Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-09-09
at(istellany,
THE BATTLE OF SEDAN.
rCoNcLrDEp FROM YESTERDAYS PAPER. ]

Al IL 10 y CLOCK We were All dstOHlsilet
to see clouds OF retreating French infantry
ON the hill between Floing and Sedan, a
Prussian battery making good practice
| with percussion shells amongst the reced-
ing ranks. The whole hill, for quarter
of an hour, was literally covered with
Frenchmen running rapidly. In less than
half an hour after at Il 80, General Won
Room called oir attention to another
French column in full retreat to the right
of Sedan, on the road leading from Ba-
zeilles to La Giyonne wood, and they
never halted until they got to a small red
rooted house on the outskirts of Sedan
itself.
Almost at the same moment General
Sheridan, who was using my opera glass,
asked me to look at the third French col
umn that was moving up a broad cross
road through La Givonne wood, immedi-
ately above Sedan, doubtless to support
the troops defending the important Ba-
zeilles ravine to the northeast of that
town. At one o'clock the French batter
les on the edge of the woods towards Tor
cy, and above it, opened vigorous fire
on the advancing Prussan columns of the
third corps, whose evident intention was
to storm the hill northwest of La Givonne
and so gain the key of the position on that
side Of the line. At l 10 O'Clock yet an
other French battery near the wood open
ed on the Prussian columns, which were
compelled to keep shifting their ground
until ready for their final rush at the hill,
in order to avoid offering SO good mark
to the French shells.
Shortly afterwards, We saw the first
Prussian skirmishers on the crest of La
Givonne hills, above Torcy. They did
not seem in strength, and General Sheri-
dan, who was standing behind me, eX-
claimed ''Ah the beggars are too weak
they can never hold that position against
all those French generals The prophesv
soon proved correct, for the French adj
vanced, at least six to one, and the Prus-
slams We're forced to retreat down the hill
to seek re-entorcements from the columns
hurrying to their support. In five min
utes they came back again, this time il
greater force, but they were still terribly
inferior TO the huge French masses
Good heavens, the French cuirassers art
going to charge them" cried General
Sheridan, and sure enough. regiment
OF curassiers. with their helmets and
breast-platcs flashing in the September
sun, form in sections of squadrons and
dash down on the PrusSian skirmishers
without deigning to form in line.
The squares, never before used by the
Prussian infantry, received the cuirassiers
with Il crushing quick fire at about one
hundred yards distance, loading and fir
| ing with exteme lapidtv and untailing
precision into the dense French squadrons.
| The effect was startling. over went the
horses and men in numbers, in masses
| and in hundreds. and the regiment Of the
proud French cuirassiers went back hur-
ridly in disorder. They went back faster
than they came. They went back scarce
| ly a regiment in strength. and not at all
Il regiment in form. Its comely array
was suddenly turned into shapelcss mass
and a helpless crowd of flying men. The
moment the cuirassiers turned back, the
brave Prussians actually dashed forward
in hot pursuit ut double-quick, the inian-
try plainly pursuing the flying cavalry.
Such a thing has not often been recorded
in the annals of war. know not of an
example to compare precisely with this.
There was no more striking episode in the
battle. When the French infantry saw
their cavalry thus fleeing before foot sol
diers, they in their turn came forward
and attacked the Prussians. The Prus-
slams waited quietly and patiently, endur
ing rapid and telling fire from Chasse'
pots, until their enemies had drawn st
near as to be within hundred yards from
them. then they returned with the needle
gun the rapid fire from the chassepots,
and the French infantry could no more
endure the Prussian fire than the cavalry
to whose rescue they had come. The
infantry fled in its turn and followed the
cavalry to the place whence they came,
that is behind ridge some five hundred
wards on the way to Sedan, where the
Prussians with their teasing fire could no
longer reach them.
The great object of the RrusSians was
gained, since they were not driven from
the crest of the hill they fought to hold.
Holding it thus against cavalry the Prus-
| SLAMS persuaded themselves that it was
possible to establish artillery on this hill
There will be a ID of a fight for tina
crest before it is won or LOST said Gen
eral Sheridan, straining his eyes through
his field glass at the hill, which was no
| three miles from where we stood, with thu
sun full shining on it from behind us.
At half-past one the French cavalry
made another dash at the Prussans, who
on their part, met with the same fate as
their brethren in the iron jacket, and were
sent with heavy loss to the rlght-about
The Prussians took advantage OF thetr
flight to advance their line couple OF hun
dred yards nearer the line which the
French infantry held.
These adventurous Prussians split into
two bodies, The two bodies having a
break OF hundred yards in their line, we
were not long in seeing the object of this
movement. for in a little while. puffs from
the crest behind the skirmishers, followed
by commotion in the dense French mass
es. showed us that the PruSsians have con
trived, heavens only knows how, to get
couple of tonr-pounders up the steel
ground, and have opened on the French.
Something must have been very wrong
with the French infantry, for instead o
attacking the Prussians, whom they still
outnumbered by at least two to one, the,
remained in column on the hill, seeing
their only hope of retrieving the day van
ishing before their eyes still they did no
stir. Then the French cavalry tried to d.
a little Balaklava business, but withou
the success of the immortal six hundred
Down came the cuirassiarS once more