Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1871-03-08

At last the mitrailleusCs opened a
heavy fire, the Prussians wavered,
: and, unable to Withstand the destruc-
tive fire poured upon them, fully
. eight thousand Of them We're precipi-
tated into the quarries below. The
day was not yet won. On the Ger
) man side Moltke waited with ankle
ty. Night was approaching. Rein
foreements were expected. At last
they arrived, and the waning strength
OF the Germans was sustained and
strengthened. The Germans pressed
on with renewed energy, and the bat
tie was won, Bazaine. with the flower
OF the army OF France, was forced
into Metz, never to leave Il unless a
prisoner Of war in the hands OF vie
tors. In the three days battle which
concluded on that day, fully one hun
dred thousand men were either killed
or wounded.
While these events were taking
place, which resulted in Bazaine's re-
treat from Verdun being cut, MacMa-
non was AZ mOurmelOn. On the 2lst
or August he commenced his march
to the rescue Of Bazaine. Ascertain
ing the French Generals movements,
the Crown Prince abandoned his plan
or advancing on Paris. and sought in
stead to prevent MacMahon from re-
/ aliZing his intention of going to the
rescue of r}aZaine. MeZieres, Mont
medy and Sedan, and the keeping OF
the line of railway, became of vital
/ Importance to the army in Metz.
| Without IL Bazaine could neither Oh
/ tain supplies nor receive reinforce
ments. MaeMahon thoroughly ap-
preciated this, and hence pushed on
with al possible haste On the eve
I ming Of the 18th Of August he was at
VaJix only two miles from Sedan. On |
the next day another portion OF the I
army came up. The belief that the /
Germans were not near and the care
lessness OF the French commanders /
was such that little or no precautions |
were adopted 70 guard AGAINST sur
prise. This neglect was criminal. /
The Pusians were close on the heels /
Of tue French army. Almost before 1
they knew 1t the Saxon troops, over
SIXTY thousand strong, surprised De |
Faillyis corps. The next morning
the Crown Prince, with an immense
force, came up, and the battle ragged
all that day. Toward evening the
French fell back on Sedan. By Iapid
marching large German reinforce
ments arrived during the evening,
and MacMahon was fanked. The lst
of September witnessed the n,agnifi-
cent army of MacMahon completely
at the mercy of the Prussians. Early
in the morning the Marshal was car
Iied from the field severely wounded.
The command devOlved on General
Wimpffen, a good general, but one
unknown TO the army. All day the
battle ragged. though the French were
nearly out of ammunition. The re-
suit was inevitable. Moltke again
was q victor, and the last of the impe-
rial armies in the field, with their
Emperor, surrendered.
The events which followed Sedan
are still fresh in the milds of the
readers Of the Herald, and il may,
therefore, be only necessary to mere
ly mention them in order to call
them TO mind. Paris was almost i'm
mediately invested. Metz had been
already surrounded, and outside
of StrasbOurg lay another German
army. Starvation soon brought
Strasbourg and Metz to surrender;
not, however, without attempts on
the part Of the garrisoRs to cut their
way out. Paris at last was compelled
to capitulate. The republican armies
which were called into existence with
the proclamation Of the republic, did
far better than was expected Of them.
At Orleans, Beaune Ia Bolande, Ba-
paume, Havre and lie Mans, the
French levies fought with great !
bravery; but valor counted for nnught.
The guiding spirit Of the German
armies was mOltke-the one cOmpne-
hensivs mind which moved the whole {
Of German organization. )
Neither during the empire nor the re-
public were the French armies guided
1y great commander. Several gen =
erals had several plans, many of
hem drawn up without reference to
he effect they would produce outside 4
he immediate field of operations for = !
which they were prepared. On the Il
jerman side it was all harmony and =
cooperation and in this consisted l
he main points Of difference between 7
he two systems. In referring to our y
ate war we can bear testimony to the :
svil effects Of the system which. eth :.
II through design or otherwise, the II
French adopted. Previous to General n
5rant taking charge of the forces of =
he Union signal defeats resulted to t'
he operations of the armies. Grant ;
all this. Not a few of the
uccesses Of Moltke find parallels in g.
he successes of the Union armies un- p
Ter Grant. Fieksburg, where Penn u
,ertOn was penned up by Grant. finds a.
parallel in Metz, where Bazaine was a
ocked in after the battle Of GrayelOtte A
y Moltke. For the Appomattox n
ampaign and the capitulatiOn OF Lee Il
We have Sedan and the surrender Of d.
he remaining forces Of France, with Sc
he Emperor at their head. MANY [
thers might be enumerated. Some G
4 the most decisive victories were d.
VOn by the flank movements Of the el
Germans, as were many of the tri- tC
Imphs Of Grant. Where Mcclellan ci
iesitated and attempted success with I
ut energy to secure il in the penin- fo
ular campaign, Grant, by moving dl
apidly and pressing heavily on the al
nemy's flank, proved eminently sue CT
essful. The same hearty cO-op.ratiOn 81
etween Moltke and his generals was ut
bseryable in Grants campaigns.-i OF
iOltke moved with heavy masses Ii
nd overpowered his enemy by supe- OF
ior strength, coupled with skill. d
Judgment, fore'hought and ability in 81
Is direction. Grant pursued a SINH ii
lr course. While the names of the 90
'rOwn Prince, Prince Frederick 10
'harles, Steinmetz and Manteuffel 70
Till illustrate Moltke's campaigns, "
hose Of Sherman, Sheridan, Meade til
nd Roseerans will illumine Grants. re
hat MOltke was a close student of in
le American war there are many re
Tidences to point to, and, improving at
q the knowledge he thus obtained, 10
e has helped to rear the great Power aC
-hich, having its origin in French to
received the baptism of fire th
n French soil, now appears before OX
he world as the empire of Germany. ht
th
at
The Rad of the Oeeau th