The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1870-09-15
Vol 1 %, No. 2s
Battle Of sedan.
The following is an extract ffx1
the Ifibune'S sDocial correepondonti

sSSss'-SAS o0SSO~A6iy hXOayt 1Ciuk Ou0
continuous rattle, only broken BY
the growing of mitrailleurs. which
played with deadly effect on the ad-
vancing Saxons and Bavarian col
nmns. General Sheridan, by whose
side ! was standing, told me no did
not remember ever to have heard
such q we'll sustained small arms firc.
IL made itself heard above the roar
Of the batteries at our feet. At, IL
o'clock precisely Prussjan battery
Of six guns on the slope above the
brokcn railroad bridge over tho
Meuse near La Villette, had silenced
two batteries Of French guns at the
foot Of the bare hill already mention
ed, near the village Of Flaing. Atten
minutes past II o'clock the French
infantry NO longer supported by their
artillery, wore compelled to retreat 10
Fiaing and soon afterwards the juno
tion between the Saxons and the
Prussians behind Sedan was announ-
cod to us by General Won Room, who
was eagerly peering through largo
telescope, as being safely completed.
From this moment the result of the
battle could not bc doubtful. Tho
French were completely surrounded
and brought to bay.
At 1926 we werc oil astonished
to SEQ clouds of retreating French
infantry on the bill betweon Flaing
and Sedan, the Prussian battery
making good practice with porous
sion shells among the recoding ranks.
The whole hill, for q quarter of an
hour, was literally covered with
Frenchmen running rapidly.
Less than half al hour after, Gen.
Won Roon called souraattension TO
another French column 10 full. Re.
treat, to the right or Sedan, on the
road leading from Basillss to La
Garoane wood They -sever halted
until they got TO 4 small rcd rooted
house on tho outskirts Of Sedan itself.
Almost at the Same moment, GeacrAl
sheridan, who was using my yoper 1
glass, asked me TO look at the third
French column, moving MP the
broad grass road, through Lac arenne
wood Immediately above Sedan,
doubtless 20 support the troops de.
tending tho important Baxiils Ravine
to the northeast Of town. = ) / i
Al one O'Clock the French batteries
on the edge Of the wood towards
Tony and above il opened q vigorous
fire on the advancing Prussisn
columns Of tho Sd corps, whose evi.
dent intention it was to storm the
hill northwest Of Lat CAYENNE, and so
gain the key of the position on that
sido. At Ills yet another French
battery, ncar the wood, opened On
the Prussian column, which was
compelled to keep shifting their
ground till ready for their finaf rush
at the hiila, and in order to avoid OF.
ering 30 good o mark to, French
shells. Shortly nftcrwcrd we saw
tho first Prussian skirmishcrs on the
crest Of the La Gavcnne hills above
Toney. They did not seem in
strength, and Gen Sheridan; who was
standing behind me, exclaimed, aOh.
tho beggars arc too weak--they can
mover hold that position against the
French" The Generals prophecy
soon proved to be correct, for the
French, advancing at least six to one
Prussian, forced them to retreat down
the hill to sock reinforcements from
the columns which were hurrying 10
their support. In Eve minutes they
came back again-this time ia great.
or force, but still terribly inferior to
those huge French masses.
"Good heavenl the cuirrasseurs
are going to charge them," cried
Gen. Sheridan. and, sure enough. a
regiment of cuirrasseurs, their bel.
mcts and broastplatcs flashing in the
September sun, formed in sections Of
squadrOns and dashed down on the
scattered Prussians, who, without
turning to torn in line squares are
not used by tho Prussian Infantry,
received thes cuirrasscurs with j
crushing quick fire at about o hun.
dred yards distance, loading and &,
ring with great rapidity and unfailina
precision into the dense French
squadrons. Tho cEcct was startling
Ovor went horses and men in masse.
-by hundrcds-and the squadron.
Of proud cuirrAsseurs went hurriedly
back in disorder-went back fastc,
than they came-went back scarcely
y regiment in strength; it's comely
array was suddenly changed toshape
less and helpless crowds of flying
men.
The moment the cuirrasseurs turn.
ed back, the brave Prussians actually
dashed forward at double quick
infantry pursuing cavalry. Such q
thing has not often been recorded ID
tho annals of war. know not when
an example to compare precisely with
this has occurred. There was not .
moro striking episode In tho battle
When tho French infantry saw
their cavalry thus fleeing before foo,
soldiers, they in turn came forward
and attacked the Prussians. The
Prussians waited quietly, patiently
enduring rapid and telling fire from
the Chassepots, until their enemies
had drawn SO near as to be- within
100 yards Of them. Then they re.
turned with their needlo-guns the
rapid fire from the Chassepots, and
tho French infantry could no more
endure the Prussian fire than the
cavalry to whose rescue they had
come. The infantry fiod in its turn
and followed the cavalry to the place
from which they came--that is, be
yond tho ridge some five hundred
yards on the way to Sedan, where
tho Prussian mitrailleurs, with theil
teasing fire, could no longer roach
them.
/ Tho great object of the Prussianl
was gained, since they wero no
driven from tho crost ofthe hill the,
fought to hold,--holding it thu
against cavalry.
! COUNTY FAIRs.-Sevoral count,
fairs are laboring .under grca
difficulty just now, on accoun
| of the extreme wet weather. w,
see By the Journal, Of Noun
Pleasant, that tho fair in Hcnr,
county, is postponed until tho 2lsl
I'D and 2Sd, Of the present month