The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-10-01
e BATTLE OF SEDAN.

NEW York, Sept. 4.-The following is from a
special correspondent of the Tribune, at the head
quarters of the King of Prussia, eight miles from
Sedan, dated Thursday night, September LIST:
After their defeats on the Goth and 3lst, the
French retreated en- mdSSe on Sedan, and encamped
around it. l learned from French prisoners, of
whom, as you may imagine there was no lack in
quantity, that they fully believed the road to
Mezieres would always be open TO them, and
therefore in case of another defeat before Sedan, re-
treat could be easily accomplished. On the even
ing of Wednesday, from five to eight o'clock, the
Crown Princes headquarters were at Chemoye,
a village some seven miles from Sedan to the
southwest on the main road.
At half-past five we saw there was a great move
ment among the troops encamped all around us,
and we thought at first the King was riding
through the bivouacs; but soon the 37th regiment
came pouring through the village, their band
playing d Watchlain Rhein.'' As they
marched along with swinging stride, L saw at
once by the mems faces that something extraor-
binary was going on. 1t was soon explained.
The troops were in their lightest possible march,
ing order. All their knapsacks were left behind,
and they were carrying nothing but cloaks strung
around their shoulders, except that one or two
bon-vivants had retained their complexities but
if complexities were left behind cartouch cases
were there, hanging heavily in front of the mems
belts, unbalanced as they ought to be by KNAPP
sacks. Soon L learned that the whole Prussian
corps, those sent from Prince Frederick Charles
army, the second army, and the Crown Princes
were making forced marches to the left, in the
direction of Douchey and Mezieres, in order to
shut in McMahon's army on the west, and SO
drive them against the Belgian frontier.
L learned from officers of the Crown Princes
staff, that at the same time, while we were
watching, regiment after regiment passed through
ChemOye, the Saxons and Guards 80, 900 strong,
the Prussian regiments under Prince Albert, of
Saxony, were also marching rapidly to close ON
the doomed French army, ON the right bank of
the Meuse, which they had crossed at RomiIly on
this day, (the 3Oth,) in the direction of La
Chappelle, a small village of $50 inhabitants, on
the road from Sedan to Bou;llon in Belgium, and
the last village before crossing the frontier.
Anything more splendid than these mems
marching, would be impossible to imagine. l
saw men lame in both feet, hobbling along in the
ranks, their kind comrades, less foot sore, carry
ing their needle guns. The men who were
actually incapable of putting one foot before the
other had pressed peasants wagons and every
available conveyance into the service, and were
following IN the rear, so as to be ready for the
great battle which all felt sure would come off
on the morrow. The Bavarians, who it is gener-
ally believed do not march SO well as they fight,
were in the centre between us and Sedan, camped
around the woods of La Marfel, famous in l64I,
during the wars of the League.
When L had seen the last regiment dash through
at the fair pace at which they went, which can
really not be called marching in the ordinary
sense, l rode off about a quarter past eight in
the evening for Vendrez, where the Kings head
quarters were, and where | hoped to find house
room for man and beast, especially the latter, as
being far more important. On the eve of the
great battle, when L got within about half a mile
OF Vendrez, going at a steady trot, a sharp
a. halt " rang out clear. l brought my horse
to a stand still, knowing the Prussians are not to
be trificd with. AS | pulled up twenty yards off.
l heard the clicks of their locks, as they brought
their weapons to full cock and covered me. My
reply being satisfactory, L logged on into Ven
drez, and my mare and myself had soon forgotten
the s~entinels, forced marches, and coming battles.
One of us was on the 90 stand, - the other on the
floor.
AT seven on Thursday morning, my servant
came to wake me, saying that the Kings horses
were Harvesting, and that His Majesty would
leave IN half an hour for the battle field, and
that the cannonade had already been heard, near
Sedan. L jumped up, seized a crust of bread,
wine, cigars and a card, crammed them into nv
holsters. taking my breakfast on the way. Just
as got to my horse King William drove out in
an open carriage, with four horses for Cheveause,
about three and a half miles south of Sedan.
Much against my will, L was compelled to allow
the King and staff to precede me on the road to
the scene of action, where l arrived myself soon
after nine O'Clock. 1t was impossible to ride, all
the roads being blocked with artillery, ammuni-
ton wagons, ambulances, etc.
AS L rode on to the crest of the hill which rises
sharply about six or seven hundred feet above the
little hamlet of Cheveause, nestled in a grove be-
low, the most glorious panorama burst upon nv
view. As General Forsyth. of the United States
army, remarked to me later in the day, LIT
would have been worth the coming merely to see
so splendid a scene, without battles magnIicentlv
stern array" In the lonely valley below us.
from a knoll on which L stood, with the King
and staff, we could see not only the whole valley
of the Mouse, but also beyond the great woods of
De LOupe, and Francheval, into Belgium. and as
far as the billy forest of Namo, on the other side
OF the frontier. Right at our feet was the little
town of Sedan, famous for its Notifications by
Vauban, and as the birthplace of Turenne, the
great Marshal, known also as the place where
Sedan chairs originated. AS we were only about
two and a quarter miles from the town we could
easily distinguish its principal edifces, without
the aid of our glasses. The left was held by the
First and Second Prussian Corps, belonging to
Prince Frederick Charles, and temporarily at
tached to the army of the Crown Prince. This
was the position of the troops about nine O'Clock
on Thursday morning, September LIST, and no
great advance took place till later than that, for
the artillery had at first all the work to do. Still
further to the left, near Douchey, were 20, 900
Wurtemburgers, ready to cut off the French
from Mezieres, In case of their making a push
for that fortress. The number of the Prussian
troops engaged was estimated by General Moltke
at 100000, and that of the French at 100, 900.
We know that Mcmahon had with him on
10000 men that is four corps of his
ONn, anu Indt idUely commanded by General
and under General Lebrun that of Felix
Douay, brother of General ADel Douay, killed
at Weissenburg, and the 9TH corps, principally
composed of the Garde Mobile, the name Of
whose commander has escaped me. McMahon,
wounded, commanded in chief on the
French side.
1t is almost needless to say the King was
Commander-in-Chie of the Prussians. Won
Moltke, with the Crown Prince, and Prince
Albert, of Saxony, were in commands. There
we're a few stray cannon shots fired merely sight
however, as soon as the range was obtained.
the real battle didn't commence until six
,'clock, becoming a sharp artillery fight at seven,
when the batteries had each got within easy
and the shells began to do serious mischief.
At 11:55 O'Clock, a musketry fire in the valley in
he rear of Sedan, which had opened about 11:25
o'clock, became exceedingly lively, being one
rattle, only broken by the growing of
,uns which played with deadly effect on the Saxon
Bayarian columns. |,
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