The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1888-04-04
FALL OF NAPOLEON.
STORY OF THE@RENcA cAvALRy,s
REPuLsE AT SEDAN.

Gen. Phil sheridan's Comment while
Gazing at the Battle--1Toltke Brings
Up Fresh Batteries--A Flag Of Truce.
A Pitifui Epistle.
Zone afternoon of the Sedan battle King
William and his staff looked down from the
Hill OF Frenois on the amphitheatre of car
mage and 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 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
tho 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 q gentle
slope below the cavalry of lily. facing
against the German infantrymen in the hol-
low below. The massive horsemen gathered
way in 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 gallop
were within 200 yards Of the silent infantry
men in blue TUNES and spiked helmets With
them it seemed all over. How could they
stand against that swift, strong torrent rag
ing down upon themi Suddenly from the
steadfast ranks flashed whitening yolley,
then another and another, and 10, the piano.
piled array OF French cavalry was writhing
In the dust, shattered wreck.
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
It's fate by the snap of closing binocular,
followed by the quite decisive words:
!" It's all over with the French now'
All eyes turned on the speaker, 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.
ian 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
ancestors had conquered at jena and Auer-
stadt would show no token of surrender
Moltke, with practical eye to the psychology
zeal moment gave the word to bring up
fresh batteries
But King William, soldier to the core
and conqueror as he was, would make the
first advance, and babe Col Bronzart, Of the
general staff, take flag Of truce into Sedan
and point out the futiiity 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 hall, mantled In a swart OF
smoke OF fires which the shell fire had lit In
the distracted town, on the broken French
army covering up TO the time worn ram
parts
1.-THE crown prince, with his stalwart, sol
diery stride, had walked across from Dou-
cherry hill, whence he had directed his share
OF 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
from the summit of the Sedan prefecture,
and there Is Bronzart with his trumpet, and
beside him rides an officer In uniform which
afar of we discern is French. The little
party ride up the steep ascent at a gallop.
Bronzart, a short distance Off, halts the
Frenchman, and, dismounting himself, walks
up TO King William and utters single short
sentence, at which William starts violently
and leaps to his feet.
a Der kaiser list da,' was what Bronzart
said, with arm outstretched toward Sedan.
The king repeated the words in loud. sur
prised accents, and they found surprised
echo from every lip, for there had been no
surmise that Napoleon, having forsaken the
fortune OF Bazine's army, was now sharing
the fortunes of MacAfahons
''Bronzart was hidden to bring up Gen.
Count Reille. the French officer who had ac-
companied him, and who, 1t appeared, was
the bearer of special communication from
Napoleon.
"Strange contrast Of condition. Three
years before Reille had been the officer In
waiting on King William, during his visit to
the Tuileries. Now he approached William
again as an emissary from his master on the
verge Of dethronement, Of captivity, bowling
low with quiet dignity beseeming good sol
dier and gallant general in the hour Of ad-
versity. Reille handed to King William a
letter from his still imperial master. The
world knows the contents OF that pitiful
epistle.
"Unable to die at the bead Of my army,
tender 10 your majesty my sword
"The terms presented an embarrassment,
and the king called on Bismarck and Moltke
for consultation, while the crown prince,
with instructive courtesy, softened the strin-
gency of Relies position by entering into
conversation with him. The answer was
written and Reille was dispatched with It.
The king read Napoleon's letter aloud, and
then turned to his son and clasped him in a
warm embrace.
"a mild babel Of discussion and mutual
congratulations followed, and as the sun
went down King William was on his way to
night quarters in the historic Chateau do
Chemery. Every day in that momentous
autumn was fully charged with history
From Archibald Forbes "reminiscences
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