The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-09-14
The Battle of Sedan.
Further Incidents-THe Emperor Peeps
-General Wimpfen's HPatriottc
FaLsehood."

The Herads correspondent writes:
From friends whom / found at the
hotel / learned that tho Emperor,
who had started early in the morning
for the field of battle, had returned
the same time 1 did, and passed
through the streets with his staff
One of my friends was near him on
the Place Turenne when a she'll. fell
under his horse, and bursting, killed
the horse of q general who was be-
hind him. He himself was untouch-
ell, and turned round and smiled,
though my friend thought he sawdears
in his eyes, which he wiped away
with his glove, and indeed he has
cause enough for tears on that fatal
LIST of September. Meantime shells
began to fall in the direction of our
street and;hotel We all stood under
the vaulted stone entrance as the SAT
est shelter we could find. l trembled
for the .caissons still standing in the
street and filling the space from end
to end. 1t was at this time, while
we waited watching painfully for the
shell which would have sent us alto
gether into another world, that Gen
eral Wimpffen came past, making a
vain effort to rally and inspirit his
flying troops. He shouted "Vive la
France en- apant," but there was no
response, He cried out that Bazaine
wa taking the Pruss;ans in the rear.
This news, which had been current all
the morning, at intervals, comI2gnow'
from the mouth of General Wimpn.a-
came to be believed and a few thou
sand men were rallied and followed
the General out of the Town -
People began to have hope, and for
one brief moment we believed the day
might yet be saved. Alas! need 1
say that the intelligence was patri-
otto falsehood of brave General Wimp
fen Mad with anguish and in d.
rect opposition to the Emperor's or
ders, he had resolved to rally what
men he could and make a stand. He
could not have known that he was
bound in the grasp of at least 10000
men. The bugle and trumpet ring
out on all sides; a few thousand men
hearken to the sound of my friend
Rene de Queroye, of the Chasseu,s
d'Afrique, whom I have just met af-
ter losing sight of him for twelve
years, got on horseback again and
Joined the General. This is what
took place in the sortie. They went
out at the Porte de Balan. The
houses of the suburb are already
full of Prussians who fire on the
French out of every window The
church especially is strongly garrison
ed; the heavy doors are closed. The
General sent off de Guiroye to bring
two pieces of These. soon
arrived, and with them the door of
the church was blown in. Two humid
red Prussians were captured and
brought back with with the French,
who, spite of all efforts, were soon
obliged to retire again into the town.
1t was the last incident of the battle.
the last struggle. While this took
place ct the Porte de Prussia Smelling
went on and the shells began to fall
into the hotel. Shocking scenes fol
lowed. A boy, the son of a trades
man around the corner of the street,
came in crying and asking for a sur-
geon, saying his fathers leg had been,
shot off. A woman in front of the
house met the same fate. The doc
ter who went to the tradesman found
him dead, and, returning, attempted
to carry the woman to IN ambulanee.i.
He had scarcely made a step when
she was shot dead in his arms. Those
of us who stand iu the gateway and
witness such scenes have got beyond
any feeling of personal fear. Any of
us, 1 will venture to say, would have
given his life to spare France this
dreadful day /; yet we stand pale and
shuddering at the sight of the fate
which befalls the poor people of the
town, civilians and even the jaded
soldiers, as helpless as they. 1 pass
over details. 1 care not to dwell on
horrors, which nevertheless I never
shall be able to forget. 1 could men
ton lore than one brave officer who
did not fear to shrink from the sight
of what had become a mere massacre.
Those who were safely put of the way
as prisoners, whether officers or men,
need not be pitied. When, after a
time, it became clear that there was
no sign of Bazaine. the hopes of the
French again departed. A sullen
sort of fight still went on; the guns of
the town answered the Prussians.-
An aid of the Emperor went by on
foot, and 1 heard him ask the officers
near by to help him in putting an
end to the fire, such beingi the EN-
peror's wish. At length the white
flag was hoisted on the citadel.