Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-09-21
The Battle OF Sedan.
ANOTHER Account.

The World correspondent ,eIoQraphs from
Namin Belgium the following sketch Of the
latoF portion of the battle at Sedan, not here.
toiore published
The French on the hills west Of the city
stood their ground fercely till two in the af.
ternoon three times repulsng with great loss
their assailants. They were fercely pounded
back here also, and about $50 they fell back
sulenly, firing steadily, though little too
rapidly, upon the inner road to Sedan, close.
y followed up by the Germans, who were
pressing on to meet the columns emerging
from under the sombre smoke which onyelop-
ed the woods Of Giyonne At Bazeiles the
battle wayered still, the ground there iavorng
the French artillery, which kept up muir
dcrous and almost literally intermittent fire
with extraordinary accuracy think the
German losses here were the heaviest of the
day and from what | myself saw, | should
put them down at from ten to twelve thou.
sand in killed and wounded at this point
alone.
Three attempts were here made at using
cavalry, the only attempts, | think, that
were made during the day, but the nature of
the country made them useless, and neither
on the French side nor on the German was
there any serious display of this arm, in which
the German army is so much stronger and
better equipped than its rival. 1t was to.
ward o'clock, think, that the decisive mo.
ment came. The Germans, who had fought
and won on the Giyonne road, were thrown
in heavy columns by small by-ways and
country roads along the line of small water
course up to Daigny hamlet, where they gath
cred around some Of the iron factories TO the
east of Bazeiles, pressed through the woods
and came out upon the flank of the brow in
overwhelming strength, firing as they came
on in that cool, deliberate unexcited regular
ity, which has such striking effect upon the
morale OF the enemy. saw their dark lines
emerging, the sun glittering on the brass or.
naments which mark them out so clearly
when in masses from the French, at any dis.
lance, and heard the cracking rattle of the
yolleys deepen and grow nearer, rolling at
last into a sort of continuous SCATTERING noise
IKE the crashing Of branches in the forest
The attack was decisive The French were
driven in on the west and south as on the
east and north. The ground fought over was
won and kept. Everywhere, at each point,
the German troops were handled with such
sense aud cooness that always they came in
greatest force upon the weakest point. The
day was never in doubt My Journey here,
by Bouillon and Givet, has been Terrible
All Is confusion and alarm among the refu-
gees, deserters and broken companies of
troops. The Belgians are greatly excited.
The empire is done with, if half we hear 10.
night be true, that all France is in reyolu.
ton, soldiers shooting their officers, peasants
attacking the houses of the rich.
This city is crowded with Belgian troops,
and just outside of the great dark railway
station are cautioned two regiments. Two
thousand Prussians and French are here
Many wounded are in the hospitals, and
many have died. The magnificent citadel is
iull OF soldiers, The Duke of Aumale was
here yesterday with the Duke of Pentheyre,
and the Count of Flanders is with the army
on the limo"