Wichita eagle., 1888-12-11
Boston Store.
AT THE BATTLE OF GRAVELOTTE.
The Famous Staf-Sheridan-One of the
Worlds Grandest Scenes.

| The Famous Staff-Sheridan-One of the
Worlds Grandest Scenes.
Drawing nigh we saw the famous stat
around the king and Moltke. They had
halted on the way from Rezonvile to Grave
lotte, at point from which could be OBJ
served the movements Of the right wing of
the German army, and there they remained
three hours. Bismarck was reclining on q
blanket doubled and thrown on the dusty
ground, where there were remnants of stalks
of clover. He had French knapsack made
of calfskin with the hair on for pillow. and
his head was sheltered by strip Of French
tent, held by two wooden spikes, His atti
tude was that of detection as well as weari-
ness. The king wore a very long light blue
overcoat and his helmet, and was erect and
alert. A coored servant was in charge OF
his carriage. The three carriages belonged
respectively to the king, Bismarck and
Moltke
Standing near the king, his feet wide apart
and holding a field glass to his eyes, was
Gen Philip Fl. Sheridan, who was Bismarck's
guest, and had ridden to the field In the car
riage Of the chancellor. The old uniform of
Sheridan was dingy beside the new clothes
worn by the German leaders, who had been
In the field but three weeks, and had not en-
countered many rain and dust storms. The
hour was twenty minutes after ii, and the
sounds Of battle began to thicken and deepen
The scattering shots of the slirinishers were
lost in the roar Of firing by regiments, and
the tremendous German artillery began to
play like some sublime orchestra There
were many dead horses aud many blood
stains about, and a penetrating, sour smell
came from them. Between two swollen mon
sters | located my cherished chair, and tax
ing the only Preserved seat at that stupen-
dous performance, adjusted my field glass and
was soon absorbed IN one Of the grandest
scenes that mortal ever gazed upon.
1t occurred TO me at the moment that no
descriptive language could be better than
that employed by Henry J. Raymond in
writing of the battle of Solferino He said
that two storm clouds seemed to have de-
scended to the earth, and to be pouring their
ightniugs and thunderings into each other
The masses of pearly white gunpowder smoke
there pillars of fIeecy snow rising to the
skies, and there whirIing abysses of vapor,
vibrating as If electriied-were darkly
streaked by burning villages. and the sky
over the French lines, where the iron rain Of
the German artillery fell, was spotted With
the tiny clouds puffed by the exploding
shells
| could see the galloping of hOrsemen bear
ing orders through the fiery nlist-the surging
march of the troops, block after block OF the
blue divisions of Germany crowding to the
left-the sparkle of steel and of the helmets,
like flashes OF starlight on q raging seattle
long darts OF fire from the breech loading
cannon Of the Germans, which were each
discharged at times almost as fast as cow
boy fires bis revolver could discern the
French positions for near three miles outlined
by Pickering fire, ana pillows of smoke that
seemed to swell from series of Niagaras;
and heard the awful uproar comprehending
q thousand stunning shocks, rising at times
10 a ma ieSty that was beyond all faculty OF
measurement, and reminded one of a tran
Scendent burst Of music-but there was moth
ing in all the wonderful pyrotechnics and
monstrouS clamor 70 tell how the battle was
soing.-Murat Halstead in The Century.