Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-09-14
aslistellaag.
The Battle at Sedan.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIeHr On rHURsDA

Thursday last is from correspondent at the
headquarters of the King of Prussia, eight
miles from Sedan
Thursday Night, Sept. later their de-
feats on the Both and 3lst ult., the French
retreated en- masse on Sedan, and encamped
around it From what | learn from the
French prisoners. of whom. as you may i'm
imagine, there was no lack in our quarter, it
seems they fully believed that the road to
Mezieres would always be open to them, and
therefore, in case OF another defeat before
sedafI. their retreat would be accomplished.
On the evening of Wednesday, from FIVE to
eight O'Clock, was at the Crown Princes
headquarters at Chemery village. some
thirteen miles from Sedan, to the south west,
on the main road. At half-pa five we saw
that there was great movement among the
troops encamped all around US, and We
thought at first that the King was riding
through the biyouacks, but soon the 37th
regiment came pouring through the village,
their band playing 50 Die wacht au Rheiueii
As they marched along with a swiges~z
stride, | saw at once by the men szsacss mat
something extraordinary was goxg on. 1t
was plain that the troops wern in the light
est possible marching order; all their KNAPP
sacks were left behind, and they carried
nothing but clOaks strung around their
shoulders. except Iuat one OF TWO OOH ClCGffS
had retained their camp kettles but if their
camp kettles were left behind their cartouch
cases were there, hanging heavily in front Of
the men S belts, unbalanced, as they should
be, by knapsacks Soon | learned that the
whole Prussian corps-those lent from
Prince Frederick Charles's army, the second
army, and the Crown Princes army, were
making forced march left, in the direction
of DOucheny and Mezieres. in order to shut
in Marshal McMahon's army i'll the west,
and so drive them against the Belgian from
tier. | learned from the officers of the Crown
Princes staff that, at the same time, while
we were watching regiment after regiment
pass through Chemery, the Saxons and
Guards, so, 900 strong, and the Prussian
right, under 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 Remilly on Tues
day, the Both, in the direction of La Chapelle,
a small village of $50 inhabitants, on the
road from Sedan to Bouillon, in Belgium, and
the last village before crossing the frontier
Anything more splendid than the mems
marching would be impossible to imagine
saw men lame in both feet bobbing along in
the ranks, kind comrades less foot-sore car
rying their needle guns Those who were
actually incapable of putting one foot before
another had pressed peasant wagons and
every available conveyance into service and
were following in the rear so as TO be ready
for the great battle which all felt sure would
come off on the morrow. The Bavarians.
who it is said, do not march so well as they
fight, were in the center, between us and
Chemery and Sedan, encamped around the
woods of Lamarlee, famous for great bat
tie in lS4i, during the war of the League
When | had seen the last regiment dash
uoh- hn arr fhavr >
can really not be called marching, in the
ordinary sense-I rode off about quarter
past eight p. NJ. for Vendresz, where the
King headquarters were, and where l hoped
to find house room for man and beast, espec-
tally the latter, as being far more important
-eA- the eve Of great battle.
When | got within about half mile Of
Vendresz, going at a steady trot, a sharp
halt - rung out through the clear air
brought my horse to a standstll, knowing
that the Prussian sentries are not TO be triled
with, and as pulled up heard the clicks
of their locks as they brought their weapons
to full cock and covered me.
My reply being satisfactory, l logged on
into Vendresz, and my mare and myself had
soon forgotten sentinels, forced marches and
coming battles, one of us on the straw and
the other on the floor.
At 7 O'Clock Thursday morning my servant
came to awake me, saying that the King 5
horses were being harnessed and that His
Majesty would leave in half an hour for the
battlefield, and as a cannonade bad already
been heard at Sedan, L jumped up, seized
some crusts Of bread, wine and cigars, and
ecrammed them into my holster, taking my
breakfast on the way. Just as | got to my
horse King William drove out in an open
carriage with four horses, going to Chevagne
about miles south of Sedan. Much against
my will l was compelled to allow the King
staff to precede me on the road to the scene
of action, where | arrived myself soon after
9 o'clock. 1t was impossible to ride fast, all
the roads being blocked with artillery, am
munition wagons, ambulances, etc. As
rode on to the crest of the hill, which rises
sharply about 600 or 700 feet above, the
little hamlet of Chevagne nestled in tho
grove below, most glorious panorama burst
on my view. As Gen. Forsyth of the United
States army remarked to me later in the day
= il would have been worth coming merely TO
see so splendid q scene, without the battle.
magnificent stern array in the lovely valley
below, as from the knoll on which [ stood
with the King and his staff we could see not
only the whole valley of the Meuse, but als'
beyond the great woods of Bois dc Loup anC
Fraucheval into Belgium, and as far as th'
billy forest of Numon, on the other side 0
the frontier. Right at our feet lay the littl,
town Of Sedan, famous for it's forti6ca tions
and as the birthplace of Turenne, the grea
Marshal, and is known also as the place
where Sedan chairs originated. As we wert
about two and quarter miles from town
we coGld easily distinguish its principal edi
fees without the aid of our field glasses. Or
our left a pretty church, its Gothi
spires of sandstone Offering a conspIcuOu
target for the Prussian guns, had Gen
Moltke thought fit to lombard the town
To the right on the southeast of the church
was a large barrack, with the fOrtifcatIon
of the citadel behind it, and beyond this t.
the southeast again was seen the old chateau
of Sedan, with their picturesque, round tur
reted towers of the 10Th century, which wer
very useless even against the four-pOunde
Krupp field pieces Beyond this was th
citadel, in the heart of Sedan, on risin
hill, above the Messe, to the southeast, bu
completely Commanded by the hills bot
sides of the river, which was in front of tn
citadel.
The French had flooded the low meadow
in the valley before coming to the ralwa
bridge at Bazeille, in order to stop the Ger
mans from advancing on the town in tha
direction, but with their usual Stupidity
for one can find no other word for it'll
French had failed to mine the bridge at Ba
zeillc, and 1t was of immense service to tn
Prussians throughout the battle. The Prus
slams actually threw up earthworks on th
IRON bridge itself TO protect it from the Frenc
who more than once attempted, early in tn
day, to storm the bridge in the hope OF break
ing the Prussian Communication between til
right and left banks of the Meuse Thi
they were unable to do, and although thei
cannon shot had almost demolished the PAL
apet, the bridge itself was never material
damaged
On the projecting spurs of the hill, crowC
ed oy the woods OF La Marice, OF which
have already spoken, the Basarfans had pos
gu s"o batteries OF six FOUNDER rife breecf
loading steel Krupp guns, which kent IN
duelio, until the very end of the dav. wit
the siege guns of Sedan across the Meus,