New-York tribune., 1870-09-07
THE DEFENSE OF SEDAN


scripti0D is necessary prelude TO the btta,
story of the morrow. AT $50 returned "a
the town.
THE EMPEROR DESIGNS HIS COMMAND or rHs
ARMY
The Emperor who had arrived during m.
night had issued proclamation which v,,
posted on the walls, saying that he had con
fided the command OK the armies to the pen-
erals whom public opinion had seemed .,
select as most capable of leading them. and
that he himself intended TO fight as an Office,
forgetting for a while his position as a soye,
eign.
SPLENDID ARTILLERY PRACTICE or TIE PRu..
SLAMS.
The next morning, Thursday, Sept 1, 70.
turned, az soon az the gates of the town we,.
opened, TO my post of observation on the Gle.
waited ground where the battery was ,tI,
placed The French positions did not seem to
me much altered, but the right was now On
the other side of Sedan. Ar 7 O'Clock the
cannOnade began in earnest some slight firing
having taken place earlier The Prussian batter.
les facing us appeared to me much more numer
GUS; indeed it seemed to me there vers
batteries everywhere. They roared from every
nearly parallel in front of the French. I could
follow the falling Of their shells which er.
ploded az they touched the ground and
fell with wonderful precision. noticed
also how quickly they changed and
corrected their fire. As soon as French corps
took up position it was instantly assailed By
shells. The first would, perhaps, fall few
feet short or beyond, but the second OF third
was sure to find its way to the troops and do
its awful work among them. The French
shells, on the contrary, exploded ge nerally
before they reached the ground, and the smoke
Of the explosion formed innumerable little
clouds at different nights, some so high that
the shell could do no harm, should think, TO
the enemy.
noticed some inexplicable movements. A
few squadrons of Prussian cavalry made IA If
they would charge a French force which WA
toward the left. Immediately
TWO REGIMENTS OF FRENCH CAVALRY CHARGED
in turn upon the PrIssian squadrons, which
fell back and fled. But at the same momenta
Prussian corps of infantry opened murderous
fire upon those too eager French cavalry regi-
ments, and they came back sadly shattered
from their rash pursuit. About O'Clock
could not help fancying that the Prussians were
extending farther to the left; for, on asking
whether certain new batteries were French, |
was told they were Prussian. The Prussisn
line was evidently curling around us.
I have learned since that the Crown Prince
had crossed the Meuse during the night about
five leagues from Sedan, and that this had not
been known to MacMahon. A large force Of
c.. A.
commencement of the battle, for it was Baya-
rian troops who began pounding us from the
left. At 1Oi o'clock
THE ADVANCE or THE PRUsSIASs
was perceptible on both wings at the sans
time. Some French infantry which was close
TO the town on the east side gave way, as it
seemed to me, rather quickly. Soon afterwsrd
shells were coming from behind my left, and
it became evident that the French position had
been turned, and that fresh German corps
had taken a position i'll our rear
The reserves were now necessarily directed
against these points. The battery near which
stood was already in action, and thought
it quite time to beat a retreat The place WAS
!. coming as dangerous ~ any in the field.
Among the guns close to me- the Prussisn
shells began falling with their usual beau
tiful precision. So got on the other side OF
the slope, and made my way toward the town.
THE PRUssIAN CIRCLE CONTRACTING.
As the road to BOuillOn, which crossed the
field of battle, was wholly closed to me now,
also perceived that I should be shut up in that
circle which the Prussians had been drawing
about the army and the town, and which was
10 fat
as I could, by the safest paths. When l
reached the suburb before the the Porte de
Balan, / found it incumbered with soldiers
of all corps, fastening, "a | was, into the
town. 1t was defeat, evidently, yet it vas
not II o'clock, and the battle was destined to
continue at various points fer some time
longer, though continuing without any real
hope of victory.
THE FRENCH ROUTED.
To one entering the town as | did. there
was no Longer any battle to describe. 1t WAS
first a retreat and too soon rout. thought
myself lucky to get away from the field ~ l
did for an hour afterward the rout Of those
forces that had been near by me was COM
plete. Already soldiers were crushing against
each other in the struggle to get inside the
town. Dismounted cavalry were trying 70
make their way, some even by the ramparfs,
leaping down from the counterscarp; Others
forcing their way in by the postern gates
From a nook of the ramparts, where rested
a moment, ] saw also Cuirassers jumping
horses and all-intO the mOat, the horses
breaking their legs and ribs. Men were
scrambling over each other. There were
officers of all ranks-COlOnels, and even Gen d.
erals, in uniforms which it was imposslhs
to mistake, mixed in this shameful melee
Behind all came guns with their heavy car