The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1870-09-09


terminating about IL miles from Sedan,
at the woods. Near RubruTt midland, that ]
is TO say, in line from Bozvillc north, there
is ravine watered by a brook, which was
the scene of the most desperate struggle and
of the most frightful slaughter Ot tho whole
hattie. This stream, whose name have tor-
gotten, If 1t had one, runs right behind The |
town of Sedan. From the woods, OF Fiel-
grouse on the north, behind the town rises |
hill dotted with cottages and fruit-laden or
chards, and crowned by the wood LaGayenne, |
which runs down ksoA--Valley Of which have |
Just spoken. - ra--
Between this wood and the town were sew
eral French camps, their white shelter tents |
standing out clear amGng the dark fruit trees |
From these camps ono could see throughout |
the day huge masses OF troops which were
never used, and oven during the height of the
battle, they stood rs well us Fitz John Porter
at the second battle of Bull Run. We imag-
ined they must have been undisciplned
Gardes Mobile, whom the French Generals
dared not bring out against their enemy.
To the PrUssan left of these French camps,
separated from them by a wooded ravine, was
a long bare hill, something like ono Of the
hills on Long Island. This hill, on which was
some of tho hardest fighting of the day, formed
one of the keys of the position of the French
army When once its crests were crowned
with FruSsian artillery, tls whole town Of
Sedan was completely at the mercy Of the
Gerlnan guns, as they wero not only above
the town, but the town was almost within
musket range OF them. Still further to tho
lett lay the village of lily, set on fire early in
the DAY Dy the explosion of the French shells.
South OF this, the broken railway bridge,
blown up by the French to protect their right,
was conspicuous object. Right about the
railway bridge, On the hne to Mezierus, was
wooded hull, crowded by new and most
hldeous chateau, as ne calls it, of one Mon
sleqr Pave. 1t was here tho Crown Prince
and hls stall stood during the dav. having
rather moro extensive but less central Wow,
and therefore less desirable than ours. where
stood the King, Count Bismarck, Won Room.
the War Minister, General Moltke, and GEN
erals Sheridan AID Forsyth, to say nothing of
your correspondent
Having thus endeavored to give some faint
idea OF the scene of what Is III all probability
the decisive battle of the war, viii give an
account OF the position OF tho different corps
at the commencement of the action, promising
that all movements were Of the simplest
possible nature, the object OF Prussian Cen
erals being merely to close the crescent with
troops with which they began by effecting
junction between the Saxon corps on their
| right, and the Prussian corps on their loft.
This junction took place about noon, near the
little village of lily, on Royvillo Ravine,
behind Sedan, of winch have already spoken.
Once their terrible circle formed and well
| soldered together, 1t grew steadily smaller and
smaller, until at last the Notifications of
| Sedan itself were entered. On the extreme
right were the Saxons; one corps d'armee,
with King Williams Guards; also a corps
d'armee IN reserve; behind them Guards
which had suffered terribly ut GravelOtte,
where they met the Imperial Guard, and tho
King would not allow them again to be so
| cruelty decimated. Justice cofnpels me 10
state that this arrangement was very far
indeed from being pleasing to the Guards
| themselves, who are ever anxious TO be in the
fore front of tho battle. The Guards and
Saxons then about 49, 600 strong, were all day
on the right bank OF the Meuse, between
Rubecourt and La ChapelIe, at which latter
| village Prince Albert of Slxonv, who was in
command of two corps, which have been
formed INTO Little extra army by themselves
passed the nI5aapos y IN Thursday. The rroUud
| from Rubecourt to the Meuse was occupied by
| the lst Bavarlan corps. The ID BayariaI
| corps extended their front from uear tbe
| Brazielle Railway bridge to a point situated
upon the high road from Douchery to Sedan
not far from the little village of Torey. below
the hill on which the Crown Prince va.
placed. The ground from Gorey TO NV
bi1OuSAl THO OF tlOuillE, WIS he'd
by the lst and 81 Prussian CORPS, belonging
TO Prince Frederick Charles, and temporlriIS
attached to the army OF the Crown Prince.
This was the position of the troops about
9o'clock Thursday morning, September lst
and no great advance took place til later than
that, for the artillery had ut first all the work
to do. Still further TO the left, near boucher;
were 10000 Wurtemburgers, ready to cut of
the French from Mezieres in case of their
making push for that fortress.
The number of the Prussian troops en-
gagged was estimated by General Moltke at
| 24O,00O, and that Of the French at l20.OOO
We know that MacMahon had with him on
Tuesday 1900 men, that-is, four corps: his
own; that lately commanded by General
Fdilley, now under General LeBrun; that oi
| Felix Douay, brother of General Abel Douav,
killed at WeisSenberg; and the fourth eorps,
| principally composed Of the Garde Mobile. Tho
name of whose commander has escaped. Mac
Mahon, although Wounded, commanded-in-
chief on the French side. 1t is almost need
less to say the real commander-in-chief of the
Prussians was S9n Moltke, with the Crown
Prince and Prince Albert of Saxony immedi-
ately next in command. There were a few
stray cannon shots fred; they were sighting
| shots, however, as soon as range was obtained:
but the real battle did not commence TIL six
| O'Clock, becoming sharp artillery fight at
| nine, when the batteries had each rot within
easy range, and the shells began TO do serious
work at ll:55 o'clock. Musketry fire in the
valley IN the rear of Sedan opened about 1926
! O'Clock and became exceedingly lively, being
one continuous fire, only broken by the growl-
ing OF the mitralleuse, which played with
deadly effect on the advancing Saxon and
Bavarian columns. General Sheridan, by
/ whose side | was standing, told me he did not
| roman har 10 ho--n a-l
| tanned small arms fire 1t made itself heard
above the roar of battle at our feet.
At II o'clock precisely the Prussian battery
OF SIX guns on the slope above the broken
railway bridge over the Meuse, near La VII
| lette, had silenced two Iatteries of French
guns at the foot of the bare hills already
mentioned near the village of Floiug. At ID
minutes past II o'clock the infantry, 10 longer
supported by the artillery were compelled to
| yield, and soon afterwards the junction be-
tween the Saxons and Prussians behind Sedan
was announced TO us by General Won Room,
who was peerlng through large telescope, as
| being safely completed. From this tho result
Of the battle could no longerbe doubted. The
French was completely surrounded and
brought TO bay
At 1928 we were all astonished to see clouds
of retreating French infantry on the hill be-
| tween Floing and Sedan. The PrussiaD hat
teries were making good practice with shells
| among the ranks. The whole hill for quar-
ter OF an hour was literally covered with
FrenchInen running rapidly. In less than
half an hour after, lat l2;50,l Gen. Won Room
| called our attention 10 another French column
in full retreat to the right Of Sedan, on the
road leading from Brazieile to tine La Garende
wood. They never halted until they got to q
/ small red-roofed house on the outsKirts OF
Sedan ioself. Almost the same moment, Gen
| Sheridan, who was using my opera glass
asked me to look at the French moving IN the
Broad Grass road, through La Garenne wood
Immediately above Sedan, doubtless TO sunDorj
the troops defending the important Ba4slle,
rayine To the northeast Of tho town. At
o'cloGk the French batteries Oh the edge
opened vigorous fire on thV adYannin0. d.
sian column OF the Sd corps, whose evident in.
tenhon 1t was TO storm the hill northwest OF
"a GaFenne, and SO gain tie key of the DO.
sltlon on that side At lis another Frencl
battery near the wood opened on the Prugsians
which compelled them to keep shifting thei1
ground until ready for their tual rush at the
hllls, IN order to avoid Offering SO good mark
to the French shells. Shortly after. we saw
the first Prussian skirmishers on the skirts ri
the hills above Toney. They did not seem N
strength, and Gen. Sheridan said. aAh. tbf
beggarsi much too weak; they can never hoId
that position against ali those French"
! The Generals prophecy soon proved correct
for the French, advancing at least six to on.
the Prussia1s were forced to retreat down tbt
hill to seek reinforcements from a column
which were hurrying to their support. In five
minutes they came back again, terribly in.
ferior to those huge French masses. "Ioof
heavensI French Curassiers arc going ID
charge them!" cried General Sheridan; sure
enough, regiment Of Currassiers form ia
sections OF squadrons aud dash down on tho
scattered Prussians. Skrmishers without
deigning TO form in line, Squares are never
rassiers with crushing quick fire at about lOC