The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1878-03-30

at Flaigneux; on the bond of the
Meuse, between Saint Menges and
Donchery, the Wurtemburgers
Count Stolberg and his cavalry at
Donchery; on the front, before
Sedan, tho Second Bavarian army.
All this had shaped itself in
spectral fashion, in order, without
breath, without noise, across the
woods, the ravines and the valleys.
A march tortuous and sinister-the
lengthening out of reptiles.
Scarcely could murmur be heard
under the dense leaves of the trees.
The silent battle swarmed in the
shadows, waiting for the day.
The French army slept.
All at once it awakened.
1t was prisoner.
The sun arose, splendid from the
side of God terrible from the side
Of man.
Let US fix the situation.
The Germans have numbers on
their side. They are three, perhaps
four, against ono. They avow $780,
900 men, but it 10 certain that their
front of attack was over eighteen
miles long. They have position;
they crown the heights, they fill the
forests they are covered by all
these sleeps, they ore masked by all
this shadow; they have incompnra-
bic artillery. The French army is
III basin, almost without artillery
and without munitions, stark naked
under shot md shell. The Germans
have on their side al ambuscade,
the French on theirs heroism alone.
TO die is beautiful, but to- surprise
is good.
A surprise, that was this feat of
arms
Is this good war? Yes but if
this is good war, what is bad Z?
Tho same thing q?
That said, the battle of Sedan is
recounted.
The first of September, then, at
five in tho morning, the world
awakened under the sun, and the
French army under the thunder.
Bazeilles takes fire, Givonne takes
fire, Floing takes fire it COM
monces with furnace. All the
horizon is aAame. The French
camp is in this crater-stupefed,
dismayed, madly astir, funeral
swarming. A circle of thunder on
vironH tho army. It is surrounded
by determination.
This mighty massacre begins
from all points at once. The French
resist, and they are terrible, having
nothing but despair. Our cannon,
almost all of olden model and low
range, are soon dismounted by the
fire SO frightful and precise of the
Prussians. The denseness of the
rain of shells on the valley is such
that "the earth is all striped by it,
says witness, ''as by harrow"
How many guns 2 Eleven hundred
at least.
The German soldiers, seated or
lying down, watch the artillery
work. The French soldiers fall and
die. Among the corpses which
cover the plain, there is one, the
corpse Of On officer, on which will be
found aftor the battle sealed note
containing this order, signed Napo-
leon "To-day, the 1st Of Septem-
ber, repose for the entire army"
The valiant Thirty-fifth of the line
disappears almost entirely under
the overwhelmment of the shells
the brave infantry of the marine
hold for moment in check the
Saxons mixed with Bavarians, but
outfanked and overpowered, retire.
All the admirable cavalry Of the
Marguerite division, hurled against
the Gorman infantry, halts and
melts away midway, exterminated,
says the Prussian report, "by we'll
directed and steady fire." This field
of carnage has three issues, all three
barred the Bouillon road by the
Prussian guard, the Carignan road
by the Bavarians, the Mezieres road
by the Swabians The French have
not dreamed of barricading the rails
way viaduct three German bat
talions have occupied it in the
night two isolated houses on the
Bolan road could be the pivot of a
long resistance. The Germans are
there; the park Of Montvillers, tufted
and deep, might hinder the junction
of the Saxons, who were masters OF
Ia Moncelle, and the Bavarians,
mo atera cf Ro1ai11aa |. %hax, xunrn