New-York tribune., 1870-09-06

| guns, as they were pot only above the town,
but the town was almost within musket range
of them.
Still further TO the left lay the village Of
| lily, set on fire early in the day by the French
shells. South of this the broken railway
bridge, blown up by the French TO protect
their right, was a conspicuous object.
Right above the railway bridge on the line to
Mezieres was the wooded hill crowded by the
new and most hideous chateau as he calls it,
of one Monsieur Pave. 1t was here the Crown
Prince and his staff stood during the day, hav-
ing rather more extensive but less central
view, and therefore less desirable than ours,
where stood the King, Count Bismarck, Won
Room, the War Minister, Gen. MOltke, and
Gems. Sheridan and Forsyth-to say nothing Of
your correspondent.
THE PRUsSIAN PLAN OF BATTLE.
Having thus endeavored to give some faint
idea of the scene of what is in all probability
the decisive battle of the war, | will next
give an account of the position of the differ
ent corps at the commencement of the action,
promising that all the movements were OF the
simplest possible nature, the object OF the
! Prussian Generals being merely to close the
crescent of troops with which they began
into a circle, by effecting a junction be-
tween the Saxon corps on their night and
the Prussian corps on their left. This junction
took place about noon, near the little village
of Olley, on the Bazeille ravine, behind Sedan,
of which / have already spoken. Once their
terrible circle formed and well sOldered to-
gether, it grew steadily smaller and smaller,
until at last the Notifications of Sedan itself
were entered.
On the extreme right were the Saxons-one
corps darmee, with King Williams Guards;
also, corps darmee IN reserve behind them
The Guards had suffered terribly at Gravelotte,
where they met the Imperial Guard and the
King would not allow them to be again so
cruelty decimated. Justice cOmpels me to state
that this arrangement was very far indeed
from being pleasing to the Guards themselves,
who are ever anxious to be in the forefront
of the battle.
The Guards and Saxons, then about $4,000
strong were all day on the right bank of the
Meuse, between Rubecourt and La Chapelle,
at which latter village Prince Albert of Sax
Ony, who was in command Of the two corps
which have been formed INTO q little extra
army by themselves passed the night of
Thursday.
The ground from Rubecourt to the Meuse
was occupied by the First Bavarian Corps.
The Second Bavarian Corps extended their
front from near the Bazeille railway bridge to
a point on the high road from Donchery to
Sedan. not far from the little village of TOrcy.
Below the hill on which the Crown Prince
was placed, the ground from TOrcy to lily,
through the large village of FlOing, was held
by the First and Third Prussian Corps belong
ing to the army of Prince Frederick Charles,
and temporarily attached to the army of the
Crown Prince.
This was the position of the troops about
o'clock on Thursday morning, Sept. l, and no
great advance took place till later than that,
for the artillery had at first all the work TO
do. Still further 70 the left, near Donchery,
there were 10000 Wtrtembergers ready 10 cut
off the French from Mezeres, in case of their
making push for that fortress.
THE FORCES ENGAGED.
The number of the Prussian troops engaged
was estimated by Gen. Moltke at 10000 and
that of the French at 10000 We know that
MacMahon had with him on Tuesday 10000
men, that is, four corps; his own, that lately
commanded by Gen. De Faily, now under
Gen. lie Brun; that of Felix Douay, brother
of Gen. Abel DOuay, killed at Welssenburg;
and fourth corps principally composed OF
Garde Mobile, the name of whose commander
has escaped me. MacMahon, although wounded,
commanded in chief on the French side.
1t is almost needless TO say that the real
Commander in Chief of the Prussians was Won
Moltke: with the Crown Prince and Prince Al
bert of SaxOny Immediately next in command.
OPENING OF THE BATTLE.
There were few stray cannon shots fired,
merely TO obtain the range. as soon as 1t was
light; but the real battle did not begin until
6 o'clock, becoming a sharp artillery tight at
9, when the batteries had each got within easy
range, and the shells began TO do serious mis-
chief. At 1855 the musketry fire in the valley
behind Sedan, which had opened about
11:25. became exceedingly lvely-belng one
continuous rattle only broken by the loud
growing of the mitrailleuses, which played
with deadly effect upon the Saxon and Bava-
rian columns Gen. Sheridan, by whose side
was standing at the time, told me that he dld
not remember ever to have heard such we'll
sustained fire Of small arms. 1t made itself
heard above the roar of the batteries at our
| feet. ,
AT 70 o'clock precisely the Prussian battery
| of six guns on the slope above the broken rail-
way bridge over the Meuse, near La Vlllette'
had silenced two batteries of French guns at
the foot of the bare hill already mentioned
near the village of Floing. At 1910 the French
infantry, no longer supported by their artl-
lery, were compelled TO retire to Floing' and
soon afterward the junction between the
Saxons and Prussians behind Sedan was an
nounced to us by Gen. Won Room eagerly
peering through large telescope as beng
safely completed.
THE FRENCH SURROUNDED.