The New York herald., 1878-03-25

The conclusion contains graphic descrp ptou OF the
battle Of sedan OF which, through the courtesy OF
Courier des Etats Unis IN furnishing US with tho
French slips. enabled to present our readers
with Translation, as iollows:-
was returning from my fourth exile, Belgian
exile, which Is not much. II was during tho Iattor
days OF September, ISL entered France by the
Luxembourg frontier l tell asleep in tho railway
carnage. Suddenly aroused by tho jolt OF
a stoppage. opened my eyes. Tue tr,in had
stopped III the midst OF charming country. / was
interrupted In a half hours sleep; my idcns indis-
tinct and straying, aoated nall dreamily between
tho reality and myself 1t was the vague bowiidcr.
ment Of awaking. clear stream flowed beside tho
railway around gay aud verdant Island. The YER
du-e SO thick that tho r,ppes OF the stream on
reaching il sank into It and disappeared. The river
flowed across valley which seemed to be aeep gar
den. There apple trees there which recalled
thoughts Of Eve anu willows which mado ore dream
OF Galatca.
II was, as l have said, OF these equinoctiaI
months when feels tho charm OF tho dying seasons
II 1t is winter which Is going hear the song OF
approaching spring; II It is summer which Is depart
Ing We see on tho horizon u vague smile, which is
autumn.
The wind ceascd and harmonzed all those happy
sounds which make up the hum one hears plains
The tinkling OF bells seemed to lull tho hum of tho
bees; the last butterflies found themselves with
the nrst punches OF grapes. This period of
tho year combines the JOY OF living stiil with
the unconscious melancholy OF approaching death.
The sweetness Of the sun was beyond description.
Fine fields cut up with furrows and dottcd with cot
tages Of honest peasauts under tho tho grass
covered with shadow; the lowing OF cattle. ss ia
Virgil, and tho smoke of hamlets envencd
by rays OF sunlight-such was tho ensemble.
niSta hvth
OF toll in nature's harmony l listened;
meditated coniusedy. Tho valley admirable and
tranquil tho blue sky seemed placed upon q lovely
circle OF small hills. The voices OF birds in the
distance, and quito noar mo the voices OF children
like two songs OF angels mingled together An uni
versal clearness surrounded me; all this grace and
all this grandeur put an aurora in my SOUL
All at once q passenger asked:-"what place Is
| thisYn
Another answered :-"Sedap."
| trembled. This paradise was a scpuchre
| look around me. The valley round and hol.
low, like the bottom OF a crater. Tho stream was
quite tortuous and rcsembad serpent; tho high hill.
locks, rnnged ono behind another, surrounded this
mysterious place, Ike triple OF nexorabie wallis
Once there, must stay It. That made ono think
OF tho circus. An unspeakably disquieting verdurc,
which had tho appearance OF prolon CATION OF the
Black Forest, ovcrran all tho heights and be-
impenctrable snare. The sun sbone, the birds
sang the wnggoners passed along whistling; there
were sheep. lambs ana pigeons hero and there: tho
leaves tremb.ed and whispered among themselves;
tie grass-ihat grass 30 thick--was full Of flowers
1t was dreadful
1t seemed mo that saw trembling on that Wiley
the gttor OF tho angels sword. That word .Scdun''
had been like veil Tho landscape had become
suddenly tragic. Thege indstinct eyes which tho bark
designs on tho trunks o trees looking a,-What?
Something terrible and vanished.
There II was, In fact. and at tho timo 1 passed
through thirteen months all but few days had
elapsed. II WAS there that the monstrous crime Of
the Second OF December had como to end It's career
What . formidable wreckl The dark itineraries OF
fate cannot be studied without strong palpitang of
the heart
On the 3lst of August, 1870, an army foand Itself
reunited end massed under the walls of Sedan In q
place called the hollow OF Givonne. This army was
French army-twenty -nino brigades, fifteen divisions
four army corps-9o 900 men. This army this
place without kqowing why, without order, without
object peli mclla heap Of mon thrown there II tor
the purpose ofbeing se'zcd by an immense hand This
army had not or seemed not 10 have for the moment
any immediate uneasinoss. II was known, or:bc.
lieved TO be known, that tho enemy far off, Cal.
cuating tho days march At four leagues day, the
However
toward evening, the chiefs certain wisc sirateg
cal dispositions Tho army rested In the rear on
Sedan and the Mcuse; It was projected by two lines
OF battle, one, consisting OF tho Seventh corps ex.
tended from Fio,ng to Givonne tho other. compris-
ing the Twelfth corps extended from Givonnc TO
Bazeilies forming triangle Of which the Meuso
was the hypothcnuse
The Twelfth corps composed OF thrce divisions
Lacretelc's. Lar.igno's ana won's-ransed in q
straight ne with tho artillery between tho brigadcs
was vcritabe barrier, having at It's ex,rcmitIcs
Bazeiiles and GvoDne and at It's centre Daigny Tho
two divisions OF Pott aud Lheriter, masseJ In tho
on two lines, formed the supports OF this bar
rcr General Lobrun commanded tue Twelfth corps
The seventh corps, commanded by General Douay.
nad only two divisions those OF Dumont and Guibert.
and formed the other trout. covering the army from
Gvonno to Flong on the side Of lily This front was
relatively weak, too much exposed from the side Of
GvonDo and protected only on the side OF the
Mcusc by the two cavalry divisions OF Marguerite
and Bonnemans and by the brigade OF Guyomar
formed n.square and resting on Fiong Within this
triangle campsd tho Finh corps, commanded by
General Wimpicn, aud the Frst corps, commanded by
General Ducrot Tho cavalry division OF Michel GOV.
cred the FIRST corps tho side Of Daigny the flf,h
had Its back to Sedan. Four divisions disposed each
on two lnes-ihcritlcr's, Grandchanips' Goze's and
Observation-Disclosures n sort Of horscshoc turoed
toward Sedan and connecting tho first limo OF battle
with the second Tho cavalry division Of Amcl and
the brigade OF Fontanges acted reserve Tor these
four divisions All tho artillery IN the two lines
OF battle. Two portions OF the army misplaced
one TO tho right Of Sedan beyond Balan, the other
the left toward iges. Bevond BaIan vassolgnc's
DIVISION and Reboups brigade; toward Igcs were tho
two cavalry divisions Of Margurittc and Bonncmains.
Those dispositions indicated feeling OF profound
security For that matter the Emperor Napoleon Ill,
would not have gone there II no had felt perfectly
| saio. This hollow Of Givonno Is what Napoleon L.
| called BASIN and what Admiral Won rromp called
| pot de chamtre. There could DO packing SO
petc. An army thoro s much al homo that II Is
! too much SO; II runs tho risk OF not being abie
TO &c. out This was the feeling OF somo valiant