The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1870-10-22
From the Battle Field of Sc dan.

We are indebted to friend for permission TO
publish the following extracts of q letter from
otizen of the southern part of this state, now
il Europe, TO his friend, dated
BRUSSELS, Sept Is, 1870
MY DEAR SIR a few days ago | returned
foin the battlefield of Sedan where went in
ssrch Of wounded friend Of ours, Pru,sian
ehcer, whom found in village a few mile,
vest OF Sedan. Arriving only = few days after
tie battle, and staying there several days. had
n opportunity TO see and hear from Prus-tn
aid also French officers everything 10 form
c'rrect idea about the memorable battle.
The numbers engaged we'll as the destruc-
ton around Sedan, have been greatly ex,ggera-
tod by the papers. The army Of McM.hon was
about 10000. OF which, during the previou,
two days fighting. on the 1st Of September. p,
OW were killed and some 90 600 wounded. The
cops of Niroys escaped, 1900 men, over the
Bgian frontier and were made prisoners there,
AID $1,000. with the whole artillery, horses, e,-
ge-, &c, capItulated, and were made prisoner.
b, the Prus,ians
The Prussan army engaged was the first two
days, inferior IN numbers - the French, and On
tie 1T Of September, were about is OeD ,.r1n-
The fact is the French army did no, fight well,
could never be made 70 stand against the Pru~.
b.hind the walls OF Sedan, which is a con-dera-
be fortress. | Jaw perhaps onehali OF the pri>.
oaers all sound and healthy. II was difficult 70
transport 80 many OF them to Germany the men
OF the regular army could rot be pared, ana
the militia or land wehr- had 20 30 it.
saw yseN passed through and cDya' the
FIELD artillery taken. There were Sc mitralleu.
ses and 2j6 cannon, al 5righ. aud in good
der, besides perhaps six egh: hundred pieces
al . no of 50 7 1 "a
net count.
To capitula.e with such army was certainly
not brave the Prus-lans. under the same cir.
0uumstance., would not, certainly, have done it..
although tho Psrisians and their papers wan,
the world 10 believe that their army !, -. Of
heroes.
The fire. two days after the battle there VS.
great scarcity OF provisions, so many people on
0ns spot and the railroads destroyed but soon
there was plenty, the whole Pru..ian army
marching toward Paris
Tho day | was at Sedan. took good dinner
OF three or four course, and bottle OF wine for
three francs.
The destruction il not 80 great a. the ptrers
describe IL The city OF Sedan, OF 10000 int TO-.
itsnta, is not touched At all, hardly window
broken. The fine statue of Turenne born u,
Sedan, stands undef aced Oh the public square
aud in the village on the battlefield. where my
friend lay wounded, | ate in the gardens tie Il.
nest peaches aud grapes and took some large
pears 10 Brussels TO show the people that the
P.ussians had destroyed nothing, although the
inhabitants had fed. In one or two of the ad-
joining villages there is occasionally Il house de-
stroyed by shells, aud one, B.,vlle almost en-
tire!y burnt on account of the citizens firing
upon the soldiers!
The road from here TO Sedan, is quite roman.
tic, passing par, of the Ardenuo- aud the town
OF Bouilon, where still stands the castle of God.
frey of Bouillon, the crusader.
We had to run away from Paris, whore We had
been keeping house and where we were much
pleased, thinking it the iuc.t place in the world,
and prob 'bly it j., and Il would he u great pity
If IL should be bombaried hut even teen, | do
not think it would suffer much, al the parks
and woods for III my miles around having been
cut down or Destroyed
We shall spend the wiutcr in Dresden II i
l my family with me. ! would have STAYED in
Paris to seq the end of II, but feared the mob
of p IRIS more IA n the Pui,iu shells.
In Reco:ur, little Belgian village near Bon.
illop. where Napoleon took breakfast in ., mi,rr.
able howell, the oul one there, -at IN the same
chair, and At the saline table and : TX dluurr
rather poor one. Sc nVHNl = II BlVHdi
Still think the French people ar, ~ ust 10 him
at present. He Is certainty u gi'lea mln, hu'
prosperity 90. him beyond himself, laucn like
his uncle.
This time the Pru.si,nS were not Victorious
through superior arms. All prussian officers rs.
sure ma that the chts-epot Is mach superior 60
the needlc-gur, and the Prusslns are going to
adopt the chassepot soon AS possible.
lour friend and Kiusmau.