The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-01
MOLTKE AT SEDAN.
The Great Soldier Who Planned the
Campaign Tint Ended at sedan.

Campaign That Ended at sedan.
In view of the celebrations by the Ger
mans this week the following extract from
an article in McClure's Magazine for Au-
gust. entitled "Moltke In War" by Arch
ibald Forbes, will be read with special in
terest:
With characteristic promptitude Moltke
had reaped the fruits OF the great victo-
ry of Gravelotte. The French Army OF
the Rhine had been thrown back on Metz.
During the night between the 18th and
18TH Of August. while King william slept
in tho attic Of a shell-shattered house in
the squalld village Of Rezonville, Moltke
and his staff officers, huddled IN an adja-
cent hovel, planned the changed DISPOSE
tions which the new situation demanded.
To Prince Frederick Charles was allotted
the investment Of Metz with one hun
dred and fifty thousand men. A couple
of days later the army OF the Crown
Prince and the newly constituted Army
of the Meuse" together numbering over
two hundred and twenty thousand men,
were on the march toward Paris on a
French army Of reserve. about one hun
bred and twenty-five thousand strong. was
known to be at Chalons: and tho natural
| expectation in the German headquarters
was that he would fan back on Paris.
Not until the afternoon Of the 18th
had MOltlSe the assurance that MacMahon
was on the march toward Metz for the
relief of Bazaine, by a wide turning move
ment towards the north, round the Ger
man right flank. Moltke acted promptly.
| The German hosts, with extraordinary
alacrity and deftness, were made to
change front to the right, and to march
swiftly forward, to strike MacMahOn IN
the act of his exposure OF his strategic
flank. The German cavalry chung closely
to the skirts of the bewildered French
men, harassng them In skirmishes, and
covering the German movements by an
impenetrable screen. On the Goth was
fought the battle Of Beaumont, where
the French fought with degpairing gallan-
try; but were finally headed off from the
movement toward Metz, and were fam to
obey MacMahon's order TO concentrate
about Sedan, where the dishevelled and
shattered corps gathered YEARLY during
the 31st.
The early morning Of the lst Of Septem-
Der disclosed to the Germans the French
army in position on curved front around
the obsolete fortress Of Sedan Its lead
ers had apparently failed adequately to
realize the desperate character Of the stu
ton An army taat can night can march.
yet the plea is put forward that on this
day the French army was incapable of
making a disciplined march involving
fighting: the assertion was that IL could
only fight where 1t stood" In effect, It
was in a complete trap, extrlcation from
which was humanity impossible. On the
south and along one-half Of the western
side the impossible Meuse bounded the
position; the Belgian frontier was close
to it on the north. Moltke's disposition
were simple, but effective. The army Of
the Meuse was to attack the enemys east
ward DosiHons in order to detain him
there; two corps Of the Crown Princes
army. having occupied on the west the
space between the bend OF the river and
the frontier. were to move to meet the
advancing right OF the Meuse army, and
so fasten the clasp Of the belt Of environ
ment.
Moltke, by his mastery and resolute
strategy had deserved victory, and that
victory was now certain because Of the
overpowering superiority Of the German
strength and the feebleness and exhaus-
ton Of the French. But mere victory
would not content him; it was his deter
mination to effect the unparalleled
achievement Of compelling the surrender
in the open field, Of an army still number
ing over one hundred thousand fighting
men.
BY a. m, in mist from the water
meadows so dense that no man could see
ten Yards TO his front. Won der Tanns Ba-
varians were moving forward TO the aw-
full tragedy OF BaZeilles, amid the roar
Of the cannon covering the advance.
About T. the German king and his suite
reached the bare fiat top Of the hill of
Marfee, commanding a wide view
Of the theater OF operations.
Down in the Mouse valley, whence by
this time the mist had cleared away, the
Bavarian batteries were in steady meas
ured action. Away to the right rose the
thick column Of smoke that told where
Bazeilles was burning. Farther away III