Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1870-09-09
THE LATEST WAR NEWS.
Report of Thursdays Battle at
Sedan.
Continued from First Page.
ECabIe Dispatcn TO the Tribune.I
THE BATTLE BEGINS IN EARNEST.

THE BATTLE BEGINS IN EARNEST.
It is almost needless to say that the
real Chief OF the Prus-
sian forces is Won Moltxe, with the
Crown Prince and Prince Albert of
Saxony Immediately next in COM
mand. There were few stray cannon
shots fired-merely sighting shots,
however, as soon as the range was OBJ
tanned; but the real battle did not
commence until o'clock in the morn
ing. A sharp artillery fight commenced
at 9 o'clock, when the batteries had
each got within easy range, and shells
began to do serious mischief at 11:55
o'clock. Musketry fire in the valley
in the rearo of Sedan, which had opened
about 1925 o'clock, became exceeding
ly lively, being one continuous rattle,
only broken by the growing of mi
trailleuses, which played with deadly
effect on the advancing Saxon and Ba-
varian columns. General Sheridan,
by whose side was standing, told me
he did not remember ever to have
heard such well sustained small arms
fire. Tt made itself heard above the
roar of the batteries at our feet. At II
O'Clock precisely, a Prussian battery of
six guns, on a slope above the broken
railway bridge over the Meuse, near
La Villette, had silenced two batteries
of French guns at the foot of the bare
hills, already mentioned, near the viii
lage of Floing. At ten minutes past
u O'Clock, the infantry, no longer sup
ported by their artillery, were COM
PEELED to retire to F1oing, and soon af-
terward, the junction between the
Saxons and Prussians behind Sedan
was announced to US by General Won
Room, who was eagerly peering through
a large telescope, as being safely COM
pleted. From this moment the result
of the battle could no longer be doubt
fuI. The French were completely sur
rounded and brought to bay. At 1925
we were all astOnished to see clouds of
retreating French infantry on the hill
between Floing and Sedan, the Prus-
sian battery making good practice with
the percussion among the 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. at
1850, General Won Room called our at
tention to another French column in
full retreat to the right of Sedan, on
the road leading from BazeilIe to La
GivOnne wood. They never halted |
until they got to a small red rooted |
house on the outskirts of Sedan itself !
Almost at the same moment General
Sheridan, who was using my opera
glass, asked me to look at the third |
French column moving up the broad /
grass road through La GivOnne wood, |
imme ediately above Sedan, doub ubtless to |
SdppOEg troops Q6l6AQl1G Bn0 import /
ant Bazeille ravine to the northeast of |
the town. At O'Clock the French bat |
teries on the edge of the wood toward |
Torcy and above it. opened vigorous /
IRE on the advancing Prussian columns
of the Third Corps, whose evident in
tentlon 1t was to storm the hill north
west OF La G1Vonne, and so gain the L
key of the position on that side. At
l:14 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 at the hills, in order
to avoid offering so good a mark to the
French shells. Shortly afterward we
saw the first Prussian skirmishers on
the crest of La Givonne hills above
pOrcy. They did not seem in strength,
and General Sheridan, who was stand
ing behind me, exclaimed: "Oh they
are too weak they can never hold that
position against all those French"
The Generals prophecy soon proved
correct, for the French advancing at
least six to one, the Prussians were
forced to retreat down the hill to seek
from the columns
which were hurrying to their support.
IN nVe minutes they came back again,
Snls time in greater force, but still ter
clbly inferior to those huge French
masses. Good Heavens The French
are going to charge them -
cried General Sheridan. and sure
enough the regiment of cuirasseurs.
heir helmets and breast-plates flash
ing IN the September sun, form in sec
'ionsof squadrons, and dashed down
IN the scattered Frussian skirmishers
without deigning to form in line.
Squares are never used. The Prussiar,
Infantry received the cuirasseurs with {
! crushing, quick fire, at about hum
ired yards distance, loading and firing t
With extreme rapidity and unfailing (