The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-09-07
THE CLOSING BATTLE AT Sc
DAN.
The Movements GRd Engagements
Immediately Preceding the Down
fail OF McMRhOns Army.

the Emperor, the INST lusAIIneW OF
which appeared yesterday.
"There will be devil Of fight Tor
that crest before il is won or lost, : said
Sheridan stratniug his eyes through his
glass at the hill, which was not three
miles from IA where we stood, with the
full sun shining on 1t from behind Us,
At halEpast one the French cavalry,
this time fancy regiment Of Carbincers,
made another dash at the Pruasians, who,
on their part, were being reinforced every
minute, but they met with the: same tate
hs their brethren in the iron jackets, and
were sent with heavy loss 70 the right
about. The PrussianS took advantage Of
their flight TO advance their line couple
Of hundred yards nearer the line which
the French infantry held There the adj
VentuEOus PrussiAns split into two bodies,
the two bodies having break OF q hun,
drGd yards in their line. We were not
long IN seeing the object Of this move
ment; Tor little white pulis from the cresIs
behind the skiFmihheS followed by com.
motion in the dense French masses,
showed us that ''les diAbles dG PrussianS'
have COnlrived, heaven only knows how,
to get n couple Of four Founders up the
steep ground, and have opened on the
French. Something must have ut this
point been very wrong with the French
infantry, for, instead Of attacking the Prls-
SLAMS, whom they still outnmuOCrOd, by OF
least two To one, they remained
in column ON the hill. Seeing their only
hope Of rCtriVing the day vanishing
from before their eyes, still they did not
stir. Then the French cavalry tried "
do little BalnklAy1 business, but without
the success Ofthc Immortal six hundred"
who took tho guns. Down came the
Guirussiers once more, this time riding
straight for the two field pieces; but before
they had got within two hundred yards Of
the guns, the Prussians formed a line as II
for parade, and, waiting until that furious
French horse had ridden on 70 point not
dNy yards away, they fired. The fire
seemed to empty the saddles Of almost
tho whole Of tho leading squadron. The
dead so strewel the ground Us u block
tho path Of the following squadron, and
close before them the direct ind danger
Gus road th0y meant TO follow, their dash
at tho guns came to halt. When once
this Inst effort Of the French horse had
been made and had iailcd-EailCd, though
pushed CALAMITY rs far rs men and horse
could g0-thc French infantry also fell
swiftly back towards Sedan. II foil back
because it saw TINT lis chance Of carrying
the hgrccly contested hill was gone, md
saw that with the Prussinns holding tho
honor Of browning it with guns, their own
French line, IN It's IaCc could not much
longer be held. In an instant, as the
French retired, tho whole slope ofground
was covered by Swarns of PruSslan trail.
leurs, who seemed to rise out Of tho ground
and push forward by the help Of every
slight rOughnGSs md dent on the surface.
las lnst as the French went back, these
reckless enemies followed. Attcr the last
desperate charge Of the French cavalry
General Sheridan remarked TO me that he
never saw anything so reckless, so utterly
foolish rs that last charge. 1t was sheer
murder.
The Prllssians, alter the French inilE-
try fell back, advanced rNpidly-sO rapid
| " that the rctrcating suuadrons Of French
cavalry, being pressed too closely, turned
suddenly around and charged desperately
once again, but 1t was NO use. Tue days
Of breaking squares HrG over, and the thin
blue line soon stopped the G0!ic onset
II struck me MS most extraordinary thai
ut this point tho French had neither artiI'
lcry nor mitraillCuSe, and especially these
latter on the hill, to cover their infantry
Tho position was Il most Important one
and certainly worth strainiDg every nerve
10 defend. Ono thing was clear enough
that the French infantry after meeting
the Prussians declined to meet them again
and that the cavalry were seeking to en-
courage them by their example.
About two o'clock, till other reinforce
ments came to the PruSSians over TIL!
long disputed hill between Toncy ana Sc
dan 10 support the regiments already es
tablished there, oil the time that this grca
conflict was going on under Fritzs eye
and mine, may l add that another wa'
. fought none the less severe and rs muir
dcrous for the Bayarians rs the one ] hNyt
: attempted to describe Tor tho French? l
there was lack Of miLr0illeusc on the hill
above TOnCy, there was certainly no l1cE
OF them in tho BOzalles ravine. On tina
side there was for more than an hour on
continuous ronr Of muskGtry and mitrRil
leuse. Two BAvarian officers told me TIM
the loss in their regiments was terrific
, and that it was the mitrailleuse which
made the havoc.
AT five minutes past two in the after
noon the French totally abandoned thl
hill between TOnCy and Sedan, and fel
back on the tauborg Of the Canal, Just out
side the raInpartS Of the town. Nov thu
battle Is lost for the French" said Gcnera
Sheridan, TO tic great delight Of the Prus
; sian officers. Count Bismarck chose tim
, moment to come md have talk with hi
English and American friends. wa
, anxious to know what the Federal clan
cellor had done about the threatened
; neutrality Of Belgium, md my cGrioSit11
was soon gratitied. II have told the BeI
gian Minister Of War" sAid Count Bis
marck, that so long us Belgian troops d
their utmost to di5arm any number Q
French soldiers who may cross the iron
tier, ! will strictly respect the neutraIit
! Of belgium but II, on the contrary, tn
BClEi0ns either through negligence or In
! ability do not diSarm and capture ever!
man in French uniform who sets his foo
. in their country, we shall at once iolloV
, the enemy to neutral territory with OH
, troops, considering that the French 0r
. first to violate tho Belgian soil, and hay
been down TO have look ut the BelgiA
trOOps near the frontier, added COun
, Bismarck, "and confess they do not in
: spire me with n very high opinion OF thei
, martial Ordor or discipline only whGI
they have their great coats on, one can Sc
a great deal Of pGictOl, but hardly nm
soldier" Iasked his CXccllenCy whelhe
he thought the Emperor was in Sedan
, "Oh, no." was the reply, Napoleon Is no
very wise, but he Is not quito so foolish n
,, to nut himself in Sedan just now" Fu
once in his life Count Bismarck wa
5 At quarter 10 three O'clock the Kin
came to where was standing, saying h
. thought the French were going to try AM
break out Just beneath us, in front Of tn
r Second BavNrian corps, At ten minute
Q TO four Sheridan told nc that NapoleO