet another French bat
terry near the wood opened on the Prussian
columns, which were compelled to keep
shifting their ground till ready for their
fiual rueh at the hills, and in order to avoid
offering SO good a mark to the French
shells. Shortly afterwards we saw the first
Prussian skirmishers on the east of La
CAYENNE hills, above Toney. They did n OF
seem in strength, and General Sheridan.
who was standing ehind me, exclaimed {:
"Ah the beggar5 are too weak. They
can never hold that position against all
those French" The Generals prophecy
soon proved correct, for the French, ad-
vancing, at least six to one, the Prussians
were forced to retreat down the hill to
seek reinforcements from the columns
which were hurrying to their support. In
| five minutes they came back again, this
! line in greater force, but still terribly in
| ferior to those hinge French masses. 'Good
| heavens the French Cuirassiers are going
| to charge them," cried General Sheridan,
and sure enough the regiment OF Cniras-
siera, their helmets and br6ast-plates flash
| ne in the September sun, form in sections
| of squadrons and dash down on the scat
tered Prussian skirmishers. Without
! deigDing to form in line, (the squares are
never used by the PTussians,) the infantry
| received the Cuirassiers with a crushing
| quick fire at about hundred yards dis
t.oce. loading and firing with extreme
rapid and unfaling precision IN the dense
French sGuadrons. The effect was start
ling. Over went horses and men IL
| numbers, in masses, in hundreds, and
| the regiment OF proud French Cuirassiers
| went hurriediy back in disorder, went back
faster than it came, went back scarcely 6
| regiment in strength and not ut all regi
ment in form. lis comely array was sud
denly changed into shapeless and helpless
crowds of flying men. The moment the
Cuirassers turned back the brave Prus
slams actually dashed forward in hot pnr
suit at double quick, the infantry plainly
pursuing the flying cavalry. Such thing
has not often been recorded IN the annal;
of war [ know not when an example tC
compare precisely with this has occurred
There was no more striking episode in the
battle. When the French infantry saw
their cavalry thus fleeing before the foo
soldiers, they in their turn came forward
and attacked the Prussians. The Prus-
SLAMS waited quietly and patiently, endur-
ing rapid and telling fire from the chasse
, pots, until their enemy had drawn so nea
as to be within 100 yards from them
/ Then they returned with the needle gu-
the rapid fire from the chassepots. and th
French infantry could no more endure tn
Prusian fire than the cavalry to whose res
cue they had come. The infantry fed il
{ its turn, and followed the cavalry to tn
t place from which they had come, that is
behind ridge some 500 yards on the wa
> to Sedan, where the. Pfussian mitrailleurs
. with their tearing fire, could no longe
! reach them. The great object of tn
Prussians was gained, since they were no
driven from the crest of the hill the
i fought to Lold. After tremendous bat
= tie, the Prussians having completely SUI
: rounded Sedan, the Bavarians entered th
= notifications of Sedan.
] AiabaEna Democratic Convention.
e This body, which assembled IN Mon
- oomarv on Thursday was composed