The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1917-11-08

Sedan. fought on September /. $50,
WAS the losing battle Of n demoralized
France. II cost the French arms loss
Of prestige; perhaps even teInporaT!
loss Of honor. Ii cost France the huge
indemnity demanded by triumphant
Germany. But, for all this, Its uiti-
mate effect was OF ineStimablc profit
To France. For Sedan marked the
collapse of the Second empire, over
which reigned the Emperor Louis Ma
poleOn-NapoleOn the Little. From It's
ruin Sprang the splendid republic OF
today.
Sedan lies in northern France, i
miles from Mezieres, on the right bank
Of the Meuse. To IL came Marshal
MacMahOn and the discouraged. al
ready half-beaten army OF France, Its
commander so respondent that he
could contemplate nothing more than
battle to sustain the honor or his
troops. He did not even communicate
with yinOy. whose corps was concen-
trnting at MeIiereS.
To the east there was strong POSI-
ton, where the Fond du GivOnne pre-
scented serious obstacle 10 the German
infantry. However, MacMahon ignored
II. The German host came on In two
columns, with only a weak cavalry
screen between. Before daybreak the
Bavarians had thrown pontSOn
! bridge across the Mouse. advancing
| toward Bazeilles, where Fassoigne's dl-
Vision, containing a number of marine
and sailor battalionS gave them such
| a warm reception that they were COM
pletely disconnected. About SIX In the
morning the heavy night fog lifted,
| whereupOn the German artillery came
| violently into action. One of the first
shells wounded MacMahOn. General
| DuCrOt took over the command.
Now II happened that there was
with the army General Wimpffen, who
had only arrived from Algiers on the
night OF August 80, and who had In
his pocket secret commission, au-
thOrizing him 10 assume command In
event Of the death or diSablement Of
MaCMahOn. No one save Wimpffen
knew Of this. He was new 70 the
troops and new to this thenter OF war
Therefore he hesitated To diSplaCe Du
crot. waiting until nine o'clock. when
perceivIng that DucrOt intended 10 re
treat toward the west. and convinced
that salvation lay only In moving east
ward toward Metz and the army OF
Bazaine. ne produced his papers ant
took charge. As result there FOL
lowed dire confusion. a good part Of
the army already having begun the ex
ecution Of DucrOt's orders.
Northward Of Bazeilles the Frenci
were withdrawing. so that the SaXon
swept easily over the ridge south OF TIT
Givonne-Sedan road. This cut of tn
retreat Of VassoiCne's gallant fighters
who fell into the hands OF the German
an hour before noon.
At about the same time the Ger
man Guard corps began TO form up be
tween DaiCny and Givonne. when sud
denly a great column OF French infan
try. 5000 strong. obeying Wimpffen'
orders Of movement, came over III
eastern border OF the valley ant
charged Mt full speed for the guns.
There followed what was probabl
the most dramatic spectacle OF the wal
for the whole of the corps artillery o
the Guard turned upon these devote
men, tearing the column In half an
almost annihilatlng IT. The head O
the column, 1000 strong, struggled des
perately on. but coming under fiankin
fire from both cannon and rifles. II fail
" dissolved before the German eye:
Another detachment Of the invader
crossed the river ut DOncherey. drivin
back the French outposts to the sout
: Of the lily road so easily that the Gel
man artillery became recklessly e,
posed. Perceiving this and acting II
stantly, G neral de Gallifet-"Old 81
yer Top" rs he was afterward calle'
because Of the silver plate which r,
; placed n part Of his skull-rushed u
his brigade Of Chasseurs d'Afrique an
u hurled a most dashing charge again:
/ the batteries. Gallifet might have a
complished something here, but he We
utterly unsupported. and could NJ
hold his advantage. He fell back wit
ms hard-punlshed horse behind II
3 Cazal-Illy ridge.
y Next the French infantry tried 1
?. hand again, making a brilliant, II Il
Il timed. charge out Of Its position ar
: driving the Germans until the r
r endorsements dashed up. Then ont
= more the French retired in more
l. less confusion. holding strongly
e F1oing.
Is Now, however. the French Twelf
o corps found itself furiously assault'
lie and in such peril that reinforcement
ie were sent up from Douay's force.
pronounced was the confusion Of Il
d day that these re-enforcements act
-