The New York herald., 1870-09-26
SEDAN. sepr. S. 1870

the late OF France To-day have for the Gnird time
gone over the scene OF last Thursdays dght, or at
least over much OF u as one man can encompass
In q forenoon, without becoming entirely beWildered
by what he and hears. Inc conclusion fhat
have come TO is that although MacMahon Ior, rather
General DucrOt, who commanded the army after
the Marshal was wounded until General Winphen
arrived and superseded MINI cofnmitted one very
great mistake, OF which l VIII speak presently;
that once the retiring army had got inside
Sedan aud was surrounded by the Prussians,
there WAS nothing left bat 20 surrender. The
mistake TO which | alluded above was evidently
made when the retreat OF The French army was Grst
ordered The line Of retreat ought TO have been
made 10 the east and not TO the west. Had MacMa-
bon's army when his right wing was outianked
commenced to retreat upon MOntmedy instead OF
Sedan every nile would have brought the troops
nearer 10 where Bazaine was stili holding out at
Metz, and It Is possible, although admit not prob
able, the much wished Tor junction between the two
armies might have taken place. II is however
worse than useless specuating upon what might
have been the case What we know aud what we
have to deal with is what has happened, ana OF The
truth of that have, unfortunately, the plsuest evil
dence In and around this dirty little tavern,
outside the walls OF Sedan, where writlng this
letter.
DEBRIS OF MAcMAHoS'S ARMY.
few hundred yards from where l sit is the debris
OF MacMabon's army. Eighty thousand French
soldiers are-l cannot say cncamped, for they are
sitting on the bare ground with no other cover over
their heads than the sky or heavento be SEEN hud-
dled together, the picture OF dirt thow Frenchman
when he is in trouble seems TO revei in Girt \, nun
ger, misery and utter disorder Poor fellows. not
withstanding their many faults, and in spite OF the
fact that their disobedence and want OF discp-
line brought about the final crash of their army one
cannot help feeling for them. The Prusslans are
not kind towards their enemies The superior OIL.
GERS Of their army are more civilized; but the
soldiers and the lower commissioned ranks, are
not. ] am very that no tribe OF red Indians
would leave their prisoners forJy-eight hours with
out food, as these unfortunate Fienehmen told me
to-day they had been left. One or them had been IN
America, and had fought IN The ranks of the federal
army during the great civn war. he had been FOR
several weeks prisoner in the Confederate camp.
and declared that bad was the treatment re had
received at think he said-Anderso IL was
prlnoely when compared 10 the neglect and starva-
tiOn he had suffered at the bands Of the Prussians.
And, while talking OF tue latter, wOlid Ike any
of the many stout admirers of Prussians wodld come
out here aud Judge for themselves.
GERMAN CoSoUEeoKs.
j have seen great deal Of the German army dur
ing the campaign. much more, In fact, than ever
have no hesitation In saying That az outlying thank
iess plunderers their troops exceed any have ever
seen In the field or read of in history. In the ranks
1ney doubt at present day rhe rst soldiers
10 the world; but or duty they expert. wholesale
and audacious, and seem 10 live exclusively np0n
what they take from the untorcunats peasants OF the
districts through which they march. Three days
ago, when resting In a PEASANTS cottage GA the
border OF the forest two Prusslan sodiera came in
ana asked the people to give them 0r0G bread and
ochsenGefSh (beeO and toeia (winel when say
they asked for these things put the questi0G In the
midest possible form. Ihey ordered the poor
people 10 give them what they wanted and ordered
them in about as pleasant manner n Save
driver would order his gang mat works under ana
20 go to labor.
The owner OF the cottage could not understand a
word OF German and so got rae TO make them undc.
stand as well rs could Jhai he dad neither VINE
nor meat III the house and had barely enough bread
for his family for one day. They Knocked MN about
with the butt ends OF their muskets until my very
blood boiled 10 see the miscreants 50 i1-treat him.
They took every particle or bread ne had leaving
himself and family without any 1000 wnaiever In MS
house. But before leaving they searched the poor
peoples cottage from Top to bottom even cutting
open the mattresses, and LOOK whatever they liked.
There was not much that even these men coud MAKE
IT. worth their while 10 take, but two or three pairs
OF warm socks a lew yards Of linen, o Blanket ana
few other small matters they walked of with.
seemingly as matter OF course And this Is but
single Instance OF many hundred such cages going
on every day
| have seen q great deal of war both in
have so badly to the inhabitants OF country. They
really seem TO plunder and destroy Tor the sheer
pleasure OF dong the people harm. 1t g quite true
ibat II the peasants could Dnd superior oiicer,
aud could there and then identity 70 tlaG Oulcers
satisfaction any soldier who had behaved badly the
man would be most severely punished-perhaps
shOt. But how are the poor people 10 leave their
work ana 90 for miles the bare OF obtain
Ing JustceY they themselves say mat All they
would wish TO obtain Is restitution lor iheir stolen
goods and this, ! Imagine would be impossible.
FOR TO attempt TO identity one, Two, three-or even
n NAV
dressed III exactly the same manner, Woud be sip
ply loss OF time.
CONSEQUENCES OF TIE PRussIAN MARCH
Wherever The Prtissians have passed through they
have left behind them starving population. Tne
people or Alsace, Lorraine ana the valley OF the
aeuse say mat they would rather he ROBBED by rhe
French than paid by Inc Prnssians. The former
are Kind and civil 10 tue people, even when they
pay lor what they take as they do in ninety-nlne
cases out OF q hundred The latter are overDearinp
even when they Take what they want for nothing
they invariably do. The superior officers are very
polite, excepting TO French peasants and very Sc.
yere towards any OF their men caught piiierlng But
the difficulty is TO get az the superiors aud the men
seem 10 be allowed to wander about the country
stealing whenever they are or duty. Moreover the
example SET them by their chiefs IN thelr bearing
towards Inc people OF the country must nave great
eject never yet saw 3 PrussaD officer speak to a
french peasant that he did not ueat him you
An American gentleman mat met here tue other
aay, who being at spa, mad run over 10 the bat
te neln, toid me tGaG lie had been taken prisoner
curing tne great American civil war by the South
Tons, and had been year In their hands. He had
been often very baby treated and very barshly
spoken 70; Dut ne never remembered even the most
overbear1nR Of the Conie0erates ever speaking 10 a
Norinern prisoner as the Pyussians sreah 70 the
people OF the country.
Here ~ Sedan the Prussan authorities have 80 far
tskeD possession Of the ovens, Dut they Will not
tllow the bakers 10 bake for any person except
themselves The consequences are the people OF
the town cannot get bread 10 eat u any price ana
many complaints are breaking out among them,
THE PRISONERS.
But worst OF all Is their conduct towards the nm
fortunate prisoners, 40 600 $1,000 men, who be-
Gae prisoners the other day under the treaty with
EactiahoD's successor. These unfortunate men are
sli huddled together on wet ned. without cover
ing, clothes food, Dire drink THIS Is the seventh
day OF their captivity, and they have never had
iesh meat given them. They look the picture OF
despair and of hunger. One OF them, young cav.
something OF, told me that If could manage TO
bring sheep INTO their camp, ne felt 1t would
be killed and eaten raw, tremendous was the hun
ger that gnawed them They had had, he said, one
single biscuit each served out 10 them daily since
Iney surrendered Us prisoners. Tney are not allowed