Milford chronicle., 1888-05-25
FALL OF NAPOLEON.
STORY OF THE FRENCH cAvALRY's
REPJLsE AT SEDAN.

0-CE - OEOftNs
Gen. Phn sheridan's Comment Will,
Gazing at the Battle-sIoitke Bring
Up Fresh Batteries-A Flag Of Truce
A PitifuI BpistIe.
"One afternoon Of the Sedan battle King
William and his staff looked down from the
Hill Of Frenois on the amphitheatre Of car
nageand cannon smoke, in the heart Of which
the doomed French army still fought gal
lantly on in the face of fate. The command
ing elevation gave a view nOrthward far
away beyond the gray fortress, and nearer
the combats about Bazeilles, and we were
watching the gradual closure Of the net en-
veloping the French army, as the Fifth Ger
man corps from the left and the guards from
the right, drawing nearer and nearer each
other, diminished the gap in the environment
of blood and iron.
THAT environment was not to be consum-
mated without gallant, but despairing pro
test. We saw the splendid brigade Of French
cuirassiers draw out and form on a gentle
slope below the cavalry Of lily. facing
against the German infantrymen in the hol-
low below. The massive horsemen gathered
way in a headlong charge as they rode in
/ glittering steel clad splendor down the
smooth slope. As we gazed and listened we
could see the fash Of armor and seemed to
hear the thunder Of horse hoofs. The mailed
cavalry Of France in their furious gallon
were within 200 yards Of the silent infantry
men in blue tunics and spiked helmets. With
them it seemed all over. How could they
stand against that swift, strong torrent rag
ing down upon theml Suddenly from the
steadfast ranks flashed a whitening vollev,
then another and another, and 10, the pano-
piled array Of French cavalry was writhing
in the dust, shattered wreck
A MAN IN BLUE UNDREss.
"a quivering silence had pervaded the
group of leaders and staff officers upon the
Hill Of Frenois. King William had risen
from his camp chair and was standing with
his eye at great field telescope mounted on
tripod. The strained silence was curiously
broken as the French cuirassier brigade met
its fate by the snap Of a closing binocular,
followed by the quite decisive words:
It's all over with the French now.'
"All eyes turned on the speaker, a short,
compact, resolute man in blue undress uni
form that was not German He was none
other than Gen. Phil Sheridan, representa-
tive of the United States army attached to
the royal headquarters. At the word the
German chiefs ran to shake the foreign
soldier by the hand, for they knew the COM
ment came from the past master in the art Of
war.
'An hour later, the same afternoon, it was
no longer battle, but massacre. Save for the
casual spatter of musketry among the smold- |
ering ruins of Bazeilles and the loud bicker
of fire on the shaggy woodland above |
Givenne, French resistance had died out.
Yet, proud and stubborn, the army whose |
had conquered at jena and Auer- |
stadt would show no token of surrender. |
Moltke, with practical eye to the psychology |
ical moment, gave the word to bring up |
fresh batteries.
"But King William, a soldier to the core
and conqueror as he was, would make the
first advance, and bade Col. Bronzart, of the
general staff, take flag of truce into Sedan
and point out the futility of further resist
ance. Bronzart, at his steady trot, disap-
peared within the outwork of Torey, and
was no more seen. The lurid day was wan
ing, the sleeping sunbeams falling on the
mangled ghastliness of the dead and wounded
that Uttered the plateau of HONG, on the
gray fortress hail. mantled in a swart of
smoke of fires which the shell fire had lit in
she distracted town. on the broken French
army covering up to the time worn ram
parts.
"The crown prince, with his stalwart, SOL
iiery stride, had walked across from Dou-
,hery hill, whence he had directed his share
If the battle, and stood by his fathers camp
chair talking to his king and sire.
THE WHITE FLAG WAVING.
"At length there is the white flag waving
rom the summit of the Sedan prefecture,
md there is Bronzart with his trumpet. and
)eside him rides an officer in uniform which
far off we discern is French. The little
'arty ride up the steep ascent at a gallop.
3ronzart, a short distance off, halts the
'renchman, and, dismounting himself, walks
Ip to King William and utters single short
entence, at which William starts violently
nd leaps to his feet.
" Der kaiser ist da,' was what Bronzart
aid, with arm outstretched toward Sedan.
he king repeated the words in loud. sur
rised accents, and they found a surprised
cho from every lip, for there had been no ,
urmise that Napoleon, having forsaken the /
ortune Of Bazine's army, was now sharing ,
be fortunes of MacMahon's.
"Bronzart was hidden to bring up Gen.
cunt Reille, the French officer who had ac- J
him, and who, it appeared, was :
~ bStti iSA VI a alJSCAdi communication from ,
Tapoleon.
"Strange contrast Of condition. Three : :
ears before Reilie had been the officer in I
-aiting on King William, during his visit to :
le Tuileries. Now he approached William p
gain as an emissary from his master on the =
erge of dethronement, Of captivity, bowing :
wv with quiet dignity beseeming a good SOL s
ier and a gallant general in the hour of ad-
arsity. Reille handed TO King William a
tier from his still imperial master. The
orld knows the contents Of that pitiful
listle,
"'Unable to die at the head of my army, 1 1
nder to your majesty my sword =
"The terms presented an embarrassment,
nd the king called on Bismarck and Moltke 7
II consultation, while the crown prince, I
ith instructive courtesy, softened the strin- :
sncy of Relies position by entering into !
with him. The answer was =
ritten and Reille was dispatched with it.
he king read Napoleon's letter aloud, and y
len turned to his son and clasped him in a =, q
arm embrace. VI
"a mild babel Of discussion and mutual .
followed, and as tie sun X
ent down King William was on his way to :
ght quarters in the historic Chateau de
hemery. Every day in that momentous
ltumn was fully charged with history
rom Archibald Forbes "reminiscences.
IT
Against Popular Education. Sc