The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1870-09-10
PRUSSIANS-FRENCH.

| aiC VI VIC HiSucct IupOTtduCe.
The Empire has been completely
overthrow, and on its ruins have
already been reared the foundation
Of a Republic.
The announcement of the defeat
and surrender ofMcMahon's army,
and the Emperor Napoleon at Sc
dan, was the signal for open re
volt against the already tottering
dynasty and shouts of sVivi Ia Re
| publique,o sent thrill Of horror
to the last remnant Of Imperialism
in Paris.
Already stung to the quick by
the humiliating defeats which the
imbccility of the Government had
caused them, it lacked bEs this
last great disaster to tie F~ench
arms to develop the smc thered
feelings of the people. ard cause
| them to hearl from power those
who had failed to sustain the hon
or and military prestige of France
The proclaim alton of the Republic
may to some extent swell the ar
mics, and give increased conf
dence and vigor to the nation, but
these will hardly be sufficient to
! repel the well organized hosts of
Prussia, flushed with victory and
strengthened by the important adj
yantages already gained.
| BATTLE OF SEDAN.
There were few stray cannon
shots fired-m erely sighting shots,
however, as soon as the range was
oh tained-but the real battle did
not commence until six O'Clock in
the morning. A sharp artillery
| fight commenced at nine o'clock.
when the batteries had each got
within easy range, and shells be-
gan to do serious mischief at IL So
O'Clock. Musketry fire in til e val
ley in the rear Of Sedan, which
had opened about 1925 o'clock,
hecame exceedingly lively, being
one continuous rattle, only broken
by the growing of mitrailleuses,
which played with deadly effect on
the advancing Saxon and Bavar-
ii,
by whose side l was staa ding
told me he did not remem Der ever
to have heard such well-sustained
small arms fire. It made itself
heard above the roar of the bait
teri at our feet
At II O'Clock precisely, Prus-
sian battery of six guns, on a
slope above the broken railway
bridge over tue Meuse, nea- La
|illette, had silenced two batter
les of French guns at the foot of
the bare hills, already mentioned,
near the villege of Floing At
ten minutes past II O'Clock, the in
tantry, no longer supported by
their artillery, were compelled to
retire to Floing, and soon after
ward, the junction between the
Saxons and Prussians behind Sc
dan was announced to US by Gen
eral Ton Room, who was eagerly
peering through a large telescope,
as being safely completed. From
this moment the result of tie bait
tie could no longer be doubtful.
The French were completely sur.
rounded and brought to bay. At
1926 we were all as tonished to see
clouds of retreating French infan-
try on the hill between Floing and
Sedan, the Prussian battery MAX
ing good practice with the per
.cussion aTnongthe retreating ranks.
The hill for a quarter Of an hour
was literally covered with French
men running rapidly.
In less than half an hour after,
1880, General Van Room called
our attention to another French
column IN full retreat to the right
of Sedan, on the road leading from
Bazeille to La Govenne wood
They never halted until they got
to a email red rooted house on the
outskirts of Sedan itself Almost
at the same moment General Sher
idan, who was using my opera
glass, asked me to look at the
third French column moving up
She broad grass road throu gh La
Govenne Hood, imm edsately alb owe
Sedan, doubtless to support tro DDS
defending the important Bozeille
revine to the northeast of the
town. At / o'clock the French
batteries on the edge Of the wood
toward Toney and above it, opened
a vigorous fire on the advancine
Prussian column of the Third
Corps, whose evident antention it
vas to storm tne hin northwest Of
La Govenne, and SO gain the key
Of the position on THAT side.
AT lis O'Clock yet another
French battery, near the wood,
opened on the 'Prussian columns,
which were compelled to keep
shifting their ground until ready
for their final rush 81 the hills. in
order to avoid offering so gootf q
mark to the French shells. Short
~ afterward we saw the first Prns
sian skirmIshers on the crest of
La Govenne hills above Toney-
They did notseeIn in siren 9Th, and
General Sheridan, who was stand
ing behind me, exclaimed: oh
they are too weak; they can new
er hold that position against all
those French
The Generals prophes,y soon
proved correct, for the French
advap chg at least six to one, the
PrusSian's were forced tn retrea<