The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-09-08
THE BATTLE OF SEDAN.

Of q very graphic account photographed to
the New York Tribune Of the sansriinary
battle which ended with the surrender of
the army of Sedan, and Of the Emperor.
The cable was interrupted just before the
transmission Of this account was concluded
The Tribune of Tuesday morning contains
the whole Of it, and we copy from it the
continuation Of the narrative from the point
at which the cable failed.
1t will be remembered by the reader that
in what was published the Prussians had
gotten possession of the La Gavonne hills,
which overlooked Sedan. The struggle was
4 desperate and bloody one. The sketch
continues:
The great object of the Prussians was
gained. since they were not driven from the
crest OF the hill they fought to hold. Hold
ing II thus against cavalry, the PrusSians
persuaded themselves that it was possible
to establish artillery OH this hill.
There viii he a devil of fight for that
crest before it is won or lost" said Sheridan,
>trainiHg his eyes through his field glass at
the hill. which was not three miles from us.
The full sun was shining upon that hill.
We, gazing upon ii, had the sun behind us.
ANOTHER FRUITLESs CAVALRY CHARGE.
AT l:30 French cavalry-this time, pre-
sumo, a regiment of cQr0bInterS-made an
other dash at the PrusSianS, who, on their
part, We're receiving reIntorcements every
moment but the cdrebiniers met with the
same tate as their brethren in iron jackets,
and were sent TO the right-about with
heavy loss. The PruSsians took advantage
OF their fight to advance their line about
two hundred yards nearer the line which
the French Infantry held.
ANOTHER FRENCH BLUSpER.
This body of adventurous Prussians split
into two portions, the two parts leaving
break Of hundred yards in their line. We
Were not long in perceiving the object of
this movement, for the little white putfS
from the crest behind the skirmiSherS. fol-
lowed by commotion in the dense French
masses, show us that these "dIG6ies dc
PrtSSidnS' have contriycd, Heaven only
knows how, TO Get two four FOUNDERS up
the steep ground, and have opened fire on
the French. Something must ut this point
have been very much mlsmanaged with the
French infantry for, instead of attacking
the Pru>SianS, whom they still outnum-
bered by II least two to one, they remained
in column on the hill, and though seeing
their only hope Of retrieving the day val
ishing from before their eyes, still they did
not stir. Then the French cavalry tried TO do
a BALAhLAN \ bl SINESSs
tried, but without the slicccsS OF the i'm
mortal six hundred. who took the guns on
which they charged. The cuiraSSiers came
down once more, this time riding straight
for the two tield-pieceS; but before they
came within two hundred yards ofthe guns
the Pru>>ianS formed line rs If on parade,
and waiting till those furious French horse
men had ridden TO point not fifty yards
away, they fired. The Yolley seemed to us
-.
the leading squadron. The dead so streWed
the ground as to block the path ofthe squad
ron following, and close before them the
direct and dangerous road they had meInt
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 1ailed-failed,
though pushed Tallantlv so far As men and
horses could go-the French infantry fell
swiftly back toward Sedan. 1t fell back be-
cause IL saw that the chance of its carrying
that tiercey-contested hill was gone, and
saw also that the PrllS>ians 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 tiTdilleurs,
who seemed TO rise out Of the ground and
push forward by help Of every slight rough
ness or depression in the surface of the
hin. As fast as the French went back these
active enemies followed. After the last
desperate charge Of the French cavalry.
General Sheridan remarked to me that he
never saw anything so reckless, so utterly
foolish, as that last charge 1t was sheer
murder"
The PruSsans, 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 break
ing squares are over. The thin blue line
soon stopped the gallic onset.
II struck me as most extraordinary that
1t this point the French had
NEITHER ARTILLERY NOR MITRA1LLEUsEs,
especially the latter, on the field to cover
their infantry. The position was most
important one, and certainly worth strain
ing 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 TO encourage
them by their example. About O'Clock
sans over this Iong-disputed hill between
Iorcy and Sedan to support the regiments
already established there.
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. II there
was want of mitrailleuSes on the hill above
Torcy, there was certainly no lack of them
in the Bazeille rarine. On that side there
was for more than an hour one continuous
roar OF musketry and mitraieuses. Two
Bayarian officers told me that the loss in
their regiments was terrific, and that it was
the mitrailleuses which made the havoc.
THE FRENCH FALL BACK ON SEDAN.
AT 2:0j in the afternoon the French to-
tally abandoned the hill between TOrcy and
Sedan, and fell back on the fauborg Of Ca
val, just outside the ramparts Of the town.
Now the battle is lost for the FRENCH"
sad General Sheridan, to the delight of the
fruS>iau officers. One would almost have
imagined that the French had heard his
words. They had hardly been uttered when
there came q lull in the Iring all along the
line, or rather circle, rs such it had now be-
come.
BELGIAN NEUTRALITY.
Count Bismarck chose that moment to
come and have talk with his English and
American friends. ] was anxious to know
what the Federal Chancellor had done
about the neutrality of Belgium, now /
threatened, and my curiosity was soon
gratlhed. - have told the Belgian Minis.
ter OF War said Count Bismarck, "that
80 long as The Belgian troops do their ut
n 1Tu bow