Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-09-25
DEATH OF MARSHAL BAxAINE.
Private fn IS3l-MarshRI I'm Is6f-Ie
Expires in strange Land.

A London special OF Sunday says: A
dispatch from Madrid announces that
General Bazaine died in that city to-day.
The cause Of death was heart-disease.
He had been Ill for several days. The
funeral will take place tomorrow.
FRANCOIS Achilte BaZaine was born at
Versailles. France. February l3, 1911,
and, like most noted French command
ers. began with the knapsack and ended
with the baton. His baton bore the in
scription. "Simple Soldat en- 1881
Mareschal de France en- 1864 The son
of prominent and wealthy officer, he
might easily have gotten bis epaulettes,
but preferred to win them, which he did
in thirty-one years. Bazaine served in
three African campaigns-from 1888 to
1895. from 1910 to 1854, and in 1887 in
Spain, 1895 to 1888 III the Cnmea,
1854 TO 1855; Italy, 1889 and 1860;
Mexico. 1862 to 1867. and lastly with
the Army OF the Rhine and the
Franco Pmsaan war of 1870. lie wore
medals for his services in the Crimea,
Italy, and Mexico. and numerous decora-
tons for other military hOnors he had
achieved The battles that brought him
most prominently before the present
generation were those of bis last cam
paien. On the breakmg-out OF the war
with Prussia, Marshal Bazaine, who had
expected the command OF one or more
powerful armies destined to invade Ger
man territory, found himself, in
consequence Of the sudden and UNI
expected decision OF the Emperor
Napoleon to unite all the forces in the
single army OF the Rhine, in com
mand of only a single corps. The dis
asters of Woerth and FOrbach compelled
the French Emperor to relinquish the
command, and his sole competitor,
MacMahOn, having been rendered in
eligible by his recent defeat. Marshal
l>azaine succeeded TO the command OF
the Army of the Rhine August 18th.
For the purpose of reorganization and
concentration Bazaine fell back upon
Metz, and thence upon Nerdun, where
Mac Alahon's shattered corps and the
French reserves were being massed.
The execution Of this project, already
too long delayed, received further
setback by the battle of BOrny on
August l4th. brought about by the
Prussians for that very purpose
During the retreat through Metz
the Marshal's columns were vigor-
ously attacked 10y the Prussians, and
the battle of Grayelotte took place. 1t
was undertaken by the advanced Prus-
slams. hastily thrown across the Moselles
10 delay the French march, but 1t was
successfully repulsed, and in the mind of
the French commander the time had |
come TO strike back and drive the Prus- |
SLAMS in disorder upon the Moselle. Be- |
fore evening, however, the Prussians, re- |
inforced, recovered their positions and |
assumed the offensive. but with the ad- |
yantages on the French side. With time |
still left to continue the march on Yer |
dun, the Marshal spent the next day form !
ing line of battle, and on August 18th |
the battle of St Privat was fought. The |
French had 10000 effective men, the |
Prussians 100000. The French right, |
without effective artillery, was broken,
overwhelmed, and driven back. and the |
remainder Of the army was withdrawn |
the next day into the intrenched camp, |
in which ten weeks later il was destined |
10 lay down its arms. On the 9th of |
October, 1870, Marshal BaZaine surren-
dered an army Of 10000 men. Metz
and its Notifications. and 1900 pieces of |
artillery. Nearly three years later, on |
October 10, 1873, Bazaine was arraigned
before court, consisting OF the
Due d'Aumale. General de la Motto
Rouge, Baron de Chaband- Latour,
Generals Iripier, Martimprey, Prime
teau. and Observation-Disclosures He was
charged with. surrendering Metz, of
which he bad the snperior command, with
out having exhausted all means of de-
fence. After two months trial he was
unanimously pronounced guilty, SEN
fenced 10 be degraded and shot, with an
equally unanimous recommendation that
the sentence should not be carried into /
effect in terms substantially as follows
GAS iurymen our conscience alone must |
guide us, and as judges IL has been our
duty TO apply an inexorable law.
The Marshal, however, received the
command of the army under
the most unfortunate circumstances,
and the court cannot forget that |
under fis he was always equal 10 him
self that at Bosny, Grayelotte. and
housewife no one surpassed him In !