The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-09-05

miles Fl ON Sedan, to the southwest, on the
mainroad At 6.30 we saw that there was a
great movement among the troops encamped
all around us, and we thought at FIRST the King
was riding through the bivouscs, but soon the
37th regiment came pouring through the viii
lage, their band playing "Die Wacht am
Rhein." AS they marched along with swing
ing stride, ] saw at once, by the mems faces,
that something extraordinary was going on,
and ii was soon plain that the troops were in
the lightest possible marching order. All their
knapsaCks were left behind, aud they were car
rying nothing but cloaks slung around their
shoulders, except that one or two bon rjcda'S
had retained their camp kettles But if camp
kettles were left behind, cartouche boxes were
there. hanging heavily in front Of the mems
belts, unbalanced, as they should be, by knap.
sacks.
Soon learned that the whole Prussiau
corps. those sent from Prince Frederick
Charles army, the second army aud the Grown
Princes, were making forced march to the
left, in the direction Of Douchery and Me.
zeres, in order to shut in McMahou's army on
the west and so drive them against the B B,l-
gian frontier. ] learned from officers Of the
Crown Princes staff that at the same time
while we were watching regiment after regi-
ment passed through Chcmery and SarOns.
The Guards, 10000 strong, the Prussian right
and Prince Albert, of Saxony, were also
marching rapidly to close on the doomed
French army on the right bank of the Meuse,
which they had crossed at Remullyon on the
30th, in the direction OF La Chapelle, village
of 900 inhabitants, on the road foom Sedan to
BouillOn, in Belgium, and the last village be-
fore crossing the frontier.
Anything moro splendid than the mems marching
would be impossible to Imagine. ] men lame
in both feet hobbing along in the ranks, kind COM
rades less fCot-soTe, carrying their needle guns.
Those who were actually incapable OF putting one
foot before the other had pressed peasants wagons
aud n.aunNy ynyapa n %
and were following in the rear, 80 as to be ready for
the great battle. which all felt sure would come of
on the morrow. The Bavarians, who, IL is generally
believed, do not march well as they fight, were
in the centre between us at Chemery and Sedan,
encamped around the woods OF la MartGe, famous
for the great battle in 16li during the wars of tue
League, nao sssr the last rsgmart dash tn,o,rb
Tor the pace at which they went can really MT b9
called matching, in the ordinary sense, rode of
Vendres, where the Kings headquarters were, aud
where l hoped to find house-rOonl for man and
beast especially the latter as being far impor
tant on the eve OF great battle. When got
within about half mile OF Vendres, going at
steady trot, sharp "halt!" rang out through the
clear air: ! brought my horse to standstil,
knowing that the Prnssian sentries were not TO b,
trined with, and as pulled up twenty yards of,
heard the clicks of their locks, as they bought
their weapons to the full cock and covered me- My
reply being satisfactory, logged into vendres,
tinels, forced marches and coming battles one OF
us straw and the other on the floor.
At A. NJ, on September l, my servant woke me,
saving the Kings horses were harneSSed, and his
Majesty would leave in half an hour for the battle
field, and as the cannOnade had already been heard
near Sedan, jumped mp, seized crust of Bread
wine, segars, &c, and crammed them into my
| holsters taking my breakfast on the way Just as
oren carriage with four horses for Chsvange, about
! three and a half miles south Of Sedan, and much
against my will was compelled to allow the Kings
staff to precede me on the road to the scene of
tion, where arrived myself soon after nine A NJ
II was impossible TO ride FAST all the roads being
blocked up with artillery wagons, ambulances,
&c AS rode on TO the crest Of the hill, which
rises sharply about 900 to 700 feet above the little
hamlet OF Cahvangc, nestled in grove below,
most glorions panorama burst on my view. As
marked to me later in the day, it would have been
| worth crossing the Atlantic merely to such
| splendid scene, without battles mlgnihcently
| the knoll on which stood with the King and his
staff, we could see not only the whole valley of the
Meuse, but also, beyond the great woods, the Bois
! de LOup and Trancheval, into Belgium, and as far
as the hilly forest OF Neumo ON the other side of
| the frontier.
| Right at our feet lay the little town of Sedan,
famous for its Notifications and as the birthplace
! of Turehne, the great Marshal, and known also
! the place where Sedan chairs originated. AS we
/ were only about two and quarter miles from the
town we cOnd easily distinguish its principal edi-
| fees. On the left was a pretty church, its gothic
gpre of sandstone Offering conspicuous target for
! the Prussian guns, had Motke thought to lombard
the town. TO the right the southwest ofhe church
large baTTack with the fOrtiicatons ofthe cita
deli behind il and beyond this to the southeast ain
the old chateau of Sedan with its picturesque round
turreted towers Of the sixteenth century, very
| less even against the four-pounder Krupp field
! pieces This building, believe, is now arsenal.
Beyond this was the citadel the heart OF Sedan,
rising hill, above the Meuse to the southeast but
completely commanded by hills on both sides ofthe
river which runs in front of the citadel.
The French had flooded the low meadows in the
valley before coming to the railway bridge at
BaZeille, i'm order to stop the Germans from ad-
| vancing on the town in that direction. With their
usual stupidity for can find no other word for
! il, the French had failed to mine the bridge at
Bazeille, and 1t was OF immense service TO the
| PTussians throughout the battle. The Prussans
/ actually threw up earthw0rks on the IRON bridge
itself TO protect it from the French who than
attempted early In the day to storm the bridge,
I hoping TO break the Bavarian communication be-
I tween the right and lett banks of the Meuse. This
| they were unable to do; and although their cannon
shot had almost demolished the parapet, the bridge
I tself was materially damaged
On the projecting spurs OF hill crowned by the
woods of La Morphee, of which | have already
spoken, the Bavarians had posted two batteries of
siX-pounder rited breech-loading steel Krupp guns
which kept up the duel until the very end of the
day with the siege guns OF Sedan across the Meuse
Still further to the right flank rather to the
east, for our line circular one, crescent at
first, with Sedan in the centre, like the star the
Turkish standard, was an unduating plain, above
the village OF BaZeille, terminating about mile
and half from Sedan at the woods near Rube-
court. Midway, that is to say, in straight line
frem BaZelle north, there is a raYine watered by
tiny brook, which was the scene of the most des-
perate struggle and OF the most frghtful laughter
of the whole battle. This stream, whose name
have forgotten, lift ever had one, runs right be-
hind the tower of Sedan, from the woods of Fleig-
ruse the north. Behind the town rises q hill,
dotted with cottages and fTuitladen orchards, and
crowned by the wood OF La Gurenne, which runs
down to the valley OF which have lust spoken.
Between the wood and the town were several
French camps, their white shelter tents standing
out clear against the dark fruit trees. In these
camps one could throughout the day huge
masses of troops, which were never used Even
hal, bf NJ fl.a hatt