The daily gazette., 1878-04-01
The Battle of Sedan.
Victor huso's History off Crime.
ICoNCLUDED.l

AT LAO O'Clock in the morning. at the
headquarters of Monzon, Albert. Prince
Royal OF Saxony, moved with the ARMY
OF the Meuse; the Royal Guard took M
its arms on an alarm, and two divisions
advanced, one upon Villers- Cernay, by
Escambre and Fouru-aux-B Bois. the Other
upon Franoheval, by Suchy and Fouru-
Saint-Remy. The artillery of the guard
followed at the same hour, the Twelfth
saxon Corps took up its arms on an
alarm, and through the highway south
OF Douzy proceeded toward Lamecourt.
and marched upon Montcelle; the First
Bavarian Corps marched upon Bazeilles,
supported at Renillysur-M Meuse by di-
vision of artillery of the Fourth Corps
The other division of the Fourth Corps
crossed che Meuse at Monzon, and was
massed as reserve at Marry, on the
right bank. The three columns kept
connected with each other. Orders had
been given the advance guard not to
commence any offensive movements be-
fore O'Clock, and to occupy Fouru-aux-
Bois, Fouru-Saint-Remy and de Douay.
The knapsacks had been left with the
baggage. The artillery trains did not stir.
The Prince of SaXony was on horseback
on the heights of Amblimont.
Az the same hour at the headquarters
of Chemery, Blumenthal had the Wur-
temberg Division build bridge over the
Meuse. The Eleventh Corps, moving
before dawn crossed the Meuse at DOM
le-Mesnil and at Donchery and reached
Virgne-Sur-Bois. The artillery followed
and commanded the road from Virgne to
Sedan. The Wurtemberg Division de-
Tended the bridge it built and command
ed the road from Sedan to Mezieres. At
five o'clock the Second Bavarian- Corps,
headed by its artillery, moved one of its
divisions aud sent it by Bulson toward
Frenois; the other division passed by
Meyers and formed before Sedan between
Frenois and Wadelincourt. The reserve
artillery was installed upon the heights
on the left bank opposite Donchery.
AT that very moment the Sixth Divis-
ion of Mazeray, and, by Bontancourt
and Bolzicourt, reached the Meuse at
Flze; the Second Division of Cavalry
left its quarters and took up its position
south of Botaneourt; the Fourth Divis-
ion Of Cavalry took up its position south
of Frenois the Bavarian Corps stood
at Remlly, the Fifth Division of Cavalry
and the Sixth Corps were in observation IN
and all in line and in order massed upon
the heights, awaited the dawn. The
Prince Royal of Prussia was on horse
back on the hill of Frenois.
simultaneously, on all the points of the
horizon, similar movements were effect
ed. The high hills were suddenly lnvad-
ed by an immense black army. Not q
cry of command was heard. Two hundred
and fifty thousand then came, In dumb
ness and formed q circle about the Fond
de Givonne.
The circle was composed as follows:-
The Bavarans, right wing at Bayeilles,
on the Meuse near the Bavarians the
Saxons, at La Moncelle and at Daigny ;
nnnnaifa (iunpnA hn 81. . H.,
Fifth Corps at Saint Menges; the Second
at Flaigneux on the bend of the Meuse
between Saint Menges and Donchery,
the Wurtembergers; Count Stolberg and
his cavalry at Donchery; in front,
toward Sedan, the second Bavarian
army.
All this was achieved in spectral fash
ion, in order, without noise, through
the forests, the ravines and the Valleys
A sinuous and sinister march. A drag.
| ging along of reptiles.
Scarcely was n murmur audible beneath
the thick foliage. The silent battle swarm.
ed in the darkness while awaiting day.
break.
The French Army slept.
Suddenly it awoke.
II was captive.
The sun rose, splendid as it shone to-
ward God, terrible toward man.
".
Let us define the situation.
The Germans have numerical strength
on their side they are three to one, -four
perhaps they confess to having 0,00C
men, but is il is certain that their line OF
attack was 80 kilometres in length they
hold the positions, crown the heights, fill
the forests, they are covered by all the
sleeps, they are masked by all the shad-
ows, they have matchless artillery. The
French Army is in a hollow, almost
without artillery and ammunition, naked
under their grapeshot. = The Germans
have ambush ON their side, the French
have on theirs nothing but heroism. 1t
is fine thing to die, but good thing to
surprise:
This achievement at arms is a sur
prise.
Is it fair war? Yes, but if this be fair
| war, what is foul war?
The same thing.
This much said, the battle of Sedan is
recounted.
We would stop here. But we cannot.
Great though the horror of the historian
be, history is duty, and duty must be
fulfilled. There is no more imperious
slope than this to tell the truth, who
ever ventures upon it rolls to the bottom.
1t must be so. The Judge is doomed to
justice.
The battle of Sedan is more than bat
tie which is fought; it is q syllogism
| which finished itself dread premediation
of destiny. Fate never hurries, but al
ways attains its goal. Its hour strikes
and it is there. 1t let's years go by, then,
when least thought of, it appears. Sedan
is the fatal unexpected. From time to
time, in history, divine logic makes sor-
ties. Sedan is one of these sorties.
So, on the 1st of September, at o.
clock in the morning, the world awoke
under the sun and the French army un-
der the the thunderbolt.
V.
Bayeilles takes fire, Floing takes fire
the thing begins by furnace. The
whole hOrison is afiame. The French
camp is in this crater, stupefied, scared,
startled, in akfuneral swarm. A ring OF
thunderbolts encircles the Army. Ex-
termination hens 1t in.
This immense murder is carried on
all sides at once. The French resist and
they are terrible, for they have nothing
left them but despair. Our guns, almost
all old fashioned and carrying badly, are
Immediately dismounted by the terrible
and precise aim of the Prussians. The
density of the rain of shells upon the
valley is such that "the earth is ruled" "
xrifn nv ralxa " How