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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at <a -href="http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you are not -located in the United States, you'll have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this ebook.</p> -<p>Title: The Campaign of Sedan</p> -<p> The Downfall of the Second Empire, August-September 1870</p> -<p>Author: George Hooper</p> -<p>Release Date: June 1, 2017 [eBook #54823]</p> -<p>Language: English</p> -<p>Character set encoding: UTF-8</p> -<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CAMPAIGN OF SEDAN***</p> -<p> </p> -<h4>E-text prepared by Brian Coe, David Tipple,<br /> - and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br /> - (<a href="http://www.pgdp.net">http://www.pgdp.net</a>)<br /> - from page images generously made available by<br /> - Internet Archive<br /> - (<a href="https://archive.org">https://archive.org</a>)</h4> -<p> </p> -<table border="0" style="background-color: #ccccff;margin: 0 auto;" cellpadding="10"> - <tr> - <td valign="top"> - Note: - </td> - <td> - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - <a href="https://archive.org/details/campaignofsedand00hoop"> - https://archive.org/details/campaignofsedand00hoop</a> - </td> - </tr> -</table> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> - -<!-- TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES --> - -<div class="transnotes"> -<p> - Transcriber’s Note -</p> -<ul> -<li class="lspace">Clicking on a map or a battle-plan will open a larger image of -it.</li> - -<!-- -<li class="lspace"></li> - -<li class="lspace"></li> - -<li class="lspace"></li> - -<li class="lspace"></li> ---> - -</ul> -</div> - -<!-- END OF TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES --> -<hr class="full" /> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> - -<p class="library pagebb"> - BOHN’S STANDARD LIBRARY -</p> - -<hr class="vsmall" /> - -<p class="bastard"> - THE CAMPAIGN OF SEDAN -</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class= "quot1">“The policy of your Government will bring you to Jena,” said -M. de Moustier to Herr von Bismarck during the Crimean War. -“Why not to Waterloo?” was the prompt and prophetic reply.</p> - -<p class="quot1">Wo Kraft und Muth in deutscher Seele flammen.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<h1 class="pagebb"><span class="thesmall">THE</span><br /> - CAMPAIGN OF SEDAN<br /> -<span class="subsmall">THE</span><br /> -<span class="sub">DOWNFALL OF THE SECOND EMPIRE</span><br /> -<span class="subsmall">AUGUST–SEPTEMBER 1870</span><br /> -<span class="sub2">BY</span><br /> -<span class="author">GEORGE HOOPER</span></h1> - -<p class="works">AUTHOR OF “WATERLOO: THE DOWNFALL OF THE FIRST NAPOLEON: A<br /> - HISTORY OF THE CAMPAIGN OF 1815,” ETC.</p> - -<p class="map">WITH MAP AND PLANS</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img class="noborder" alt="Publisher's logo" - src="images/logo.jpg" /> -</div> - - -<p class="publisher"> - LONDON<br /> - GEORGE BELL AND SONS<br /> - 1909 -</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="press pagebb"> -CHISWICK PRESS: CHARLES WHITTINGHAM AND CO.<br /> -TOOKS COURT, CHANCERY LANE, LONDON. -</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="pagenba">PREFACE.</h2> -</div> - -<p>When it was decided to publish a new and cheaper -edition of Mr. George Hooper’s “Sedan,” the -question arose whether anything should be added to it. -My father had intended, should a new edition be called -for, to revise and correct the work, and to furnish it with -an index. After due consideration it has been decided to -make no additions to the book, except the index, which -has been carefully compiled. A few errors that had crept -into the text of the original edition have been corrected; -but in other respects the volume remains as it was left -by its author.</p> - -<p class="right"> -W<span class="smaller">YNNARD</span> H<span -class="smaller">OOPER.</span><br /> -</p> - -<p class="hang1"> -S<span class="smaller">OUTH</span> K<span -class="smaller">ENSINGTON</span>,<br /> <i>October, 1897</i>.<br /> -</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="pagenba">PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.</h2> -</div> - -<p>The War of 1870–71 was opened by a campaign of -thirty days, complete in itself, and the author must -plead the dramatic unity of the great event as a reason for -treating it in a separate form. Although the foundation -of those ulterior successes which enabled the Germans to -proclaim the King of Prussia Emperor in Germany, and to -do so in the palace of Louis XIV., yet, from an historical -point of view, the astonishing series of battles and marches -which ended in the Investment of Metz, and the Capitulation -of Sedan may be regarded as standing apart, because -they carried with them the Downfall of the Second Empire. -The Campaign of Sedan, in this respect, is the supplement -of the Campaign of Waterloo; but, of course, there is no -resemblance between Napoleon III. and Napoleon I., nor -in the political and military conditions and results of the -two catastrophes.</p> - -<p>The materials at the disposal of any author who ventures -to narrate the campaign are abundant and yet incomplete. -The History of the War prepared by the German Staff is -minute even to weariness, but it must always stand as the -authentic foundation of every narrative. Unreadable to -the general public, it is invaluable to the soldier-student, -and to all who wish to know what the German Army is -like, and how it wages war. It need scarcely be said that -the Staff narrative is the basis of this book, which is an -endeavour to present its essence in a succinct and readable -form. Unhappily, the French accounts are wanting in precision, -so that it is difficult to comprehend how they fought -their battles, and impossible to ascertain accurately what -was their numerical strength at any moment. The deficiency -is serious, because it mars the completeness of the -story, and frustrates every attempt to do them full justice. -For, if the Army, as an Army, was wasted by incapable -commanders, the soldiers fought well and did nothing to -derogate from their old renown. They had to encounter -better commanders, more numerous and better soldiers, -and they were beaten, but they were not disgraced. The -whole lesson of the war is lost, if the fact is ignored that -the German Army, from top to bottom, was superior in -every way to that of Napoleon III., as well as more -numerous; and that what made it superior was the spirit -of Duty, using the word in its highest sense, which animated -the host, from the King, who was its shining exemplar, -to the private who was proud to rival his King.</p> - -<p>The contrast, which this war exhibited, between the -French and German methods of making and using an -Army is so violent, that it becomes painful, and imparts -an air of one-sidedness to the narrative. But the facts -must be stated, although the bare statement suggests partiality -in the narrator. I have, nevertheless, tried to be -impartial, and in doing my best, I have found it impossible -to read the abounding evidence of Imperial neglect, rashness -and indecision, without feeling pity for the soldiers -and the nation which had to bear the penalties. The -French Army has been remodelled and increased enormously; -the secular quarrel between Germany and France -is still open; and some day it may be seen whether the -Republicans, out of the same materials, have been able to -create an Army such as the Imperialists failed to produce. -Whether they have succeeded or not, it may be fervently -hoped that the deep impression which the examples of -thoroughness, revealed by the wars of 1866 and 1870, made -on our own country will never be effaced; and that the -public will insist that our small Army, in every part, shall -be as good as that which crossed the French frontier in -1870, and triumphed in the Campaign of Sedan.</p> - -<p class="kensington">K<span class="smaller">ENSINGTON</span>, - <i>April 6th, 1887</i>.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="pagenba" id="CONTENTS">CONTENTS.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="contents"> -<!-- -<p> - <span class="flr"><span class="smaller">PAGE</span></span> -</p> - - -<p></p> - -<p class="noindent"><a href="#INTRODUCTION"> - I<span class="smaller">NTRODUCTION</span></a> - <span class="flr">1</span> -</p> ---> - -<p class="intro"><a href="#INTRODUCTION"> - I<span class="smaller">NTRODUCTION</span></a> -</p> - - -<p class="contchap"><a href="#CHAPTER_I"> - C<span class="smaller">HAPTER</span> I.</a></p> - -<p class="contname">THE CAUSES OF THE WAR.</p> - -<p>French Demands for the Rhine—Luxemburg—An Interlude - of Peace—The Salzburg Interview—The Emperor seeks Allies—The - Hohenzollern Candidature—The French Government - and the Chamber</p> - - <p class="contchap"><a href="#CHAPTER_II"> - C<span class="smaller">HAPTER</span> II.</a></p> - -<p class="contname">THE GATHERING OF THE HOSTS.</p> - -<p> - German Mobilization—French Mobilization—War Methods - Contrasted -</p> - -<p class="contchap"><a href="#CHAPTER_III"> - C<span class="smaller">HAPTER</span> III.</a></p> - -<p class="contname">STAGE THUNDER.</p> - -<p> -The Combat at Saarbrück—Preparing to go Forward—Positions -on August 4—The Moral and Political Forces -</p> - -<p class="contchap"><a href="#CHAPTER_IV"> - C<span class="smaller">HAPTER</span> IV.</a></p> - -<p class="contname">INVASION IN EARNEST.</p> - -<p> -The Combat on the Lauter—French Position on the Saar—German -Position on the Saar -</p> - -<p class="contchap"><a href="#CHAPTER_V"> - C<span class="smaller">HAPTER</span> V.</a></p> - -<p class="contname">TWO STAGGERING BLOWS.</p> - -<p> -1. Woerth—The Battle Begins—Attack on Woerth—Attack -on the French Right—Attack on Elsasshausen—MacMahon -Orders a Retreat—The Close of the Battle. -2. Spicheren—The Battle-field—The Germans Begin the -Fight—The Red Hill Stormed—Progress of the -Action—Frossard Retires -</p> - -<p class="contchap"><a href="#CHAPTER_VI"> - C<span class="smaller">HAPTER</span> VI.</a></p> - -<p class="contname">VACILLATION IN METZ.</p> - -<p> -The Emperor Resigns his Command—The German Advance—The -German Cavalry at Work—The Germans March on -the Moselle -</p> - -<p class="contchap"><a href="#CHAPTER_VII"> - C<span class="smaller">HAPTER</span> VII.</a></p> - -<p class="contname">VON MOLTKE KEEPS THE WHIP HAND.</p> - -<p> -The French Propose to Move—The Battle of -Colombey-Nouilly—Von Golz Dashes In—The End of the -Battle—The French Retreat—The Germans Cross the Moselle—The -Cavalry Beyond the Moselle—Orders for the Flank March—The -Emperor Quits the Army -</p> - -<p class="contchap"><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII"> - C<span class="smaller">HAPTER</span> VIII.</a></p> - -<p class="contname">THE FRENCH RETREAT THWARTED.</p> - -<p> -Vionville-Mars la Tour—The Vionville Battlefield—The -French are Surprised—The Third Corps Strikes In—Arrival -of Bazaine—Bredow’s Brilliant Charge—The Fight becomes -Stationary—Arrival of the Tenth Corps—The Great Cavalry -Combat—End of the Battle -</p> - -<p class="contchap"><a href="#CHAPTER_IX"> - C<span class="smaller">HAPTER</span> IX.</a></p> - -<p class="contname">PRESSED BACK ON METZ.</p> - -<p> -Marshal Bazaine—The Battlefield of Gravelotte—The -German Plans—The Battle of Gravelotte—Prince Frederick -Charles at the Front—Steinmetz Attacks the French -Left—Operations by the German Left Wing—General Frossard -Repels a Fresh Attack—The Last Fights near St. Hubert—The -Prussian Guard on the Centre and Left—The Capture -of St. Privat -</p> - -<p class="contchap"><a href="#CHAPTER_X"> - C<span class="smaller">HAPTER</span> X.</a></p> - -<p class="contname">THE STATE OF THE GAME, AND THE NEW MOVES.</p> - -<p> -The King Marches Westward—The Cavalry Operations—The -Emperor at Chalons and Reims—MacMahon retires to -Reims—The Chalons Army Directed on the Meuse -</p> - -<p class="contchap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XI"> - C<span class="smaller">HAPTER</span> XI</a>.</p> - -<p class="contname">THE GRAND RIGHT WHEEL.</p> - -<p> -The Cavalry Discover the Enemy—Movements of the French—The -Marshal Resolves, Hesitates, and Yields—Movements of the -Germans—Effects of MacMahon’s Counter-orders—German and -French Operations on the 29th—The Combat at Nouart—The -State of Affairs at Sundown—The Battle of Beaumont—The -Surprise of the Fifth Corps—The Flight to Mouzon -</p> - -<p class="contchap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XII"> - C<span class="smaller">HAPTER</span> XII.</a></p> - -<p class="contname">METZ AND STRASBURG.</p> - -<p> -The Battle of Noisseville -</p> - -<p class="contchap"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIII"> - C<span class="smaller">HAPTER</span> XIII.</a></p> - -<p class="contname">SEDAN.</p> - -<p> -German Decision—Confusion in the French Camp—The Movements -of the Germans—The Battlefield of Sedan—The Battle of -Sedan—MacMahon’s Wound and its Consequences—Progress -of the Battle on the Givonne—The March on St. -Menges—The Eleventh and Fifth Corps Engage—The Condition -of the French Army—The French Cavalry Charge—General -de Wimpffen’s Counter stroke—The Emperor and -his Generals—King William and his Warriors—How the -Generals Rated Each Other—The Generals Meet at -Donchery—Napoleon III. Surrenders—The French Generals -Submit—The End -</p> - -<p class="center" ><a href="#APPENDICES">APPENDICES.</a></p> - -<p> -<a href="#boga">I.</a> The German Field Armies—<a href="#obfa">II.</a> -The French Army—<a href="#protocol">III.</a> -The Protocol of Capitulation—<a href="#bibly">IV.</a> A List of the Principal -Works Consulted for the Campaign of Sedan -</p> - -<p class="center"> - <a href="#index">I<span class="smaller">NDEX</span></a> -</p> - -</div> - -<div class="plans1"> - -<p class="center"> -M<span class="smaller">AP AND</span> P<span class="smaller">LANS.</span> -</p> - -<ol class="plans"> -<li class="lspace"> -<a href="#theatre">G<span class="smaller">ENERAL</span> - M<span class="smaller">AP</span>.</a> -</li> -<li class="lspace"> -<a href="#woerth">B<span class="smaller">ATTLE OF</span> - W<span class="smaller">OERTH</span>.</a> -</li> -<li class="lspace"> -<a href="#spicheren">B<span class="smaller">ATTLE OF</span> - S<span class="smaller">PICHEREN</span>.</a> -</li> -<li class="lspace"> -<a href="#colombey">B<span class="smaller">ATTLE OF</span> - C<span class="smaller">OLOMBEY</span>-N<span class="smaller">OUILLY</span></a>. -</li> -<li class="lspace"> -<a href="#vionville">B<span class="smaller">ATTLE OF</span> - V<span class="smaller">IONVILLE</span>-M<span class="smaller">ARS LA</span> - T<span class="smaller">OUR</span>.</a> -</li> -<li class="lspace"> -<a href="#gravelotte">B<span class="smaller">ATTLE OF</span> - G<span class="smaller">RAVELOTTE</span>.</a> -</li> -<li class="lspace"> -<a href="#sedan">B<span class="smaller">ATTLE OF</span> - S<span class="smaller">EDAN</span>.</a> -</li> -<li class="lspace"> -<a href="#theatre">G<span class="smaller">ENERAL</span> - M<span class="smaller">AP</span>.</a> -</li> -</ol> -</div> - -<hr class="matter" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[p 1]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p id="THE_CAMPAIGN_OF_SEDAN" class="title2 pagenba"> - THE CAMPAIGN OF SEDAN.</p> -</div> -<p class="center pagenba skip1 skip3" id="INTRODUCTION">INTRODUCTION.</p> - -<p>In July, 1870, fifty-five years after the Allied Armies, -who had marched from the decisive field of Waterloo, -entered Paris, a young diplomatist, Baron Wimpfen, -started from the French capital, for Berlin. He was -the bearer of a Declaration of War, from the Emperor -Napoleon III., to William I., King of Prussia; and the -fatal message was delivered to the French Chargé d’Affaires, -M. le Sourd, and by him to the Prussian Government on -the 19th of July. Thus, once again, a Napoleon, at the -head of a French Empire, was destined to try his strength -against the principal German Power beyond the Rhine.</p> - -<p>Yet, under what different conditions! The Emperor -was not now the Napoleon who surrounded the Austrians -at Ulm, broke down the combined forces of Austria and -Russia at Austerlitz, and extorted a peace which set him -free to overthrow, at Jena and Auerstadt, the fine army -left by Frederick the Great, and allowed to crystallize by -his weak successors. Nor did the late Emperor find in his -front a divided Germany, and the mere survival of a great -military organization. He found a united people, and an -army surpassing in completeness, as it did in armaments—the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[p 2]</a></span> -victors of Prague, Rosbach, and Leuthen. The -Germany known to the Congress of Vienna had disappeared—the -deformed had been transformed. The little seed of -unity, sown early in the century, had grown into a forest -tree. The spirit of Arndt had run through the whole -Teutonic nation, which, after the turmoil of 1848 had -subsided, and the heavy hand of Russia had been taken off -by the Crimean War, found a leader in the strongly-organized -kingdom of Prussia. When the weak and -hesitating will of Frederick William IV. ceased, first, by -the operation of a painful disease, and then by extinction, -to disturb the course of his country’s fortune, Prussia, in -a few years, became practically a new Power. King -William I., who crowned himself with his own hands at -Königsberg, began his task, as a ruler, in a grave and -earnest spirit, holding that kingship was not only a -business, but a trust, and taking as his watchwords, Work -and Duty. No monarch in any age, no private man, ever -laboured more assiduously and conscientiously at his -<i>métier</i>, to use the word of Joseph II., than the King of -Prussia. He became Regent in 1858, when Napoleon III. -was engaged in preparing for his Italian campaign against -the House of Austria. French policy, with varying watchwords, -had run that road for centuries; and, during the -summer of 1859, it was the good fortune of the Emperor -to win a series of victories which brought his army to the -Mincio, and before the once famous Quadrilateral. The -German Bund had taken no part in the fray, but the rapid -successes of the French aroused some apprehensions in -Berlin, and there went forth an order to mobilize a part of -the army, which means to put each corps on a war-footing, -and to assemble a force in Rhenish Prussia. Whatever -share that demonstration may have had in producing the -sudden arrangement between the rival Emperors, who -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[p 3]</a></span> -made peace over their cigarettes and coffee at Villafranca, -the experiment tried by the Berlin War Office had one -important result—it brought to light serious defects in the -system then practised, and revealed the relative weakness -of the Prussian army. From that moment, the Regent, -who soon became King by the death of his brother, began -the work of reforming the military system. For this step, -at least from a Prussian standpoint, there was good reason; -since the kingdom, although it was based on a strong and -compact nucleus, was, as a whole, made up of scattered -fragments lying between great military Powers, and -therefore could not hope to subsist without a formidable -army. The relative weakness of Prussia had, indeed, been -burnt into the souls of Prussian statesmen; and King -William, on his accession, determined that as far as in him -lay, that grave defect should be cured. A keen observer, -a good judge of character and capacity, his experience of -men and things, which was large, enabled him at once to -select fit instruments. He picked out three persons, two -soldiers and a statesman, and severe ordeals in after years -justified his choice. He appointed General von Roon, -Minister of War, and no man in modern times has shown -greater qualities in the organization of an army. He -placed General von Moltke at the head of the General -Staff, which that able man soon converted into the best -equipped and the most effective body of its kind known to -history. It rapidly became, what it now is, the brain of -the army, alike in quarters and in the field. Finally, after -some meditation, he called Herr Otto von Bismarck from -the diplomatic service, which had revealed his rare and -peculiar qualities, and made this Pomeranian squire his -chief political adviser, and the manager of his delicate and -weighty State affairs.</p> - -<p>Thenceforth, the long-gathering strength of Prussia, the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[p 4]</a></span> -foundations of which were bedded deep in the history of its -people, began to assume a form and a direction which great -events revealed to astonished and incredulous Europe. -The experiment undertaken by the King and his chief -councillors was rendered less difficult by that effect of the -Crimean War which so materially lessened the influence of -Russia in Germany. The intimate and friendly relations -subsisting between the two Courts remained unbroken, and -to its preservation in fair weather and foul, Prussia owed, -to a large extent, the favourable conditions surrounding -the application and development of her policy. It seemed -as necessary to Prussian, as it now does to German interests, -that the Russian Government should be, at least, benevolently -neutral; and probably the art of keeping it so was -profoundly studied by Herr von Bismarck when he filled -the post of Ambassador to the Court of St. Petersburg. -The large military reforms designed by the King and his -advisers aroused an uncompromising opposition in the -native Parliament, which was only overcome by the firmness -with which King William supported his outspoken and -audacious Minister. The victory was secured by methods -which were called, and were, unconstitutional. The control -of the Chamber over the Budget was placed in abeyance, -by a clever interpretation of the fundamental law. It was -held that if the Deputies could not agree with the -Government respecting the estimates of the current year, -the law which they had sanctioned in the preceding year -still remained valid. Thus the taxes were collected, -appropriated and expended, just the same as if the Chamber -had not virtually “stopped the supplies” in order to defeat -the measures which were intended to give the army stability, -numbers, efficiency and cohesion. The whole transaction -ran counter to English maxims and customs; but it should -be remembered that Parliamentary Government, and -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[p 5]</a></span> -especially government by party, were never, and are not -even now established in Berlin. The net result of the -contest was the renovation and the strengthening of the -National Army to an extent which, while it did not exceed, -perhaps, the expectations of those who laboriously wrought -it out, left some Powers of Europe ignorant, and others incredulous -respecting its value.</p> - -<p>Not that the military institutions of Prussia, dating -back from the “new model,” devised during the stress of -the Napoleonic Wars, had been fundamentally altered. -Nothing was done except to increase the numbers, close -up and oil the machinery, render its working prompt -and easy by prudent decentralization, give it a powerful -brain in the General Staff, and impart to the whole system -a living energy. The art of war, if the phrase may be -allowed, was, in accordance with venerable traditions -rooted in the Hohenzollern House, taken up as a serious -business; and that deep sense of its importance which -prevailed at the fountain head, was made to permeate the -entire frame. That is the real distinguishing characteristic -of the Prussian, now the German army, as contrasted with -the spirit in which similar labours were undertaken by -some other Powers. The task was a heavy one, but the -three men who set about it were equal to the task. King -William, with a large intelligence, a severe yet kindly -temper, and a thorough knowledge of his work, threw -himself heart and soul into the business, and brought to -bear upon its conduct that essential condition of success, -the “master’s eye.” General von Roon framed or sanctioned -the administrative measures which were needed to create -an almost self-acting and cohesive organism, which could -be set in motion by a telegram, as an engineer starts a -complicated piece of machinery by touching a lever. Von -Moltke, as chief of the General Staff, supplied the directing -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[p 6]</a></span> -intellect, and established a complete apparatus for the -collection and classification of knowledge, bearing upon -military affairs, which might be applied wherever needed. -These men, working with “unhasting, unresting” diligence, -founded a school of war, not based on “the law of the -Medes and Persians which altereth not,” but upon the -vital principle that a good army should possess in itself -such a power of adaptation, as will make it always abreast -with the latest genuine discoveries in tactics, arms, material -appliances, and discipline. Also the army was treated as -a great school in which officers and men alike were -teaching and learning from dawn to sunset, throughout -the allotted period of service. The principal trio had other -and able helpers, but they were the main springs moving -and guiding the marvellous product of constant labour -applied by rare capacity.</p> - -<p>The ultimate, although not the immediate, effect of the -French successes at Magenta and Solferino, was the creation -of an Italian kingdom, which included within its boundaries, -Naples, Sicily, the States of the Church, except Rome, and -of course the Duchies on the right bank of the Po. The -price of compliance, exacted by the Emperor Napoleon, -whose plans had been thwarted, was the cession to him of -Nice and Savoy. Venice and the territory beyond the -Mincio remained Austrian for several years. While the -map of Italy was in course of reconstruction, the political -conflict in Berlin raged on with unintermitted violence. -Simultaneously the Austrian Emperor was induced to -assert his claims to predominance in Germany, but the -plans laid, in 1863, were blighted by the prompt refusal of -William I. to take any share in them. It was the first -symptom of reviving hostility between the two Powers, -although a little later, on the death of the King of -Denmark, they were found, side by side in arms, to assert -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[p 7]</a></span> -the claims of the German Bund upon Holstein, Schleswig -and Lauenburg, and avert the occupation of those countries -by the troops of Saxony and other minor States alone. The -campaign which ensued brought the new model of the” -Prussian army to the test of actual experiment. But the -brave adversaries they had to encounter, if stout in heart, -were weak in numbers; and Europe did not set much store -by the victories then achieved by Prussia. The public and -the Governments were intently occupied with the Secession -War in the United States of America, and the astounding -expedition to Mexico, which was designed to place an -Austrian Archduke on “the throne of the Montezumas,” -under illustrious French patronage. Thus the quality of -the troops, the great influence of the famous “needle-gun,” -the character of the staff, and the excellent administrative -services escaped the notice of all, save the observant -few. The political aspects of the dispute were keenly -discussed. Lord Palmerston and Lord Russell were, at -one moment, disposed to fight for the Treaty of 1851; but -the Danish King committed grave blunders; Russia stood -aloof, the Emperor Napoleon III. distinctly refused to -enter the lists, and the House of Commons was decidedly -averse to war. Here it should be noted that the French -Emperor, meditating on the value to him of the rival Powers -in Germany, had determined to stand well with both. He -hoped to please Austria by making the brother of Francis -Joseph Emperor of Mexico, and to keep open the possibilities -of an alliance with Prussia, by throwing no obstacles in -her way on the Eider.</p> - -<p>Then began the great strife between the two Governments -which had wrested the Elbe Duchies from the Dane. When -the short war ended, certain divisions from each army were -posted in the conquered country, and the rivalry which -animated the two Courts was carried on by diplomats and -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[p 8]</a></span> -statesmen. Prussian policy, since the days of Frederick II., -had leaned always towards, if not an alliance with Russia, -yet the maintenance of a solid understanding with that -growing Power. Herr von Bismarck, who was a deep -student in the history of his own country, and who had -always nourished large ideas, kept steadily on the well-trodden -path, but imparted to his methods a boldness, an -inventiveness, and an energy most unusual in Prussian -statescraft. The Polish insurrection of 1864 gave him an -opportunity which he did not neglect, and while the poor -patriots were assisted from the side of Galicia, on the Posen -frontier they were ruthlessly repressed, the Russian and -Prussian troops making common cause, and crossing the -frontier whenever that step seemed needful. The ill-fated -Poles, of course, were defeated; Prussia had recorded a -fresh claim upon the benevolent neutrality of Russia, -while Austrian “ingratitude,” never forgiven in St. -Petersburg, took a deeper tinge in the eyes of the Czar. -The Prussian Government had not long to wait for their -reward. During the summer of 1865, the abiding quarrel -between Vienna and Berlin, respecting the future status of -the conquered or restored Duchies, nearly came to an open -rupture. Neither side, however, was ready for a blow, and -the “Convention of Gastein,” which Bismarck, in a letter -to his wife, defined as a mode of “pasting together the -cracks in the building,” was devised to gain time. The -Prussian army, still incomplete from the royal and the -military point of view, had been augmented after the -Danish war, and the new levies of horse and artillery had -not acquired the requisite instruction. So the summer -and autumn of 1865 wore away, revealing the spectacle of -King William and Herr von Bismarck battling fiercely -with the Parliament, and not so clearly displaying Von -Moltke and Von Roon labouring hourly to bring the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[p 9]</a></span> -machine intrusted to their charge up to the highest -attainable efficiency. There were other reasons for delay. -As it was more than probable that the South Germans, and -possible that the King of Hanover would not rank themselves -with Prussia, but go with Austria and the Bund, an -ally was wanted who would divide the forces of the largest -Power. That ally was found in the newly united kingdom -of Italy.</p> - -<p>But before the Italian envoy astonished the diplomatic -world by his apparition at Berlin, in March, the controversy -between Austria and Prussia had gone on rapidly, step by -step, nearer towards a rupture. Count Mensdorff, on behalf -of the Emperor Francis Joseph, set up a claim to full -liberty of action in the Duchy of Holstein, and began -openly to favour the pretentions of the Duke Frederick of -Augustenburg to the Ducal Chair. That position was -vigorously contested by Herr von Bismarck, who put an -opposite construction on the Treaty, which created what -was called the “condominium.” The consequence was a -frequent and animated exchange of despatches, containing -such “arguments” as seemed proper to the occasion. Into -the merits of this dispute it is needless to enter now, since -the whole drift of the verbal struggle shows that while -Prussia was intent on providing a solid ground on which -to fight out a long-standing quarrel—“inevitable,” said -Von Moltke, “sooner or later,”—Austria was by no means -inclined to shrink from a test directly applied to her position -in Germany. Whatever line she had taken her rival -would have discovered, or tried to discover, an opposing -course; but, it so happened, that, whether by chance or -miscalculation, Count Mensdorff, the Austrian Foreign -Minister, managed his case so as to give advantages to his -abler antagonist. In the last days of February a great -council was held in Berlin. Not only the King and his -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[p 10]</a></span> -chief Minister, but General von Moltke and General von -Manteuffel, from Schleswig, took part in its deliberations. -It was the turning point in the grave debate, so far as -Prussian action was concerned; for the decision then -adopted unanimously, was, that Prussia could not honourably -recede, but must go forward, even at the risk of war. -No order was given to prepare for that result, because the -organization of the army was complete, and moreover, -because “the King was very adverse to an offensive war.” -Nevertheless, from that moment such an issue of the dispute -became certain to occur at an early day. Yet neither -party wished to fight over the Duchies; each felt that the -cause was too paltry. The Austrians, therefore, extended -the field, by appealing to the Bund, a move which gave -Herr von Bismarck the advantage he so eagerly sought. -He answered it by resolving to push, in his own sense, the -cause of federal reform. Learning this determination early -in March, M. Benedetti observed to Herr von Bismarck -that it would insure peace. “Yes,” answered the Minister -President,—“for three months,” a very accurate forecast -by a prophet who could fulfil his own prediction, and who -desired to fight the adversary promptly, lest a reconciliation -should be effected between Vienna and Pesth, and Hungary, -from a source of weakness, should thus become a tower of -strength.</p> - -<p>A few days later, March 14th, General Govone, from -Florence, arrived in Berlin. His advent had been preceded -by attempts, on the part of Bismarck, to discover how the -French would look on a Prusso-Italian alliance. The -subject was delicate, and even after the General’s arrival, it -was officially stated that he had come, exclusively, to study -the progress in small arms and artillery! The pretence -was soon abandoned, and the negotiations were avowed; -but the conclusion of a treaty was delayed for some days, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[p 11]</a></span> -because no specific date could be fixed on for the outbreak -of war, Prussia having determined, at least to make it -appear, that she was not the aggressor. At length a form -of words was devised, which satisfied both Powers, stipulating -that Italy was to share in the war, providing it began -within “three months,” and the Convention was signed on -the 8th of April. Not, however, before it had been well -ascertained that France had really helped on the Prussian -alliance and desired to see war ensue, although, avowedly, -she did not interfere, giving out that she stood neuter, and -that the understanding which might be ultimately come to -between France and Prussia would be determined by the -march of events, the extension of the war, and the questions -to which it might give rise. This language foreshadowed -the policy which the Emperor, if not M. Drouyn de Lhuys desired -to follow; and as Russia, recently obliged in the Polish -troubles, was friendly, if not allied, Herr von Bismarck -was convinced that no foreign power would array itself on -the side of Austria, unless the campaign were prolonged.</p> - -<p>Henceforth, the aim of each disputant was to secure -a vantage-ground in Germany. Austria had partially collected -troops in Bohemia and Moravia, and had secretly -stipulated with several States to call out four Federal -corps d’armée; while Prussia, who could wait, being always -ready, had only carried her preparations forward to a -certain extent. M. von Beust, the Saxon Minister, then -intervened with a proposal that the Diet should name -arbiters, whose decision should be final; a suggestion instantly -rejected by the principals in the quarrel. The -Emperor Napoleon III., towards the end of May, when -Prussian mobilization had practicably been completed in -eight corps, produced his specific—the characteristic proposal -that a Conference should be held in Paris to study -the means of maintaining the peace. Prussia accepted the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[p 12]</a></span> -offer, but Austria put an end to the hopes of Napoleon, by -stipulating that no arrangement should be discussed which -would augment the territory or power of any party of the -Conference, and in addition that the Pope should be invited -to share in any deliberations on “the Italian Question.” -These pretensions, by excluding, what everyone wanted, the -cession of Venetia to Italy, decided the fate of the Conference. -“They desire war at Vienna,” said Von Bismarck -to Count Benedetti. “These conditions have been conjured -up solely for the purpose of giving the States in South -Germany time to complete their military preparations.” -And when the news came officially from Paris that the -Austrian answer had killed the project, the Minister President -shouted in the French Ambassador’s presence “Vive -le Roi!” The solution was war. The Prussian army, for -once, had been mobilized by slow degrees. More than a -month elapsed between the first precautionary and the -final steps, but by the 12th of May the entire active army -had been summoned to arms. The Conference project was -a last attempt, made, indeed, after all hope of arresting the -conflict had vanished, alike in Vienna and Berlin; and it -was followed by events in Holstein, which put an end to -the period of suspense, and formed a prelude to the war. -Practically, but without actual fighting, General von Manteuffel -compelled the Austrian brigade, under Field-Marshal -von Glablenz, to retreat swiftly over the Elbe. The pretext -for this strong measure was the fact that Austria, by -her sole will, had summoned the Estates to meet at Itzehöe, -and had thus infringed the rights of King William! Thereupon -Austria requested the Diet at Frankfort to call -out all the Federal Corps; and her demand was complied -with, on the 14th of June, by a majority of nine to six. -The Prussian delegate protested, and withdrew, leaving -Austria, Bavaria, Saxony, Wurtemburg, the two Hesses, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[p 13]</a></span> -and several minor States, in open combination against -Prussia. But the same stroke which isolated the latter, -also destroyed the German Bund, invented by the kings -and statesmen of 1815, to preserve internal tranquillity, -and safeguard the Fatherland against France. The arrangement -implied the co-operation of two Powers; one purely -German, yet subordinate; the other parcel German, and -mainly consisting of divers peoples outside Germany; and -it fell to pieces at a blow, because the time had arrived -when one of the two must attain supremacy. Side by side -with the secular dynastic conflict arose in the nation that -longing for unity which could only be accomplished by a -thoroughly German Power.</p> - -<p>That Power was Prussia, trained for the task by the -steadfast labours of two hundred years. The army she -had formed did its work swiftly. Pouring through Saxony -and over the Silesian Mountains, the King and his son, -July 3rd, crushed the Austrians, on the memorable field of -Sadowa, near Königgrätz. The Hanoverian troops, after -winning the fight at Langensalza, had been obliged to surrender, -and in South Germany the army employed to -overcome the Confederates was equally victorious. On the -22nd of July, so swiftly had the main body moved, the -Prussians were in front of Vienna and Presburg on the -Danube. Four days afterwards, the Emperor Napoleon -having struck in with an offer of mediation, which was -accepted, the preliminaries of a peace were signed at -Nikolsburg, on the 26th of July, and the final treaty was -settled and ratified at Prague, on the 23rd of August, long -after King William and his formidable Minister were once -more in Berlin. By this instrument, Austria was excluded -from Germany; a Northern Confederation, reaching to the -Main, was founded; Hanover, the Elbe Duchies, Hesse-Cassel, -and other territories, were annexed to Prussia; and -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[p 14]</a></span> -a formal statement was inserted, declaring that Napoleon -III., to whom Austria had ceded Venetia, had acquired it -in order to hand over the city and Terra Firma, as far as the -Isonzo, to Victor Emmanuel, when the peace should be re-established. -Prussia thus became the acknowledged head -of Germany, at least as far as the Main; and the national -longing for complete unity was about to be gratified in a -much shorter time than seemed probable in 1866.</p> - -<p>Naturally, the astonishing successes won by Prussian -arms against the Federal Corps, as well as the Austrians, -compelled the South German States to sue for peace, and -accept public treaties, which, while leaving them independent, -brought them all, more or less, within the limits of a -common German federation. But something more important -was accomplished at Nikolsburg. Herr von der Pfordten, -the Bavarian Prime Minister, repaired thither towards the -end of July, and Bismarck was in possession of information, -including a certain French document, which enabled him -to state the German case in a manner so convincing and -terrifying, that the Bavarian agreed to sign a secret treaty, -bringing the army within the Prussian system, and stipulating -that, in case of war, it should pass at once under the -command of King William. That which Von der Pfordten -conceded the Ministers of Wurtemburg and Hesse Darmstadt -could not refuse, and thus provision was made, on -the morrow of Sadowa, for that concentration of armed -Germany which overwhelmed France in 1870–71. So that, -although nothing formally constituting a United Germany -had been done, Prussia, by securing the control of all her -forces, and knowing that a strong and deeply-rooted public -sentiment would support her, was satisfied that, providing -time could be gained in which to arm, instruct and -discipline upon the Prussian model the South Germans and -the troops raised from the annexed provinces, she would be -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[p 15]</a></span> -more than a match for France. South Germany, indeed, -had long known her relative helplessness against the French. -Perhaps it would be more correct to say that the real peril -was more perceptible to the soldiers and statesmen than to -the people, many of whom were strongly imbued with -democratic ideas of the French type. Yet, although they -hungered for what they understood as liberty and independence, -they were still German, and did not fail to see that -their cherished desires could not be gratified either under -French patronage or French prefects. The soldiers and -statesmen had early perceived the full secret of South -German dependence. The Archduke Charles, who had -great knowledge and harsh experience to guide him, pointed -out that the French posts on the Rhine had placed the -country south of the Main at the mercy of France. “As -long as the Rhine frontier from Huningen to Lauterbourg -remains in her hands,” wrote a Prussian staff-officer at a -later period, “Germany is open on the Rhine frontier to an -invasion directed upon the Southern States.” No stronger -testimony to the sense, if not to the reality of insecurity -could be adduced, than the remarkable fact that, even so -far back as the Crimean War, the then King of Wurtemberg, -in conversation with Herr von Bismarck, set forth, -significantly, the feelings, the hopes and the dread of -South Germany. “Give us Strassburg,” he said, “and -we will unite to encounter any eventuality … for until -that city shall become German, it will always stand in the -way of Southern Germany, devoting herself unreservedly -to German unity and to a German national policy.” Hence -it will be seen that, beyond the Main, there were traditional, -yet very real fears of French invasion; and that these -apprehensions had no small share in facilitating the acceptance -of the secret military treaties, and in shaping the -course of subsequent events.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[p 16]</a></span></p> - -<p>Thus much it seems needful to state, in order that some -portion of the earlier transactions which had a great influence -in bringing on the war of 1870, may be recalled to -the reader’s mind. The short, sharp and decisive duel -fought between Austria and Prussia for leadership in -Germany, created a profound impression throughout Europe. -Austria was irritated as well as humbled; Russia, although -the Czar remained more than friendly, was not without -apprehensions; but the French ruler and his ministers were -astounded, indignant and bewildered. The telegram, which -reported the Battle of Sadowa, wrenched a “cry of agony” -from the Court of the Tuileries, whose policy had been -based on the conjecture or belief that Prussia would be defeated, -and would call for help. The calculation was, that -Napoleon III. would step in as arbiter, and that while he -moderated the demands of Austria, he would be able to -extort territorial concessions from Prussia as the reward of -his patronage. M. Drouyn de Lhuys would have had his -master strike in, at once, and cross the Rhine, or occupy -the Palatinate; but the Emperor was not then in the mood -for heroic enterprises; he feared that his army was not -“ready,” and, besides, he still thought that by arrangement -he could obtain some sort of “compensation” from Prussia, -at the expense of Germany. But all he did was to pose as -mediator at Nikolsburg; and Herr von Bismarck, who had -done his utmost to keep him in a dubious frame of mind, -regarded it as “fortunate” that he did not boldly thrust -himself into the quarrel. The “golden opportunity” slid -by; M. Drouyn de Lhuys resigned; and Imperial France -acquiesced, publicly, in the political and territorial arrangements -which, for the first time, during the lapse of centuries, -laid broad and deep the foundations of German Unity, -and, as a consequence, rendered inevitable a France-German -War.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[p 17]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="pagenba" id="CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I.</h2> -</div> - -<p class="h2sub">THE CAUSES OF THE WAR.</p> - -<p>The Treaty of Prague, the secret military conventions -signed at Nikolsburg, the ascendancy secured by Von -Bismarck, now elevated to the dignity of a Count, together -with the complete removal of alien Powers from Italy, -wrought a radical change in the political relations of the -European States. Excluded from Germany, although including -powerful German elements, the dominions of -Austria still extended to the verge of Venetia and the -Lombard plains; but as the Prussian statesman had already -hinted, her future lay Eastward, and her centre of gravity -had been removed to Buda-Pesth. In the South German -Courts, no doubt, there was a bias towards Vienna, and a -dislike of Prussia; yet both the leaning and the repugnance -were counterbalanced by a deeper dread of France rooted -in the people by the vivid memories of repeated and cruel -invasions. Russia, somewhat alarmed by the rapid success -of King William, had been soothed by diplomatic reassurances, -the tenour of which is not positively known, -although a series of subsequent events more than justified -the inference made at that time, that promises, bearing on -the Czar’s Eastern designs, were tendered and accepted as -a valuable consideration for the coveted boon of benevolent -neutrality, if not something more substantial. Like Russia, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[p 18]</a></span> -France had lost nothing by the campaign of 1866; her -territories were intact; her ruler had mediated between -Austria and Prussia; and he had the honour of protecting -the Pope, who, as a spiritual and temporal Prince, was -still in possession of Rome and restricted territorial domains. -But the Napoleonic Court, and many who looked -upon its head as a usurper, experienced, on the morrow -of Sadowa, and in a greater degree after the preface to a -peace had been signed at Nikolsburg, a sensation of diminished -magnitude, a consciousness of lessened prestige, -and a painful impression that their political, perhaps even -their military place in Europe, as the heirs of Richelieu, -Louis XIV., and Napoleon, had been suddenly occupied by -a Power which they had taught themselves to contemn as -an inferior. Until the summer of 1866 the Emperor -Napoleon fancied that he was strong enough to play with -the Prussian Minister a game of diplomatic finesse; indeed, -he seems to have thought that the Pomeranian gentleman -would be an easy prey; but having thus put it to -the proof, he did not concur in the maxim that it is as -pleasant to be cheated as to cheat, especially when the result -is chiefly due to complaisant self-deception. On the -other hand, Herr von Bismarck had no longer any delusions -concerning Louis Napoleon. If, at an early period, when the -English Radicals were considering whether the new Emperor -was “stupid,” a proposition they had taken for granted -theretofore, he had over-estimated the capacity of the self-styled -“parvenu,” later experience had reduced the estimate -to just proportions, and had produced a correct judgment -upon the character of one who, down to the last, was always -taken for more than he was worth. If any one knew him -well, it was probably his cousin, the Duc de Morny, and -M. St. Marc Girardin has preserved a sentence which is an -illuminative commentary upon so many curious -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[p 19]</a></span> -transactions during the Second Empire. “The greatest difficulty -with the Emperor,” said De Morny, “is to remove from his -mind a fixed idea, and to give him a steadfast will.” His -fixed ideas were not always compatible one with another. -He professed great devotion to the “principle of nationalities;” -yet he desired to carry the French frontiers as far -as the Rhine, adding further German populations and -Flemish towns whose inhabitants are not French to those -acquired by Louis XIV. He wished for peace, no doubt, -when he said that the Empire was synonymous with that -word, but he also hungered for the fruits of war; and, -knowing that his internal position and his external projects -required, to uphold the one and realize the other, a strong -and complete army, he had neither the wit to construct a -trustworthy instrument, nor the ceaseless industry needed -to make the most of an inferior product, nor that absolute -independence of the party whose audacity gave him his -crown, which would have enabled him to select, in all cases, -the best officers for the higher and highest commands. -Before, and during the war of 1866, he wavered between -two lines of policy, hoping to combine the advantages of -both; and when it was over he demanded compensation for -his “services” as an alarmed spectator, although he had -made no bargain for payment, but had stood inactive because -he conjectured that it would be the more profitable -course.</p> - - -<h3>French demands for the Rhine.</h3> - -<p>In making that calculation he erred profoundly. M. -Benedetti, the French Ambassador to the Court of Berlin, -was instructed as early as the first week in August, 1866, -to claim the left bank of the Rhine as far as, and including -the important fortress of Mainz. “Knowing the temper -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[p 20]</a></span> -of the Minister-President,” and knowing also, as he had -repeatedly told his Government, that all Germany would -resist any proposal to cede the least portion of territory, he -first sent in a copy of M. Drouyn de Lhuys’ despatch, and -afterwards called on the Minister. Prince von Bismarck, -in 1871, published in the official newspapers his account of -the famous interview, which shows that Benedetti, as he -had pledged himself to do, resolutely pressed the large demand. -He was told that it meant war, and that he had -“better go to Paris to prevent a rupture.” Unmoved, he -replied that he would return home, “but only to maintain -a proposition the abandonment of which would imperil the -dynasty.” “The parting words” of the Prussian statesman -to Count Benedetti, as nearly as they could be remembered -by the man who spoke them, were calculated to suggest -grave reflections. “Please to call His Majesty’s attention -to this,” said Herr von Bismarck. “Should a war arise -out of this complication, it might be a war attended by a -revolutionary crisis. In such a case the German dynasties -are likely to prove more solid than that of the Emperor -Napoleon.” It was a menace and a prophetic warning, -which touched a sensitive fibre in the heart of the French -ruler, who, after a conversation with Count Benedetti, -wrote, on the 12th of August, a remarkable letter to M. de -Lavalette, who became the <i>ad interim</i> successor of M. -Drouyn de Lhuys. Expressing his fears lest “the journals” -should taunt him with the refusal of his demand for the -Rhine provinces, he directed that the report should be contradicted, -flatly; and he added, “the true interest of France -is not to obtain an insignificant increase of territory, but to -aid Germany in constituting herself after a fashion which -will be most favourable to our interests and those of -Europe.” Neither Dodona nor Delphos could have been -more oracular. Alarmed as he was, he did not altogether -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[p 21]</a></span> -recede from his position, but occupied it in a different way. -On the 16th of August a fresh set of proposals was forwarded -to Count Benedetti, comprising a regular scale of concessions—the -frontiers of 1814 and the annexation of -Belgium, or Luxemburg and Belgium, or the Duchy with -Belgium, without Antwerp, which was to be “declared a -free city.” The last-named device was designed “to -obviate the intervention of England” when the projected -act of violence was committed. “The <i>minimum</i> we require,” -wrote the French Government to M. Benedetti, “is an -ostensible treaty which gives us Luxemburg, and a secret -treaty which, stipulating for an offensive and defensive -alliance, leaves us the chance of annexing Belgium at the -right moment, Prussia engaging to assist us, by force of -arms, if necessary, in carrying out this purpose.” If Herr -von Bismarck asked what he should gain by such a treaty, -the answer was to be that he would secure a powerful ally, -and that “he was only desired to consent to the cession of -what does not belong to him.” The official papers on which -these statements are founded were discovered and acquired -by the Germans in Cerçay, M. Rouher’s château, during -the war of 1870; neither their authenticity nor the construction -put on them have ever been contested; and they -show, plainly, what was the kind of projects nourished by -the French Court in 1866–67. The precise manner in which -Count von Bismarck actually dealt with them has not been -revealed, but he kept a rough copy of the project drawn up -by Benedetti, which was handed to him by the French -Ambassador in 1867, and the boxes of papers found at -Cerçay gave him the draft treaty itself annotated by the -Emperor. Practically, the secret negotiation dropped, was -not renewed for several months, and was only “resumed, -subsequently, at various times,” without producing any -other result than that of letting Bismarck know the plans -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[p 22]</a></span> -which were conceived in Paris, and inducing him to keep -the Napoleonic Government in play. There can be no -doubt on one point. The Prussian statesman did, at various -periods, probably at Biarritz in 1865, when he captivated -Prosper Merimée, and afterwards, while refusing point-blank -to cede an inch of German soil, ask his interested -auditors why they could not indemnify themselves by seizing -Belgium. But a grim smile of irony must have lighted up -his face when he pointed to a prey which would not have to -be ceded, but caught and overpowered by main strength. -He was tempting, probing, playing with the Frenchman, -employing what he called the “dilatory” method, because -he wanted time to equip the new and still imperfect Germany; -and, considering their own dark schemes, can it be -said that they deserved better treatment?</p> - -<p>Having direct knowledge of the steps taken by France in -August, 1866, the earliest recorded formal attempt to procure -secret treaties on the basis of territorial concessions, -with what searching comment must Bismarck have read -the astonishing diplomatic circular, signed by M. de -Lavalette, and sent out on the 2nd of September, at the -very time when the dark proceedings just briefly sketched -were in full swing! It was a despatch framed for public -consumption, and intended to present the Imperial policy -in a broad, generous, and philosophic light, having no relation -to the course which, either then or afterwards, the -French ruler followed. Louis Napoleon told the whole -world that France could not pursue “an ambiguous policy,” -at the moment when he was meditating the forcible acquisition -of Belgium. The Emperor painted himself as -one who rejoiced in the change effected by the war, perhaps -because it shattered the treaties of 1815. Prussia, he said, -had insured the independence of Germany; and France -need not see in that fact any shadow cast over herself. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[p 23]</a></span> -“Proud of her admirable unity, and indestructible nationality, -she cannot oppose or condemn the work of fusion -going on in Germany.” By imitating, she took a step -nearer to, not farther from, France; and the Imperial philosopher -professed not to see why public opinion “should -recognize adversaries, instead of allies, in those nations -which—enfranchised from a past inimical to us—are -summoned to new life.” But there was consolation for -those alarmed patriots who could read between the lines. -Petty states, they were assured, tended to disappear and -give place to large agglomerations; the Imperial Government -had always understood that annexations should only -bring together kindred populations; and France, especially, -could desire only such additions as would not affect her -internal cohesiveness—sentences which, like finger-posts, -pointed to the acquisition of Belgium. The war of 1866, -it was admitted, showed the necessity of perfecting the -organization of the army; yet smooth things were predicted -by the Imperial soothsayer, for, on the whole, the horizon, -in September, as scanned from Paris, seemed to be clear of -menacing possibilities, and a lasting peace was secure! -The despatch was, in fact, prepared and administered as a -powerful anodyne. By keeping the French moderately -quiet, it suited the purposes of Bismarck, who, well aware -of the uneasiness which it covered, felt quite equal to the -task of coping with each fresh attempt to obtain “compensation” -as it might arise. Perhaps Louis Napoleon -was sincere when he dictated this interesting State paper, -for it is not devoid of some “fixed ideas” which he -cherished; yet probably it may take rank as a curious -example of the subtle tactics which he often applied to deceive -himself, as well as to cajole his people and his neighbours. -At all events, his will, if he willed peace, did not -endure for he soon sanctioned and set in motion renewed -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[p 24]</a></span> -projects, for he intended to push forward the boundary -posts of France.</p> - - -<h3>Luxemburg.</h3> - -<p>As he found Prussia polite yet intractable, and prompt -to use plain language, if concessions were demanded, the -Emperor Napoleon formed, or was advised to form, an ingenious -plan whereby he hoped to secure Luxemburg. He -entered into secret negotiations with Holland for the purchase -of the Duchy. The Queen of Holland, a Princess of -the House of Würtemburg, was a keen partizan of France. -She it was, who, in July, 1866, uttered a cry of warning -which reached the Tuileries. “It is the dynasty,” she -wrote, “which is menaced by a powerful Germany and a -powerful Italy, and the dynasty will have to suffer the consequences. -When Venetia was ceded, you should have -succoured Austria, marched on the Rhine, and imposed -your own conditions. To permit the destruction of Austria -is more than a crime, it is a blunder.” Perhaps the notion -that Luxemburg could be acquired by purchase came from -this zealous, clear-sighted, and outspoken lady. Wherever -it may have originated, the scheme was hotly pursued, -negotiations were opened at the Hague, the usual Napoleonic -operations were actually begun to obtain a plébiscite from -the Duchy. Count von Bismarck was discreetly sounded by -M. Benedetti, with the usual indefinite result, and the consent -of the King of Holland was obtained without much -difficulty. At the same time there was a strong current of -opposition in the Dutch Government, and Prince Henry, -the Governor of Luxemburg, made no secret of his hostility. -The King himself was subject to recurring tremors caused -by his reflections on the possible action of the Prussian -Court; and his alarms were only mitigated or allayed from -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[p 25]</a></span> -time to time by assurances based, in reality, on M. Benedetti’s -“impressions” that the Chancellor was not unfavourable -to the plan of cession. The truth is that M. -Benedetti did not accurately perceive the position which -Bismarck had taken up from the outset. It might be thus -expressed: “Luxemburg belongs to the King of Holland. -It is his to keep or give away. If you want the Duchy, -why don’t you take it, and with it the consequences, which it -is for you to forecast.” The French Court and its Ministers -still laboured under the belief that they could manage the -Berlin Government, and they put their own interpretation -on the vague, perhaps tempting language of the Chancellor. -At a certain moment, the fear, always lurking in the King -of Holland’s breast, gained the mastery, and he caused the -secret to be disclosed to the public. “He would do nothing -without the consent of the King of Prussia;” and by revealing -the negotiations he forced on a decision. The -incident which terrified the King of Holland was, no doubt, -startling. M. Thiers had made a strong anti-German -speech in the Chamber, and M. Rouher had developed his -theory of the “trois tronçons,” or triple division of Germany. -The Chancellor, who had acquired full knowledge -of French pretensions from French Ministers, answered -both statesmen by printing, in the foreground of the -“Official Gazette,” the treaty which gave King William the -control of the Bavarian army, in case of war. That fact -also produced a decisive effect upon the Dutch monarch, -who saw in this characteristic indirect retort to the French -parliamentary display a menace specially directed against -himself. Hence the revelation sufficed to thwart the bargain, -then so far finished that signatures were alone wanting -to render it binding. The German people fired up at the -bare mention of such a proposal as the cession of a German -province. M. de Moustier, vexed and taken aback, called -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[p 26]</a></span> -on Bismarck to restrain the passions of his countrymen, and -vainly urged the Dutch monarch to sign the treaties. On -the morning of the day when he was to be questioned in the -Reichstag, Bismarck asked Benedetti whether he would -authorize the Minister to state in the Chamber that the -treaties had been signed at the Hague. The Ambassador -could not give the required authority, seeing that although -the King, under conditions, had pledged his word to the -Emperor, the formal act had not been done, because -Prussia had not answered the appeal for consent from the -Hague. On April 1, 1867, while Napoleon was opening the -Exhibition in Paris, Herr von Bennigsen put his famous -question respecting the current rumours about a treaty of -cession. If the French were not prepared for the fierce -outburst of Teutonic fervour, still less could they relish -the question put by Herr von Bennigsen and the answer -which it drew from the Chancellor. The former described -the Duchy as an “ancient province of the collective Fatherland,” -and the latter, while “taking into account the -French nation’s susceptibilities,” and giving a brief history -of the position in which Luxemburg stood towards Germany, -made his meaning clear to the French Court. “The -confederate Governments,” he said, “are of opinion that -no foreign power will interfere with the indisputable rights -of German States and German populations. They hope to -be able to vindicate and protect those rights by peaceful -negotiations, without prejudicing the friendly relations -which Germany has hitherto entertained with her neighbours.” -Napoleon and his advisers were not likely to -misconstrue language which, although it lacked the directness -of Von Bennigsen’s sentences, obviously meant that -the French scheme could not be worked out. Indeed, a few -days earlier, the Chancellor had used a significant phrase. -Answering a question in the Chamber, he said:—“If the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[p 27]</a></span> -previous speaker can manage to induce the Grand Duke -(of Luxemburg) to come into the North German Federation, -he will be able to say that he has called an European -question into existence; what more, Time alone can show.” -The phrase could hardly have escaped the notice of M. de -Moustier, and coupled with the second reply, already -quoted, gave rise to indignation not unmixed with alarm. -At first the Emperor seemed determined not to recede, and -he took counsel with his generals, who could not give him -encouragement, because they knew that the Government -was absolutely without the means of making even a respectable -defence against an invasion. The period of suspense -at the Tuileries did not endure long. Shortly after -the scene in the Reichstag, the Prussian Minister at the -Hague brought the matter to a crisis by a message which -he delivered to the Dutch Government. The King of the -Netherlands, he is reported to have said, can act as he -pleases, but he is responsible for what he may do. If he -had believed that the meditated cession was a guarantee of -peace, it was the Minister’s duty to destroy the illusion. -“My Government,” he added, “advises him in the most -formal manner, not to give up Luxemburg to France.” -The blow was fatal; the King of course, took the advice to -heart, and such a stroke was all the more deeply felt in -Paris because there the Emperor, who had considered the -end gained, now knew from Marshal Niel that it would be -madness to provoke a war. Yet, unless a loophole of -escape could be found, war was imminent. M. de Moustier -discovered a safe and dignified line of retreat. The -Chancellor had referred to the treaty of 1839 which -governed the status of Luxemburg; M. de Moustier took -him at his word, and virtually brought the dispute within -the purview of Europe, by formally demanding that the -Prussian garrison should be withdrawn. He held that -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[p 28]</a></span> -since the German forces were practically centred in the -hands of Prussia, Luxemburg, no longer a mere defensive -post, had become a menace to France. In this contention -there was much truth, seeing that the new Confederation -of the North, and its allies in the South, constituted a -political and military entity far more formidable and -mobile than the old Bund. When the Chancellor refused -a demand, which his adversaries assert he was at one time -prepared to grant, the French Government, declaring that -they had no wish for other than friendly relations with -Berlin, appealed to Europe. The dispute ended in a compromise -arranged as usual beforehand, and settled at a -conference held in London. The garrison was withdrawn, -the fortifications were to be razed, and the Duchy, like -Belgium, was thenceforth to be neutral ground, covered by -a collective guarantee of the Powers; but it still remained -within the German Zollverein.</p> - -<p>There were at work several influences which largely -operated to determine a peaceful issue. The French -possessed no real army, and the Emperor had only just -begun to think about the needful military organization on -a new model; he had, besides, on hand an international -Exhibition, by which he set great store; and in addition a -summons to withdraw a garrison did not provide a <i>casus -belli</i> certain to secure the support of public opinion. Nor -did the Prussian Government consider the moment opportune, -or the question raised a suitable ground on which to -determine the inveterate cause of quarrel between France -and Germany. Upon this subject Dr. Busch has recorded -some characteristic observations made by the Chancellor, at -Versailles, in 1870. “I remember,” he said, “when I was -at the Paris Exhibition of 1867, I thought to myself ‘how -would it have been by now, if we had fought out the Luxemburg -quarrel? Should I be in Paris, or the French in -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[p 29]</a></span> -Berlin?’ We were not nearly as strong then as we are -now. The Hanoverians and Hessians of that day could not -have supplied us with so many good soldiers as to-day. -As for the Schleswig-Holsteiners, who have lately been -fighting like lions, they had no army at all. The Saxon -army was broken up, and had to be entirely reconstructed. -And there was but little to be expected from the South -Germans. What splendid fellows the Würtembergers are -now, quite magnificent! but in 1866 no soldier could help -laughing at them, as they marched into Frankfort like a -civic guard. Nor was all well with the Baden forces; the -Grand Duke has done a great deal for them since then. -Doubtless public opinion throughout Germany was with -us, if we had chosen to make war about Luxemburg. But -that would not have made up for all those shortcomings.” -It is plain, from this retrospective comment, which comes -in aid of other evidence, that the great conflict, deferred to -1870, was nearly brought about in 1867, and that France -was saved from utter rout, at that early period, by the -operation of a set of influences over which neither of the -principal actors had full control. The Franco-Dutch negotiation -was the last attempt which the Emperor Napoleon -made to obtain territory by direct or furtive diplomatic -processes. In the early stages of the risky business he had -full confidence in his own ascendancy, not to say “preponderance” -in European councils. He was rudely undeceived. -Herr von Bismarck had tempted him with all -kinds of suggestions, but the Emperor himself, his Ministers -and Ambassadors had been content to take the “impressions,” -which they derived from confidential conversations, -for definite, binding promises. One French agent correctly -described the fact when he said that “Herr von -Bismarck is ready, not to offer us compensations, but to -allow us to take them;” he might have added, “if we can -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[p 30]</a></span> -and at our own risk.” There is no published evidence that -the Prussian statesman ever offered to cede Luxemburg, or -sanction the annexation of Belgium, or preclude himself -from adopting, at any conjuncture, the line which appeared -most accordant with German interests. On the contrary, -long after the interviews at Biarritz and in Paris, and the -battle of Sadowa, Napoleon III., to use his own terms, -wanted, at least, “une certitude relative” that the Prussian -Government would not interpose any obstacle in the way -of French “aggrandizement” in the North. He asked, -not for words, but an act which he could never obtain; and -the Luxemburg incident proved to him conclusively that -nothing could be gained by making demands on the Court -of Prussia. In 1867 and afterwards in November, 1870, -according to Dr. Busch, Bismarck described with his usual -frankness the hesitation of the Emperor. He had not -understood his advantages, in 1866, when he might have -done a good business, although not on German soil, was -the earlier commentary. The later was more illuminative. -“In the summer of 1866,” said Bismarck, “Napoleon had -not the pluck to do what was the right thing from his point -of view. He ought—well, he ought to have taken possession -of the subject of Benedetti’s proposal [Belgium], when we -were marching against the Austrians, and have held it in -pawn for whatever might happen. At that time we could not -stop him and it was not likely that England would attack -him—at least he might have waited to see.” On this it -may be observed that the influence of Lord Cowley and -Lord Clarendon would probably have sufficed to turn him -from such a plan had it entered into the Emperor’s mind; -and had he delivered the blow, in defiance of their protests, -or without consulting them, England, at that time, would -have been enraged at the treachery, and would have certainly -occupied Antwerp. The Emperor was a man who caressed -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[p 31]</a></span> -audacious projects which he had not always the nerve and -courage to carry out. What is more astonishing, he did -not or could not provide the means essential to the accomplishment -of his desires. Thus the precedent afforded by -his conduct in 1866 was followed in 1867, and in each case -the result was the same—vexatious failure.</p> - - -<h3>An Interlude of Peace.</h3> - -<p>The war-clouds sank below the horizon, the Paris Exhibition -was duly opened, sovereigns and princes, statesmen and -generals, journeyed to the French capital, and the Court -of the Tuileries gave itself up to amusement, gaiety, and -dissipation, neglecting nothing which could give pleasure -to its illustrious guests. It was the last hour of splendour, -the sunset of the Empire. Yet the brilliant scenes, which -followed each other day by day, were even then flecked -with dark shades. If politics were evaded or ignored in -the palace, they were not absent from the highways. -Polish hatred found vent in the attempt of Berezowski to -slay the unfortunate Emperor Alexander II., and M. -Floquet shouted in his ear as he passed through the Courts -of Justice, “Vive la Pologne!” The crime and the insult -augured ill for the future of that Franco-Russian alliance -which Charles X. endeavoured to establish and certain -French statesmen have always sighed for. M. Hansen records -a sharp observation made by Prince Gortchakoff during -the Polish insurrection which the Western Powers regarded -with friendly eyes. The Vice-Chancellor held that France -and Russia were natural allies, because their interests were -the same. “If the Emperor Napoleon will not admit it,” -he roughly said, “so much the worse for him. Governments -vanish, nations remain.” Still, in 1867, he did not -find the nation more favourable than the Government had -been in 1864. Twenty years later, although Russia had -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[p 32]</a></span> -become less unpopular, at least with the politicians, and a -yearning for a Russian alliance had gathered strength, the -ultras proved how little they understood some conditions -essential to its gratification by clamoring for the pardon -and liberation of Berezowski! The Prussian King and -Queen were not exposed to any outrage, and the Parisians -gazed with curiosity upon Bismarck and Moltke, whom -they admired, and had not yet learned to detest; but -the sparkling and joyful assemblies, although the actors, -on both sides, were doubtless sincere at the time, nevertheless -suggests a famous incident in the French Revolution -which figures on historical pages as “le baiser de -l’amourette.” And underneath the shining surface were -concealed gnawing anxieties and fears. The Emperor -Napoleon had dreamed that he could found a Mexican -empire, and he had induced the Austrian Archduke Maximilian -to accept at his hands an Imperial crown. The -enterprise, which was pushed on by French troops, not only -failed, but irritated England, who had been deceived, and -offended the United States, whose Government, victors in -a civil war, would not tolerate the establishment of the -“Latin race” in the centre of the huge continent. Not -only had it become necessary to recall the troops, but to -bear a still deeper misfortune—if the word may be applied -to the consequences of a reckless and unscrupulous adventure. -It was while opening the Exhibition that the earliest -hints reached the Emperor of an event which dealt him a -heavy blow; and, on the eve of the day fixed for the distribution -of prizes to the competitors he had assembled, -came the confirmation of the dreaded intelligence, whispered -weeks before. The gallant Archduke and Emperor Maximilian, -who had fallen into the hands of the triumphant -and implacable Mexicans, had been tried and shot, a deed -which his French patron was powerless to avenge.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[p 33]</a></span></p> - -<h3>The Salzburg Interview.</h3> - -<p>The tragedy of Quaretaro reacted upon European politics, -and incidentally emphasized afresh the perennial antagonism -between France and Germany. Still smarting from -the wounds of 1866, Austria hungered for an ally, and the -Saxon Count von Beust, whom the Emperor Francis -Joseph had made his Chancellor, was eager to try one more -fall with Count von Bismarck. Swayed by political reasons, -the Austrian Emperor not only did not resent the death of -his brother, but was even willing to welcome as his guest -Louis Napoleon, who had so successfully seduced the Archduke -by dangling before him the bait of an Imperial crown. -The French Emperor and his Empress, therefore, travelled -in state through South Germany to Salzburg, where they -met their Austrian hosts. The occasion was, nominally, -one of condolence and mourning, and the vain regrets on -both sides were doubtless genuine. Yet it so chanced that -the days spent in the lovely scenery of Salzburg were given -up to gay mirth and feasting—not to sorrow and gloom; -and that the irrepressible spirit of politics intruded on the -brilliant company gathered round an open grave. Both -emperors felt aggrieved; one by the loss of his high estate -in Germany and his Italian provinces, the other because -his demand for the Rhenish territory had been rejected, -and he had not been allowed to take Belgium or buy Luxemburg. -The common enemy was Prussia, who had worsted -Austria in battle, and France in diplomacy and at Salzburg, -perhaps earlier, the ground plans were sketched for -an edifice which the architects trusted might be built up -sufficiently large and strong to contain, at least, two allies. -The sketch was vague, yet it was definite enough at least -to reveal the designs of the draughtsmen; and the Emperors -returned home still in jubilation.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[p 34]</a></span></p> - -<p>Perhaps the Emperor Napoleon suffered some pangs of -disappointment. “Austria was his last card,” says M. -Rothan, who, from the French standpoint, has so keenly -studied the period preceding the war of 1870. He wanted -an offensive and defensive alliance, which Austria would -not accord, Count von Beust fearing that so grave a fact -would never escape the lynx-eyes of Bismarck, who, when -it came to his knowledge, would not fail to provoke a war -before either ally had fully, or even partially, completed -his military preparations, then so much in arrear. Not -only were they backward in 1867, but Austria, at all events, -was still unprovided in 1870. The Archduke Albrecht, who -visited Paris during the month of February of that year, -impressed the fact on the Emperor Napoleon. “The story -runs,” says M. Rothan, “that, after having quitted the -study of his Majesty, the Archduke returned, and; through -the half-opened door, exclaimed, ’sire, above all things do -not forget, whatever may happen, that we shall not be in a -fit state to fall into line before a year.’” Hence, it may -well be that the Austrian Chancellor was even then determined, -in case of a conflict, to shape his policy in accordance -with the first victories; and that the meditations of -the Emperor Napoleon, as he re-crossed the Rhine, were -tinged with bitter reflections on his political isolation. A -little later, when he knew that Bismarck had discovered -the drift of the conversation at Salzburg, his anxieties must -have become more poignant. That Chancellor, who had -secured afresh the goodwill of Russia, and beheld with -satisfaction the effect of the Imperial display on Germany, -enlarged, in a circular despatch, on the proof thus once -more afforded that German national feeling could not endure -“the mere notion” of “foreign tutelage” where the -interests of the Fatherland were concerned. Germany had -a right to mould her own fortunes and frame her own -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[p 35]</a></span> -constitution. So that, as Von Buest had foreseen, the dreaded -Chancellor had promptly turned to account even the colloquies -of Salzburg. “France, with one hand,” he said, -“presents us with soothing notes, and with the other permits -us to see the point of her sword.” There was no open -quarrel between the two antagonists, but each suspected -and closely watched the other. M. Rothan, himself a -vigilant and zealous official, furnishes an amusing example. -In November, 1866, he learned from “a Foreign minister -accredited to a South German Court,” what was to him the -appalling fact that the Imperial work of mediation at -Nikolsburg had been counteracted, “even before it had -been sanctioned by the Treaty of Prague.” He referred to -the now famous military treaties. M. de X―, his informant, -he says, obtained his knowledge of the secret by -a sort of inquisitorial method, “a la façon d’un juge -d’instruction,” that is, he affirmed the existence of the -documents, and thus extorted confessions, express or -implied. “The Bavarian Foreign Minister,” he said, -blushed; “the Minister of Würtemberg was confused; the -Minister of Baden did not deny it, and the Minister of -Hesse avowed everything.” Further, M. de X― asserted -that, when it was no longer necessary to keep France in -good humour, Prussia would enforce the clauses which gave -her supreme command, and would bring the Southern -armies into harmony with her own organization. Apparently, -this authentic information did not obtain a ready -belief in the autumn of 1866; but it alarmed and disturbed -the French Court, and the public confirmation of the unwelcome -report, less than a year afterwards, visible to all -men in the actual re-organization of the Southern armies, -together with the failure to purchase Luxemburg, still -further increased the suspicion, deepened the alarm, and -aroused the indignation of the Emperor at the slights -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[p 36]</a></span> -inflicted on France, who, as the “predominant” Continental -power and the “vanguard of civilization,” always considered -that she ought to have her own way.</p> - -<h3>The Emperor seeks Allies.</h3> - -<p>In the beginning of 1868 the principal parties were engaged -in preparing for a conflict which each considered to -be inevitable; and the other Powers, great and small, more -or less concerned, were agitated by hopes and fears. -Russia desired to recover her freedom of movement in the -East, and especially to throw off what Prince Gortchakoff -called his “robe de Nessus,” the clause in the treaty of -Paris which declared the Euxine to be a neutral sea. -Austria aimed at the restoration of her authority in Germany, -and was not yet convinced that her path lay eastward. -Italy had many longings, but her pressing necessity -was to seat herself in the capital of the Cæsars and the -Popes, once again occupied by the French, who had re-entered -the Papal States to expel the Garibaldians. It was -in the skirmish at Mentana that the new breech-loading -rifle, the Chassepot, “wrought miracles,” according to -General de Failly, and established its superiority over the -“needle gun.” Holland, Belgium, and even Switzerland -were troubled by the uncertain prospect which the Imperial -theory of “large agglomerations” had laid bare; Spain -was in the throes of a revolutionary convulsion; and England—she -had just mended her constitution, and had -begun to look on Continental politics with relative indifference, -except in so far as they affected the fortunes of -“parties,” and might be used strategically as a means of -gaining or holding fast the possession of power. Yet so -strained were the relations of France and Prussia that -General von Moltke actually framed, in the spring of 1868, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[p 37]</a></span> -the plan of campaign which he literally carried out in 1870—a -fact implying that even then he considered that his -Government was sufficiently prepared to encounter the new -and imperfectly developed scheme of army organization -and armament originally devised by the Emperor and -Marshal Niel, and modified to satisfy the objections and -suspicions raised in a deferential Senate and an obliging -Chamber of Deputies. For while the Opposition distrusted -the Emperor, the whole body shrank from the sacrifices -which Cæsar and his Minister of War considered necessary -to the safety of the State from a defensive, and absolutely -indispensable from an offensive point of view. The prime -actors in the drama expressed a love of peace, perhaps with -equal sincerity: but as Germany thirsted for unity, all the -more because France, true to her traditional policy, forbad -it, the love so loudly avowed could not be gratified unless -Germany submitted, or France ceased to dictate. “I did -not share the opinion of those politicians,” said Bismarck -in July, 1870, “who advised me not to do all I could to -avoid war with France because it was inevitable. Nobody,” -he added, “can exactly foresee the purposes of Divine Providence -in the future; and I regard even a victorious war -as an evil from which statesmanship should strive to preserve -nations. I could not exclude from my calculations -the possibility that chances might accrue in France’s constitution -and policy which might avert the necessity of war -from two great neighbour races—a hope in connection with -which every postponement of a rupture was so much to -the good.” The language is a little obscure, but the -meaning will be grasped when it is remembered that his -remark on the “chances” referred to the probable grant -of increased freedom to the French Parliament, which he -thought would fetter the Court and thwart the politicians. -That forecast was not justified by the event, since it was -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[p 38]</a></span> -the partially-liberated Chamber and the Liberal Ministry -which so hastily sanctioned the declaration of war. The -truth is, however, that each rival nationality inherited the -liabilities contracted in the past. The French had been -accustomed for more than two hundred years to meddle -directly in Germany and find there allies, either against -Austria, Prussia, or England; and the habit of centuries -had been more than confirmed by the colossal raids, -victories, and annexations of Napoleon I. A Germany -which should escape from French control and reverse, by -its own energetic action the policy of Henri IV., Richelieu, -Louis XIV., his degenerate grandson, Louis XV, and of -the great Napoleon himself, was an affront to French -pride, and could not be patiently endured. The opposing -forces which had grown up were so strong that the wit of -man was unable to keep them asunder; and all the control -over the issue left to kings and statesmen was restricted to -the fabrication of means wherewith to deliver or sustain -the shock, and the choice of the hour, if such choice were -allowed.</p> - -<p>To that end the adversaries had, indeed, applied themselves -after the last French failure to obtain any material -compensation, not even what M. Rouher called such a rag -of territory as Luxemburg. Thenceforth, keeping an eye -on Prussia, the French Government sought to gain over -Austria and Italy, and form a defensive alliance which, at -the fitting moment, might be converted into an offensive -alliance strong enough to prevent the accomplishment of -German unity, win campaigns, and enable each confederate -to grasp the reward which he desired. Carried on during -more than two years, the negotiations never got beyond a -kind of vague preliminary understanding which signified -the willingness of the three Courts to reach a definite, -formal treaty if they could. But obstacles always arose -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[p 39]</a></span> -when the vital questions lying at the root of the business -had to be solved. Italy demanded and Austria was willing -that she should have Rome. To that France steadfastly -demurred, even down to the last moment, as will -presently be seen. Austria also, besides being unready, in -a military sense, was visited by the chronic fear that, if -she plunged into war against Germany, Russia would at -once break into her provinces from Lithuania and the -Polish Quadrilateral, and settle the heavy account opened -when Prince Schwarzenberg displayed his “immense ingratitude” -during the Crimean war. Nor was the Court -of Vienna exempt from apprehensions growing out of the -possible, even probable conduct of half-reconciled Hungary. -Count von Beust also deluded himself with the notion that -the Prussian treaties with the South German States were -mere “rags of paper,” and nourished the fond belief, -except when he had a lucid interval, that the South German -people would not fight for the Fatherland. Waiting on -Providence, the would-be confederates, at the same time, -counted on the fortune of war, arguing that France was -certain to win at first, and that one victory under the tricolour -would bring the inchoate alliance instantly to -maturity, and the armies it controlled into the field. Based -on such conjectural foundations, and opposed by such -solid obstacles, the grand design was doomed to fail; indeed -it never got nearer to completion than an exchange -of letters by the Sovereigns; grounded on the very eve, -and went to pieces on the day of battle.</p> - -<p>Diverted from Luxemburg, the French Government did -not relax its efforts to pave the way for the annexation of -Belgium. During the spring and summer of 1869 a -successful effort was made to secure political, commercial, -and strategic advantages by obtaining a certain control -over the Belgian railways, notably the line which runs -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[p 40]</a></span> -from Luxemburg to Liège, and thence to the North Sea -ports. These proceedings, of course, did not escape notice -at Berlin, where the ends in view were perfectly appreciated; -but they form only a petty incident in the great struggle, -and can only be mentioned with brevity in order to indicate -its growth. It may be stated here that, in 1873, the -German Chancellor reversed the process, and secured for -his Government the control of the Luxemburg lines. -Another railway question which cropped up in May, 1870, -was the famous railway which, by means of an ingenious -tunnel within the Alps near St. Gothard, placed Germany -in direct communication with Italy through neutral territory. -Count von Bismarck openly said it was a Prussian -interest, and the Northern Confederation paid a part of -the cost, which aroused indignation in France. At one -moment it seemed possible that this enterprise would -serve as a <i>casus belli</i>; but the French Government, after -careful deliberation, decided, in June, 1870, that they -could not reasonably oppose the project, although it -certainly was regarded at the Foreign Office in Paris as a -further proof of German antagonism, and a sort of bribe -tendered to Italy. Since the beginning of the year France -had been in the enjoyment of certain Liberal concessions -made by the Emperor, and confirmed, in May, by the -famous “plébiscite,” which gave him a majority of more -than five millions. Now, although the Emperor’s reflections -on this triumphant result of an appeal to universal -suffrage were embittered by the knowledge that large -numbers of soldiers had helped to swell the million and a -half of Frenchmen who voted “No,” still the Foreign -Minister and his agents, according to M. Ollivier, were so -elated that they exclaimed with pride, “Henceforth, all -negotiations are easy to the Government,” since the world -thoroughly understood that, for France, peace would never -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[p 41]</a></span> -mean “complaisance or effacement.” Yet Prince Napoleon, -in his brief sketch of these critical months, says plainly -that the Government concerned itself less with foreseeing -the political complications which might lead up to war, -than with the best mode of proceeding when war arrived. -So true is this, that a General was sent to Vienna to discuss -the bases of a campaign with the Austrian War -Office. But in the spring of 1870 fortune seemed to smile -on official France; and on the last day of June M. Ollivier, -instructed by the Foreign Minister, considered himself -authorized to boast before the admiring Deputies that the -peace of Europe had never been less in danger than it was -at the moment when he delivered his optimistic declaration. -In England, also, the Foreign Secretary could not discern -“a cloud in the sky.”</p> - -<h3>The Hohenzollern Candidature.</h3> - -<p>One week later, not only M. Ollivier and Lord Granville, -but Europe, nay, the whole world, saw plainly enough the -signs and portents of discord and convulsion. On the 3rd -of July the Duc de Gramont learned from the French -Minister at Madrid that Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, -with his own full consent, had been selected -as a candidate for the vacant throne of Spain, and that, at -no distant date, the Cortes would be formally requested to -elect him. The French Government quivered with indignation, -and the political atmosphere of Paris became hot -with rage. Not that the former were unfamiliar with the -suggestion. It had been made in 1869, considered, and -apparently abandoned. Indeed, the Emperor himself had, -at one time, when he failed to obtain the Rhenish provinces, -proposed that they should be formed into a State -to be ruled by the King of Saxony, and at another, that -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[p 42]</a></span> -the Sovereign should be the Hereditary Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen; -the very Prince put forward by -Marshal Prim. He had been grievously hampered and -perplexed in the choice of a Sovereign of Spain by some -Powers, especially by France; but now the Imperial -Government turned the whole tide of its resentment, not -upon Madrid, but Berlin, which, it was assumed, aimed at -establishing an enemy to France beyond the Pyrenees. -Explanations were demanded directly from the Prussian -Government, but M. Le Sourd, the chargé d’affaires, could -extract no other answer than this—that the Prussian -Government knew nothing about the matter. The Duc -de Gramont, who had succeeded Lavalette, in May, as -Minister for Foreign Affairs, regarded the statement as a -subterfuge, and forthwith determined to fasten on the -King a responsibility which he could not fasten on the -Government. The Duc de Gramont was not a wise counsellor; -he was deep in negotiations having for their object -an offensive and defensive alliance against Prussia, and -he was hardly less moved by a noisy external opinion -than by his own political passions. He ordered M. Benedetti, -who had only just sought repose at Wildbad, to -betake himself at once to Ems, whither King William, -according to custom, had repaired to drink the waters. -The French Ambassador reached the pleasant village on -the Lahn late at night on the 8th of July, and the next -day began a series of interviews with the King, which -take rank among the most curious examples of diplomacy -recorded in history.</p> - -<p>Before the ambassador could commence his singular -task, an event had occurred in Paris which seemed to -render a war unavoidable. The politicians of the French -capital had become feverish with excitement. Not only -did a species of delirium afflict the immediate advisers of -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[p 43]</a></span> -the Emperor, but the band of expectants, who, more -ardent Imperialists than he was, still believed that nothing -could withstand the French army; while the opposition, -loving France not less, but what they called liberty more, -were eager to take advantage of an incident which seemed -likely to throw discredit on the Bonapartes. Wisdom -would have prevented, but party tactics demanded a movement -in the Chamber which took the innocent-looking -form of an inquiry. The Government dreaded, yet could -not evade, the ordeal, and M. Cochery put his question on -the 6th of July. Had the Duc de Gramont been a clever -Minister, or had he represented a Government strongly -rooted in the national respect and affection, he would have -been able to deliver a colourless response, if he could not -have based a refusal to answer upon public grounds. The -truth is, he was carried off his feet by the sudden storm -which raged through the journals and society, and it may -be surmised that, even then, despite the plébiscite, fears -for the stability of the dynasty had no small share in -determining his conduct. Yet, it must be stated, that he -was only one of the Council of Ministers who sanctioned -the use of language which read, and still reads, like an indirect -declaration of war. After expressing sympathy with -Spain, and asserting, what was not true, that the Imperial -Government had observed a strict neutrality with regard -to the several candidates for the crown, he struck a note -of defiance: “We do not believe,” he exclaimed, “that -respect for the rights of a neighbouring people obliges us to -endure that a foreign State, by placing one of its princes -on the throne of Charles V., should be able to derange, to -our injury, the balance of power in Europe, and to imperil -the interests and honour of France.” The pacific sentences -uttered by M. Ollivier on this memorable occasion were -forgotten; the trumpet-blast of the Duc de Gramont rang -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[p 44]</a></span> -through the world, and still rings in the memory. Prussia -was not named by the Minister, but everyone beyond the -Rhine knew who was meant by the “German people,” -and a “foreign Power;” while, as Benedetti has stated in -a private despatch to Gramont, the King deeply felt it as -a “provocation.”</p> - -<p>Not the least impressive characteristic of these proceedings -is the hot haste in which they hurried along. M. -Benedetti neither in that respect nor in the swiftness and -doggedness which he imparted to the negotiations, is to -blame. The impulse and the orders came from Paris; he -somewhat tempered the first, but he obeyed the second -with zeal, and, without overstepping the limits of propriety -in the form, he did not spare the King in the substance of -his demands. Nor, in the first instance, were they other -than those permitted by diplomatic precedent; afterwards -they certainly exceeded these limits. The first was that -the King himself should press Prince Leopold to withdraw -his consent: indeed, direct him so to do. The answer was -that, as King, he had nothing to do with the business; -that as head of the Hohenzollern family he had been consulted, -and had not encouraged or opposed the wish of the -Prince to accept the proffered crown; that he would still -leave him entire freedom to act as he pleased, but that his -Majesty would communicate with Prince Antoine, the -father of Prince Leopold, and learn his opinion. With -this reply, unable to resist the plea for delay, the ambassador -had perforce to be content. Not so the Imperial -Government. The Duc de Gramont sent telegram on -telegram to Ems, urging Benedetti to transmit an explicit -answer from the King, saying that he had ordered Prince -Leopold to give up the project, and alleging, as a reason -for haste, that the French could not wait longer, since -Prussia might anticipate them by calling out the army. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[p 45]</a></span> -The ambassador, to check this hurry, prudently warned -his principals, saying, that if they ostentatiously prepared -for war, then the calamity would be inevitable. “If the -King,” wrote De Gramont, on the 10th of July, “will not -advise the Prince to renounce his design—well, it is war at -once, and in a few days we shall be on the Rhine.” And -so on from hour to hour. A little wearied, perhaps, by -the pertinacity of the ambassador, and nettled by the -attempt to fix on him the responsibility for the Spanish -scheme, the King at length said that he looked every -moment for an answer from Sigmaringen, which he would -transmit without delay. It is impossible, in a few sentences, -to give the least idea of the terrier-like obstinacy displayed -by M. Benedetti in attacking the King. Indeed, it grew to -be almost a persecution, so thoroughly did he obey his importunate -instructions. At length the King was able to -say that Prince Antoine’s answer would arrive on the 13th, -and the ambassador felt sure of a qualified success, inasmuch -as he would obtain the Prince’s renunciation, -sanctioned by King William. But, while he was writing -his despatch, a new source of vexation sprang up in Paris—the -Spanish Ambassador, Señor Olozaga, announced to -the Duc de Gramont the fact that Prince Antoine, on behalf -of his son, had notified at Madrid the withdrawal of -his pretensions to the crown. It was reasonably assumed -that, having attained the object ostensibly sought, the -French Government would be well content with a diplomatic -victory so decisive, and would allow M. Benedetti to -rest once more at Wildbad. He himself held stoutly that -the “satisfaction” accorded to the wounded interests and -honour of France was not insufficient. The Emperor and -the Duc de Gramont thought otherwise, because, as yet, no -positive defeat had been inflicted, personally, upon King -William. The Foreign Minister, therefore, obeying precise -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[p 46]</a></span> -instructions from St. Cloud, directed Benedetti to see the -King at once, and demand from him a plain declaration -that he would not, at any future time, sanction any similar -proposal coming from Prince Leopold. The Duc de Gramont’s -mind was so constructed that, at least a year afterwards, -he did not regard this demand as an ultimatum! -Yet how could the King, and still more Bismarck, take it -in any other light? Early on the 13th the King, who saw -the ambassador in the public garden, advanced to meet -him, and it was there that he refused, point blank, Louis -Napoleon’s preposterous and uncalled-for request, saying -that he neither could nor would bind himself in an engagement -without limit of time, and applying to every case; -but that he should reserve his right to act according to -circumstances. King William brought this interview to a -speedy close, and M. Benedetti saw him no more except at -the railway station when he started for Coblenz. Persistency -had reached and stepped over the limits of the -endurable, and King William could not do more than send -an aide-de-camp with a courteous message, giving M. -Benedetti authority to say officially that Prince Leopold’s -recent resolution had his Majesty’s approval. During the -day the ambassador repeated, unsuccessfully, his request -for another audience; and this dramatic episode ended on -the 13th with the departure of the King, who had pushed -courtesy to its utmost bounds.</p> - -<p>During that eventful 13th of July Count Bismarck, -recently arrived in Berlin from Pomerania, had seen and -had spoken to Lord Augustus Loftus in language which -plainly showed how steadfastly he kept his grip on the real -question, which was that France sought to gain an advantage -over “Prussia,” as some kind of compensation for -Königgrätz. The Duc de Gramont also conversed with -Lord Lyons in Paris, and induced him to set in motion -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[p 47]</a></span> -Lord Granville, from whose ingenious brain came forth a -plausible compromise wholly unsuitable to the exigency, -and promptly rejected at Berlin, but having an air of fairness -which made it look well in the pages of a Blue Book. -It was a last effort on the part of diplomacy, and served -well enough to represent statesmanship as it was understood -by the Cabinet to which Lord Granville belonged. -On the evening of that day Count Bismarck entertained at -dinner General von Moltke and General von Roon; and -the host read aloud to them a telegram from Ems, giving -an account of what had occurred, and the royal authority -to make the story public. “Both Generals,” writes Dr. -Moritz Busch, “regarded the situation as still peaceful. -The Chancellor observed—that would depend a good deal -upon the tone and contents of the publication he had just -been authorized to make. In the presence of his two -guests he then put together some extracts from the telegram, -which were forthwith despatched to all the Prussian -Legations abroad, and to the Berlin newspapers in the -following form:—‘Telegram from Ems, July 13th, 1870. -When the intelligence of the Hereditary Prince of Hohenzollern’s -renunciation was communicated by the Spanish -to the French Government, the French Ambassador demanded -of His Majesty the King, at Ems, that the latter -should authorize him to telegraph to Paris that His -Majesty would pledge himself for all time to come never -again to give his consent, should the Hohenzollerns hark -back to their candidature. Upon this His Majesty refused -to receive the French Ambassador again, and sent -the aide-de-camp in attendance to tell him that His -Majesty had nothing further to communicate to the -Ambassador.’”</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Substantially, it was the grotesque pile of misrepresentation -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[p 48]</a></span> -built up on this blunt telegram—M. Benedetti read -it next morning in the “Cologne Gazette,” and took no -exception whatever to the brief and exact narrative it contained—which -set the Parisians on fire. Travestied in many -ways by calculating politicians, as well as gossips, the -message became a “Note,” or a “despatch,” imputing the -extreme of intentional rudeness to King William, and imposing -the depth of humiliation, publicly inflicted, upon -France through her representative, who, all the time, was -not only unconscious of any insult, but emphatic in his -acknowledgments of the King’s courtesy, kindness, and -patience. Probably Count Bismarck wrote his telegram -for Germany, but its effect in satisfying the Fatherland, -was not greater than its influence upon the fiery French, -who never read the text until months afterwards, and in -July, 1870, were set a-flame by the distorted versions freely -supplied by rumour’s forked tongue.</p> - -<h3>The French Government and the Chamber.</h3> - -<p>War was now plainly inevitable, yet the decisive word -still rested with the Imperial Government. In Paris there -were two currents running strongly in opposite ways, and, -for a moment, it seemed possible that the tide which made -for peace would overpower the surging stream which drove -onwards towards war. More than one-half the Ministry -believed, and some, M. Ollivier for one, said that the retreat -of Prince Leopold, with the consent of the King, a great -diplomatic victory for France, was enough, and had, indeed, -brought the quarrel to an end. At midday, on the -13th, M. Robert Mitchell, meeting M. Paul de Cassagnac, -said, “I have just left Ollivier, and, thank God, peace is -secured.” “My father,” was the reply, “has just quitted -the Emperor; war is resolved on.” The statement was not -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[p 49]</a></span> -then exact, but it may be accepted as a forecast. For, in -truth, it was only at noon the next day that the Ministers -assembled in council at the Tuileries to answer the momentous -question which so profoundly agitated their minds. -They sat six hours; they were divided in opinion; yet, -although Marshal Lebœuf was authorized to call out the -reserves—he had threatened to resign unless that were -done—the Ministers separated with the understanding that -a peaceful line of action should be adopted, based on a -demand for a Congress of the Powers to sanction the principle -that no member of any reigning house should accept -a foreign throne. The Duc de Gramont’s brief account of -this notable Council shows that the hankering after war -was powerful therein; since he says that “the Government -decided, not without hesitation, but influenced by a love of -peace, to propose this pacific solution.” But all, or some -of the Ministers, and still more the Emperor, stood in dread -of two things: they were alarmed lest the “dynasty” -should be injured by a course which bore the semblance of -a forced retreat, and they could not rely with confidence -on the sober opinion of the Chambers. The Court war-party -operated upon the Senators and Deputies through -M. Clément Duvernois, a schemer, and M. Jérôme David, -by birth and training a fanatical Bonapartist, the second -accentuating the questions of the first, and giving to his -own language a substance which made retreat almost impossible. -Both these men had a double object. They -intended to extort a declaration of war and, at the same -time, expel Emile Ollivier, together with what they called -the Parliamentary element, from the Ministry. The energetic, -aggressive and relentless group were really the -mouthpieces of the Emperor and Empress, and in a less -degree of M. Rouher, who had been deposed by the new -Imperial constitution, and of the Duc de Gramont, who all -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[p 50]</a></span> -through the business desired to secure a prolongation of -peace, solely because it would give him time to ripen the -projects of alliance with Austria and Italy, and also to -make war, lest “la Prusse,” aware of his design, should -choose her own hour for battle. It so chanced that Marshal -Lebœuf, after despatching the orders calling out the reserves, -received a note from the Emperor, which, he says, -seemed to suggest a regret at the decision adopted by the -Council; and thinking, innocent man, that some constitutional -scruples had sprung up in the Imperial mind, the -Marshal begged that the Ministers might be summoned -once more. That night they met again, talked for an hour, -and had nearly resolved that the mobilization of the army -should be deferred, when papers were placed in the hands -of the Duc de Gramont. The exact contents of these -documents have not been described, but they seemed to -have contained some report of language held by Count -Bismarck which exasperated the war party; and, in an -instant, the Council resolved on war. That same night, -M. Robert Mitchell, walking in the garden of the Foreign -Office, asked M. Ollivier why he did not resign? The -Minister gave a host of plausible reasons having no real -weight; adding these prophetic words: “Whatever happens, -I am sacrificed; for the war will sweep away the régime to -which I have attached my name. If we are beaten, God -protect France! If we are victorious, God protect our -Liberties!”</p> - -<p>So that, having a clear perception of the future, this -Minister, at least, met the Chambers on the morrow. The -exciting events of the past week, imperfectly understood -and carelessly or purposely misrepresented, had aroused a -tempest of passion in Paris and France, which, by its -violence and uproar, overpowered, but could not wholly -silence, the voices of sagacity and sober judgment. The -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[p 51]</a></span> -Senate was unanimous for war. In the Chamber the -Opposition waged courageously a desperate contest, so -desperate from the outset, that even M. Thiers, perhaps -because he told unpleasant truths, could not command an -unbroken hearing, while M. Gambetta only secured one by -making a rare display of forensic tact, basing himself on -Parliamentary ground, and tempering his appeal for “more -light” with evidences of his indisputable patriotism. The -Duc de Gramont favoured the Senators with a version of -the facts, which was neither complete nor candid. M. -Emile Ollivier allowed an unhappy phrase to escape from -his lips—he went into the war “<i>à cœur leger</i>.” A committee -was appointed to inspect the diplomatic documents -on which the Court relied; it was easily satisfied, and late -in the night, sustained by a large majority, the policy of -the Government was amply sanctioned.</p> - -<p>Perhaps a sentence spoken by M. Guyot Montpayroux -best illustrates the predominant feeling. “Prussia,” he -said, “has forgotten the France of Jena, and the fact must -be recalled to her memory.” Thus was war declared by -these infuriated legislators on the night of July 15th. M. -Thiers, who desired a war with Prussia “at the proper -time,” has left on record his judgment that the hour then -selected was “detestably ill-chosen.” Yet even he and M. -Gambetta were both anxious that “satisfaction” should be -obtained for Sadowa; while the thought which animated -the Court is admirably expressed in the phrase imputed to -the Empress who, pointing to the Prince Imperial, said, -“This child will never reign unless we repair the misfortunes -of Sadowa.” Such was the ceaseless refrain. The -word haunted French imaginations incessantly, and it was -the pivot on which the Imperial policy revolved, and it -exercised a spell scarcely less powerful and disastrous upon -Monarchists like M. Thiers, and Republicans like Gambetta -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[p 52]</a></span> -and Jules Favre. Still, it may be said that France was -divided in opinion. Consulted through the Prefects, only -sixteen departments were for war; no fewer than thirty-four -were adverse, and the remainder could not be said to hold -with the one or the other. Nor should it be overlooked -that these estimates of popular feeling were transmitted by -functionaries who have always a wish to please the superior -Powers. Germany, on the other hand, was united as it -had never been since 1813. King William was applauded -everywhere. When he reached Berlin on the evening of -the 15th, he was met at the railway station by the Crown -Prince, Count von Bismarck, General von Moltke, and -General von Roon. There the decision was formally taken -to accept the challenge, the fact was repeated to the crowd -who had assembled, and whose shouts were loud, deep, and -prolonged; and that same night went forth the brief telegraphic -orders which from one centre touched a thousand -springs, and called into instant being an army, perfectly -organized, equipped, trained and supplied. So that when -Baron Wimpfen, a secretary of legation, entered Berlin on -the 19th of July, and handed to M. Le Sourd the French -declaration of war—the sole official document on the subject -received by Prussia, as Von Moltke bluntly remarks—that -work had already begun which finished in little more -than a fortnight, enabled the King to break into France at -the head of more than three hundred thousand soldiers.</p> - -<p>Only one word more need be said on this subject—the -causes of the war. Clearing away the diplomatic mist -which hides the realities, the student will discover two -deadly opposites; on one side the determination of France -to insist on a right of meddling with internal German -affairs, and even of prescribing the form or forms which -the national aggregate should assume; on the other, the -fixed resolve of the German people that the French should -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[p 53]</a></span> -no longer dictate or pretend to dictate beyond the Rhine, -that an end should be put to the policy of seeking political -profits by fomenting the spirit of discord in the petty -German Courts; and that, if possible, by dint of “Kraft -und Muth,” Germany should secure palpable safeguards -against French invasions, and resume possession of the -strongholds and dependent territories which were acquired, -in times of adversity and disunion, by Louis XIV. Thus, -the causes of war were deeply rooted in essential facts. -The moment to be chosen, if it can be said to have been -chosen, was for statesmen to decide. The Imperial Government, -down to the last hour, sought to form a combination -adverse to Prussia, intending to wage war at its own time. -Prussia refused to be made the victim of a triple alliance, -and taking a fair advantage of the imperious conduct of the -French Court, seized the golden opportunity, promptly -answered the declaration of war, and struck down the -French Empire before its hesitating and unprepared allies -could move a finger to avert a defeat which neither attempted, -nor dared attempt to repair. Austria, the unready, -stood in fear of Russia: Italy, the ambitious, demanded -the right to enter Rome. “We can grant nothing of the -kind,” said the over-confident Duc de Gramont, so late as -July 30. “If Italy will not march,” he exclaimed, “let her -sit still.” Abundant evidence exists to prove that war -between France and Germany was solely a question of -time, and Prussia cannot be blamed justly for selecting or -seizing the hour most suitable to her and least suitable to -her adversaries. The Duc de Gramont asserts that neither -the Emperor nor the Government nor France, desired war—certainly -not just then; but they intended to make war -at a time and under conditions chosen by themselves. He -admits that it was the duty of the Imperial Government to -evade a war, but also prepare for a war as much as possible; -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[p 54]</a></span> -and, failing to do the former, he further confessed many -months afterwards, that too much confidence in the army -and in its untested military virtues, and the dazzling -splendour of a glorious past dragged France, its Government -and its representatives, into an unequal struggle. -“We believed ourselves too strong to stoop,” he says, -“and we knew not how to resist the system of provocations -so ably combined and directed by the Cabinet of Berlin.” -A frank confession, especially from the pen of a statesman -who was himself endeavouring to combine a system of -alliances, and who was anticipated by the Power against -whom his plans were directed. M. Prevost Paradol, who -in a moment of weakness had accepted from the Emperor -the post of Minister at Washington, saw more clearly into -the future than the Duc de Gramont and some of his colleagues. -On the very afternoon of the day when the unhappy -journalist killed himself, he saw a countryman, the -Comte d’Hérisson, and his language to the young man -showed how deeply he was moved, and with what sagacity -he estimated the near future. In his opinion, expressed on -the 10th of July, war was even then certain, because not -only “la Prusse” desired war, but because, as he said, -“The Empire requires war, wishes for it, and will wage it.” -The young Frenchmen to whom he spoke made light of -the peril, and said he should like to travel in Germany, and -study in the libraries of her conquered cities. But the -Minister checked his natural exultation, saying, “You will -not go to Germany, you will be crushed in France. Believe -me, I know the Prussians. We have nothing whatever -that is needed to strive with them. We have neither -generals, men, nor <i>matériel</i>. We shall be ground to powder. -<i>Nous serons broyés.</i> Before six months are over there will -be a Revolution in France, and the Empire will be at an -end.” Mourning over the error he made in laying down -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[p 55]</a></span> -his sharp critical pen to put on a diplomatic uniform, and -maddened by the retrospect and prospect, Paradol, a few -hours after uttering his predictions, escaped from unendurable -misery by a pistol-shot. It was like an omen of the -coming catastrophe.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[p 56]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="pagenba" id="CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II.</h2> -</div> - -<p class="h2sub">THE GATHERING OF THE HOSTS.</p> - -<h3>German Mobilization.</h3> - -<p>The great contest, thus precipitated by the formal defiance -which Baron Wimpfen bore from Paris to -Berlin, excited deep emotion all over the world. The hour -had at length struck which was to usher in the deadly -struggle between France and Germany. Long foreseen, -the dread shock, like all grave calamities, came nevertheless -as a surprise, even upon reflective minds. Statesmen -and soldiers who looked on, while they shared in the -natural feelings aroused by so tremendous a drama, were -also the privileged witnesses of two instructive experiments -on a grand scale—the processes whereby mighty armies -are brought into the field, and the methods by means of -which they are conducted to defeat or victory. The German -plan of forming an Army was new in regard to the extent -and completeness with which it had been carried out. How -would it work when put to the ultimate test? Dating only -from 1867, the French scheme of organization, a halting -Gallic adaptation of Prussian principles, modified by French -traditions, and still further by the political exigencies besetting -an Imperial dynasty, having little root in the -nation, besides being new and rickety, was in an early -stage of development; it may be said to have been -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[p 57]</a></span> -adolescent, not mature. No greater contrast was ever presented -by two parallel series of human actions than that -supplied by the irregular, confused, and uncertain working -of the Imperial arrangement of forming an Army and -setting it in motion for active service, and the smoothness, -celerity, and punctuality which marked the German “mobilization.” -The reason is—first, that the system on which -the German Army was built up from the foundations was -sound in every part, and that the plan which had been -designed for the purpose of placing a maximum force -under arms in a given time, originally comprehensive, had -been corrected from day to day, and brought down to the -last moment. For example, whenever a branch or section -of a railway line was opened for traffic, the entire series of -time-tables, if need be, were so altered as to include the -new facility for transport. The labour and attention bestowed -on this vital condition was also expended methodically -upon all the others down to the most minute detail. -Thus, the German staff maps of France, especially east of -Paris, actually laid down roads which in July, 1870, had -not yet been marked upon any map issued by the French -War Office. The central departments, in Berlin, exercised -a wide and searching supervision; but they did not meddle -with the local military authorities who, having large discretionary -powers, no sooner received a brief and simple -order than they set to work and produced, at a fixed time, -the result desired.</p> - -<p>When King William arrived in Berlin, on the evening -of July 15, the orders already prepared by General von -Moltke received at once the royal sanction, and were transmitted -without delay to the officers commanding the several -Army Corps. Their special work, in case of need, had -been accurately defined; and thus, by regular stages, the -Corps gradually, but swiftly, was developed into its full -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[p 58]</a></span> -proportions, and ready, as a finished product, to start for -the frontier. The reserves and, if needed, the landwehr -men filled out the battalions, squadrons, and batteries to -the fixed strength; and as they found in the local depôts -arms, clothing, and equipments, no time was lost. Horses -were bought, called in, or requisitioned, and transport was -obtained. As all the wants of a complete Corps had been -ascertained and provided beforehand, so they came when -demanded. At the critical moment the supreme directing -head, relieved altogether from the distracting duty of -settling questions of detail, had ample time to consider the -broad and absorbing business problems which should and -did occupy the days and nights of a leader of armies. The -composition of the North German troops, that is, those -under the immediate control of King William, occasioned -no anxiety; and there was only a brief period of doubt in -Bavaria, where a strong minority had not so much French -and Austrian sympathies, as inveterate Prussian antipathies. -They were promptly suppressed by the popular -voice and the loyalty of the King. Hesse, Würtemberg, -and Baden responded so heartily to the calls of patriotism -that in more than one locality the landwehr battalions far -exceeded their normal numerical strength, that is, more -men than were summoned presented themselves at the -depôts. The whole operation of bringing a great Army -from a peace to a war footing, in absolute readiness, within -the short period of eighteen days, to meet an adversary on -his own soil, was conducted with unparalleled order and -quickness. The business done included, of course, the -transport of men, guns, horses, carriage, by railway chiefly, -from all parts of the country to the Rhine and the Moselle; -and the astonishing fact is that plans devised and adopted -long beforehand should have been executed to the letter, -and that more than three hundred thousand combatants—artillery, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[p 59]</a></span> -horse, infantry, in complete fighting trim, backed -up by enormous trains—should have been brought to -specified places on specified days, almost exactly in fulfilment -of a scheme reasoned out and drawn up two years -before. The French abruptly declared war; the challenge -was accepted; the orders went forth, and “thereupon -united Germany stood to arms,” to use the words of -Marshal von Moltke. It is a proud boast, but one amply -justified by indisputable facts.</p> - -<h3>French Mobilization.</h3> - -<p>How differently was the precious time employed on the -other side of the Rhine. When the Imperial Government -rushed headlong into war, they actually possessed only one -formed Corps d’Armée, the 2nd, stationed in the camp of -Chalons, and commanded by General Frossard. Yet even -this solitary body was, as he confesses, wanting in essential -equipments when it was hurriedly transported to St. Avold, -not far from Saarlouis, on the Rhenish Prussian frontier. -Not only had all the other Corps to be made out of garrison -troops, but the entire staff had to be provided in haste. -Marshal Niel, an able soldier, and the Emperor, had -studied, at least, some of Baron Stoffel’s famous reports on -the German Army, and had endeavoured to profit by -them; but the Marshal died, the Corps Législatif was intractable, -favouritism ruled in the Court, the Emperor -suffered from a wearing internal disease, and the tone of -the Army was one not instinct with the spirit of self-sacrificing -obedience. In time it is possible that the glaring -defects of the Imperial military mechanism might have -been removed, and possible, also, that the <i>moral</i> and discipline -of the officers and men might have been raised. -Barely probable, since Marshal Lebœuf believed that the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[p 60]</a></span> -Army was in a state of perfect readiness, not merely to defend -France, but to dash over the Rhine into South Germany. -His illusion was only destroyed when the fatal test -was applied. Nominally, the French Army was formidable -in numbers; but not being based on the territorial system, -which includes all the men liable to service in one Corps, -whether they are with the colours or in the reserve, and -also forms the supplementary landwehr into local divisions, -the French War Office could not rapidly raise the regiments -to the normal strength. For a sufficient reason. A peasant -residing in Provence might be summoned to join a regiment -quartered in Brittany, or a workman employed in Bordeaux -called up to the Pas de Calais. When he arrived he might -find that the regiment had marched to Alsace or Lorraine. -During the first fortnight after the declaration of war -thousands of reserve men were travelling to and fro over -France in search of their comrades. Another evil was that -some Corps in course of formation were split into fragments -separated from each other by many score miles. Nearly -the whole series of Corps, numbered from One to Seven, -were imperfectly supplied with a soldier’s needments; and -what is more astonishing, the frontier arsenals and depôts -were sadly deficient in supplies, so that constant applications -were made to Paris for the commonest necessaries. -There were no departmental or even provincial storehouses, -but the materials essential for war were piled up in three -or four places, such as Paris and Versailles, Vernon and -Chateauroux. In short, the Minister of War, who said and -believed that he was supremely ready, found that, in fact, -he was compelled almost to improvise a fighting Army in -the face of an enemy who, in perfect order, was advancing -with the measured, compact, and irresistible force of a tidal -wave.</p> - -<p>The plan followed was exactly the reverse of the German -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[p 61]</a></span> -method. East of the Rhine no Corps was moved to the -frontier, until it was complete in every respect, except the -second line of trains; and consequently, from the outset, it -had a maximum force prepared for battle. There were -some slight exceptions to the rule, but they were imposed -by circumstances, served a real purpose, and disappeared -when the momentary emergency they were adapted to meet -had been satisfied. West of the Rhine, not one solitary -Corps took its assigned place in a perfect state for action. -All the battalions of infantry, and of course the regiments, -were hundreds short of their proper strength. Before a -shot had been fired, General de Failly, at Bitsche, was -obliged to send a demand for coin to pay the troops, adding -notes won’t pass—“les billets n’ont point cours.” General -Frossard, at St. Avoid, reported that enormous packages of -useless maps had been sent him—maps of Germany—and -that he had not a single map of the French frontier. -Neither Strasburg, Metz, Toul, Verdun, Thionville, nor -Mézières, possessed stores of articles—such as food, equipments, -and carriage—which were imperatively required. -The Intendants, recently appointed to special posts, besieged -the War Office in Paris, to relieve them from their -embarrassments—they had nothing on the spot. The -complaints were not idle. As early as the 26th of July, -the troops about Metz were living on the reserve of -biscuits; there were sent only thirty-eight additional bakers -to Metz for 120,000 men, and even these few practitioners -were sadly in want of ovens. “I observe that the Army -stands in need of biscuit and bread,” said the Emperor to -the Minister of War at the same date. “Could not bread -be made in Paris, and sent to Metz?” Marshal Lebœuf, -a day later, took note of the fact that the detachments -which came up to the front, sometimes reserve men, sometimes -battalions, arrived without ammunition and camp -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[p 62]</a></span> -equipments. Soldiers, functionaries, carts, ovens, provisions, -horses, munitions, harness, all had to be sought at -the eleventh hour. These facts are recorded in the despairing -telegrams sent from the front to the War Office. -The very Marshal who had described France as “archiprête,” -in a transcendent state of readiness for war, announced -by telegram, on the 28th of July, the lamentable -fact that he could not move forward for want of biscuit—“Je -manque de biscuit pour marcher en avant.” The 7th -Corps was to have been formed at Belfort, but its divisions -could never be assembled. General Michel, on the 21st of -July, sent to Paris this characteristic telegram: “Have -arrived at Belfort,” he wrote: “can’t find my brigade; -can’t find the General of Division. What shall I do? -Don’t know where my regiments are”—a document probably -unique in military records. Hardly a week later, that -is on the 27th, Marshal Lebœuf became anxious respecting -the organization of this same Corps, and put, through -Paris, some curious questions to General Félix Douay, its -commander. “How far have you got on with your formations? -Where are your divisions?” The next day General -Douay arrived at Belfort, having been assured in Paris by -his superiors that the place was “abundantly provided” -with what he would require. After the War, Prince -Georges Bibesco, a Roumanian in the French Army, attached -to the 7th Corps, published an excellent volume on -the campaign, and in its pages he describes the “cruel deception” -which awaited Douay. He writes that, for the -most part, the troops, had “neither tents, cooking pots, nor -flannel belts; neither medical nor veterinary canteens, nor -medicines, nor forges, nor pickets for the horses—they -were without hospital attendants, workmen, and train. -As to the magazines of Belfort—they were empty.” In -the land of centralization General Douay was obliged to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[p 63]</a></span> -send a staff and several men to Paris, with instructions to -explain matters at the War Office, and not leave the capital -without bringing the articles demanded with them. Other -examples are needless. It would be almost impossible to -understand how it came to pass that the French were -plunged into war, in July, 1870, did we not know that the -military institutions had been neglected, that the rulers -relied on old renown, the “glorious past” of the Duc de -Gramont, and that the few men who forced the quarrel to -a fatal head, knew nothing of the wants of an army, and -still less of the necessities and risks of war.</p> - -<h3>War Methods Contrasted.</h3> - -<p>As the story is unfolded, it will be seen that the same -marked contrast between the principles and methods -adopted and practised by the great rivals prevailed throughout. -The German Army rested on solid foundations; the -work of mobilization was conducted in strict accordance -with the rules of business; allowing for the constant -presence of a certain amount of error, inseparable from -human actions, it may be said that “nothing was left to -chance.” The French Army was loosely put together; it -contained uncertain elements; was not easily collected, and -never in formed bodies; it was without large as well as -small essentials; it “lacked finish.” And similar defects -became rapidly manifest in the Imperial plan for the conduct -of the war. Here the contrast is flagrant. The -Emperor Napoleon, who had lived much with soldiers, who -had been present at great military operations, and had -studied many campaigns, could not be destitute of what -the French call “le flair militaire.” He had, also, some -inkling of the political side of warfare; and in July, 1870, -he saw that much would depend upon his ability to make -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[p 64]</a></span> -a dash into South Germany, because, if he were successful, -even for a brief time, Prussia might be deprived of South -German help, and Austria might enter the field. There -was no certainty about the calculation, indeed, it was -almost pure conjecture; seeing that Count von Beust and -the Archduke Albert had both warned him that, “above -all things,” they needed time, and that the former had -become frightened at the prospect of Hungarian defection, -and a Russian onfall. Yet it was on this shadowy basis -that he moved to the frontier the largest available mass of -incomplete and suddenly organized batteries, squadrons -and battalions. He and his advisers were possessed with -a feverish desire to be first in the field; and the Corps -were assembled near Metz, Strasburg, and Belfort, with -what was called a reserve at Chalons, on the chance that -the left might be made to join the right in Alsace, and that -the whole, except the reserve which was to move up from -Chalons, could be pushed over the Rhine at Maxau, opposite -Carlesruhe, and led with conquering speed into the -country south of the Main. Before he joined the head-quarters -at Metz, on the 28th of July, the Emperor may -have suspected, but on his arrival he assuredly found that -the plan, if ever feasible, had long passed out of the range -of practical warfare. He reaped nothing but the disadvantages -which spring from grossly defective preparation, -and “raw haste half-sister to delay.” He knew that he -was commander-in-chief of a relatively weak and ill-found -Army, and he acquired the certainty at Metz, that, unless -he were conspicuously victorious, neither Austria nor Italy -would move a man.</p> - -<p>His mighty antagonist, on the other hand, was advancing -to the encounter with such large resources, and so -thoroughly equipped, that no fewer than three Army -Corps were left behind, because even the admirably man -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[p 65]</a></span> -managed and numerous German railway lines were not able to -carry them at once to the banks of the Rhine. Moreover, -General von Moltke, the Chief of the Great Staff, had, in -1868–69, carefully reasoned out plans, which were designed -to meet each probable contingency, either a march of the -French through Belgium, an early irruption into the -Rhenish provinces, or the identical scheme upon which the -Emperor founded his hopes; while, if the French allowed -the Germans to begin offensive operations on French soil, -then the method of conducting the invasion, originally -adopted, would come into play. The memorandum on -this great subject, the essential portions of which have -been published by its author, Von Moltke, is, for breadth, -profundity, and insight, one of the most instructive to be -found in the records of war. This is not the place to deal -with its general or detailed arguments. For present purposes, -it is sufficient to set forth the main operative idea. -The contention was, that an army assembled on the Rhine -between Rastadt and Mainz, and on the Moselle below -Treves, would be able to operate successfully, either on the -right bank of the main stream, against the flank of a -French Army, which sought to invade South Germany; or, -with equal facility, concentrate on the left bank, and -march in three great masses through the country between -the Rhine and Moselle, upon the French frontier. Should -the French make a precipitate dash into the German -country towards Mainz, then the Corps collected near that -fortress would meet them in front, and those on the -Moselle would threaten their communications or assail -them in flank. The soundness of the reasoning is indisputable; -its application would depend upon the prompt -concentration of the Armies, and that had been rendered -certain by careful and rigorously enforced preparations. -The great Prussian strategist had calculated the move -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[p 66]</a></span> -of troops and railway trains to a day; so that he -knew exactly what number of men and guns, within a -given area, he could count upon at successive periods of -time; and, of course, he was well aware that the actual use -to be made of them, after the moment of contact, could -not be foreseen with precision, but must be adapted to -circumstances. But he foresaw and prepared for the -contingency which did arrive. “If,” he said, “the French -desired to make the most of their railways, in order to -hasten the assembly of all their forces,” they would be -obliged to disembark, or as we now say, “detrain” them, -“at Metz and Strasburg, that is, in two principal groups -separated from each other by the Vosges.” And then he -went on to point out how, assembled on the Rhine and -Moselle, the German Army would occupy what is called -the “interior lines” between them, and “could turn -against the one or the other, or even attack both at once, -if it were strong enough.”</p> - -<p>The grounds for these conclusions, succinctly stated, -were the conformation of the frontier, an angle flanked at -each side by the neutral states of Switzerland and Luxemburg, -restricting the space within which operations could -be carried on; the possession of both banks of the Rhine -below Lauterbourg; the superior facility of mobilization -secured by the Germans, not only as regards the rapid -transition of Corps from a peace to a war footing, but by -the skilful use of six railway lines running to the Rhine -and the Moselle; and, finally, the fact that, fronting south -between those rivers, the advancing German Army would be -directed against an adversary whose line of retreat, at least -so far as railways were concerned, diverged, in each case, -to a flank of any probable front of battle. The railway -from Strasburg to Nancy traversed the Vosges at Saverne; -the railway from Metz to Nancy on one side, and Thionville -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[p 67]</a></span> -on the other, followed the valley of the Moselle; and -as the important connecting branch from Metz to Verdun -had not been constructed, it follows that the French Army -in Lorraine had no direct railway line of retreat and supply. -The railway from Metz to Strasburg, which crossed the -Vosges by the defile of Bitsche and emerged in the Rhine -valley at Hagenau, was, of course, nearly parallel to the -German front, except for a short distance west of Bening. -The frontier went eastward from Sierck, on the Moselle to -Lauterbourg on the Rhine, and thence southerly to Basle. -The hill range of the Vosges, starting from the Ballon -d’Alsace, overlooking the Gap of Belfort, runs parallel to -the river, and extends in a northerly direction beyond the -French boundary, thrusting an irregular mass of uplands -deep into the Palatinate, ending in the isolated Donnersberg. -It follows that the main roads out of, as well as -into, France were to the east and west of this chain, and -it should be observed that the transverse passes were more -numerous south than north of Bitsche, and that, practically, -while detachments could move along the secluded valleys, -there was no road available for large bodies and trains -through the massive block of mountain and forest which -occupies so considerable a space of the Palatinate. Thus, -an army moving from Mainz upon Metz would turn the -obstacle on the westward by Kaiserslautern and Landstuhl; -while if Strasburg were the goal, it would march up the -Rhine valley by Landau, and through the once famous -Lines of the Lauter. If two armies, as really happened in -1870, advanced simultaneously on both roads, the connection -between them is maintained by occupying Pirmasens, -which is the central point on a country road running from -Landau to Deux Ponts, and another going south-east to -Wissembourg.</p> - -<p>The influence of this mountain range upon the offensive -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[p 68]</a></span> -and defensive operations of the rival armies will be readily -understood. The French could only unite to meet their -opponents in the Prussian provinces at or north of Kaiserslautern; -while the Germans, assuming that their adversaries -assembled forces in Alsace, as well as in Lorraine, -would not be in direct communication until their left wing -had moved through the hill-passes and had emerged in the -country between the Sarre and Meurthe.</p> - -<p>It has been seen that the available French troops, including -several native and national regiments from Algeria, -had been hurried to the frontier in an imperfect state of -organization and equipment. There were nominally seven -Corps d’Armée and the Guard; but of these, two, the 6th -and 7th, were never united in the face of the enemy. -Marshal Canrobert, commanding the 6th, was only able to -bring a portion of his Corps from Chalons to Metz; and -General Douay, the chief of the 7th, had one division at -Lyons, and another at Colmar, whence it was sent on to -join the 1st Corps assembling under Marshal MacMahon -near Strasburg. The principal body, consisting of the 2nd, -3rd, and 4th Corps, ultimately joined by the greater part -of the 6th, and the Guard were posted near and north of -Metz; while the 5th occupied positions on the Saar, and -formed a sort of link, or weak centre, between the right -and left wings. Nothing indicated cohesion in this array, -which, as we have shown, was adopted on the vain hypothesis -that there would be time to concentrate in Alsace -for the purpose of anticipating the Germans and crossing -the Rhine at Maxau.</p> - -<p>No such error was made on the other side. The German -troops were divided into three armies. The First Army, -consisting of the 7th and 8th Corps, under the veteran -General von Steinmetz, formed the right wing, and moved -southward on both banks of the Moselle. The Second -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[p 69]</a></span> -Army, composed of the Guard, the 3rd, 4th, and 10th -Corps, commanded by Prince Frederick Charles, was the -central body, having in rear the 9th and 12th Corps as a -reserve. They were destined to march on the great roads -leading from Manheim and Mainz upon Kaiserslautern. -The Third Army, or left wing, under the Crown Prince, -was made up of the 5th and 11th and the two Bavarian -Corps, together with a Würtemberg and a Baden Division. -Each Army had one or more divisions of cavalry, -and, of course, the due proportion of guns. By the 31st -of July, the whole of these troops, except the Baden -and the Würtemberg Divisions, were on the west of -the Rhine, with foreposts on the Saar, below Saarbrück, -in the mountains at Pirmasens, and on the roads to the -Lauter; the great mass of troops being close to the Rhine. -The advantages, in point of concentration, were already -secured by the German Staff; the First Army alone, one-half -at Treves, and the other strung out between the -Moselle and the Nahe, was in apparent danger; yet little -apprehension was felt on that score, because the country -through which it moved was highly defensible—its right -was covered by neutral Luxemburg, and part of the Second -Army was sufficiently forward to protect the left.</p> - -<p>A week earlier, there had been, indeed, a slight perturbation -in Berlin, where the head-quarters still remained. -By unceasing observation, a careful collation of reports, a -diligent use of French newspapers, the King’s Staff had -arrived at a tolerably accurate estimate of the strength, -positions, and internal state of the French Corps. They -were cognizant of the prevailing disorder, and were well -aware that not one Corps had received its full complement -of reserve men. Arguing that the enemy would not have -foregone the advantages of mobilization unless he had in -view some considerable object, such as an irruption into -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[p 70]</a></span> -the Palatinate, the Staff modified the original plan, as it -affected the Second Army, and, on the 23rd of July, -directed the Corps of which it was composed to quit the -railway trains transporting them on, and not beyond, the -Rhine. This was purely a measure of precaution, the -contingency of which had been foreseen; yet one which -was needless, as the French had already learned that they -could not take the offensive in any direction. No other -changes were made, and the only result of this modification -was that the soldiers had to march further than they -would have marched, and they probably benefited by the -exercise. During this period, the bridge at Kehl had been -broken, the boats and ferries removed from the Rhine -from Lauterbourg to Basle, the railway pontoon bridge at -Maxau protected, a measure suggested by the presence of -river gunboats at Strasburg, and an unremitting watch -had been kept on the land frontier by small detachments -of horse and foot. Not the least surprising fact is that no -attempt was made by the French to destroy the bridges -over the Saar at Saarbrück, or penetrate far beyond that -river on its upper course. On the other hand, parties of -German horse and foot made several incursions between -Sierck and Bitsche, and one small party rode as far as into -Alsace at Niederbronn. It was not until the end of the -month that large bodies of cavalry were sent to the front -to begin a career demonstrating afresh, if a demonstration -is needed, the inestimable services which can be performed -by that indispensable arm. The German Army had been -placed in the field in little more than a fortnight, although -the 1st and 6th Corps were still <i>en route</i> from the far -North. The Crown Prince reached Spires on the 30th, -and the next day, the King, with the Great Staff, left -Berlin for Mainz. He had restored the “Order of the -Iron Cross,” and had warmly expressed his gratitude for -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[p 71]</a></span> -the unexampled spirit manifested by the whole German -nation, “reconciled and united as it had never been before.” -Germany might find therein, he said, “a guarantee that -the war would bring her a durable peace, and that the -seed of blood would yield a blessed harvest of liberty and -unity.”</p> - -<p>Here it may be stated that a French squadron had -appeared off the coast of Denmark on the 28th of July, -but only to disappear with greater promptitude, thereby -relieving the timid from any apprehension of a descent. -Large German forces were set free to face westward, and in -a brief space, not only the French marines and sailors, but -the ship guns were vehemently required to fight in severe -battles and defend the capital of France.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[p 72]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="theatre"> - <a href="images/theatre_large.jpg"> - <img src="images/theatre_inline.jpg" alt="" /></a> - - <div class="caption">GENERAL MAP<span - class="smaller"> OF </span>WAR-FIELD</div> - - <div class="subcapit">Weller & - Graham L<span class="sup">td</span>. Lithos.  - London, Bell & Sons</div> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="pagenba" id="CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III.</h2> -</div> - -<p class="h2sub">STAGE THUNDER.</p> - -<h3 class="noskip">The Combat at Saarbrück.</h3> - -<p>King William did not reach Mainz until the forenoon -of the 2nd of August; and it is characteristically -remarked in the official history of the War, that the -journey from Berlin had been relatively slow, because it -was necessary to fit the six supplementary trains bearing -the great head-quarters into the series of military trains in -such a way as would not retard the transport of troops. -It is a small fact, but an apt illustration of the preference -uniformly given to essentials in the Prussian arrangements -for war. Soon after the Staff had arrived in the “Deutsche -Haus,” lent by the Grand Duke, whose son, Prince Louis, -the husband of the British Princess Alice, commanded the -Hessian Division, unexpected information greeted them. -Telegrams reported first that a serious action was in -progress at Saarbrück, and later that the Prussian troops -had withdrawn from the town.</p> - -<p>This was the famous combat, known at the time as the -<i>Baptême de feu</i> of the unfortunate Prince Imperial. The -Emperor Napoleon entered Metz on the 28th of July, and -took the command of the “Army of the Rhine.” Until -that moment, the seven <i>corps d’armée</i> in the field were -under the orders of Marshal Bazaine, who received his -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[p 73]</a></span> -instructions from Paris through Marshal Lebœuf. They -were to act strictly on the defensive, advice which may be -said to have been needless, since, as we have shown, not -one of the corps was in a condition to march and fight. -When the Emperor appeared on the scene, no great -change for the better had taken place, and there was still -a dearth of real information respecting the strength and -position of the enemy, while the reports brought in -contained an enormous percentage of error. Nevertheless, -there was a vague feeling at head-quarters that something -must be done to satisfy a public opinion which thought -that the French armies should have been already beyond -the Rhine; and on the 30th of July Marshal Bazaine -received orders to cross the Saar and occupy Saarbrück. -The task was to be intrusted to General Frossard, supported -by troops on the right and left, drawn from the Corps of -De Failly and Bazaine. Yet this modest operation dwindled -down, when discussed in a sort of Council of War held the -next day at Forbach, into a simple cannonade, and the -occupation of the heights on the left bank! The Emperor -was told that his project could not be executed, and -resigning himself, as he always did, to the inevitable, he -warned MacMahon that no movement should be made on -his side before the lapse of eight days. The ostentatious -movement on Saarbrück was to be made on the 2nd of -August. Now, at that date, the place was occupied by -fractions of the 8th German Corps, posted on both banks -of the river above and below the town. They consisted -of four battalions of foot, several squadrons of horse, -and one battery, and the nearest immediate support was -some miles to the rear, near Lebach. Colonel von Pestel -had held the position from the outset of the war, and -was allowed to remain, at his own request, although a -considerable army stood in his front at no great distance, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[p 74]</a></span> -that is, the three leading corps of the Army of the Rhine. -But on the 2nd Count von Gneisenau was in command of -the German outposts, and had orders, if pressed, to retire -upon Lebach, but he stood fast, and even assumed the -offensive, in order to ascertain exactly what the pressure -might be, and test the intentions of the adversary. -Against him, in the forenoon, advanced Frossard in the -centre, Bazaine on the right, and De Failly, who had -crossed the river at Saareguemines, on his left. It was a -wonderful spectacle. The Emperor and the Prince Imperial -were present on the hills to behold so vast an array moving -out in parade order, to fight a sham battle with real shot -and shell, against a dozen companies and six guns. It is -not necessary to enter into a detail of this combat; it is -sufficient to say that the Prussians held on to the left bank -until they were obliged, after an hour’s fighting, to retire -before the development of several brigades. Finally, when -a French battery on the Reppertsberg had opened fire on -the bridges and the town, Count von Gneisenau withdrew -his troops, first to a place near the town, and afterwards to -a position further in the rear. At other points on the river -the French had failed to pass, but in the evening they sent -parties into Saarbrück, then unoccupied. The French in -this skirmish lost eighty-six, and the Prussians, eighty-three -officers and men killed and wounded. It was the -first occasion on which the soldiers of Napoleon III. had an -opportunity of testing the qualities of the German Army, -and they found that their secular adversaries, disciplined on -a different model, and broken to new tactics, were as hardy, -active, and formidable as those of Frederick the Great.</p> - -<p>After this striking example of stage thunder, there was -a pause—the French did not pursue the retreating -companies of the 40th and 69th, hold the town, or even -destroy the bridges. Indeed, General Frossard, in his -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[p 75]</a></span> -pamphlet, explains that although so few were visible, -there must have been large numbers of the 8th Prussian -Corps near at hand, and insists that they were held back -because the adversary did not wish to show his strength; -so that the result actually had an unfavourable influence -on the French—it inspired in them a feeling of apprehension. -They dreaded the unknown. Without exact, and with -what was worse, misleading information, the Marshals and -Generals were bewildered by every adverse strong patrol, -which boldly marched up and even looked into their camps; -and out of these scouting parties they constructed full corps -ready to pounce upon them. No master mind at head-quarters -filled them with confidence, or gave a firm direction -to their soldiers. At a very early period, even in the highest -ranks, arose a querulous dread of “Prussian spies,” and a -belief that the hills and woods concealed countless foes. -The apprehensions had no solid foundation, since the First -Army was not nearer the Saar than Losheim and Wadern, -and the only troops in the immediate front of General -Frossard were those composing Gneisenau’s weak detachment, -which retired some miles on the road to Lebach. -Yet the feeble operation of August the 2nd induced the -Great Staff to concentrate the First Army at Tholey, that -is nearer to the main line of march of the Second Army, -and on the left flank of the probable French advance. -None took place, and thenceforward the swift and measured -development of the German movement southwards went -steadily onwards.</p> - - -<h3>Preparing to go forward.</h3> - -<p>After reviewing the general position of the opposing -armies, the German head-quarters fixed on the 4th of -August as the day on which offensive operations should be -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[p 76]</a></span> -begun. It was known in a sufficiently authentic way, that -there were between Metz and the Saar, four French Corps -and the Guard, the Left being at Bouzonville, south of -Saarlouis, and the Right at Bitsche; that the 1st Corps -was south of Hagenau, in Alsace, and that the two -remaining Corps were still incomplete, one being at Chalons, -the other at Belfort. It was, therefore, determined that -the Prussian Crown Prince should cross the Lauter on the -4th, while Prince Charles and General von Steinmetz, at a -later date, should move upon Saarbrück, and grapple with -the main Imperial Army as soon as they could bring the -foe to battle. Practically, the skirmish on the 2nd put -everyone on the alert. Acting, as was usual in the German -Army on their own discretion, yet still in the spirit of -their instructions, the divisional and Corps commanders at -once sprang forward to support Gneisenau; so that on the -3rd, the front lines of the First Army were nearer to the -enemy than had been prescribed, and General von Steinmetz -came up from Treves to Losheim.</p> - -<p>During this period, the Second Army had continued its -movement upon Kaiserslautern, and its cavalry had already -established a connection with the First Army. It was not -the intention of General von Moltke, who really spoke with -the voice of His Majesty, that the Saar should be crossed -until a later day. He seems to have been under the impression -that the French might still assume the offensive; -he therefore held back the somewhat impetuous Steinmetz, -and so ordered the movements that both armies should -take up positions between Tholey and Kaiserslautern, -which would enable them to act in concert. Thus, on the -3rd, the vast array between the Rhine and the Moselle, was -in motion, left in front, in other words, the Prussian Crown -Prince was the most forward, while the centre and right -were drawn together, preparatory to an advance in a -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[p 77]</a></span> -compact form. The French, it was noted with surprise, had -not only refrained from breaking the substantial bridges -over the Saar, but had left untouched the telegraph wires -and stations on both banks of the stream, so that, says the -official narrative, the Staff at Mainz were kept constantly -informed by telegrams of the enemy’s doings and bearing -near Saarbrück. Such negligence would not be credited -were it not thus authentically recorded by the General who -found it so profitable.</p> - -<p>By the 4th of August, the entire front of the Armies -advancing towards the Saar was covered by several -regiments of cavalry, actively engaged on and near the -river, especially at Saarbrück, in closely watching the -French, and sending information to the rear. There was -not a point between Pirmasens and Saarlouis which escaped -the notice of these vigilant and tireless horsemen. Behind -them came the masses of the First and Second Armies, which -latter, on the 4th, had passed “the wooded zone of Kaiserslautern,” -and had approached so closely to the First, that -a species of controversy for precedence arose between Prince -Charles and General von Steinmetz. Fearful of being -thrust into the second line, the eager old soldier wanted to -push forward on Saarbrück, and reap the laurels of the first -battle, or, at all events, keep his place at the head of the -advance. General von Moltke, who had his own plans of -ulterior action, which were not those of Steinmetz, in order -to settle the dispute, drew what he supposed would be an -effective line of demarcation between the two Armies. -He also added the 1st Corps, which had come up from -Pomerania, to the First Army; the 2nd, 10th and 12th -to the Second, and the 6th to the Third Army. While -directing the Crown Prince to cross the Lauter on the -4th, General von Moltke did not intend to pass the -Saar until the 9th, and then to act with the whole force -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[p 78]</a></span> -assembled on that side. In fact, rapidly as the business -of mobilization, the transit by railway, and the collection -of trains for so vast a body of men, horses, and guns, had -been performed, the work was not in all respects quite -complete, nor had the soldiers been able, good marchers as -they were, to cover the ground between them and the -adversary, before the date assigned.</p> - -<p>Yet Von Moltke proposed, and Von Steinmetz disposed, -although he is acquitted by his chief of any deliberate -intention to act prematurely. The latter, obliged to make -room for Prince Charles, gave directions which brought his -two leading Corps within reach of the Saar and his advanced -guards close to Völkingen and Saarbrück in actual contact -with the French outposts; and that disposition led to a -considerable battle on the 6th, a collision not anticipated -at the head-quarters in Mainz. It is, however, pointedly -declared that at the moment when he thrust himself forward -Steinmetz did not know what were the plans which had -been formed in that exalted region, to be carried out or -modified according to events, and therefore withheld from -him. The broad scheme was that the Third Army should, -after crossing the Vosges, march on Haney, and that the -First should form the pivot on which the Second Army -would wheel in turning the French position on the line of -the Moselle. Practically that was done in the end, and it -was facilitated, perhaps, by the two battles fought on the -6th of August, which shattered the French, and obliged -them to act, not as they might have wished, but as they -were compelled.</p> - -<h3>Positions on August 4.</h3> - -<p>For the sake of clearness, the positions occupied by the -rival Armies on the morning of the 4th may be succinctly -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[p 79]</a></span> -described. The French stood thus: On the right, two -divisions of the 5th Corps, one at Saareguemines, the other -at Grossbliedersdorf; in what may be called the centre, -three divisions of the 2nd Corps, on and over the frontier -immediately south of Saarbrück; three divisions of the 3rd -Corps echelonned on the high-road from Forbach to St. -Avold, with one division at Boucheporn; on the left, three -divisions of the 4th Corps, one at Ham, a second at -Teterchen, and a third at Bouzonville. The guard were in -rear of the left at Les Etangs. The position of the cavalry -it is difficult to determine, but they were not where they -should have been—feeling for and watching the enemy. -Nor is it easy to ascertain the numerical strength of the -French Army at any given moment, because the reserves -and battalions, as they could be spared from garrisons, -were constantly arriving; but on the 4th there were about -150,000 men and 500 guns in front of Metz. That -fortress, however, like all the other strong places on or near -the frontier, such as Toul, Verdun, Thionville, and Belfort, -had no garrison proper, or one quite inadequate to its -requirements.</p> - -<p>The German Armies on the 4th were posted in this -order: The Crown Prince’s was behind the Klingbach, -south of Landau, assembled at dawn for the march which -carried it over the frontier; the Second, or Central Army, -under Prince Charles, was in line of march through the -Haardt Wald by Kaiserslautern, the advanced guard of -the 4th Corps being at Homburg, and that of the 3rd at -Neunkirchen; while the Guard, the 10th, 12th, and 9th -were still north or east of Kaiserslautern, which they -passed the next day. The First Army, held back by -orders from the Great Staff, was cantonned between -Neunkirchen, Tholey, and Lebach. In front of the whole -line, from Saarlouis to Saareguemines, were several -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[p 80]</a></span> -brigades of cavalry, from which parties, both strong and -weak, were sent out constantly to discover and report on -the positions and doings of the enemy. The three Armies, -as far as can be estimated from the official figures, brought -into the field at the outset of the campaign, say the 4th of -August, the First, 83,000 men and 270 guns; the Second, -200,000 men and 630 guns; and the Third, 170,000 men -and 576 guns, an overwhelming array compared with that -mustered by the adversary. These totals include only the -active Army. The aggregate from which they were drawn -amounted to the enormous sum of 1,183,389 men and -250,373 horses, which, of course, includes garrisons, depôts, -and landwehr in course of formation. It has been laid -down on indisputable authority that the number available -for active operations, namely, that which can be put into -the field, is, in all cases, as it was in this, less than half the -nominal effective. The proportion of mobilized, to what -may be called immobilized, troops in the French Army -was for the moment, at all events, necessarily somewhat -lower than in the German, because the Imperial military -system, as we have already explained, was so clumsy, -as well as so incomplete.</p> - -<h3>The Moral and Political Forces.</h3> - -<p>One other fact may be usefully noticed, because it had -a considerable influence on the campaign. It is this—the -moral force, represented by public opinion in politics, and -in the Armies by what the French call the <i>moral</i>, which -has nothing to do with morals, but means cheerfulness, -good will, confidence—had passed wholly over to the -German side. Public opinion, which ran in a strong and -steady current, condemned the declaration of war, although -a certain superstitious belief in the invincibility of French -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[p 81]</a></span> -soldiers, at least when opposed to Germans, still prevailed, -even among military men who ought to have been better -informed and less under the sway of prejudice. While -Germany was united and hearty, and willingly obeyed an -executive which no one questioned, while Saxony and -Hanover, Würtemberg and Bavaria vied in patriotic ardour -with Pomerania and Brandenburg; there was no such -complete and consentaneous feeling in France; and there -was, on the one hand, a powerful, ambitious, and indignant -group of Imperialists, who thirsted for the possession of -office, which they strove to snatch from Emile Ollivier and -his semi-Liberal colleagues, and on the other, outside all -the Imperialist sections, the repressed, enraged, and sturdy -republicans of Paris who, it is not too much to say, waited -for the first decisive defeat of the Imperial Armies to overturn -an arbitrary system of government which they detested -on account of its treacherous origin, and dreaded, -as well as despised, while they writhed beneath its power. -Jérôme David and Clement Duvernois were resolved to -expel the so-called constitutionalists; and Gambetta, Favre, -and their friends were equally determined, if an opportunity -occurred, to destroy the Empire, root and branch. -There were no such elements of weakness beyond the -Rhine.</p> - -<p>Nor, as we shall see, did the conduct of the Empress -Eugénie, in her capacity as Regent, supply strength to the -Government or impart wisdom to its councils. She had -one dominant idea—the preservation of the dynasty—and -aided by a willing instrument, the Comte de Palikao, she -was the prime agent in the work of depriving the French -nation of the best and last chance of saving Paris from investment -and capitulation. If the political conditions were -adverse to the Imperialists in respect of unity and moral -force, they were not less so when estimated from a military -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[p 82]</a></span> -standpoint. The French Army we will not say lost courage, -but confidence, from the moment when it was brought to -a standstill. The soldiers knew quite as well as the -generals why, on the 4th of August, the larger host, -under an Emperor Napoleon, was pottering to and fro, -driven hither and thither by orders and counter-orders, in -the country north of Metz, and why the smaller, commanded -by Marshal the Duke of Magenta, was still south -of the Lauter. They knew also, from daily experience, -how imperfect the Armies were, because the weakness of -the battalions, the scarcity of provisions, the defects of -equipment, the lack of camp utensils were things which -could not be hidden. They were also inactive and unable -to develop the power which springs up in a French Army -when engaged in successful offensive operations; they -deteriorated hourly in <i>morale</i>. The Germans gained confidence -at every step they took towards the frontier, not -only because they were animated by a formidable patriotic -spirit and were eager for battle with their ancient foes, but -because each battery, squadron, and battalion had its full -complement of men, because they put trust in their royal -chief and his illustrious assistant, and because they were -intensely proud of an almost perfect war-apparatus, in -which each officer and soldier was able, so solid yet elastic -was the system of training, to harmonize obedience to -orders with, when the need arose, discretionary independent -action. So that as the huge but perfectly articulated -masses of the German Armies moved swiftly and -steadily to the frontier behind which the adversary awaited -them, they bore along in their breasts that priceless belief -in themselves and their cause which had so often carried -troops to victory, even when they were few and their foes -were many. The contrast is painfully distressing; but it -is also profoundly instructive, because when closely scrutinized -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[p 83]</a></span> -it reveals the open secrets which show, not only how -empires are lost and won, but what severe duties a great -self-respecting people must perform to obtain securities -for the right of cementing and preserving National Independence.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[p 84]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="pagenba" id="CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV.</h2> -</div> - -<p class="h2sub noskip">INVASION IN EARNEST.</p> - -<p>The first blow struck in the war—for the parade at -Saarbrück does not deserve the name of a blow—was -delivered on the Lauter by the Crown Prince. The French -Army in Alsace, commanded by Marshal MacMahon, had -been collected at Strasburg from the garrisons in the -Eastern region. At first it consisted of the 1st Corps, -which included four infantry divisions, troops of the Line, -to which were added, before the end of July, three regiments -of Zouaves, and three of native Algerians, which -were distributed among the French infantry brigades. -There were three brigades of cavalry, ninety-six guns, and -twenty-four mitrailleuses, the Emperor’s pet arm. The -Divisional Commanders were Ducrot, Abel Douay, Raoult, -and Lartigue; and the horsemen were under the orders of -Duhesme. The 7th Corps, nominally at Belfort, under -Félix Douay, actually distributed in several places, one -division being at Lyons, another at Colmar, was also within -the command of MacMahon; so that, on the 4th of August, -he was at the head of two Corps, one of which was many -miles distant from his head-quarters. He had, however, -moved forward with Ducrot and Raoult to Reichshofen and -Lartigue to Hagenau, while Abel Douay was pushed still -further northward at Wissembourg, which he reached on -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[p 85]</a></span> -the 3rd, but with a portion only of his troops. In fact, at -that date, the army of MacMahon was strung out between -the Lauter and Lyons, and even the portion which may be -described as concentrated, consisted of fragments posted or -on the march between Wissembourg and Hagenau. That -very morning, the 1st Division of the 7th Corps started by -railway from Colmar to join the Marshal. It was upon -this scattered array that the Crown Prince was advancing. -MacMahon, who had intended to assume the offensive himself -on the 7th of August, did not know how near and how -compact was the host of his foes. Abel Douay, established -on the Lauter, was obliged to part with several battalions -to keep up his communications, through Lembach, with -the main body. He sent out a party on the evening of the -3rd, and early on the 4th, yet each returned bearing back -the same report—they had seen and learned nothing of -the enemy. Indeed, it would be difficult to find a single -instance in which the researches of the French were thrust -far enough to touch the Germans, all their reconnoitring -excursions being carried on in a routine and perfunctory -manner. Nevertheless, they had a strong force of cavalry -in Alsace as well as Lorraine; but it was mostly in the -rear, rarely much, never far in front. On the other hand, -the Baden horsemen had looked, unseen themselves, into -the French cavalry camp at Selz, and the scouts on the -hills had signalled the successive arrival of battalions and -artillery at Wissembourg. It must be stated, however, -that the Germans did not know, precisely, until they came -in contact with them, what forces were in, or were within -reach of Wissembourg.</p> - -<p>The object of the German forward movement was two-fold—if -MacMahon had crossed the Vosges to join the -Emperor, Strasburg was to be invested, and the rest of the -Third Army was to pass through the hills to the Saar and -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[p 86]</a></span> -effect a junction with the Second. If the Marshal were -still east of the hills, then he was to be assailed wherever -found. Consequently, the whole Army was set in motion, -but it was by a gift of fortune, who, however, rarely favours -the imprudent, that they were enabled to defeat the division -exposed to their onset. At four and six in the -morning, the Corps moved out on a broad front stretching -from the hills to the Rhine. Bothmer’s Bavarians, on the -right, marched direct on Wissembourg, followed by the -other divisions of the Bavarian Army. Next in order, to -the left, came the 5th Corps, which was directed upon -Altenstadt; the 11th, which pushed through the Bien -Wald; and the Badeners, whose object was Lauterbourg; -while the remainder of the Army was still far to -the rear.</p> - -<h3>The Combat on the Lauter.</h3> - -<p>Wissembourg, a picturesque old town, standing upon -the Lauter at a point where it enters the plain, is defended -by walls not armed with guns, and surrounded by deep -ditches filled from the stream, one arm of which curves -through the place. There were three gates. Under the -archway of the northern, named after the town of Hagenau, -passed the great road from Strasburg, which, turning to -the eastward, quitted the ramparts by the gate of Landau. -The western gate, a mere entrance cut through the wall, -having in advance a small lunette, received the road from -Pirmasens. It took its name from the fort of Bitsche, but -the track from that place came down the folded hills by -the Col du Pigeonnier, or Dove-cote Neck, and joined the -Strasburg highway just outside the Hagenau gate. Beyond -the walls were factories, pottery fields, and mills; -above and below were the once famous Lines of the Lauter -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[p 87]</a></span> -thrown up on, and following the right bank of the stream -through the forest to Lauterbourg; while on the foot-hills -were vines, which do not add to the beauty of any scene, -and hop-gardens; and here and there the usual rows of -stiff trees bordering, yet not shading, the roads. Distant -about a mile or so to the eastward is a spur of the Vosges, -the Geisberg, thrust into the plain, falling steeply towards -it, and crowned by a substantial château, seated above -terraces difficult of access. From this elevation were visible, -spread out like a map, the woodlands stretching towards -the Rhine, the roads to the east and south, and the town, -with its railway station, now silent, near the gate of -Landau.</p> - -<p>As Abel Douay had only available about eight thousand -troops, he could not defend the approaches through the -Bien Wald, or prevent a turning movement round his right -flank. Still, had he not been under a delusion respecting -the proximity of the enemy, he could and would have destroyed -the few bridges over the Lauter, and so disposed his -troops as not to be surprised. But his scouts had reported -that the foe was not near, and thus, when the Bavarian -advance appeared on the hills at eight o’clock and opened -fire from a battery, the French soldiers were engaged in the -ordinary routine of camp labours. Startled by the guns, -they ran to their arms with alacrity; but an encounter -begun under such conditions is always disadvantageous to -the assailed. General Douay, an able soldier, came to a -rapid decision. He placed two battalions in the town, -another with a battery at the railway station, and posted -the rest and twelve guns on the slopes of the Geisberg. -The walls and ditches of the town, the railway buildings, -and part of the Lauter Lines, brought the Bavarians to a -stand, and the combat of small arms and artillery on this -point continued amid the vineyards and hop-grounds, while -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[p 88]</a></span> -the German centre and Left were swinging round through -the forest. The operation occupied considerable time, as -two hours passed by, from the firing of the first gun, before -the leading battalions of the 5th Corps were brought into -play. At length, they came into action against the railway -station, and as the 11th Corps had also developed an attack -on the Geisberg from the east, it was evident that the -combat could not last long. The combined efforts of the -Bavarians and the Prussians, after severe fighting and -some loss, drove the French out of the station, and captured -the town, together with a battalion of the French regiment -of the Line, the 74th, which was cut off, and forced to surrender. -The assailants had penetrated by the gates after -they had been broken in by artillery, and thus the town -was won. It was really the strong pivot of the defence, and -its resistance delayed the onset upon the Geisberg for some -time. In the meantime, General Abel Douay had been -killed by the explosion of the ammunition attached to a -mitrailleuse battery; and the command had devolved upon -General Pellé.</p> - -<p>The whole stress of the action now fell upon the Geisberg -and its castle. The height was steep, the building pierced -for musketry and strong enough to resist anything but -cannon-shot. The front was approached by successive -terraces, and there was a hop-garden near by on the -Altenstadt road. The main body of the French and all -their artillery, except one disabled gun which had been -captured after a sharp fight, were on the hills to the south, -threatened every moment on their right flank by the development -of the 11th Corps which had entered the area -of battle. The little garrison in the castle made a stout -resistance, slew many of the assailants, who swarmed upon -all sides, and compelled the more daring among them to -seek shelter at the foot of the walls. Then the Germans -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[p 89]</a></span> -with great labour brought up in succession four batteries, -by whose fire alone they could hope to master the obstinate -defenders who had manned even the tiled roof with riflemen. -Surrounded, threatened with the weight of twenty-four -guns, and seeing their comrades outside in full retreat, -the garrison which had done its uttermost, surrendered as -prisoners of war. They were two hundred, had killed and -wounded enemies amounting to three-fourths of their own -number, and had seriously injured General von Kirchbach, -the commander of the 5th Corps. When the castle had -fallen the French retired altogether. Making only one -show of resistance they disappeared among the hills, and -what is remarkable were not pursued, for the Crown Prince -riding up, halted all the troops and even the cavalry who -were in full career on the track of the enemy. The Germans -lost in killed and wounded no fewer than 1,550 -officers and men; but the French loss is not exactly known. -They left behind, however, nearly a thousand unwounded -prisoners, their camp, and one gun.</p> - -<p>It may fairly be said of this combat, especially considering -they were surprised and greatly outnumbered, that the -French sustained their old renown as fighting men and that -the first defeat, although severe, reflected no discredit on the -soldiers of the 1st Corps. By no chance could they have -successfully withstood the well-combined and powerful onsets -of their more numerous adversaries. Nevertheless, -the death of Douay, the defeat, and the disorganization of -the division had a profound moral effect, keenly felt at -Metz and more keenly in Hagenau and Reichshofen. -Marshal MacMahon called for instant aid from the 7th -Corps; and the Emperor, moved by the news, decided to -send him the 5th Corps, which General de Failly was at -once ordered to assemble at Bitsche and then move up the -great road to Reichshofen. In the German head-quarters -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[p 90]</a></span> -and camps, on the contrary, there was rejoicing and that -natural accession of confidence in the breasts of the soldiers -now pressing towards the Saar which springs up in fuller -vigour than ever when they learn that their common -standard has floated victoriously over the first foughten field. -The First and Second Armies were still distant from the -rocky steeps and thick woods where they also were to gain -the day; but the Third Army, which, by the way, was a -fair representative of South and North Germany, had -actually crossed the frontier, had penetrated into Alsace, -through woods and field-works and over streams renowned -in story, and had inflicted a sharp defeat upon the Gallic -troops, whose rulers had challenged the Teutons to wager -of battle.</p> - -<p>It is admitted that, on the evening of August 4th, the -Germans had lost touch of the adversary. The reason was -that the 4th Cavalry Division, which had been ordered -up by the Crown Prince early in the day, had found the -roads blocked by an Infantry Corps, and the vexatious -delay prevented the horsemen from reaching the front -before nightfall. So difficult is it to move dense masses of -men, horses, and guns, in accurate succession through a -closed country, along cross-roads and field-lanes. The few -squadrons at hand were not strong enough to pursue on -the several roads which radiate from Wissembourg, and -the defect could not be remedied until the next day. It -was known that the fugitives could not have followed the -southern roads, yet there were hostile troops in that direction, -and it was surmised that they must have retreated -into the highlands by the western track, yet they might -have traversed another way, lying under the foot of the -hills. On the 5th of August, the cavalry, starting out at -daylight, soon gathered up accurate information. General -von Bernhardi, with a brigade of Uhlans, rode forward on -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[p 91]</a></span> -the highway, into the Hagenau forest, where he was stopped -by a broken bridge guarded by infantry; but he heard the -noise of trains, the whistling of engines, and, of course, inferred -the movement of troops; while on the east, nearer -the Rhine, the squadrons sent in that direction were turned -back both by infantry and barricaded roads. Towards the -west, a squadron of Uhlans crossed the Sauer at Gunstett, -a place we shall soon meet again; while Colonel Schauroth’s -Hussars found the bridge at Woerth broken, were fired on -by guns and riflemen, and saw large bodies in motion on -the heights beyond the stream. Hence it was inferred that -the army of MacMahon was in position about Reichshofen, -an inference confirmed by the reports from the Bavarians -who had marched on Lembach, from the 5th Corps whose -leading columns attained Preuschdorf, with outposts towards -Woerth, and from the Badeners on the left, who -found the enemy retiring westward. At night, the Crown -Prince’s Army had not wholly crossed the frontier. In -front, were Hartmann’s Bavarians at Lembach, the 5th -Corps before Woerth, the 11th, on the railway as far as -Surburg; the Badeners on their left rear behind the Selz; -Von der Tann’s Bavarians at Ingolsheim, and the head-quarters -and 4th Cavalry Division at Soultz, otherwise -Sulz. The 6th Corps—having one division at Landau, -formed a reserve. MacMahon’s troops, except Conseil-Dumesnil’s -division of the 7th Corps, near Hagenau, -were all in position between Morsbronn and Neehwiller -behind the Sulz and the Sauer, a continuous line of water -which separated the rival outposts. The Emperor had -placed the 5th Corps at the disposal of MacMahon, yet he -finally detained one-half of Lapasset’s division at Saareguemines, -and drew it to himself; while that of Guyot de -Lespart was sent, on the 6th, towards Niederbronn, and -Goze’s, not wholly assembled at Bitsche on the 5th, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[p 92]</a></span> -remained with General de Failly, who, at no moment in the -campaign—such was his ill-fortune—had his entire Corps -under his orders.</p> - -<h3>French Position on the Saar.</h3> - -<p>We may now revert to the positions occupied by the -rivals on both banks of the Saar, in order to complete the -survey of an extensive series of operations which stretched -without a break, in a military sense, from the Rhine -opposite Rastadt, towards the confluence of the Saar and -Moselle. If the German Head-Quarter Staff at Mainz, -considering how well it was served, and what pains were -taken to acquire information, remained in some doubt as to -the positions and projects of the Imperialists, at Metz, ill-served -and hesitating, all was bewilderment and conjecture. -Neither the Emperor Napoleon, nor his chief adviser -Marshal Lebœuf, seemed capable of grasping the situation -now rapidly becoming perilous to them; they had, indeed, -fallen under an influence which tells so adversely on inferior -minds—dread of the adversary’s combinations; and, perplexed -by the scraps of intelligence sent in from the front, -they adopted no decisive resolution, but waited helplessly -on events. No serious attempt was made to concentrate -the Army in a good position where it could fight, or -manœuvre, or retreat, although, as General Frossard and -Marshal Bazaine both state such a central defensive position -had been actually studied and marked out, in 1867. -Whether the occupation of the country between Saareguemines -and Œtingen would have produced a favourable -effect on the campaign or not, it would have prevented the -Army from being crushed in detail, and have given another -turn to the war. But there was no firmness nor insight at -Metz. The orders issued by the Emperor look like the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[p 93]</a></span> -work of an amateur who had read much of war, but who -possessed neither the instincts of the born soldier, nor the -indefatigable industry and business-like skill of a man who, -thrust into an unwonted employment, compelling him to -face hard realities, endeavours to cope with them by a steady -and intelligent application of the principles of common -sense.</p> - -<p>On the morning of the 4th, the Emperor did no more -than shift his left wing a little nearer to his centre, by -bringing General de Ladmirault into closer contact with -Marshal Bazaine, leaving Frossard in front of Saarbrück, -and directing De Failly to assemble two divisions at -Bitsche, and report to Marshal MacMahon. The notion -prevailing in the Imperial head-quarters was, that the Germans -designed to march upon Nancy, which was not their -plan at all, and that the 7th Corps, reported to be on the -march from Treves, might make an offensive movement to -protect Saarlouis, forgetting, as Frossard observes, that -their rule was concentration and not isolated operations; -and that the railroad from Saarbrück afforded the only -serious inlet into Lorraine. In the evening the news of -Abel Douay’s defeat and “wound,” not death, reached -Metz, and created alarm, but did not cause any serious -modification of the Imperial plans. The next day the -Emperor, still retaining the supreme direction of the Army, -and keeping the Guard to himself, formally handed over -the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Corps to Marshal Bazaine, “for -military operations only;” and the 1st, 5th, partly at -Bitsche, and 7th, mainly at Belfort, to Marshal MacMahon. -The incomplete 6th Corps, under Marshal Canrobert, had -not yet moved out from the camp at Chalons. Thus, -there were practically two Corps remote from the decisive -points, and one in an intermediate position, so handled by -the Imperial Commander as to be useless. Not only was -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[p 94]</a></span> -the force called out for war scattered over an extensive -area, but—and the fact should be borne in mind—the -fortresses were without proper and effective garrisons, and, -what was equally important, they had no adequate stores -of provisions, arms, and munitions; while the great works -at Metz itself, upon which such reliance had been placed, -were far from being in a defensive condition. Early on -the 5th, in answer to a suggestion from Frossard, who -was always urging concentration, the Emperor directed -him, yet not until the 6th, to fix his head-quarters at Forbach, -and draw his divisions round about in such a manner -that, when ordered, he might remove his head-quarters to -St. Avold; instructions which left him in doubt, and inspired -him with anxiety. During the evening, however, -acting on his own discretion, he thought it fit to place his -troops in fresh positions, somewhat to the rear on the uplands -of Spicheren, with one division, upon higher ground -in the rear, yet that step, though an improvement, did not -remove his apprehension respecting his left flank, which -had been weakened by the withdrawal of Montaudon’s -division of the 3rd Corps to Saareguemines. General -Frossard has been much censured, but he was a man of -real ability, and almost the only general who, from first to -last, always took the precaution of covering his front with -field works.</p> - -<h3>German Position on the Saar.</h3> - -<p>We have indicated, in the preceding chapter, the stages -attained by the First and Second German Armies on the -4th; and have now only to repeat, for the sake of clearness, -a summary of their array on the evening of the 5th. The -several Corps of the Second were still moving up towards -the Saar. The 4th Corps was at Einöd and Homburg, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[p 95]</a></span> -the Guard near Landstuhl; the 9th about Kaiserslautern, -and the 12th a march to the rear. Further westward, -the 10th halted at Cusel, and the 3rd was in its front, -between St. Wendel and Neunkirchen. The First Army -remained in the villages where it was located on the 4th, -that is the 7th and 8th between Lebach and Steinweiler, -with one division of the incomplete First Corps at Birkenfeld. -On the evening of that day, however, General -Steinmetz issued an order of movement for the next, -which carried the leading columns of the 7th and 8th -close to Saarbrück, and, as a consequence, brought on -the battle of Spicheren, the narrative of which sanguinary -and spirited fight will fall into its natural place later -on. As the main current of the campaign flowed Metzward, -it will be convenient to recount, first, the operations -of the Crown Prince’s Army, which though in a -measure subsidiary, produced more telling and decisive -effects upon the fortunes of the French, than the engagement -which broke down their foremost line of battle on -the Saar.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[p 96]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="pagenba" id="CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V.</h2> -</div> - -<p class="h2sub">TWO STAGGERING BLOWS.</p> - -<h3 class="noskip"><span class="norm">1.—</span>Woerth.</h3> - -<p>Alike in Alsace and Lorraine, the actions which made -the 6th of August a date so memorable in this -swiftly moving war were undesigned on the part of the -assailant and unexpected on the part of the assailed. In -other words, as General von Moltke did not intend to throw -the force of his right and centre against the main body of -the Imperialists until all the Corps were closer to the -frontier and to each other, so the Crown Prince proposed -to employ the day in changing front from the south to the -west and then direct his serried lines upon the front and -flanks of MacMahon’s Army, which he confidently expected -to find in position behind the Sulz and the Sauer, covering -the road to Bitsche. The despatches of the French Marshal -also show that he counted on a day’s respite, since his -orders to De Failly were that the two divisions commanded -by that ill-used officer were to march on the 6th to join -the 1st Corps, so that they might be in line to fight a -battle on the following day. But De Failly, harassed by -fluctuating orders from Metz, shifted hither and thither, -now to the right, now to the left, and never permitted to -keep his Corps in hand, was unable to do more than start -one division on the road to Reichshofen, while he assembled -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[p 97]</a></span> -the other at Bitsche, and left one-half the third on the -Saar to share the misfortunes of Napoleon and Bazaine. -No such hesitation and infirmity of purpose characterized -the conduct of the German commanders. They had well-defined -plans, indeed, and issued clear and precise orders, -yet both the one and the other were so framed that they -could be modified to deal with unexpected incidents, and -adapted at once to the actually ascertained circumstances -of the moment, which is the very essence of war. The -spirit of the German training gives a large discretion to -superior officers, who are taught to apply the rules issued -for their guidance to the military situation which, in the -field, is certain to vary from day to day, or even from hour -to hour. Moreover, a German general who attacks is -certain to receive the ready support of comrades who may -be near, while those more remote, who hear the sound of -battle or receive a request for help, at once hasten forward, -reporting the fact to, without awaiting orders from, superior -authority. Nothing testifies more effectively to the -soundness of the higher education in the Prussian military -system than the fact that it is possible not only to confer -these large powers on subordinates, but to encourage the -use of them. At the same time it must be acknowledged -that, in any army where the officers do not make the study -of war their daily and hourly business, and where the best -of the best are not selected for command and staff duty, -the latitude enjoyed by the Germans could not be granted, -because its capricious and unintelligent use would lead to -needless bloodshed, the frustration of great designs, and -perhaps shameful defeat.</p> - -<p>It has been already stated that both commanders had -intended to assume the offensive and fight a battle on the -7th, the Crown Prince proposing to bring up the greater -part of his Army and envelop the French, and Marshal -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[p 98]</a></span> -MacMahon, who thought he was dealing with the heads of -columns, having drawn up a plan to attack the Germans in -front with the 1st and turn their right flank with the 5th -Corps. Had he known how strong and how compact was -the array of his opponent he never could have framed a -scheme which would have transferred to the enemy all the -advantages possessed by himself. The contingency of a -forward movement on his part had been foreseen and -guarded against, and the precautions adopted on the -evening of the 5th would have become far more formidable -had the next day passed by without a battle. But those -very protective measures, as will be seen, tended to precipitate -a conflict by bringing the troops into contact on -the front and left flank of the French position. Marshal -MacMahon had selected and occupied exceptionally strong -ground. He posted his divisions on a high plateau west of -the Sauer and the Sulz, between Neehwiller and Eberbach, -having Froeschwiller as a kind of redoubt in the centre, -and the wooded slopes of the hills running steeply down to -the brooks in his front. The left wing, where General -Ducrot commanded, was thrown back to guard the passages -through the woodlands, which led down the right bank of -the Sulz from Mattstal into the position. The centre -fronted Woerth, which was not occupied, and the right, -without leaning on any special protective obstacle, was in -the woods and villages south-east of Elsasshausen, with reserves -in the rear which, says the German official narrative, -together with the open country, were a sufficient guard -against a direct flank attack, an opinion not justified by -the result. The Sauer was deep, the bridges had been -broken, and the ascents on the French side were prolonged, -except on one point, and swept by musketry and cannon. -Among the vines and copses, in the villages and farmsteads, -everywhere protected by open ground, over which an -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[p 99]</a></span> -assailant must pass, stood the French Army—Ducrot on -the left, facing north-west, Raoult in the centre, Lartigue -on the right, having behind him Conseil-Dumesnil’s -division of the 7th Corps. Pellé, who succeeded Abel -Douay, was in reserve; and the cavalry were partly in rear -of the right, and partly behind the centre. The official -German history speaks of the position as especially strong, -regards the mass of troops seated there, put down at forty-five -thousand men, as amply sufficient for a vigorous -defence, and contends that the defect of numbers was -balanced by a respectable artillery and the superiority of -the Chassepot over the far-famed needle-gun. A Bavarian -soldier-author, Captain Hugo Helvig, however, says that -the ground held by the French had all the disadvantages -of so-called “unassailable” positions—it had no issues to -the front, consequently the defenders could not become the -assailants; its right was “in the air” and its left “rested -on that most doubtful of all supports to wings—a wood.” -Thus the Bavarian captain differs from the General Staff. -The fact seems to be that the position was so formidable -that it could only be carried by onsets on both flanks, which, -of course, implies that the assailant must have the control -of superior numbers. Another point to be noted is that -the great road to Bitsche was a prolongation of the front -and in rear of the left, and that, as happened, in case of a -severe defeat, the temptation would be all powerful to retreat -by cross roads on Saverne, that is, away from instead -of towards the main body of the Imperial Army. Marshal -MacMahon had hoped to be the assailant, but he held that -if the German Army continued its march southward beyond -Hagenau, he would have to retreat, a movement the -Crown Prince was not likely to make, since the orders -from the King’s head-quarters were to seek out and fight -the enemy wherever he might be found, a rule which -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[p 100]</a></span> -governed all the German operations up to the fatal day of -Sedan.</p> - -<p>Early on the morning of the 6th, the German columns -were approaching, from the north and the east, the strong -position just described. Hartmann’s Bavarians, after -marching westward through the Hochwald to Mattstal, -had turned south, down the Sulzbach. The 5th Corps, in -position overnight at Preuschdorf, had, of course, strong -advanced posts between Goersdorf and Dieffenbach, while -von der Tann’s Bavarians were on the march from Ingolsheim, -also through the lower Hochwald road, by Lampertsloch -upon Goersdorf and the Sauer. Further to the left, -the 11th Corps and Von Werder’s combined divisions -were wheeling up to the right, so as to extend the line -on the outer flank of the 5th Corps. The Hochwald rose -five or six hundred feet above the battlefield. Like most -uplands, it was intersected by vales and country roads, and -nearly every hollow had its beck which flowed into the -principal stream. This was the Sauer. Rising in hills -beyond Lembach, it ran in a southerly direction along the -whole German front, receiving the Sulz at Woerth, and -dividing into two streams opposite Gunstett. These greater -and lesser brooks, though spanned by few bridges, were well -supplied with mills, which always facilitate the passage of -streams. Large villages, also, filled up the valley bottoms -here and there, and the country abounded in cultivation. -Through this peopled and industrious region the main -roads ran from north to south, generally speaking, the road -and railway from Bitsche to Hagenau, and on to Strasburg, -passing in rear of MacMahon’s position close to Niederbronn -and Reichshofen, and another highway to Hagenau, a -common centre for roads in these parts, descended from -Lembach, and, after crossing, followed the right bank of -the Sauer. Thus there were plenty of communications in -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[p 101]</a></span> -all directions, despite the elevated, wooded and broken -character of a district, wherein all arms could move freely, -except cavalry.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="woerth"> - <a href="images/woerth_large.jpg"> - <img src="images/woerth_inline.jpg" alt="" /></a> - - <div class="caption">PLAN I: BATTLE of WOERTH, <span - class="smaller">ABOUT NOON</span></div> - - <div class="subcapit">Weller & - Graham L<span class="sup">td</span>. Lithos.  - London, Bell & Sons</div> -</div> - -<h3>The Battle Begins.</h3> - -<p>The action was brought on by the eagerness of each side -to discover the strength and intentions of the other. In -this way, General von Walther, at daybreak, riding towards -the Sauer, hearing noises in the French camp, which he -construed to mean preparations for a retreat, ordered out a -battery and some infantry, to test the accuracy of his observations. -The guns cannonaded Woerth, and the -skirmishers, finding the town unoccupied, but the bridge -broken, forded the stream, and advanced far enough to draw -fire from the French foot and four batteries. The Prussian -guns, though fewer, displayed that superiority over the -French which they maintained throughout, and the observant -officers above Woerth knew, by the arrival of the -ambulance men on the opposite hills, that their shells had -told upon the enemy. The skirmish ceased after an hour -had passed, but it served to show that the French were -still in position. Opposite Gunstett there stood a Bruch-Mühle, -or mill in the marsh, and in this place the Germans -had posted a company, supported by another in the vines. -Their purpose was to protect the left flank of the 5th -Corps, and keep up a connection with the 11th, then on -the march. The French sent forward, twice, bodies of -skirmishers against the mill, supporting them the second -time by artillery, and setting the mill on fire; but on -neither occasion did they press the attack, and the Germans -retained a point of passage which proved useful later in -the day.</p> - -<p>These affairs at Woerth and Gunstett ceased about eight -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[p 102]</a></span> -o’clock, but the cannonade at the former, echoing among -the hills to the north, brought the Bavarians down the -Sulz at a sharp pace, and thus into contact with Ducrot’s -division. For General Hartmann, on the highlands, could -see the great camp about Froeschwiller, and, directing his -4th Division on that place, and ordering up the reserve -artillery from Mattstal, the General led his men quickly -down the valley. An ineffective exchange of cannon-shots -at long range ensued; but as the Bavarians emerged into -the open, they came within reach of the French artillery. -Nevertheless they persisted, until quitting the wood, they -were overwhelmed by the Chassepot and fell back. A stiff -conflict now arose on a front between Neehwiller and the -Saw Mill on the Sulz, and even on the left bank of this -stream, down which the leading columns of a Bavarian -brigade had made their way. In short, Hartmann’s zealous -soldiers, working forward impetuously, had fairly fastened -on to the French left wing, striking it on the flank which -formed an angle to the main line of battle, and holding it -firmly on the ground. The French, however, had no thought -of retiring, and besides, at that moment, they had the -vantage. When the combat had lasted two hours, General -von Hartmann received an order directing him to break it -off, and he began at once his preparations to withdraw. -The task was not easy, and before it was far advanced a -request arrived from the Commander of the 5th Corps for -support, as he was about to assail the heights above Woerth. -It was heartily complied with, all the more readily, as the -roar of a fierce cannonade to the south swept up the valley; -but as the Bavarians had begun to withdraw, some time -elapsed before the engagement on this side could be -strenuously renewed.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[p 103]</a></span></p> - -<h3>Attack on Woerth.</h3> - -<p>We have already said that the Crown Prince, not having -all his Corps in compact order, did not intend to fight a -battle until the next day. But what befell was this. The -officer at the head of the staff of the 5th Corps reached -the front after the reconnaissance on Woerth was over. -Just as he rode up, the smoke of Hartmann’s guns was -visible on one side, and the noise of the skirmishers at -Gunstett on the other. In order to prevent the French -from overwhelming either, it was agreed, there and then, -to renew the contest, and shortly after nine o’clock the -artillery of the 5th Corps, ranged on the heights, opened -fire. At the same time, a portion of the 11th Corps, -hearing the guns, had moved up rapidly towards Gunstett, -and three of their batteries were soon in line. Thus, the -Bavarians rushed into battle in order to support the 5th -Corps, this body resumed the combat to sustain the -Bavarians, and the advanced guard of the 11th fell on -promptly, because the 5th seemed in peril. The Prussian -artillery soon quelled, not the ardour, but the fire of the -French gunners; and then the infantry, both in the centre -and on the left, went steadily into action, passing through -Woerth, and beginning to creep up the opposite heights. -They made no way, and many men fell, while further down -the stream, opposite Spachbach and Gunstett, part of the -troops which had gone eagerly towards the woods, were -smitten severely, and driven back headlong over the river. -Still some clung to the hollow ways, Woerth was always -held fast, and when the foot recoiled before the telling -Chassepot, the eighty-four pieces in battery lent their aid, -averted serious pursuit, and flung a shower of shells into -the woods. It was at this period that the defect of the -French position became apparent. If the hardy Gauls -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[p 104]</a></span> -could repel an onset, they could not, in turn, deliver a -counter stroke, because the advantages of the defensive -would pass, in that case, to the adversary. But the Germans -across the Sauer, who still held their ground, had -much to endure, and were only saved by the arrival of fresh -troops, and by seeking every available shelter from the incessant -rifle fire. In the meantime, the 11th Corps was -marching to the sound of the guns. General von Bose, -its commander, had reached Gunstett in the forenoon, and, -seeing how matters stood, had called up his nearest division, -had ordered the other to advance on the left, and had informed -Von Werder that an action had begun, in consequence -whereof the Badeners and Würtembergers were also -directed on the Sauer.</p> - -<p>It was about one o’clock when the Crown Prince rode up -to the front and took command. He had ridden out from -Soultz at noon, because he plainly heard the sounds of -conflict, and on his road had been met by an officer from -Von Kirchbach, bearing a report which informed the Commander-in-Chief -that it was no longer possible to stop the -fray. At the time he arrived, the advanced brigade of Von -der Tann’s Bavarians had thrust itself into the gap between -Preuschdorf and Goersdorf, and had brought three batteries -into action, but the remainder of the Corps were still in the -rear. The Crown Prince thus found his front line engaged -without any reserve close at hand, and that no progress had -been made either on the centre or the wings; but he knew -that the latter would be quickly reinforced, and that the -former, sustained by two hundred guns, constituted an -ample guarantee against an offensive movement. No better -opportunity of grappling with a relatively weak enemy was -likely to occur, and it was to be feared that if the chance -were offered, he would escape from a dangerous situation -by skilfully extricating his Army. The Crown Prince, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[p 105]</a></span> -therefore, determined to strike home, yet qualifying his -boldness with caution, he still wished to delay the attack in -front and flank until the troops on the march could reach -the battlefield. No such postponement was practicable, -even if desirable, because the fighting Commander of the -5th Corps had already, before the advice came to hand, -flung his foremost brigades over the Sauer. So the action -was destined to be fought out, from beginning to end, on -places extemporized by subordinate officers; but they were -adapted to the actual facts, and in accordance with the -main idea which was sketched by the Chief. It may be -said, indeed, that the battle of Woerth was brought on, -worked out, and completed by the Corps commanders; -and the cheerful readiness with which they supported each -other, furnished indisputable testimony to the soundness -of their training, the excellence of the bodies they commanded, -and the formidable character, as well as the -suppleness of the military institutions, which, if not -founded, had been carried so near to perfection by Von -Roon, Von Moltke and the King.</p> - -<p>Begun in the early morning by a series of skirmishes on -the river front, the action had developed into a battle -at mid-day. The resolute Von Kirchbach, acting on his -own responsibility, had thrown the entire 5th Corps into -the fight; yet so strong was the position occupied by -the defenders, that a successful issue depended upon the -rapidity and energy with which the assaults on both flanks -were conducted by brigades and divisions only then entering -one after the other upon a fiercely contested field. At -mid-day, the French line of battle had been nowhere broken -or imperilled. Hartmann’s Bavarians on one side had -been checked; the advance brigade of the 11th Corps, -on the other, had been driven back over the Sauer, and -Lartigue’s troops were actually pressing upon the bridges -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[p 106]</a></span> -near the mill in the marsh, which, however, they could not -pass. The enormous line of German guns restrained and -punished the French infantry, when not engaged in silencing -the inferior artillery of the defender. But no impression -had been made upon the wooded heights filled with -the soldiers of Ducrot, upon Raoult’s men in the centre -above Woerth, or on Lartigue’s troops, who, backed by -Conseil-Dumesnil, stood fast about Morsbronn, Eberbach, -and Elsasshausen. So it was at noon, when the hardihood -of Von Kirchbach forced on a decisive issue. Passing his -men through, and on both sides of Woerth, he began a -series of sustained attacks upon Raoult, who stiffly contested -every foot of woodland, and even repelled the assailants, -who, nevertheless, fighting with perseverance, and -undismayed by the slaughter, gradually gained a little -ground on both sides of the road to Froeschwiller. By -comparatively slow degrees, they crept up the slopes, and -established a front of battle; but the regiments, battalions, -companies, were all mixed together, and, as the officers fell -fast, the men had often to depend upon themselves. While -these alternately advancing, receding, and yet again advancing -troops were grappling with the centre, Hartmann renewed -his onsets, part of Von der Tann’s Corps dashed -over the Sauer, filling up the gap in the line, and joining -his right to Hartmann’s left; and the leading brigades -of a fresh division of the 11th Corps, moving steadily -and swiftly over the river below Gunstett, backed by all -the cannon which the nature of the ground permitted the -gunners to use, assailed the French right with measured -and sustained fury, and, indeed, decided the battle.</p> - -<h3>Attack on the French right.</h3> - -<p>The French were posted in great force on their right—where -they had two divisions, one in rear of the other, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[p 107]</a></span> -between the Sauer and the Eberbach, having in support a -powerful brigade of horsemen, Cuirassiers and Lancers, -under General Michel. The infantry, as a rule, faced to -the eastward; while the attacking columns not only fronted -to the westward, but also to the north-west; in other -words, they fastened on the front from Spachbach, struck -diagonally at the outer flank from Morsbronn, and even -swept round towards the rear. The area of the combat on -this part of the field was included on an oblong space -bounded on the west by the Eberbach, and on the east by -the Sauer, having Morsbronn at the south-eastern angle -and outside the French lines; Albrechtshaüser, a large -farmstead, a little to the north of the former, and opposite -Gunstett; and beyond that point to the north-west the -undulating wooded uplands, called the Niederwald, whence -the ground slightly fell towards Elsasshausen, and rose -again to a greater height at Froeschwiller, the centre and -redoubt of the position. As the 22nd Division of the 11th -Corps came up from Dürrenbach, they broke obliquely -into this oblong, the direction of their attack mainly following -the cross road through the forest from Morsbronn to -Elsasshausen, while their comrades pierced the woods to -the north of the great farmstead. No difficulty was encountered -in expelling the handful of French from the -village, but at the farm the Germans had a sharper combat, -which they won by a converging movement, yet the defenders -had time to retire into the forest. Thus two useful -supports were secured, almost perpendicular to the French -flank, and the pathways leading towards Reichshofen were -uncovered. General Lartigue at once discerned the peril, -and, in order that he might obtain time to throw back his -right, he directed General Michel to charge the left flank of -the Germans before they could recover from the confusion -consequent on a rapid and irregular advance through the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[p 108]</a></span> -villages, outbuildings, and hopfields, and array a less -broken front.</p> - -<p>The French cavalry appear to have considered that their -main function was restricted to combats in great battles. -The traditions handed down from the days of Kellerman -and Murat and Lasalle survived in all their freshness, and -the belief prevailed that a charge of French horseman, -pushed home, would ride over any infantry, even in serried -formation. They had disdained to reckon with the breech-loader -in the hands of cool, well-disciplined opponents; -and as their chance of acting on their convictions had -come, so they were ready and willing to prove how strong -and genuine was their faith in the headlong valour of -resolute cavaliers. Instead of using one regiment, Michel -employed both, and a portion of the 6th lancers as well. -He started forth from his position near Eberbach, his -horsemen formed in echelon from the right, the 8th Cuirassiers -leading in column of squadrons, followed by the 9th -and the Lancers. Unluckily for them, they had to traverse -ground unsuitable for cavalry. Here groups of trees, there -stumps, and again deep drains, disjointed the close formations, -and when they emerged into better galloping ground, -indeed before they had quitted the obstructions, these -gallant fellows were exposed to the deadly fire of the -needle-gun. Nevertheless, with fiery courage, the Cuirassiers -dashed upon the scattered German infantry, who, -until the cavalry approached, had been under a hail of -shot from the Chassepots in the Niederwald. Yet the -Teutons did not quail, form square, or run into groups—they -stood stolidly in line, hurled out a volley at three -hundred yards, and then smote the oncoming horsemen -with unintermitted fire. The field was soon strewn with -dead and wounded men and horses; yet the survivors -rushed on, and sought safety by riding round the German -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[p 109]</a></span> -line or through the village, where they were brought to bay, -and captured by the score. Each regiment, as it rode -hardily into the fray, met with a similar fate, and even the -fugitives who got into the rear were encountered by a -Prussian Hussar regiment, and still further scattered, so -that very few ever wandered back into the French lines. -As a charge Michel’s valiant onset was fruitless; yet the -sacrifice of so many brave horsemen secured a great object—it -enabled General Lartigue to throw back his right, rearrange -his defensive line in the woods, and renew the contest -by a series of violent counter-attacks.</p> - -<p>A furious outburst of the French infantry from the -south-west angle of the Niederwald overpowered the German -infantry, and drove them completely out of the farmstead -so recently won. Yet the victors could not hold the -place, because the batteries north of Gunstett at once -struck and arrested them with a heavy fire, which gave -time for fresh troops to move rapidly into line, restore the -combat, and once more press back the dashing French infantry -into the wood. On this point the fighting was -rough and sustained, for the French charged again and -again, and did not give way until the Germans on their -right, forcing their way through the wood, had crowned a -summit which turned the line. The sturdy adversary, who -yielded slowly, was now within the forest, and the German -troops on the left had come up to Eberbach, capturing -MacMahon’s baggage, thus developing a connected front -from stream to stream across the great woodland. In -short, nearly all the 11th Corps was solidly arrayed, and -in resistless motion upon the exposed flank of MacMahon’s -position, while part of the Würtembergers, with -some horse, were stretching forward beyond the Eberbach, -and heading for Reichshofen itself. The Germans, -indeed, had gained the north-western border of the woodland, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[p 110]</a></span> -and General von Bose had ordered the one-half of -his guns and his reserve of foot to cross the Sauer, and -push the battle home. His right was now in connection -with the left of the 5th Corps, which had continued its -obstinate and sanguinary conflict with Raoult’s division on -both sides of the road from Woerth to Froeschwiller, without -mastering much ground. As the Bavarians were -equally held at bay by the French left, the issue of the -battle plainly depended on the vigorous and unfaltering -energies of the 11th Corps.</p> - -<h3>Attack on Elsasshausen.</h3> - -<p>That fine body had been in action for two hours and a -half, and, despite a long march on to the field, was still -fresh, its too impetuous advanced brigade, alone, having -been roughly handled, and thrust back earlier in the day. -The task now before them was the capture of Elsasshausen, -which would open the road to Froeschwiller, take off the -pressure from the 5th Corps, place Ducrot’s steadfast -infantry in peril, and enable the whole available mass of -German troops to close in upon the outnumbered remnant of -MacMahon’s devoted Army. For these brave men, although -obliged to give ground, were fighting in a manner worthy -of their old renown, now dashing forward in vehement -onslaughts, again striking heavy blows when overpowered -and thrust back. Lartigue’s and some of Raoult’s troops -stood on the right and left of Elsasshausen, supported by -batteries on the higher ground, and two cavalry brigades -in a hollow near the Eberbach. The foremost infantry -occupied a copse which was separated from the main forest -by a little glade, and this defensive wooded post had, so -far, brought the extreme right of the 11th Corps to a -stand. About half-past two, the centre and left had come -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[p 111]</a></span> -up to the north-western edge of the Niederwald, and thus -the French in the copse had fresh foes on their hands. -They replied by a bold attack upon the adversary, whose -front lines of skirmishers were immediately driven in. -The gallant effort carried the assailants into the great -wood, but not far; for behind the flying skirmishers, on -both sides of the road, were troops which had more or less -maintained a compact formation. Instead of yielding -before the French advance, the German infantry, accepting -the challenge, came steadily forward along the whole front, -bore down the skirmishers, dispersed the supporting battalion, -and, following the enemy with unfaltering steps, -crossed the glade, and drove him into, and out of, the -copse-wood, which had hitherto been an impassable obstacle. -As the entire line rushed forward, they arrived at the skirt -of the wood, and, coming at once under the fire of the -French guns on the heights, and the infantry in Elsasshausen, -they suffered severe losses. Then their own artillery -drove up and went into action, setting the village on -fire, yet not dismaying its garrison. The tension was so -great, and the men fell so fast, that General von Bose -resolved to risk a close attack upon an enemy whose -position was critical, and whose endurance had been put to -so exhausting a strain.</p> - -<p>Thereupon, at the welcome signal, the bands of disordered -foot soldiers—for nearly every atom of regular -formation had long disappeared—dashed, with loud shouts, -into the French position, carrying the village at a bound, -and, pushing up the hillsides, took two guns and five -mitrailleuses. The troops of the 11th had now crossed -the deep road running south-westward from Woerth, had -effected a junction with groups of several regiments belonging -to the 5th, which formed a sort of spray upon -the inner flank; and had besides, as already noted, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[p 112]</a></span> -extended south-westward towards the road to Reichshofen. -Once more the French strove, if not to retrieve a lost -battle, at least to insure time for retreat. They fell upon -the Germans along the whole line, making great gaps in -its extent, and driving the adversary into the forest; but -here, again, the artillery saved the foot, and, by its daring -and effective fire, restored the battle, giving the much-tried -infantry time to rally, and return upon their tracks. -The Germans had barely time to recover from the confusion -into which they had been thrown by a furious onset, -than the four Cuirassier regiments, commanded by General -Bonnemains, were seen preparing to charge. Unluckily for -these stout horsemen, the tract over which they had to -gallop was seamed with deep ditches, and barred by rows -of low trees, so that not only could no compact formation -be maintained, but the cavaliers were not, in some instances, -able to reach their foes, who were well sheltered -among the vine-stocks, and behind the walls of the hop-gardens. -Moreover, the German infantry were assisted by -batteries of guns, which were able to begin with shells, and -end with grape-shot. The cavalry did all they could to close; -but their efforts were fruitless, and the enormous loss they -endured may be fairly regarded as a sacrifice willingly -made to gain time for the now hardly bested army to -retire.</p> - -<h3>MacMahon Orders a Retreat.</h3> - -<p>Indeed, the hour when a decision must be taken had -struck, and MacMahon, who had cleverly fought his battle, -did not hesitate. He determined to hold Froeschwiller as -long as he could to cover the retreat, and then fly to -Saverne. For, although neither Hartmann nor Von der -Tann, despite their desperate onsets, had been able to shake -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[p 113]</a></span> -or dismay Ducrot, still, he was well aware that Raoult’s and -Lartigue’s divisions had been driven back upon Froeschwiller, -and he could see from the heights one fresh column -of Bavarians moving towards Neehwiller, on his left, and -another descending from the Hochwald to join the throng -on the right bank of the Sulz. Moreover, two brigades -of Würtembergers had come up to support the 11th -Corps, and one part of them, with horsemen and guns, -threatened Reichshofen, a Bavarian brigade, as we have -said, was heading for Niederbronn. In addition, some of -Ducrot’s intrenchments were carried by a Prussian -Regiment on the right of the 5th Corps, and it was -evident that the fierce struggle for Froeschwiller would be -the last and final act of the tragedy. Yet, so slowly did -the French recede, that an hour or more was consumed in -expelling them from their last stronghold; and except on -that point, their does not seem to have been any serious -fighting. The reason was that the place was held to -facilitate the withdrawal of such troops as could gain the -line of retreat, and although the disaster was great, it -would have been greater had not Raoult, who was wounded -and captured in the village, done his uttermost to withstand -the concentric rush of his triumphant enemies.</p> - -<h3>The Close of the Battle.</h3> - -<p>No specific and detailed account, apparently, exists, of -this last desperate stand. But it is plain that, as the -French centre and right yielded before Von Kirchbach and -especially Von Bose, as the impetuous infantry onsets were -fruitless, as the cavalry had been destroyed and the French -guns could not bear up against the accurate and constant -fire of their opponents, so the Germans swept onwards and -almost encircled their foes. When Ducrot began to retire, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[p 114]</a></span> -the Bavarians sprang forward up the steeps and through -the woods, which had held them so long at bay; the stout -and much-tried 5th Corps pushed onward, and the 11th, -already on the outskirts of Froeschwiller and extending -beyond it, broke into its south-eastern and southern defences; -so that portions of all the troops engaged in this -sanguinary battle swarmed in, at last, upon the devoted -band who hopelessly, yet nobly, clung to the final barrier. -How bravely and steadfastly they fought may be inferred -from the losses inflicted upon the Germans, whose officers, -foremost among the confused crowd of mingled regiments -and companies, were heavily punished, whose rank and -file went down in scores. Even after the day had been -decided, the French in Froeschwiller still resisted, and the -combats there did not cease until five o’clock. But in the -open the German flanking columns had done great execution -on the line of retreat. A mixed body of Prussian and -Würtemberg cavalry had ridden up on the extreme left, -one Bavarian brigade had moved through Neehwiller upon -Niederbronn, and another had marched through Froeschwiller -upon Reichshofen. The horsemen kept the fugitives -in motion and captured <i>matériel</i>; the first mentioned -Bavarian brigade struck the division of General Guyot de -Lespart, which had reached Niederbronn from Bitsche; -and the second bore down on Reichshofen. The succouring -division had arrived only in time to share the common -calamity, for assailed by the Bavarians and embarrassed by -the flocks of fugitives, one-half retreated with them upon -Saverne, and the other hastily retraced its steps to Bitsche, -marching through the summer night. The battle had been -so destructive and the pursuit so sharp that the wrecks of -MacMahon’s shattered host hardly halted by day or night -until they had traversed the country roads leading upon -Saverne, whence they could gain the western side of the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[p 115]</a></span> -Vosges. Nor did all his wearied soldiers follow this path -of safety. Many fled through Hagenau to Strasburg, -more retreated with the brigade of Abbatucci to Bitsche, -and nine thousand two hundred officers and men remained -behind as prisoners of war. The Marshal’s Army was -utterly ruined, Strasburg was uncovered, the defiles of the -Vosges, except that of Phalsbourg, were open to the invader -who, in addition to the mass of prisoners, seized on the -field, in some cases after a brilliant combat, twenty-eight -guns, five mitrailleuses, one eagle, four flags, and much -<i>matériel</i> of war. The actual French loss in killed and -wounded during the fight did not exceed six thousand; -while the victors, as assailants, had no fewer than 489 -officers and 10,153 men killed and wounded. It was a -heavy penalty, and represents the cost of a decisive battle -when forced on by the initiative of Corps commanders -before the entire force available for such an engagement -could be marched up within striking distance of a confident -and expectant foe.</p> - -<p>One other consequence of an unforeseen engagement was -that the 5th Division of cavalry, which would have been -so useful towards the close of the day, was unable to enter -the field until nightfall. The Crown Prince and General -Blumenthal, not having the exact information which might -have been supplied by horsemen who rode at the heels of -the fugitives, remained in doubt as to the line or lines of -retreat which they followed. It was not until the next -day that reports were sent in which suggested rather than -described whither the French Army had gone. Prince -Albrecht, who led the cavalry, had hastened forward to -Ingweiler, on the road to Saverne, but he notified that, though -a considerable body had fled by this route, the larger part -had retired towards Bitsche. Later on the 7th he entered -Steinburg, where he was in contact with the enemy, but, as -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[p 116]</a></span> -infantry were seen, he was apprehensive of a night attack -from Saverne, and judged it expedient to fall back upon -Buchswiller. The division had ridden more than forty -miles in a difficult country during the day. From the -north-west came information that the patrols of the 6th -Corps had been met at Dambach, and that the French were -not visible anywhere. The explanation of this fact is that -one division of the 6th, directed on Bitsche, had, in anticipation -of orders, pushed troops into the hills, and had thus -touched the right of the main body. The reason why -neither MacMahon nor De Failly were discovered was that -the Marshal had fallen back to Sarrebourg, and that the -General had hurried to join him by Petite-Pierre; and -thus contact with the enemy was lost by the Germans because -the defiles of the Vosges were left without defenders.</p> - -<h3><span class="norm">2.—</span>Spicheren.</h3> - -<p>As the critical hours drew nearer when the capacity of -the Emperor Napoleon and Marshal Lebœuf, applied to -the conduct of a great war, was to be put to the severest -test, so their hesitation increased and their inherent unfitness -for the heavy task became more and more apparent. -Marshal Bazaine had been intrusted with the command of -three corps “for military operations only,” yet the supreme -control was retained in Metz, and the Corps commanders -looked more steadily in that direction than they did towards -the Marshal’s head-quarters at St. Avold. Along the -whole front, at every point, an attack by the enemy was -apprehended. General de Ladmirault was convinced that -the 7th Prussian Corps would strive to turn his left; -Marshal Bazaine was disturbed by the fear that the same -body of troops would come upon him from Saarlouis; -General Frossard felt so uncomfortable in the angle or -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[p 117]</a></span> -curve on the Saar, which he occupied, that he vehemently -desired to see the Army concentrated in the position of -Cadenbronn, a few miles to the rear of Spicheren; General -Montaudon, who had a division at Sarreguemines, was -certain that the enemy intended to swoop down upon him; -and General de Failly was in daily alarm lest the Prussians -should advance upon the gap of Rohrbach. At Metz all -these conflicting surmises weighed upon, we might almost -say collectively governed the Emperor and the Marshal, -who issued, recalled, qualified, and again issued perplexing -orders. It is true that, owing to the supineness of the -cavalry, and the indifference of the peasantry on the border, -they were without any authentic information; but if that -had been supplied it is very doubtful whether they would -have been able to profit by it; and they were evidently -unable to reason out a sound plan which would give them -the best chances of thwarting the adversary’s designs or of -facing them on the best terms. The sole idea which prevailed -was that every line should be protected; and thus, -on the 5th, the Guard was at Courcelles; Bazaine’s four -divisions, hitherto echeloned on the line from St. Avold -to Forbach, were strung out on a country road between St. -Avold and Sarreguemines; De Ladmirault, who had been -ordered to approach the Marshal, misled by the apparition -of Prussian patrols, gave only a partial effect to the order; -while Frossard, on the evening of that day, instead of the -next morning, made those movements to the rear which -attracted the notice of his opponents and drew them upon -him. At dawn on the 6th, “the Army of the Rhine” was -posted over a wide space in loosely-connected groups; yet, -despite all the errors committed, there were still three -divisions sufficiently near the 2nd Corps on the Spicheren -heights to have converted the coming defeat into a brilliant -victory. That great opportunity was lost, because the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[p 118]</a></span> -soldierly spirit and the warlike training, in which the -French were deficient, were displayed to such an astonishing -degree by the Germans whom they had so unwisely -despised.</p> - -<p>The watchful cavalry on the right bank of the Saar had -noted at once the retrograde movement which General -Frossard effected on the evening of the 5th, and the German -leaders were led to infer from the tenour of the reports -sent in, that the whole French line was being shifted to the -rear, which was not a correct inference at that moment. -Yet it was true and obvious that Frossard had withdrawn -from the hills in close proximity to Saarbrück. In order -to ascertain, if possible, how far and in what degree the -French had retired, small parties of horsemen crossed the -river soon after daylight, and rode, not only along the -direct route to Forbach until they were stopped by cannon -fire, but swept round the left flank, and even looked into -the rear, observed the French camps, and alarmed both -Marshal Bazaine and General de Ladmirault. Above -Sarreguemines they tried to break up the railway, and did -destroy the telegraph; and thus, by appearing on all sides, -these enterprising mounted men filled the adversary with -apprehensions, and supplied their own Generals with sound -intelligence. Some information, less inaccurate than usual, -must have reached the Imperial head-quarters at Metz, -seeing that a telegram sent thence, between four and five -in the morning, warned Frossard that he might be seriously -attacked in the course of the day; but it does not appear -that the same caution was transmitted to Bazaine, with or -without instructions to support his comrade. It is a nice -question whether the general conduct of the war suffered -the greater damage from the active interference or the -negligence of the Emperor and his staff.</p> - -<p>While the cavalry were keeping the French well in view, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[p 119]</a></span> -the leading columns of the 7th and 8th Corps were moving -up towards the Saar, and one division of the Third was -equally on the alert. General von Rheinbaben had already -ridden over the unbroken bridges, had posted -some squadrons on the lower ground, and had drawn a -sharp fire from the French guns. The German staff were -astonished when they learned that the bridges had not -been injured. The reason was soon apparent. The -Emperor still cherished the illusion that he might be able -to assume the offensive, a course he had prepared for by -collecting large magazines at Forbach and Sarreguemines -on the very edge of the frontier; and his dreams were now -to be dispelled by the rude touch of the zealous and masterful -armies whose active outposts were now over the Saar.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="spicheren"> - <a href="images/spicheren_large.jpg"> - <img src="images/spicheren_inline.jpg" alt="" /></a> - - <div class="caption">PLAN II: BATTLE of SPICHEREN, <span - class="smaller">3.30 P.M.</span></div> - - <div class="subcapit">Weller & - Graham L<span class="sup">td</span>. Lithos.  - London, Bell & Sons</div> -</div> - - -<h3>The Battle-field.</h3> - -<p>The ground occupied by the 2nd Corps was an undulating -upland lying between the great road to Metz and the -river, which, running in a northerly direction from the -spurs of the Vosges, turns somewhat abruptly to the west -a couple of miles above Saarbrück on its way to the Moselle. -The heights of Spicheren, partly wooded and partly bare, -fall sharply to the stream in the front and on the eastern -flank, while on the west lies the hollow through which the -highway and the railroad have been constructed. The -foremost spur of the mass, separated by a valley from the -Spicheren hills, is a narrow rocky eminence, which Frossard -names the Spur, and the Germans call the Rotheberg, or -Red Hill, because its cliffs were so bright in colour, and -shone out conspicuously from afar. On the French right -of this rugged cliff were dense woods, and on the left the -vale, having beyond it more woods, and towards Forbach, -farms, houses and factories. The upper or southern end -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[p 120]</a></span> -was almost closed by the large village of Stiring-Wendel, -inhabited by workers in iron, and having on the outskirts -those unseemly mounds of slag with which this useful industry -defaces the aspect of nature. The village stands -between the road and railway, and as the heights rise -abruptly on each side, all the approaches, except those -through the woods on the west and north-west, were commanded -by the guns and infantry on the slopes. It should -be noted that west of the neck which connected the red -horse-shoe shaped hill with the central heights in front of -Spicheren village, there is a deep, irregular, transversal -valley, which proved useful to the defence. General -Frossard placed Laveaucoupet’s division upon the Spicheren -hills, in two lines, and occupied the Red Hill, which he -had intrenched, with a battalion of Chasseurs. In rear of -all stood Bataille’s division at Œtingen. On the left front, -Jolivet’s brigade of Vergé’s division occupied Stiring, and -Valazé’s was placed to the west of Forbach, looking down -the road to Saarlouis. As Frossard dreaded an attack -from that side, especially as the road up the valley from -Rosseln turned the position, his engineer-general threw up -a long intrenchment, barring the route. It was in this -order that the 2nd Corps stood when some daring German -horsemen trotted up the high road to feel for it, while -others, on the west, pressed so far forward that they discerned -the camps at St. Avold. Below the front of the -position, and just outside Saarbrück, the foot-hills, Reppertsberg, -Galgenberg, Winterberg, and so on, and the -hollows among them were unoccupied by the French, and -it was into and upon these that Rheinbaben pushed with -his cavalry and guns, which, from the Parade ground, exchanged -shots with the French pieces established on the -Red Hill or Spur.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[p 121]</a></span></p> - -<h3>The Germans begin the Fight.</h3> - -<p>On the German side, the determination to lay hands -upon, and arrest what was supposed to be a retreating -enemy, was identical and simultaneous; and it is the -spontaneous activity of every officer and soldier within -reach, to share in the conflict which is the characteristic -of the day’s operations. General Kameke, commanding -the 14th Division, 7th Corps, when on the march, heard -that Frossard had drawn back, and, asking whether he -might cross the river, was told to act on his own judgment; -so he pressed southward. General Goeben, chief -of the 8th Corps, had ridden out to judge for himself, and -finding his comrades of the 7th ready to advance, offered -his support. General von Alvensleben, commanding the -3rd Corps, a singularly alert and ready officer, ordered -up his 5th Division, commanded by General von Stülpnagel, -but before the order arrived, General Doering, -who had been early to the outposts, had anticipated the -command, because he thought that Kameke might be -overweighted. General von Schwerin, later in the day, -collected his brigade at St. Ingbert, and sent a part of -them forward by rail. In like manner General von -Barnekoff, commanding the 16th Division, 8th Corps, -hearing the sound of artillery, had anticipated the desire -of Goeben, and by mid-day his advanced guard, under -Colonel von Rex, was close upon the scene of action. -General von Zastrow, who had permitted Kameke to do -what he thought fit, applied to Von Steinmetz for leave to -push forward the whole 7th Corps, and the fiery veteran -at once complied, saying, “The enemy ought to be -punished for his negligence,” a characteristic yet not -necessarily a wise speech, as the business of a General is -not to chastise even the negligent, unless it serves the main -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[p 122]</a></span> -purpose of the operations in hand. Thus we see that the -mere noise of battle attracted the Germans from all -quarters; and hence it happened that the fronts of the -two armies, then in line of march, hastened into a fight by -degrees—in detachments, so to speak—which would have -produced a heavy reverse had all the French brigade and -divisional commanders who were within hail, been as -prompt, persistent and zealous as their impetuous opponents.</p> - -<p>Until near noontide, there had been merely a bickering -of outposts, chiefly on the north-western side; and it was -only when the 14th Division crossed the river and moved -up the foothills, that the action really began. At this -time it was still supposed that the battalions, batteries, and -sections of horsemen visible were a rear-guard, covering -what is now called the “entrainment” of troops at Forbach; -for the greater part of Laveaucoupet’s soldiers were below -the crests, and in the forest-land, while Jolivet’s brigade -made no great show in and about the village of Stiring. -Kameke’s young soldiers went eagerly and joyously into -their first battle. They consisted of six battalions, led by -General von François, and were soon extended from the -Metz road on the German right, to the wooded ascents -east of the Red Hill, which, in reality, became the main -object of attack. The plan followed was the favourite -tactical movement, so often practised with success—a -direct onset on the enemy’s front, and an advance on both -flanks. These operations were supported by the fire of -three batteries, which soon obliged the French gunners on -the Red Spur to recede. An extraordinary and almost -indescribable infantry combat now began over a wide space, -sustained by the battalions of the 14th Division fighting -by companies. On one side they endeavoured to approach -Stiring; in the centre they were a long time huddled -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[p 123]</a></span> -together under the craigs of the Rotheberg; further to -the left they dashed into the Giffert Wald, and emerged -into comparatively open ground, only to find themselves -shattered by a heavy fire, and obliged to seek cover. For -the battalions engaged soon discovered that, instead of -a rear-guard, they had to encounter half a <i>corps d’armée</i>; -and, although reinforcements were rapidly approaching, -yet, as the afternoon wore on, it became evident that the -assailants could only maintain their footing by displaying -great obstinacy, and enduring bitter losses. After two -hours’ hard fighting five fresh battalions, belonging to -Von Woyna’s brigade of Kameke’s division came into -action on the right, and sought to operate on the French -left flank, some following the railway, others pressing -into the thick woods on the west. The density of the -copses threw the lines into confusion, so that the companies -were blended, and, as guidance was almost impossible, -trust had to be reposed in the soldierly instincts -and training alike of officers and men, and on the genuine -comradeship so conspicuous throughout all ranks of the -Prussian Army. Practically, at this moment, the French, -although beset on all sides by their enterprising foes, had -a distinct advantage, for they smote the venturesome -columns as they emerged here and there, and it may be -said that, between three and four o’clock, the German -artillery on the Galgenberg and Folster Höhe, held the -French in check, and averted an irresistible offensive -movement. Yet the German infantry were tenacious; -when pressed back they collected afresh in groups, and -went on again; and General Frossard was so impressed by -the audacity of his foes, that he brought up Bataille’s -division from Œtingen, and directed Valazé to quit the -hill above Forbach, and reinforce the defenders of Stiring. -Indeed, threatened on both flanks, the whole of the 2nd -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[p 124]</a></span> -Corps was gradually drawn into the fray, and its commander, -though somewhat late, appealed for aid to Marshal -Bazaine, who himself did not feel secure at St. Avold.</p> - -<h3>The Red Hill Stormed.</h3> - -<p>Shortly after three o’clock, General von François, obeying -the orders of his chief, Von Kameke, resolved to storm -the Red Hill. The German leader was under the impression -that the French were yielding on all sides, which -was not strictly correct, for the fresh troops were just -coming into action, and the Germans were superior, alone, -in the range and accuracy of their superb artillery. The -gallant François, sword in hand, leading the Fusilier -battalion of the 74th Regiment, climbed the steep, springing -from ledge to ledge, and dashed over the crest, and -drove the surprised French chasseurs out of the foremost -intrenchment, and fastened themselves firmly on the hill. -The Chasseurs, who had retired into a second line of -defences, poured in a murderous fire; General von François, -heading a fresh onset, fell pierced by five bullets, yet -lived long enough to feel that his Fusiliers and a company -of the 39th, which had clambered up on the left, had -gained a foothold they were certain to maintain. There -were many brilliant acts of heroism on that day, but the -storming of the Red Hill stands out as the finest example -of soldiership and daring. Nor less so the stubbornness -with which the stormers stood fast; especially as the -French, at that moment, had thrown a body of troops -against the German left, so strong and aggressive, that -the valiant companies in the Giffert Wald were swept -clean out of the wood.</p> - -<p>Fortunately, at the same time, the advanced guards -of the 5th and 16th Divisions, already referred to, had -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[p 125]</a></span> -crossed the Saar. General von Goeben, who had also -arrived, took command, and formed a strong resolution. -He decided that, as the battle had reached a critical stage, -it would be unwise to keep reserves; so he flung everything -to hand into the fight, on the ground that the essential -thing was to impart new life to a combat which had become -indecisive, if not adverse to the assailant. Accordingly, -the artillery was brought up to a strength of six batteries, -and one part of the fresh troops was sent to reinforce the -left, and another towards the Red Hill. Shortly afterwards, -Von Goeben had to relinquish the command to his senior, -Von Zastrow, the commander of the 7th Corps; but the -chief business of the principal leaders consisted in pushing -up reinforcements as they arrived; the forward fighting -being directed by the Generals and Colonels in actual contact -with the enemy.</p> - -<h3>Progress of the Action.</h3> - -<p>For two hours, that is, between four and six o’clock, the -front of battle swagged to and fro, for the French fought -valiantly, and, by repeated forward rushes, compelled their -pertinacious assailants to give, or repelled their energetic -attempts to gain, ground. A German company would dash -out from cover, and thrust the defenders to the rear; then, -smitten in front and flank, it would recede, followed by the -French, who, taken in flank by the opportune advent of a -hostile group, would retreat to the woods, or the friendly -shelter of a depression in the soil. Nevertheless, in the -centre, and on their own left, the Germans made some progress. -A battalion of the 5th Division mastered the -defence in the Pfaffen Wald on the French right; a group -of companies crowned the highest point in the Giffert -Wald; and the new arrivals, drawn alike from the 8th -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[p 126]</a></span> -and the 3rd Corps, pushed up the ravine on the east, and -the slopes on the west of the Red Hill, until their combined -fire and frequent rushes forced the French out of -their second line of intrenchments on the neck of high -land which connected the Red Hill with the heights of -Spicheren. The French strove fiercely, again and again, to -recover the vantage ground, yet could not prevail; but -their comrades below, in the south-west corner of the -Giffert Wald, stoutly held on, so that the fight in this -quarter became stationary, as neither side could make any -progress.</p> - -<p>On the German right, during the same interval of time, -there had been sharper alternations of fortune. Here the -French held strong positions, not only in the village of -Stiring-Wendel, but on the hillsides above it, and especially -on the tongue of upland called the Forbacher Berg. The -assailant had succeeded in taking and keeping the farmsteads -on the railway, the “Brême d’or” and the “Baraque -Mouton,” but the efforts of General von Woyna to operate -on the French left had been so roughly encountered that he -drew back his troops to a point far down the valley. In fact, -General Frossard had strengthened Vergé, who held fast to -Stiring, by Valazé’s brigade, and General Bataille had also -sent half his division to support his comrade. The consequence -was that the German projects were frustrated; -while, on the other hand, their heavy batteries on the -Folster Höhe had such an ascendancy that the French -could not secure any advantage by moving down the vale.</p> - -<p>Yet they were not, as yet, worsted in the combat at any -point, save on the salient of the Red Hill. Upon that -eminence the German commanders now determined to send -both cavalry and guns. The horsemen, however, could gain -no footing, either by riding up the hillsides, or following -the zigzags of the Spicheren road, which ascends the eastern -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[p 127]</a></span> -face of the promontory. The artillery had better fortune. -First one gun, and then another, was welcomed by the shouts -of the much-tried and steadfast defenders; eight pieces first -succeeded in overcoming all obstacles; finally, four other -guns, completing the two batteries, came into action, and -their fire was efficacious in restraining the ardour of the -French, and rendering the position absolutely secure from -assault. But they suffered great losses, which were inflicted -not only by the powerful batteries on the opposite -height, but by the Chassepot fire from the front and the -Giffert Wald. The German commanders had discovered -by a harsh experience that the battle could not be won -either by an offensive movement from the centre, or flanking -operations on the left, because the neck of highland south -of the Red Hill was too strongly held, while the deep valley -interposed between the forests and the Spicheren Downs -brought the flanking battalions to a halt, under cover. It -was then determined to employ the latest arrivals, the -troops of the 5th Division, in an effort to storm the Forbacher -Berg from the Metz road valley, and at the same -time to renew a front and flank attack upon Stiring-Wendel.</p> - -<p>Here we may note two facts which are apt illustrations -of that efficiency, the fruit of wise forethought, which prevailed -in the German host. One is that a battery, attached -to the 1st Corps, arrived on the Saar, by railway, direct -from Königsberg, on the confines of East Prussia, and, -driving up, actually went into position, and opened fire -from the Folster Höhe. It was the first light battery -commanded by Captain Schmidt, whose exploit was, then, -at least, without parallel. The other is that the 2nd -battalion of the 53rd Regiment, starting at six in the -morning from Wadern, actually marched, part of the time -as artillery escort, nearly twenty-eight miles in thirteen -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[p 128]</a></span> -hours, and, towards sunset, stood in array on the field of -battle. The like goodwill and energy were displayed by all -the troops; but this example of zeal and endurance deserves -special record.</p> - -<h3>Frossard Retires.</h3> - -<p>The final and decisive encounters on this sanguinary -field were delivered on the western fronts. Four battalions -were directed along or near the Metz road upon the heights -above Stiring, while the troops on the extreme German -right, which, it will be remembered, had suffered a reverse, -resumed their march upon the village. These simultaneous -onsets were all the more effective, because the French -commander was alarmed by the advance guard of the 13th -Division, which, having moved up from Rosseln, was now -near to Forbach itself. He had become apprehensive of -being turned on both flanks, for Laveaucoupet was, at that -moment, engaged in a desperate, although a partially successful -strife against the Germans in the Giffert Wald. -The flank attack on the Forbacher Berg, skilfully conducted, -drove back the adversary, yet could not be carried -far, because he was still strong and it was growing dusk. -In like manner, Stiring itself was only captured in part. -On the other hand, so vehement a rush was made upon the -Giffert Wald that the French once more penetrated its -coverts. Practically, however, the battle had been decided. -General Frossard, receiving no support from Bazaine’s -divisions, greatly disturbed by the news that the head of a -hostile column was close to Forbach, unable to oust the -Germans from the Red Hill or effectively repel their onsets -on the Metz road had, half an hour before a footing on the -Forbacher Berg was won, given orders for a retreat upon -Sarreguemines, so that the furious outburst of French -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[p 129]</a></span> -valour in the Giffert Wald was only the expiring flash of -a finely-sustained engagement, and the forerunner of a -retrograde night march.</p> - -<p>Indeed, General Frossard is entitled to any credit which -may accrue from the stoutness with which he held his main -position until nightfall. He himself assigns the march of -Von Golz from Rosseln upon Forbach as the reason for his -retreat. Having been obliged to leave the heights north-west -of Forbach practically undefended, in order to support -Vergé in Stiring-Wendel, he lost, or thought he had lost, -control over the high road and railway to Metz, and felt -bound to retire eccentrically upon Sarreguemines, a movement -which it is not easy to comprehend. It is true that -the guns of Von Golz, firing from the hills above Forbach, -drove back a train bringing reinforcements from St. Avold, -but a couple of miles to the rear was Metman’s entire -division; and it was from and not towards this succour that -the main body of the French took their way. The most -astonishing fact connected with this battle is that during -the whole day three of Bazaine’s divisions were each within -about nine miles of the battlefield. It was not the Marshal’s -fault that not one assisted the commander of the 2nd Corps. -Each had been directed to do so, but none succeeded. -General Montaudon did, indeed, move out from Sarreguemines, -but halted after covering a few miles. General de -Castagny, as soon as he heard the guns, and without waiting -for orders, marched his division from Puttelange; but, -unluckily for him, the sound led him into the hills, where -the dense woods and vales obstructed the passage of the -sound. Hearing nothing he returned to Puttelange, but no -sooner had he got there than the roar of artillery, more intense -than ever, smote his ear. The ready veteran at -once set out afresh, this time following the route which -would have brought him into the heart of the Spicheren -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[p 130]</a></span> -position. He was too late; night came on apace, the -distant tumult died down, he endeavoured to communicate -with Frossard, but his messenger only found Metman, who, -coming on from Marienthal, had halted at Bening, and -did not move upon Forbach until nearly dark. Thus -were three strong divisions wasted, and a force which would -have given the French victory, spent the day in wandering -to and fro or in weak hesitation. General de Castagny was -the only officer who really did his utmost to support the -2nd Corps; for Metman awaited orders, and they came too -late. During the night, or early in the morning, they all, -except De Castagny, who was called up to St. Avold, -assembled near Puttelange, wearied and disgusted with -their fruitless exertions; and there they were joined by the -2nd Corps.</p> - -<p>The Germans bivouacked on the field. They had had in -action twenty-seven battalions and ten batteries, and the -day’s irregular and confused fighting had cost them in -killed and wounded a loss of no fewer than 223 officers and -4,648 men; while the French lost 249 officers and 3,829 -men, including more than two thousand prisoners. The -great disproportion is due to the fact that the Germans -were the assailants and that throughout the day and -on all points they fought the battle with relatively small -groups, parts of the 7th, 8th, and 3rd Corps, which -arrived in succession on the scene. That the victory was -not more complete must be ascribed to the improvised -character of the conflict. Both Woerth and Spicheren were -accidental combats due to the initiative of subordinate -officers, a practice which has its dangers; but the success -attained in each case is a striking proof that the discipline -and training of all ranks in the German Army had created -a living organism which could be trusted to work by -itself.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[p 131]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="pagenba" id="CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI.</h2> -</div> - -<p class="h2sub">VACILLATION IN METZ.</p> - -<p>Two such staggering and unexpected blows filled the -civil population with terror, the aspiring soldiers at -head-quarters with anger, and the Imperial Commander-in-Chief -with dismay. Disorder, consternation, and -amazement reigned in Metz. And no wonder. From -Alsace came the appalling news that the 1st Corps had -been hopelessly shattered and that the Marshal was already -fleeing for safety, by day and night, through the passes of -the Vosges. Strasburg reported the arrival of fugitives -and the absence of a garrison. “We have scarcely any -troops,” wrote the Prefect; “at most from fifteen hundred -to two thousand men.” The chief official at Epinal asked -for power to organize the defence of the Vosges at the -moment when the passes were thronged with MacMahon’s -hurrying troops. It was known that General Frossard -had been defeated and that he was in full retreat, but -during twenty-four hours no direct intelligence came to -hand from him. That De Failly, left unsupported at -Bitsche, would retire at once was assumed, but the orders -directing his movements did not reach him until, after a -severe night march, he had halted a moment at Lutzelstein, -or, as the French call the fort, La Petite Pierre. From -Verdun and Thionville arrived vehement demands for -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[p 132]</a></span> -arms and provisions; and from the front towards the -Saar no report that was not alarming. Turning to the -south-east, the Imperial head-quarters did not know -exactly where Douay’s 7th Corps was; and in an agony of -apprehension ordered the General, if he could, to throw a -division into Strasburg, and “with the two others” cover -Belfort. When the telegram was sent one of these had -been heavily engaged at Woerth, and the other was at -Lyons not yet formed! The anxiety of the Emperor and -his assistants was embittered by the knowledge that not -one strong place on the Rhine had a sufficient garrison; -and that the rout of MacMahon had not only flung wide -open the portals of Lorraine, but had made the reduction -of ill-provided Strasburg a question of weeks or days. So -heedlessly had the Ollivier Ministry, the Emperor and -Empress rushed into war, at a time when even the -fortifications of Metz were glaringly incomplete, when the -storehouses of the frontier fortresses were ill-supplied, -when arms and uniforms were not or could not be furnished -to the Mobiles; when, in short, nothing could be put -between the Germans and Paris except the troops hastily -collected in Alsace and Lorraine—now a host in part -shattered, in part disordered, and the whole without resolute -and clear-sighted direction.</p> - -<p>Prince Louis Napoleon, sitting passively on his horse in -the barrack-yard of Strasburg, in 1836, was defined by a -caustic historian as a “literary man” whose characteristic -was a “faltering boldness.” The phrases apply to the -Emperor in Metz. It may be said that he could use the -language employed by soldiers, that he had some military -judgment, but that, when called on, he could not deal at all -with the things which are the essence of the profession he -loved to adopt. After a lapse of more than thirty years, he -found himself, not alone in a barrack-yard facing an -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[p 133]</a></span> -“indignant Colonel,” but at the head of a great, yet -scattered and roughly handled Army, with formidable -enemies pressing upon his front, and equally formidable -enemies pouring through the rugged hill paths upon his -vulnerable flank, and threatening the sole railway which -led direct through Chalons to Paris. He was now a man, -old for his years, and a painful disease made a seat on -horseback almost intolerable. He could not, like his uncle -in his prime, ride sixty miles a day, sleep an hour or two, -and mount again if needful. He was an invalid and a -dreamer, who had, against his fluctuating will, undertaken -a task much too vast for his powers. The contemptuous -words applied to him by Mr. Kinglake seem harsh, still, in -very truth, they exactly describe Louis Napoleon as he was -at Strasburg in 1836, and as he sat meditatively at Metz in -1870. Yet, be it understood, he never at any period of his -career was wanting in coolness and physical courage, -though what Napier has finely called “springing valour” -had no place in his temperament. He was scared by the -suddenness of the shock and the rapidity of events, and he -was bewildered because he was incapable of grasping, co-ordinating, -or understanding the thick-coming realities -presented by war on a grand scale; and stood always too -much in awe of the unknown. He could not “make up his -mind,” and in the higher ranks of the French Army there -was not one man who could force him to make it up and -stand fast by his resolution. But, inferior as they were -when measured by a high standard, it is probable that any -one of the Corps Commanders, clothed with Imperial -power, would have conducted the campaign far better than -the Emperor. Another disadvantage which beset him was -a moral consequence inseparable from his adventurous -career. He could not add a cubit to his military stature; -but he need not have “waded through slaughter to a -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[p 134]</a></span> -throne.” In Paris before he started for the frontier, in -Metz on the morning of August 7th, he must have felt, as -the Empress also felt, that his was a dynasty which could -not stand before the shock of defeat in battle. He had, -therefore, to consider every hour, not so much what was -the best course of action from the soldier’s standpoint, as -how any course, advance, retreat or inaction, would affect -the political situation in Paris. Count von Bismarck’s -haughty message through M. Benedetti in 1866, if -Benedetti faithfully delivered it, must have come back -to the Emperor’s memory in 1870. Remind the Emperor, -said Bismarck, that a war might bring on a revolutionary -crisis; and add, that “in such a case, the German -dynasties are likely to prove more solid than that of the -Emperor Napoleon.” It was a consciousness of the weak -foundations of his power, breeding an ever-present dread -alike in the capital and the camp, which, making him -ponder when he should act, falter when he should be -bold, imparted to his resolutions the instability of the -wind.</p> - -<p>It is on record that the first impulse of the Emperor and -his intimate advisers was to retreat forthwith over the -Moselle and the Meuse. General de Ladmirault was -ordered to fall back on Metz; the Guard had to take the -same direction; Bazaine, who had responsibility without -power, was requested to protect the retirement of Frossard, -who, driven off the direct, was marching along the more -easterly road to Metz, through Gros Tenquin and Faulquemont, -which the Germans call Falconberg; De Failly was -required, if he could, to move on Nancy. MacMahon, it -was hoped, would gather up his fragments, and transport -them to Chalons, where Canrobert was to stand fast, and -draw back to that place one of his divisions which had -reached Nancy. Paris was placarded with the Emperor’s -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[p 135]</a></span> -famous despatch; and the Parisians read aloud the ominous -sentences which heralded the fall of an Empire. “Marshal -MacMahon,” said the Emperor, “has lost a battle on the -Sauer. General Frossard has been obliged to retire. The -retreat is conducted in good order.” And then followed -the tell-tale phrase, used by Napoleon I. himself on a -similar occasion—“<i>Tout peut se rétablir</i>,” all, perhaps, may -come right again. But so inconstant was the Imperial -will, that the hasty resolve to fly into Champagne faded -out almost as soon as it was formed; for the next day the -dominant opinion was that it would be better to remain on -the right bank of the Moselle. MacMahon and De Failly -accordingly got counter orders, indicating Nancy as a point -of concentration, and based on a feeble notion that they -could both be drawn to Metz; while once again Canrobert -was told to bring the infantry of the 6th Corps up to the -same place by rail. Orders and counter orders then -showered down on De Failly—thus, he was and he was not -to move on Toul—but the enemy’s movements dictated the -future course of a General rendered as powerless as his -superiors were vacillating; and finally both the Marshal -and his luckless subordinate, as well as Douay’s 7th Corps, -made their way deviously to the camp of Chalons. -</p> - -<h3>The Emperor resigns his command.</h3> - -<p>When the Emperor suddenly revoked the order to retire -upon Chalons, he was influenced partly by military, but -chiefly by political considerations. Remonstrances were -heard in the camps, remonstrances arrived from Paris, and -the combined effect of these open manifestations produced -an order to establish the Army in position behind the -French Nied, a stream which, rising to the southward, -flows parallel to the Moselle, and, after receiving the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[p 136]</a></span> -German Nied, runs into the Saar below Saarlouis. The -weather had been wet and tempestuous; the retiring -troops, exhausted by night marches and want of food, -struggled onward, yet showed signs of “demoralization;” -in other words, were out of heart, and insubordinate. -Frossard’s men, who had passed the prescribed line before -receiving the new instructions, had to retrace their steps; -and Decaen, now in command of the 3rd Corps, begged for -rest on behalf of his divisions. Yet the three Corps and -the Guard occupied, on the 10th, the new position which, -selected by Marshal Lebœuf, extended from Pange to Les -Etangs. It was intended to fight a battle on that ground, -and the men were set to work on intrenchments, some of -which were completed before another change occurred in -the directing mind. The position was found to be defective; -and, on the 11th, the entire Army, abandoning its wasted -labours, moved back upon the outworks of Metz itself, -almost within range of its guns. Thus had three precious -days been spent in wandering to and fro at a time when the -military situation required that the Army should be transferred -to the left bank of the Moselle, and placed in full -command of the route to Chalons, even if it were not compelled -to fall back further than the left bank of the Meuse. -One explanation, drawn by the official writers of the -German Staff history, from French admissions, is that, -instead of Metz protecting the Army, the Army was -required to protect Metz, seeing that the forts were not in -a state to hold out against a siege of fifteen days! The -Imperial Commander had not even yet quite made up his -mind; but, late on the 12th, finding the burden too severe, -and the clamour of public opinion too great, he appointed -Marshal Bazaine Commander-in-Chief of “the Army of the -Rhine.” It was a <i>damnosa hæreditas</i>; for the campaign -was virtually lost during ten days of weakness and vacillation, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[p 137]</a></span> -and especially by the want of a prompt decision -between the 7th and the 10th of August, while there was -yet time.</p> - -<p>As we have said, the main reason was political. The -eager aspirants for power, and the friends of the Empress -in Paris, ousted the Ollivier Ministry on the 9th, and the -new combination, with the Comte de Palikao at its head, -felt that they could not retain office, that the “dynasty” -even could not survive unless the Emperor and the Army -fought and won. Everything must be risked to give the -dynasty a chance. The Regency and the Camp fell under -the influence of hostile public opinion, which had already -begun to associate the name of Napoleon, not only with -the reverses endured, but the utter want of preparation -for war, now painfully evident to the multitude as well as -to the initiated. Yet so menacing and terrible did the -actual facts become that even the Emperor could not resist -them, and, in handing over the command to Bazaine on the -13th, he ordered that unfortunate, if ambitious, officer to -transfer the Army with the utmost speed to the left bank -of the Moselle, place Laveaucoupet’s Division in Metz, and -gain Verdun as quickly as possible. It was too late, as we -shall see; for the Prussians were ready to grasp at the -skirts of a retreating Army, and once more thwart the -plans of its leaders. In order to track the course of events -to this point, the narrative must revert to the morrow of -Spicheren.</p> - -<h3>The German Advance.</h3> - -<p>On the morning of the 7th of August, some French -troops were still in Forbach, and Montaudon’s Division -had not departed from Sarreguemines. The fronts of the -two invading armies were hardly over the frontier, and the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[p 138]</a></span> -chiefs had not yet learned the full extent of the double -shock inflicted on the adversary. A thick fog enveloped -the Spicheren battlefield, and clung to the adjacent hills -and woods, and through the mist the patrols had to feel -their way. No serious resistance could be offered by the -French detachments at any point; Forbach, together with -its immense stores, was occupied at an early hour; while, -so soon as the vigilant cavalry saw the rear-guard of Montaudon -quit the place, they rode into Sarreguemines. -Patrols were pushed out along the roads towards Metz, but -no advance was made, partly because the respective Corps -composing both the German Armies were still on the -march, and partly because the Staff, mistaken respecting -the route followed by MacMahon, had ordered several -movements with the object of intercepting and destroying -his broken divisions. The consequence was that the leading -columns stood fast while the Corps to the rear and left -were brought up to and beyond the Saar. MacMahon and -De Failly, as we have seen, were hurrying southward, and -thus Von Moltke’s precautions proved needless. During -the 8th, the cavalry, despatched far and wide, between St. -Avold and the Upper Saar, found foes near the former, who -at once retired, but none on the course of the river. The -next day, the horsemen, still more active, sent in reports -which satisfied the cautious Chief of the Staff that the -French had really fallen back on Metz, yet inspired him -with some doubts respecting their intentions. He thought -it possible that they might assume the offensive in the hope -of surprising and routing part of the German Armies—a -project actually discussed by the Emperor and Bazaine, -but soon thrown aside. Von Moltke, however, determined -to guard against that design, kept his several Corps within -supporting distance; and, on the 10th, began a great -movement forward. The First Army, in the post of -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[p 139]</a></span> -danger, was to serve as a pivot upon which the Second, -effecting a wheel to the right, swung inwards towards the -Moselle above Metz. Von Steinmetz, much to his disgust, -had to halt about Carling, with his supports towards Teterchen -and Boulay, and the 9th Corps in support at Forbach. -On his left, the Second Army was advancing in -echelon on roads between Harskirchen, near Saar Union, -where the 4th Corps touched the outposts of the Crown -Prince’s Army, and Faulquemont, where the 3rd Corps -stood on the railway, having on its left the 10th about -Hellimer, and the Guard at Gueblange. The 12th was -still on the Saar, and the 2nd, awaiting its last battalions, -in Rhenish Prussia. Thus the two Armies stood -on the 11th, covered by brigades of cavalry, whose operations, -better than anything else, illustrate the audacious, -yet elastic and painstaking, methods employed by the Germans -in war.</p> - -<h3>The German Cavalry at Work.</h3> - -<p>Never before had the principle that cavalry are the eyes -and ears of an army been more extensively applied. We -have already seen these well-trained horsemen watching the -line of the Saar, and even looking into the rear of the -French camps; we shall now see them literally infesting -the country between the Saar and the Moselle without let -or hindrance from the French cavaliers. After Spicheren, -the German cavalry divisions were distributed along the -front of the Corps in motion; and the hardy reiters were -soon many miles ahead of the infantry, some penetrating -up the easy western slopes of the Vosges, where they found -no enemies, others riding towards Nancy and the points -of passage over the river below that town; and others -again hovering pertinaciously on the rear of the backward -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[p 140]</a></span> -moving French Corps, picking up stragglers, capturing -prisoners, interrogating officials, and inspecting, from -coigns of vantage, the camps and positions of the enemy. -In this way they learned that the Emperor had visited -Bazaine at Faulquemont; that the greater part of the -French were Metzward, and that on the left towards the -hills there were none to be seen. The cavalry divisions -rode out long distances, detaching flanking parties and -pushing patrols to the front, so that the whole range of -country between the right and left of the Infantry Corps -was thoroughly searched by these indefatigable and -daring explorers. Thus, a troop of Uhlans, starting from -Faulquemont, rode as far as the woods near Berlize, and -keeping well under cover, yet quite close to the enemy, -took note of his positions at and beyond Pange, saw large -bodies moving from Metz to take ground behind the Nied, -and learned that reinforcements, the leading brigades of -the Canrobert’s Corps, in fact, had arrived at Metz. -Another patrol of lancers, moving on the St. Avold road, -confirmed the report that the French had occupied the -Nied line; while, on the opposite flank, a Hussar patrol -found no enemy about Château Salins, but laid hands on -the bearer of important despatches. On the 11th, the -screen of inquisitive horsemen became thicker and more -venturesome, trotting up to the river Seille itself at -Nomény, on the road to Pont à Mousson. The mounted -men of the First Army had hitherto been held back, but -now the two divisions, passing forth on the flanks, approached -and examined the left of the French line. One -troop arrived near Les Etangs just in time to see De Ladmirault’s -Corps folding up their tents, and soon beheld the -French march off towards Metz; indeed the deep columns -were moving in that direction from the left bank of the -Nied. The Uhlans followed De Ladmirault through Les -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[p 141]</a></span> -Etangs until they saw him go into position at Bellecroix -close to the place. In like manner, other Uhlans, operating -further up the stream, found the camps and intrenchments -abandoned, so that it became certain, on the evening of the -11th, that the French Army had been drawn back under -the guns of Metz. The next day the activity of the -cavaliers increased, and they pressed forward until they -were in contact with the French outposts, and were able to -observe the whole new position between Queleu and Bellecroix, -working up on the left to a point within three miles -of Metz, and proving that as far as the right bank above -the town, the country was unoccupied. On the 12th, -Uhlans had ridden into Nancy, on one side, and, on the -other, a body of Cuirassiers actually found the gates of -Thionville open, captured a <i>garde mobile</i> belonging to the -garrison, and brought off a Prussian reserve man who had -been detained in the town. At Dieulouard a patrol crossed -the Moselle on a bridge just constructed by the French, -and were only driven from the railway, which they had -begun to destroy, by infantry—the last detachments of -Canrobert’s Corps allowed to get through by train from -Chalons. A daring attempt was made upon Pont à -Mousson by some Hussars; but here General Margueritte, -sent with his Chasseurs d’Afrique from Metz, drove back -the invaders, killing a great number. These examples will -suffice to give some idea of the admirable use which the -Germans made of their cavalry, to conceal their movements, -harass the enemy, and, above all, gain priceless information, -while the adversary, whose horse were idle, could obtain -none. The dash made by Margueritte to relieve Pont à -Mousson is the one solitary instance of alertness shown by -the French, and even he and his troopers were withdrawn, -leaving the river line above Metz wholly unprotected, and -the bridges unbroken!</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[p 142]</a></span></p> - -<h3>The Germans March on the Moselle.</h3> - -<p>From these wide-ranging enterprises, conducted by keen -and resolute soldiers, the Great Staff obtained nearly as -minute a knowledge of the French proceedings as they -possessed themselves, and were enabled to direct the march -of the German Armies with firmness and precision. Their -great object was to secure the unguarded line of the -Moselle by seizing, as rapidly as possible, all the points of -passage above Metz, and the only doubt entertained at -head-quarters was suggested by the apprehension that the -energy displayed by the cavalry might attract attention to -these undefended spots. Accordingly, while the First -Army, again, was ordered to protect the right of the Second, -by advancing on the Nied, taking up ground between -Pange and Les Etangs, the Second was to move upon the -Seille, and endeavour to secure the bridges at Pont à -Mousson, Dieulouard and other places, sending the cavalry -once more in force over the stream. Von Moltke’s calculation -was that if the French attacked Von Steinmetz, -Prince Charles could form up and threaten their flank; if -they tried to operate against the Second Army by ascending -the Moselle, Von Steinmetz could then assail them in line -of march, as they must cross his front; while if passing -through Metz they moved up the left bank, Prince Charles -could effect a junction with the Crown Prince, and Von -Steinmetz could cross the Moselle and attack the French -rear. The combination was strong, but the Emperor, as -we have stated, had then no idea of assuming the offensive -in any direction, his only anxiety being to seek a temporary -shelter behind the Meuse.</p> - -<p>Throughout the 13th, the German Corps, horse and foot, -sprang forward, displaying that alacrity and hardihood -which had marked their conduct from the outset of the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[p 143]</a></span> -war. The Dragoon brigade of the Guard swooped down -upon Dieulouard, and finally sundered the direct railway -communication between Chalons and Metz. Two other -cavalry brigades, forming the 5th Division, entered Pont -à Mousson early in the morning, and were followed by half -the 10th Corps from Delme. In order to hide, as far as -possible, the movements of the Second Army, an entire -division of cavalry, the 6th, was employed; one brigade -extending from Courcelles sur Nied, to Borny on the -Moselle, and the other posted at Verny supporting the -front line, and linked itself by patrols to the 5th at Pont -à Mousson. The 1st Division of Cavalry, during the forenoon, -crossed the Nied at Pange, and occupied the villages -to the right and left, so that a continuous line of mounted -men stretched from the Nied to the Moselle. Behind this -barrier, the several Corps toiled forward in full security. -At the close of the day, however, only one-half the 10th -Corps was over the Moselle, the other moiety being one -march to the rear; the head of the 3rd Corps stood at -Buchy; the 9th at Herny; the 12th at Chemery; the -2nd, now complete, at St. Avold; the Guard at Lémoncourt, -and the 4th at Chateau Salins.</p> - -<p>By this time, the Third Army, except the 6th Corps, -and the Baden Division which had been directed upon -Strasburg, had made its way through the defiles of the -Vosges, had emerged into the valley of the Upper Saar, -and was, therefore, in direct communication with the -Second Army; so that the German host occupied a wide -region extending from Sarrebourg to villages in front of -Metz; yet at the vital points the Corps stood near enough -to support each other should it be necessary to assemble -on a field of battle. The passage of the Vosges had been -obstructed only by nature and the forts of Bitsche and -Phalsbourg. These were turned, and the hardships of -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[p 144]</a></span> -cross roads and restricted supplies had been overcome. -The divisions trickled through the valleys on a broad front, -gathering up as they touched the Saar and the country of -lakes about Fenestrange. As Phalsbourg did not command -the railway, that important highway fell into the hands of -the Germans. The tunnels in the Zorn valley west of -Saverne had not been destroyed, and the whole line was -complete, yet it could not be used for the transport of -troops and stores until a later period. On the 13th, when -the First Army was closing in on the French outside Metz, -and the Second heading for the Moselle, the Third quitted -the Upper Saar, and, once more expanding, approached on -a broad front the valley of the Meurthe. During the -next day, when their comrades were hotly engaged with -the enemy, they reached the banks of that stream, and -their forward cavalry rode into the streets of Lunéville and -Nancy, the old capital of Lorraine. At this critical -moment, Marshal MacMahon was hastening to Chalons; -De Failly, after having been ordered hither and thither -from hour to hour, had received final orders—he was to -join the Marshal; but Douay’s 7th Corps, although -Dumont’s Division had arrived, increasing the total to -about 20,000 men and 90 guns, had not yet been, and was -not for three days, directed from Belfort upon the great -camp in the plains of Champagne.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[p 145]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="pagenba" id="CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII.</h2> -</div> - -<p class="h2sub">VON MOLTKE KEEPS THE WHIP HAND.</p> - -<p>Weary of his task, weakened in body by a painful -malady, depressed in mind by a series of disasters, -and worried by advice from Paris, the Emperor Napoleon, -on the evening of the 12th of August, transferred to -Marshal Bazaine the burden which he could no longer -bear. Whatever may have been his other aptitudes, he -was not born to command Armies in the field nor had -he that power of selection which may enable an inferior to -choose and clothe with his authority a superior man. Had -a Radetzky, instead of an Emperor, commanded the -Austrian Army in 1859 it is probable that the stability of -the “dynasty” would have been tried by defeat and the -unity of Italy deferred until a later day. Whether the -Emperor Napoleon recognized his incompetence, or whether, -as he often did, he yielded to pressure, matters little except -to the students of character. He nominally gave up the -command, yet retained a certain indefinite control, and he -placed at the head of his Army a Marshal who, although -the senior in rank to the recently promoted Marshal -Lebœuf, the late Chief of the Staff, was still the junior of -Marshal Canrobert; both, fortunately, were loyal men, and -the latter ready to serve under his junior. Yet it is doubtful -whether Bazaine ever exercised that moral ascendency -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[p 146]</a></span> -which is essential at all times, and never more so than at a -crisis when the fate of Armies depends not only on wise -direction, but prompt and willing obedience. The Marshal, -appointed on the 12th, did not take up his command until -the next day, and then he was required to remedy in less -than twenty-four hours the deep-seated mischief produced -by a fortnight of terrible blundering. His special task -was to transport the Army over the Moselle. Four days -earlier that might have been done without a shot being -fired, because even if the German horse had come up to -look on they must have been idle spectators as their infantry -comrades were far in the rear. The fatal error was -committed when the Emperor did not overrule all opposition, -and, adhering with unswerving firmness to his first -thought, neither halt, ponder, nor rest until the Moselle -flowed between him and his foes. The military position -on the morning of the 7th dictated that step; his adversaries -believed or surmised that he would take it, because it -was the right step to take. Nor can we doubt that, as -Commander-in-Chief, Louis Napoleon, who had a little of -“le flair militaire,” saw at once the proper course, but that, -as Emperor, he dared not, on reflection, run the risk. It -was a false calculation, even from a political standpoint, because, -so long as he was in the field with, or at the head of -an Army, his republican and monarchical enemies would -not have moved, and time would have been gained. By -retiring promptly over the Moselle, and leaving Metz to -defend itself, he might have been defeated in battle or -manœuvred back upon Paris; but there would have been -no Sedan and no Metz, and even the Parisians would have -hesitated to plunge headlong into civil war when a French -Army was still afoot, and a formidable host of invaders, -pressing on its weaker array, was “trampling the sacred -soil.” The fate of the campaign about Metz was, then, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[p 147]</a></span> -really decided when the Emperor did not avail himself of -the days of grace, beat down all opposition, and compel -his Marshals and Generals to march their troops over the -Moselle. Neither Bazaine nor any one officer present -with the Army is entitled to be called a great captain; -but whatever he was, the blame of failure does not rest on -him alone; it must be shared, in a far greater degree, by -those who preceded him in command. It is necessary to -insist on this fact, because one of the most valuable -lessons taught by the campaign would be lost were the -capital error committed by the Imperial Staff, when the -order for retreat was countermanded and five days were -wasted in abortive operations, not described with the -emphasis it deserves. Campaigns have been lost as much -by postponed retreats as by rash advances; and it was the -ill-fortune of the French Generals in August, 1870, to -present egregious examples of both forms of fatal error.</p> - -<h3>The French Propose to Move.</h3> - -<p>When Marshal Bazaine took over the command, on the -morning of the 13th, he was required to do in haste what -his superiors might have done at leisure. The prolonged -indecision of the Imperial mind, held in suspense down to -the last moment and against its better judgment, between -the alternative of attack or retreat, was disastrous; no -margin was allowed for error of design, error in execution, -and—the unforeseen. The Emperor had ordered Coffinières, -the Governor of Metz, to build as many bridges as -he could above and below the place, and the General -declares, what no one disputes, that he did construct from -twelve to fifteen bridges, which provided seven lines of -march over the stream. He also mined the permanent -bridges above the fortress, so that on the 12th facilities -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[p 148]</a></span> -for crossing abounded, and the means of destruction were -prepared. Then came in the unforeseen. Rain had fallen -heavily, and consequently the Moselle rose, flowed over -the trestle bridges, damaged the rafts, disconnected the -pontoons with the banks, and spread far and wide over the -approaches. In short, the increase in the volume of water -was so great and unusual, if not unparalleled, that the -calamity was attributed to the Germans—they must, it -was said, have destroyed the sluices near Marsal and have -allowed the lake water of that region free access to the -Moselle—as if they did not wish to cross the river themselves! -Be the cause what it might, there was the -obstruction; so that the first information received by the -Marshal was that the retreat, which he had been ordered -to execute, could not begin until the next day, except by -Canrobert’s 6th Corps, which was near permanent bridges. -Consequently, the Army remained another day on the -right bank. The Corps were in position between forts -Queleu and St. Julien, Frossard on the right, Decaen in -the centre, and De Ladmirault on the left, the Guard being -in rear of the centre behind Borny, where Marshal -Bazaine had set up his head-quarters. Practically the -line was a curve extending from the Seille to the banks of -Moselle below Metz; and the defensive obstacles were a -watercourse with steep banks, patches of dense woods, two -châteaus, or country houses, which were readily made defensible, -and of course the villages and farms scattered -over the pleasant fields. The main body of the Army was -covered throughout its front by outposts thrown forward -towards the Metz-Saarbrück railway on the right, beyond -the brook in the centre, and about Vremy, Nouilly, and -Servigny on the left. So they stood all day, some of them -aware that the Germans were dangerously near; more who -were anxious to get over the river; and yet others who -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[p 149]</a></span> -would have staked everything upon the risk of a battle, so -intolerable is suspense to men of ardent and excitable -temperaments. The night passed over quickly, and on -the 14th, yet not until a late hour in the forenoon, the -Corps began to file off to the rear. Canrobert was already -across; Frossard sent his guns and horsemen over the -town bridges, while his infantry splashed through the -meadows and over the partially submerged temporary constructions; -and leaving Grenier’s division to cover his -retreat, De Ladmirault set out for the left bank over the -Isle Chambière. The Marshal at Borny, with his old -Corps, now under Decaen, and having the Guard in support, -remained to protect the extensive and perilous movement -to the rear in the face of a watchful and intrepid -enemy.</p> - -<p>Released on the evening of the 12th from the imperative -orders which held him fast, and directed to move forward -upon the French Nied, General von Steinmetz -advanced the next day with characteristic alacrity. Two -Corps, the 7th and the 1st, were posted on a short line -between Pange and Les Etangs, the 8th being held back -at Varize on the German Nied, and the two cavalry divisions -being thrown round the flanks, General von Golz, -who commanded the twenty-sixth brigade, took the bold -step of transferring it to the left, or French, bank of the -stream, and he thus came into contact with the outposts of -Decaen’s 3rd Corps. Nevertheless, along the whole line, -on the evening of the 13th and morning of the 14th, -each side maintained a strictly observant attitude, and -held aloof from hostile action; the French because they -wished to glide off unassailed, the Germans because their -Commander-in-Chief desired to secure a solid footing for -the Second Army on the left bank of the Moselle before -the French retired. Watched as these were by keen-sighted -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[p 150]</a></span> -horsemen, they could not stir without being seen; -and so soon as the state of the Moselle permitted a movement -to the rear, the fact was reported to the German -chiefs. A Hussar party notified, about eleven, that Frossard’s -outposts were falling back; a little later that the -tents were down; and then that columns of all arms were -retiring. So it was in the centre and on the left; Decaen’s -Corps remained, but two divisions of De Ladmirault’s -Corps, it was noted, were no longer on the ground they -had held in the morning. General von Manteuffel, inferring -that De Ladmirault might have gone to join in an -attack upon the 7th Corps, at once put two divisions under -arms, a fortunate precaution, though suggested by an -erroneous inference. In front of the 7th Corps, the facts -admitted of no misinterpretation. The enemy was plainly -in retreat, and General von Golz felt that it was his -duty to interrupt the process. Therefore, about half-past -three, notifying his intention to the Divisional Commanders -of his Corps, and requesting support from the -1st, a request promptly granted, Von Golz sprang forward -to attack the French, in full reliance upon the -readiness and energy with which his superiors and comrades -would follow him into the fray. His bold resolve -did stop the retreat, and his onset brought on, late in the -afternoon,</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="colombey"> - <a href="images/colombey_large.jpg"> - <img src="images/colombey_inline.jpg" alt="" /></a> - - <div class="caption">PLAN III: BATTLE of COLOMBEY-NOUILLY, <span - class="smaller">5. P.M.</span></div> - - <div class="subcapit">Weller & - Graham L<span class="sup">td</span>. Lithos.  - London, Bell & Sons</div> -</div> - - -<h3>The Battle of Colombey-Nouilly.</h3> - -<p>The scene of this sharp but severe conflict was the gentle -uplands immediately to the eastward of Metz, and a little -more than cannon-shot beyond the forts which forbid access -to that side of the place. The village of Borny, indeed, is -nearly on a line with the Fort des Bordes, and no point of -the area within which the action raged is more than three -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[p 151]</a></span> -miles from the fortifications. The ground slopes upward -from the Moselle, rising into undulating hills, the summits -of which are two or three hundred feet above the bed of the -stream. Near to Metz these elevations are clothed with -copses devoid of underwood, the great patches of verdure -extending on a curve from Grimont close to the Moselle, as -far as the right bank of the Seille. To the northward are -more woods just outside the battlefield, the area of which -was, from north to south, included between them and the -railway to Saarbrück. A little to the north of this line, -near Ars-Laquenexy, a village on the road from Sarreguemines, -were the sources of a rivulet which flowed northward -along the whole front of the French position, receiving on -its way brooks which trickle down the hollows in the hills -to the eastward. The heights east of the stream were bare -of wood, and the most prominent objects were the village -and church tower of St. Barbe on the crown of a rounded -hill to the north-east. From this elevated hamlet another -brook rose, and found its way along the bed of a gully to -Lauvalliers, where all the watercourses united, and, under -the name of La Vallières, ran thence to the Moselle. The -French troops, four divisions of Decaen’s Corps, were posted -in the woods, and on the heights above the first-mentioned -rivulet from the neighbourhood of Ars-Laquenexy to the -point where all the streamlets joined. The outposts were -in Mercy le Haut, sometimes called Mercy les Metz, in the -woods facing Ars-Laquenexy, in the Château D’Aubigny -and Montoy, beyond the brook, in Colombey, a village on -the south bank, and in Nouilly, a large village in the St. -Barbe ravine. Beyond the confluence of the hill streams -stood a division of De Ladmirault’s Corps upon the high -ground east of Mey, and it was this body which had its -outguards in Nouilly. Although it was divided by the -brook Vallières on the left, the French position was strong, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[p 152]</a></span> -chiefly because the approaches were through defiles, over -open ground, or up steep banks, but also because the woods -afforded shelter to the infantry of the defenders. Three -great roads intersected the field—one from Pange, through -Colombey, to Borny, a second from Saarbrück, which, after -passing La Planchette, ran, at Bellecroix, into the third, -which came from Saarlouis, and passed through Lauvalliers, -entering Metz near the fort called Les Bordes. -The Germans, early in the morning, were on the hills to -the eastward, the 1st Corps being beyond St. Barbe, and -the 7th near, and west of, Pange, with outposts well -forward, and both cavalry and infantry in practical contact -with the enemy, into whose position they looked from all -sides.</p> - -<h3>Von Golz Dashes In.</h3> - -<p>It was the spectacle of a departing and decreasing host -which made the eager Von Golz, without awaiting permission, -dash impetuously forward with his brigade. So -energetic was the onset that the French were at once -driven out of the Château d’Aubigny, Montoy, and La -Planchette. The usual tactics were applied, the companies -working together, turning a flank where the front was too -strong, and following up a success until the weight of fire -brought them to a halt, or even thrust them back. The -batteries attached to the brigade came at once into action -and persisted, though they were hard hit by the French. -But the advance of Von Golz was not to be arrested, and -the impetus of his first movement forward carried part of -the brigade over the ravine and watercourse, and into the -village and inclosures of Colombey. That point, however, -was the limit of his progress, for the French developed -strong lines of skirmishers in the woods, and although -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[p 153]</a></span> -they were unable to expel the audacious intruders, these -were obliged to expend all their energy upon holding what -they had won. On the right, that is to the north of -Colombey, the assailants were brought to a stand on the -eastern edge of the ravine, and at this early stage the farms, -gardens and houses of Colombey formed a salient offensive -angle exposed to the brunt of the French fire from the side -of Borny.</p> - -<p>At the first indication of a combat, General von -Manteuffel, two of whose divisions were already under arms, -sent their advance guards down the hills and through the -hollow ways from St. Barbe; joined his line of battle on to -the right of Von Golz and fell smartly on the outpost of -Grenier’s division which De Ladmirault had left about Mey -to cover his retrograde march upon the Moselle. The -noise of combat, also, and the appeals sent in from the -daring brigadier, put the rest of the 7th Corps in motion, -so that the 14th as well as the 13th Division sprang to -arms and approached the fight. General von Zastrow, -however, did not quite approve of the temerity of his -subordinate; but seeing that the Corps was committed -to an engagement, he permitted General von Glümer to use -the twenty-sixth brigade on the right and General von -Woyna to employ the twenty-eighth on the left while he -held the twenty-seventh in reserve. In like manner, the -French turned fiercely on their adversaries. Canrobert and -Frossard were over the Moselle, but Decaen’s four divisions -were speedily arrayed; the Guard behind them fell in and -marched Brincourt’s brigade towards the Seille to protect -Montaudon’s right; and De Ladmirault instantly counter-marched -his two divisions, moving De Lorencez towards the -north-east, hoping to turn the right of Manteuffel, and -ordering De Cissey, who had partially crossed the Moselle, -to reinforce Grenier at Mey. About five o’clock, then, in -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[p 154]</a></span> -consequence of the hardihood of a brigadier, a furious action -raged along the whole French front, towards which comrades -were hurriedly retracing their steps, and upon which -adversaries were hastening forward with equal ardour.</p> - -<p>The rapid development of an attack, which had in it some -elements of a surprise, alike unwelcome and unexpected, -and the tenacity with which a few battalions clung steadfastly -to the advantage gained, astonished but did not -disconcert the French, who frankly answered the challenge -of their foes. Nevertheless, the opening movements of the -1st Corps were as successful as those of Von Golz. The -artillery, always foremost in this campaign, going straight -and swiftly to the front, soon had batteries in position, protected -by cavalry, while behind them on the roads from -Saarlouis and Saarbrück the infantry were quickly moving -up. The leading battalions of the 1st Division poured -through and round Noisseville and Nouilly, pressing back -the French skirmishers and, following them fast, actually -stormed the barricaded village of Mey, directly under -Grenier’s main position in the wooded hill above. The -2nd Division directed upon Montoy, Lauvalliers and the -mills at the confluence of the streams, fell on with alacrity; -but the resistance was so keen that although they soon -wrested the eastern, they suffered great loss and were once -promptly repulsed by the defenders, when attempting to -master the western bank. Yet, aided by the fire of batteries -concentrated south of the St. Barbe ravine, these persistent -troops ultimately crowned the ascent, and established -the front of battle on the French side of the brook throughout -its length. From one point, however, the French could -not be dislodged. There was a cross road leading from -Colombey to Bellecroix. It was a hollow way, bordered by -trees two or three deep, and having in front, by way of -salient, a little fir wood. This position effectually frustrated -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[p 155]</a></span> -every effort of the Germans either to debouch from Colombey -or push forward towards Bellecroix. Naturally strong -and valiantly held, it was not carried until nearly seven -o’clock, and then only by the repeated onsets of the twenty-fifth -brigade which Von Zastrow, about half-past five, had -permitted to take a share in an engagement which he did -not like, but which he was bound to sustain. Thus was -Von Golz succoured and partially relieved from the heavy -pressure put on him; a pressure further mitigated by the -advance of the twenty-eighth brigade, 7th Corps, on his -left, and the capture of the wood of Borny. Still further -to the left the 18th Division of the 9th Corps, which had -marched up from Buchy on hearing the cannonade, and -some cavalry appeared on the field towards dark and thus -added to the disquietude of Montaudon on the French -right who, however, held fast to his main position above -Grigy.</p> - -<p>The action on the French right and centre may fairly be -regarded as an indecisive combat, although the front -occupied in the morning had been driven inwards, and the -daring assailant had won some ground. On the French -left the combat had been equally fierce, but less favourable -to the defenders. General de Ladmirault, indeed, when -obliged to turn and succour his comrade and subordinate, -Grenier, had at once resolved to assume the offensive. It -was a timely determination, for Grenier’s troops had been -pushed back and shaken, and, if left without aid, they -would have been driven under the guns of St. Julien. But -the approach of De Cissey, and the threatening direction -imparted to De Lorencez, at once altered the aspect of -affairs: for De Cissey struck in with vigour, and the German -troops which had entered Mey retreated fast upon -Nouilly; then General von Manteuffel, hastening the march -of his brigades which were still on the way to the field -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[p 156]</a></span> -formed his line to the north-west, between Servigny, -Nouilly, and the mills at the confluence of the brooks, with -a reserve at Servigny. As the guns, like the troops, arrived -successively, they were arrayed on the new line, and, before -De Ladmirault could develop his flank attack effectively, the -1st Corps had ninety guns in position between Lauvalliers -and Poix, which enabled them to bar any infantry advance -upon St. Barbe. The effect of this disposition was to frustrate -the aggressive designs of De Ladmirault, but he is entitled -to the credit of having saved his exposed division, -and also of having made the only movement during the day -which had the semblance of a real endeavour to strike for -victory against a foe whose troops and artillery were plainly -coming up in detachments along the whole line. Nor can -it be denied that his vehement onset drove back the Germans, -and recovered a large extent of ground up to the -skirts of Nouilly and the water mills. Moreover, it gave -great assistance to Aymard’s Division of Decaen’s Corps, -and enabled it, at one moment, to scatter the companies -operating in the angle formed by the streams, and drive -them headlong over the ravine upon Lauvalliers. But the -advent of German battalions, and the action of the guns, -finally restored the combat, and as the twilight deepened -into darkness the German right once more gained the -ascendency, and the French divisions retired to their -bivouacs nearer to Metz.</p> - -<p>Long after the sun had set, portions of the 1st Corps -still arrived on the scene; but then the battle was over. -General de Ladmirault, three years afterwards, naturally -proud of his conduct, insisted that the French had won the -day. The German accounts, however, place the fact beyond -dispute, since they show that the leading troops of the -1st Corps did reach Vautoux, Mey, and Villers l’Orme, -which proves that the adversary must have retired towards -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[p 157]</a></span> -Bellecroix and the banks of the Moselle. No doubt the -Germans were wisely drawn back, at a late hour, and on -that ground the French put in a claim to the victory. For -General Steinmetz had ridden on to the field just as the -contest was coming to an end. He was angry because a -battle had been fought, and apprehensive lest a counter-attack -in force should be made at dawn; so he ordered -the 1st and 7th Corps to retire upon the positions they -occupied on the 13th. Nevertheless, Von Zastrow, who did -not receive the order, insisted that his Corps should bivouac -under arms on the battlefield, so that the wounded might -be collected, and the honour of the Army vindicated.</p> - -<h3>The End of the Battle.</h3> - -<p>In this action the French lost not quite four thousand, -and the Germans nearly five thousand men; on both sides -more than two hundred officers had been killed or wounded, -General Decaen, commanding the 3rd Corps, mortally, while -Bazaine and Castagny were slightly hurt. The French had -actually on the field, including the Guard in reserve, with -one brigade in the front line, three Corps d’Armée; for, -though Lorencez did not press far forward, still the whole -force under De Ladmirault was present, and in action. -The Germans brought up successively two Corps and one -Division, but a large portion of the 1st could not reach -the scene of actual fighting until dark. It is impossible to -ascertain exactly, and difficult to estimate the numbers -engaged; but one fact is manifest—that the German -assailants were numerically inferior, especially during the -first two hours; that the disproportion was only lessened -between six and seven; and that, at no time, were the -French fewer in number. Marshal Bazaine emphatically -states, in his report to the Emperor, that he held his -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[p 158]</a></span> -position without employing the Guard, which is true, but it -is not less true that the whole front of his line was driven -in; and that he stood at the close within the range of the -heavy guns in the forts. The French fought well, but they -fought a defensive battle, and that is why they exacted from -the assailant a much heavier penalty than he inflicted on -them. The retreat of the Imperialists was delayed; but in -the Great Head-quarter Staff serious misgivings began to -spring up, and a fear lest the habit of bringing on improvised -battles might not become a real source of danger. -An able and enterprising General in command of the -French at Spicheren and Borny would have read a severe -lesson to German advance-guards, and would have made -them pay for their temerity.</p> - -<p>Not until a late hour did the news of the battle reach -the king, who had established his head-quarters at Herny, -on the railway. Prince Frederick Charles, at Pont à -Mousson, was only informed of the event the next morning. -His Army, the Second, had been engaged in marching up -to and towards the Moselle, and at eventide the several -Corps halted at these points. The 4th Corps was over -the Seille, and not far from Custines and Marbache, places -just below the confluence of the Meurthe and Moselle; the -Guard had one division a little lower down at Dieulouard; -the 10th Corps, entire, was at Pont à Mousson, with -a brigade to the westward; the 3rd, the 9th, and the -12th, were facing the Moselle between Pont à Mousson -and the left of the First Army, prepared either to frustrate -a French advance up the right bank—a possible movement -always present to the mind of Von Moltke—or cross the -river. The 2nd Corps had come up to Falquemont; and -a Reserve Landwehr Division, under General Kummer, -was being organized at Saarlouis. To complete the survey, -it should be added that Gneisenau’s Brigade, sent to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[p 159]</a></span> -surprise Thionville, an enterprise which failed, was returning -to rejoin the First Army; and that on the evening of -the 14th, the foremost troops of the Crown Prince’s Army -were some squadrons of cavalry in Nancy, and an infantry -brigade in Lunéville.</p> - -<h3>The French Retreat.</h3> - -<p>Throughout the night the wearied French divisions, -which had been either engaged in combat or standing -under arms, filed over the Moselle, and the Emperor -took up his quarters at Longeville, outside the town. -Marshal Bazaine’s order, dated the 13th, directed the -whole Army on the road to Gravelotte, whence one portion -was to continue by Mars la Tour, and the other turn off to -the right and march on Conflans. The rigorous construction -of the Marshal’s order yields that interpretation, but -he contended, at his trial, that he merely indicated the -general lines of retreat upon Verdun, and that the Staff -and Corps Commanders should have used any and every -road or track which would have served the main purpose. -There are, or at least were, in 1870, only two roads out of -Metz available for the march of heavy columns of troops of -all arms and large trains—the excellent highway to Gravelotte, -which is a long defile, and the road through Woippy, -turning the uplands on the north. All the intermediate -lanes or cross-roads are rugged and narrow, and only one, -that passing by Lessy, has or had any pretension to the -character of an inferior village road. Guns and carts can -move along and up them in Indian file, but not easily if -numerous, and nowhere at a good pace. Thus, even, on the -14th, the Corps of Frossard and Canrobert, who both -started late, found the Gravelotte road so encumbered by -trains that they could only make their way slowly, and did -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[p 160]</a></span> -not arrive at Rozerieulles until after dark. The Emperor was -still at Longeville, anxiously awaiting the issue of the fight -which revived all his apprehensions. Metz was excited and -alarmed, and the streets were crowded during the afternoon -and evening, with passing soldiers, guns, baggage waggons -and provision carts. Night brought no rest, for the Guard -and the 3rd Corps came hastily over the river, and were -densely packed inside the town and outside the ramparts -in the space between the walls and Mount St. Quentin; -while General de Ladmirault was engaged until morning in -passing his divisions across the Isle Chambière, and -Metman had also strayed from Bellecroix to that side -of the town.</p> - -<p>Marshal Bazaine had quitted Borny at dusk. He rode -through Metz “with difficulty,” and made his way to the -Imperial head-quarters. Here Napoleon, who was in bed, -welcomed him with his usual kindness, and when the -Marshal explained his fears lest the Germans should cut in -on his line of retreat, and referring to his wound, begged -to be superseded, the Emperor, he writes, “touching my -bruised shoulder and the fractured epaulette, gracefully -said, ‘It will be nothing, an affair of a few days, and you -have just broken the charm.’” Apparently, Napoleon -still clung to the belief that the allies he had sought would -come to his aid. “I await an answer from the Emperor -of Austria and the King of Italy,” he said; “compromise -nothing by too much precipitation, and, above all things, -avoid fresh reverses.” He counted on one sovereign whom -he had defeated in battle, and another whom he had helped -to enlarge his kingdom, and he counted in vain, partly -because he was unsuccessful, but chiefly because the -national political interests of both countries prevailed -over the gratitude felt by Victor Emmanuel, and the -desire to turn the tables on the House of Hohenzollern -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[p 161]</a></span> -which was still strong in the House of Hapsburg-Lorraine.</p> - -<p>“You will drag us out of this hornet’s nest, Marshal, -won’t you?” exclaimed an officer, as Bazaine quitted the -Imperial quarters. It was a task beyond his strength. -When day dawned a thick fog shrouded the valley of the -Moselle, and before the camp at Longeville was astir, a -shell from the opposite bank burst near a tent, “cut a -Colonel in two,” to use the soldatesque language of Marshal -Canrobert, “carried off the leg of a battalion commander, -and wounded two officers standing near a drummer.” The -lucky shot came from a patrol of German cavalry, which -had ridden forward as far as the railway station, unopposed, -and its commander, observing a camp at Longeville, had -brought his guns into action, and proved, once again, that -the hornets were abroad and making a bold use of their -offensive weapons. A battery hastily ran out, and the -heavy metal of St. Quentin drove off the intruders; but they -had learned that the foe was over the river before they -retired. Soon afterwards, by Bazaine’s order, a mine was -fired, and one section of the railway bridge was destroyed.</p> - -<p>Then the retreat was continued. Finding the road -obstructed by an endless stream of carts and waggons, -Marshal Lebœuf turned aside, and struggling on, amid -transport vehicles, threaded his way by Lessy and Chatel -St. Germain to Vernéville, where about seven in the evening -he had assembled the tired infantry Divisions of Castagny -and Montaudon; but his cavalry and reserve artillery did -not reach the bivouac until night; while Aymard’s Division -was forced to halt in the defile, and Metman was at -Sansonnet in the Moselle valley. Frossard, followed by -Canrobert, had marched during the day as far as Rezonville, -where both halted; and the Guard with the Emperor and -Prince Imperial attained Gravelotte. General de Ladmirault -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[p 162]</a></span> -did not stir at all on the 15th, he put a strict -construction on Bazaine’s orders, and affected also to be -uncertain whether he was to continue his retreat or not. -But he had allowed Lorencez to press through the town -and thrust himself into the Lessy defile, where his troops, -unable to get on, had to pass the night. These disjointed -and irregular movements testify to the confusion of a -hurried retreat, to the flurry which had got the upper -hand, and to the absence of anything like a firm control -over troops and generals. How could it be otherwise? -The Emperor still commanded, or was believed -to command, and it is plain that at no time did the -Marshal secure prompt and cheerful obedience, or inspire -confidence, always essential to success, and never more so -than when an Army has to be extricated from what -the Imperial Guardsman graphically called a “hornet’s -nest.”</p> - -<h3>The Germans cross the Moselle.</h3> - -<p>Far otherwise had the hours been employed by the -German host. Early in the morning King William had -ridden from Herny to the heights above the battlefield, -and there the Head-quarter Staff, from actual observation, -were able to form a correct judgment on the actual state -of affairs. At first they took precautionary measures -against a possible counter attack, and it was not until -eleven o’clock that, evidence sufficient to convince Von -Moltke having come in, decisive steps were taken. All the -Corps of the Second Army were directed upon or over the -Moselle, the 1st Corps was moved to Courcelles-Chaussy; -and the 7th was posted at Courcelles sur Nied to guard -the railway line and the depôts; and the 8th was on its -left, echeloned on the Lunéville road. At nightfall the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[p 163]</a></span> -3rd Corps had crossed the Moselle between Pagny and -Novéant, where they found the bridge intact; the 10th -had one division at Pont à Mousson and one westward at -Thiaucourt; the Guard was at Dieulouard, and the 4th -Corps astride the river at Marbache-Custines. The 2nd -Corps had come up to Han sur Nied. The Crown Prince’s -advanced troops were at Haney, St. Nicholas on the -Meurthe, and Bayon on the Upper Moselle.</p> - -<h3>The Cavalry beyond the Moselle.</h3> - -<p>But the most interesting and effective operations were -those carried out by the 5th Cavalry Division, commanded -by General von Rheinbaben. They had traversed the Moselle -on the 14th, and were directed to gain the Verdun -road in order to ascertain the exact whereabouts of the -French. At the same time the 3rd Cavalry Division attached -to the First Army was instructed to pass the river -below Metz and push out towards Briey; but the French -had removed all the boats, no crossing could be effected, -and the division was employed elsewhere. No such obstacles -arrested the 5th Division. It consisted of three -strong brigades under Von Redern, Von Barby, and Von -Bredow, in all thirty-six squadrons, and was accompanied -by two batteries of horse artillery. Leaving Barby at -Thiaucourt to await the arrival of Bredow coming up from -the Moselle, Redern marched through the fog at four in the -morning to La Chausée, whence he detached two squadrons -towards the Verdun road. During their absence Von -Redern, riding on towards Xonville, discovered and was -fired on by a body of French cavalry on the hills about -Puxieux. These were French dragoons detached from De -Forton’s division, then <i>en route</i> for Mars la Tour, and -they were reinforced from the main body as soon as the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[p 164]</a></span> -vedettes had opened fire. The French, led by Prince -Murat, ascended the hill, and soon after the Germans had -brought a battery to bear Murat withdrew his men, followed -by Von Redern. On crowning the ridge De Forton’s -division was plainly seen moving in the valley, or halting -near Mars la Tour, supported by twelve guns. Von Redern, -who did not think it prudent to attack, retired until -a fold of the hills gave him protection. Here he was -joined by two squadrons of hussars, which had approached -Rezonville, captured nine prisoners, and when pursued had -got deftly away. The sound of the cannon had attracted -the rest of the brigade, and Von Redern again moved towards -Mars la Tour, and again drew off without a fight. -But by this time the cannonade had called up both Barby -and Bredow, so that there were soon thirty-four squadrons -and two batteries on the ground. The French General, De -Forton, who believed erroneously that German infantry -occupied Puxieux, was of opinion that he had fought a -successful skirmish; yet instead of closing with enemies -who were actually close to the line of retreat upon Verdun, -he fell back as far as Vionville, and went into -camp. Three French divisions of horse in the van of the -retiring Army allowed a German division to sit down -within a short distance of the Verdun road and many miles -from all infantry support. On the other hand, a squadron -of Uhlans pushed almost to Conflans, and stumbling on -Du Barail’s division, was smartly punished; but a captain -of hussars, during the evening, rode towards Rezonville -and halted close enough to see Frossard’s fantassins cooking -their suppers. Meantime, the Prussian Guard Cavalry, -moving north-west from Dieulouard, had placed its advanced -brigade at Thiaucourt; and a squadron of Guard -Uhlans had audaciously summoned the Governor of Toul -to surrender. No such memorable examples of activity can -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[p 165]</a></span> -be found in the record of the French cavalry, which had -forgotten the traditions of Napoleon the Great.</p> - -<h3>Orders for the Flank March.</h3> - -<p>That evening General von Moltke issued a set of memorable -instructions to General von Steinmetz and Prince -Frederick Charles. The First Army was to leave a corps -at Courcelles sur Nied, and place the others at Arry and -Pommérieux, between the Seille and the Moselle. “It is -only by a vigorous offensive movement of the Second -Army,” wrote Von Moltke, “upon the routes from Metz to -Verdun by Fresne and Etain that we can reap the fruits of -the victory obtained yesterday. The commander of the -Second Army is intrusted with this operation which he will -conduct according to his own judgment and with the -means at his disposal, that is, all the Corps of his Army.” -It was further announced that the King would transfer his -head-quarters to Pont à Mousson in the afternoon of the -16th. Preparations were thus made to place the whole -force on the left bank of the Moselle, except the 1st -Corps, the 3rd Division of Cavalry, and the 2nd which -was still two marches from the river. In this way Von -Moltke hoped to keep the whip hand of his opponents, -and cut them off from the shelter they sought beyond the -Meuse.</p> - -<h3>The Emperor Quits the Army.</h3> - -<p>Before narrating the battle which the French style -Rezonville and the Germans Vionville-Mars la Tour, we -may turn to the Imperial head-quarters at Gravelotte at -dawn on the 16th, because the scene presents so vivid a -contrast to that in the German camp. When Marshal -Bazaine saw the Emperor on the preceding evening walking -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[p 166]</a></span> -meditatively up and down before his quarters, he was surprised -by the question, “Must I go?” The Marshal -frankly admitted that he had not been informed respecting -the situation in front, and asked him to wait. “The -answer,” writes Bazaine, appeared to please him, and -turning to his suite he said, loud enough to be heard by all, -“Gentlemen, we will remain, but keep the baggage packed.” -The troops, sad and depressed, continued to defile before -the inn; no shout, no vivat was evoked by the sight of the -sovereign and his son. Yet that night the Emperor had -made up his mind. In the morning he summoned -Bazaine, who found him in his carriage with the Prince -Imperial and Prince Napoleon. The baggage had already -gone on in the night, and the lancers and dragoons of the -Guard, commanded by General de France, were in the -saddle ready to serve as an escort. Bazaine rode to the -side of the carriage, and the Emperor said, “I have resolved -to leave for Verdun and Chalons. Put yourself on the -route for Verdun as soon as you can. The gendarmerie -have already quitted Briey in consequence of the arrival of -the Prussians”—a singularly erroneous statement, but one -showing how ill-informed the head-quarters were from -first to last. The Emperor then drove off from Gravelotte -by the road to Conflans, through the wooded ways which -were so soon to be the scene of a sanguinary encounter. -Three hours after he started Von Redern’s guns opened -suddenly on the French cavalry camp near Vionville, and -began, by a stroke of surprise, the most remarkable and -best-fought battle of the campaign.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[p 167]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="pagenba" id="CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII.</h2> -</div> - -<p class="h2sub">THE FRENCH RETREAT THWARTED.</p> - -<h3 class="noskip">Vionville—Mars la Tour.</h3> - -<p>That feebleness and hesitation which had been so -conspicuous on the side of the French from the outset -of the campaign were not likely to cease when dangers -and difficulties increased with every passing hour. The -Emperor, while he commanded, had been incapable of -taking, not merely a bold, but any resolution, and the -mental qualities of Marshal Bazaine were not sufficiently -far above the average to enable him to remedy the mischievous -effects of the long course of erroneous conduct to -the heritage of which he succeeded. Moreover, neither -Bazaine nor any other French commander, despite recent -experiences, had formed a correct estimate of German -energy and enterprise. Least of all could they believe that -a single Corps and two divisions of cavalry would venture -to plant themselves across the road to Verdun. The evil -consequences were increased by the inactivity of the -cavalry, and the bad, unsoldierlike habit of making perfunctory -reconnaisances carried only a mile or so to the -front and on the flanks. Marshal Bazaine’s phrase—“les -reconnaissances doivent se faire <i>comme d’habitude</i>”—reveals -the whole secret. At Wissembourg, on the 4th of August, -General Abel Douay’s horsemen returned from a short -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[p 168]</a></span> -excursion and reported that no enemy was near; and at eight -in the morning of the 16th, General Frossard was informed -by the patrols which had come in that there was no adversary -in force on his front. The German horse were near -at hand, yet De Forton’s cavaliers had not felt out as far as -their bivouac. Marshal Bazaine’s original intention was -that the two corps ordered to follow the Mars la Tour road -should start at four o’clock; and Frossard had his men -out in readiness to move at that hour when a fresh order -postponed the march until the afternoon. During the -night Marshal Lebœuf, alarmed at the absence of two -divisions and at the continued sojourn of De Ladmirault in -the Moselle valley, had suggested that it would be better -to stand fast until the several Corps had been once more -brought within supporting distance; and Marshal Bazaine -had readily yielded to the suggestion. Still no measures -were taken to ascertain whether foes were approaching or -not, and the soldiers, horse and foot, took up their ordinary -camp duties as they would have done had they been at -Chalons in time of peace. The actual situation, if they -had known it, required that every horse, man and gun -should have been in motion at dawn, yet they all lingered; -and it may be said that neither superiors nor subordinates -were alive to the peril in which they stood—not of defeat, -still less rout, the odds available against German enterprise -were too great,—but of a blow which would make -them reel and, perhaps, turn them aside from the paths to -the Meuse.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="vionville"> - <a href="images/vionville_large.jpg"> - <img src="images/vionville_inline.jpg" alt="" /></a> - - <div class="caption">PLAN IV: BATTLE of VIONVILLE–MARS LA TOUR, - <span class="smaller">ABOUT 4. P.M.</span></div> - - <div class="subcapit">Weller & - Graham L<span class="sup">td</span>. Lithos.  - London, Bell & Sons</div> -</div> - -<h3>The Vionville Battlefield.</h3> - -<p>The road from Gravelotte to Verdun passes by the -villages of Rezonville, Vionville and Mars la Tour through -a generally open and undulating country. The ground -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[p 169]</a></span> -slopes irregularly and gently upward on all sides from the -highway; the villages on the route are in the hollows or -shallow valleys. North and south of Rezonville a ridge -separated two ravines, the larger, on the east, formed by -the Jurée brook, had its origin north of Gravelotte, the -smaller on the west, came down also from the northern -uplands, and parallel to its bed ran the principal road from -Gorze to Rezonville. At the southern declivity of the -ridge, and extending eastward as far as the Moselle, were a -series of forests—the Bois de Vionville, Bois St. Arnould, -the Bois des Ognons, the Bois des Chevaux. To the west -and south-west of Rezonville the country was generally -open; but there was a clump of trees shading a pool near -Vionville, and, north of the high road, were larger patches -of woods, named after the village of Tronville. North -also of the highway, and within the French lines, woodlands -covered the hill sides towards St. Marcel, the hamlet -of Villers aux Bois being seated on the highest ground. -Along this upper plateau are traces of a Roman road, -running due west, the ancient route from Verdun to Metz; -traces visible also in the fields nearer to the fortress. The -French occupied the higher stretches on the eastern and -north-eastern edge of this irregularly undulating and -wooded region. General Frossard was posted on the left -of the line in front of Rezonville; Canrobert on the heights -towards St Marcel; Lebœuf had his troops about Vernéville, -the Guard stood at, and in rear of Gravelotte, and -the careless cavalry brigades under de Forton and Valabrègues -had set up their camps west of Vionville, and -thence kept a listless watch towards the heights and -hollows, west and south-west, just in their immediate -front.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[p 170]</a></span></p> - -<h3>The French are Surprised.</h3> - -<p>Suddenly, about nine o’clock, they were struck by shells -fired from a battery which seemed to have sprung out of a -rounded hill a few hundred yards to the west of Vionville. -The missiles fell among the tents and burst about a -squadron filing up in watering order to the tree-shaded -pool. In quick succession three additional batteries appeared -on the crest and opening fire added to the confusion -below. Murat’s dragoons broke and fled and, accompanied -by the baggage train, horses, carts, men, galloped and ran -off towards Rezonville; and De Gramont’s troopers, -further to the rear, mounted and retired in good order up -the northern slopes, halting on the right of the 6th Corps. -The batteries, six in number, then moved up to a height -closer in to Vionville and smote the infantry camps. They -were promptly answered by the guns of Frossard’s Corps, -while his brigades stood to their arms, formed up and -sprang forward with alacrity. About the same time, a -solitary German battery, visible to the south, fired a few -rounds into the French left and then withdrew over the -crest unable to bear the storm of Chassepot bullets which -were poured from the aroused and irritated infantry.</p> - -<p>The collision, so unwelcome to the French, had been -brought about in this wise. Prince Frederick Charles had -ordered the 3rd and 10th Corps and the 6th Division -of Cavalry to start early in the morning and strike the -Verdun road west of Rezonville. As General von Voights-Rhetz, -commanding the 10th, intended to move upon St. -Hilaire, beyond Mars la Tour, he instructed Von Rheinbaben -to reconnoitre in the direction of Rezonville, increased -his horse artillery, and supported him with an infantry -detachment from Thiaucourt. About the same -time that the 10th Corps advanced its foremost brigades -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[p 171]</a></span> -from Thiaucourt, and the rest from Pont à Mousson, the -3rd Corps and the 6th Division of Cavalry also made -for the hills west and south of Vionville, the right division -proceeding by Gorze, and the left, by Buxières, towards -Tronville. Thus these two Corps were moving on two -parallel curves, the 3rd being next to the enemy, and -the 10th on the outer and larger arc. The Prince and -his Generals did not anticipate a battle, but they all hoped -to fall in with and punish a rear-guard, or, by striking far -to the westward, intercept and compel the French Army -to halt and fight before it reached the Meuse. It was -Rheinbaben’s abrupt and thorough home-thrust which -revealed the fact that the French had not passed Rezonville, -or, at least, that a large part of the Army was near -that village. His advance-guard, three squadrons and a -battery, had moved within musket-shot of De Forton’s -camp “without encountering a single patrol;” and, taking -advantage of such supineness, his artillery, hastening forward, -created the panic near Vionville, which has already -been described. Frossard’s Corps, which always behaved -well, speedily took up defensive positions. Bataille occupied -Vionville and Flavigny, and the high ground above -the villages; Vergé prolonged the line to the left, and -placed one brigade facing south to front the Bois de Vionville, -and connect the array with Lapasset’s brigade on the -ridge which, from the north, overlooked the Bois St. -Arnould and the ravine leading to Gorze. The 6th Corps, -encamped north of the main road, continued the line on -that side, and rapidly developed a front facing south-west -between the highway and the Roman road. The sound of -the cannonade was heard as far off as Jarny and Conflans, -startled Lebœuf at Vernéville, and aroused the Marshal, -busy in his quarters at Gravelotte.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[p 172]</a></span></p> - -<h3>The Third Corps strikes in.</h3> - -<p>Rheinbaben’s bold horsemen and gunners had done -their work; they had gained for the oncoming infantry -that species of moral advantage which always accrues from -a surprise. As they fell back to more sheltered positions -behind the swelling hills, the right wing of the 3rd -Corps, under Stülpnagel, entered the field from the south; -the left wing, directed by the fiery Alvensleben himself, -came down into the arena from the south-west, and several -batteries, urged on by Von Bulow, dashed up and formed -the centre of the assailants. Indeed, the guns were in -action before the infantry could march over the distance -between their starting points and the outward spray of the -French line of battle; so that for an appreciable interval -the groups of batteries had to depend upon themselves. -Yet not for long. Stülpnagel’s battalions plunged into -the dense woods on the right, and waged a close combat -with the skirmishers of Jolivet’s brigade, who were slow to -give ground. Beyond the thickets, the left wing of the -division drove Valazé’s skirmishers from an eminence, the -highest in those parts, and a battery was speedily in action -on its bare summit. By degrees, as they came up, the -battalions of the 10th Brigade went forward on the left, -or western, flank of the height, where the contest, conducted -with vigour on both sides, eddied to and fro, until -the German onset, repeated and sustained, gained the -mastery, and cleared the slopes so effectually that five -other batteries, driving up the hill as fast as they could -clear the defile, took ground on its top, and gave support -to the companies in the wood and on the open down. -About an hour was consumed in this desperate work, made -all the more arduous because the German infantry pushed -eagerly into the fight, not in compact masses, but one -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[p 173]</a></span> -battalion after another as each struggled up to the front. -Major-General Doering was killed, and many officers went -down in this sanguinary strife: one battalion which dashed -forward to resist a French attack at a critical moment lost -every officer. But as it retired, broken and wasted, the -French were smitten in turn by its comrades, forced to -give way, and the position was, at this heavy cost, secured. -For the troops engaged in the forest had now attained the -northern edge of the Bois de Vionville, the batteries on -the lofty hill were safe, and Stülpnagel’s Division was -solidly established upon the most commanding uplands in -that part of the field.</p> - -<p>To their left rear was the 6th Cavalry Division; but -between them and the fields west of Vionville were no infantry, -only lines of guns, protected by a few squadrons of -horse. For the 6th Infantry Division, coming on from -Buxièries, had gradually wheeled to the right until they -faced to the east, the 11th Brigade crossing the high road, -north of Tronville, the 12th moving upon Vionville; so -that they formed a line of attack directed upon Bataille’s -division which held Vionville and Flavigny, having on its -right, beyond the Verdun road, the division of Lafont de -Villiers belonging to Canrobert’s Corps. While Stülpnagel -was striving to obtain a grip of the woods and heights on -the French left, Buddenbrock, the other divisional commander, -acting under the eyes of his chief, threw the -weight of his division upon the two villages which covered -what was then the French centre. Vionville was first -carried by the usual turning movement, and its capture -was followed by the outburst of a still more murderous -conflict. The French had brought up more and heavier -pieces, and these poured a crushing fire into the village. -The Germans answered by continuing the attack on the -French infantry. Yet so confused was the engagement on -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[p 174]</a></span> -the bare hill side, so completely was it a “soldiers’ battle,” -such was the swaying to and fro of the mingled companies -which, crushed and mangled, yet welded themselves together -and pressed on, that, once more, the official German -historian renounces the task of minute description. But -the effect of the hurly-burly was soon manifest—Bataille’s -entire division, unable to endure the torment, and seeing -its General fall wounded, went about and retired; Valazé’s -brigade, “taken in flank,” says Frossard, by a German -battery, and losing its gallant commander, also marched -off through Rezonville; and the nearest brigade of Canrobert’s -Corps likewise receded, either under pressure or -weakened in purpose by example. The Germans paid a -great price for the immense advantage secured; but as -Flavigny fell into their hands, as the left of Stülpnagel’s -Division joined in its capture, and as the front of battle -was now no longer an arc but its chord, the prize was well -worth its cost. The sole reinforcements which had arrived -to aid the 3rd Corps, were two detachments, parts of the -same brigade, and pertaining to the 10th which, on their -way to join that Corps then moving westward, had turned -aside, attracted by the magnetism of the cannonade. How -much of the success obtained was due to the valour, devotion, -and endurance of the artillery may be gathered from -the French narratives. No troops could have fought with -greater hardihood and dash—not fleeting, but sustained—than -the infantry of the 3rd Corps, all Prussians from -the Mark of Brandenburg. But they had their equals -among the dauntless gunners, deserving to be called -“<i>tirailleurs d’artillerie</i>,” who literally used their batteries -as battalions, dragging them up to the very outward edges -of the fight, often within rifle-shot, and when pressed, retiring -some scores of paces, then halting and opening at -short range upon their pursuers. The line, composed of -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[p 175]</a></span> -groups of batteries, especially in the forenoon, was the -backbone of the battle.</p> - -<h3>Arrival of Bazaine.</h3> - -<p>Just as Frossard’s infantry, yielding to the vehement -pressure, retreated behind Rezonville, Marshal Bazaine -appeared on the scene, and rode into the thick of the contest. -At Frossard’s request he directed a Lancer regiment, -supported by the cuirassiers of the Guard, to charge and -check the pursuers. The Lancers went forth with great -spirit, but soon swerved aside, broken by the infantry fire. -The Guard horsemen, however, led by General du Preuil, -rode home upon the eager and disordered companies who -were marching to the east of the flaming village of Flavigny. -But these foot soldiers, reserving their fire until the mailed -cavaliers were within two hundred and fifty yards, plied -them with shot so steadily that the squadrons swerved to -the right and left, only to fall under the bullets from the -rear ranks which had faced about. “The cuirassiers,” -says General du Preuil, “were broken by the enemy’s infantry, -which received them with a murderous fire. After -the charge, the wreck of the regiment rallied at Rezonville, -having left behind on the field 22 officers, 24 <i>sous officiers</i>, -about 200 men and 250 horses. When the regiment was -re-organized, instead of 115 mounted men per squadron, -there were only 62!” Colonel von Rauch had close to -Flavigny two Hussar regiments; with one he pressed on -the flying cuirassiers, and with the other charged the -French infantry struggling rearward. Bazaine had just -brought up, and was posting a battery of the Imperial -Guard, when the Hussars charged down upon him, taking -the battery in front and flank. It was here that the Marshal -was surrounded, separated for a moment from his -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[p 176]</a></span> -staff, and obliged, as he himself says, to “draw his sword.” -Two squadrons of his escort came to his relief, and a rifle -battalion opened upon the Prussian horse, who had to -retreat, leaving behind the battery which they had temporarily -seized. General Alvensleben had ordered up the -6th Division of Cavalry, but when they arrived, Bazaine -had brought forward the Grenadier Division of the Guard -to replace the 2nd Corps in the front line, for Jolivet’s -brigade, on the French left, had also retired to the high -ground in its rear. The 6th formed up to the south of -Flavigny and advanced, but they could not make any impression -upon the re-invigorated enemy, and they drew -back, having lost many officers and men. “This demonstration, -apparently without any result,” says the official -German account, “was still useful, since it provided the -artillery with an opportunity so vehemently desired of -pressing up nearer to the front.” In fact, the lines of the -artillery were now between the edge of the wood of Vionville -and Flavigny, and to the right, left, and front of -Vionville itself—a distinct approximation towards the -French infantry and guns; so that there were changes on -both sides, with the difference that the French brought up -fresh troops, while the same German guns, horsemen and -infantry continued the struggle.</p> - -<p>The crisis of the battle had now arrived; for General -von Alvensleben, in order to diminish the violent pressure -on his left, which was beyond the Verdun road, had been -obliged to thrust his sole reserve of infantry into the -deadly encounter. Colonel Lehmann, commanding a -detachment of the 10th Corps, consisting of three battalions -and a half, had come up to the outskirts of the -field in the forenoon, and he was directed to take post near -Tronville. When, in consequence of the reverse inflicted -on Frossard, Bazaine arrayed the Guard in front of -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[p 177]</a></span> -Rezonville and Canrobert put his reserve brigades into line -on their right, and both established their reserve artillery -on the heights to the north and east, Alvensleben sent -forward Lehmann’s battalions, which, with great difficulty, -managed to keep their ground in the copses of Tronville -beyond the Verdun road. It was about two o’clock in the -afternoon and the German leader had no reserves, every -foot soldier and gun was engaged, while the greater part of -the 10th Corps was still remote from the field. Luckily for -him, the reports of the fugitive peasantry and the steady -advance of the German right through the southern woods, -aroused in the mind of Bazaine a fear that he might be -turned on his left, a fear shared by at least one of his -subordinates. He, therefore, caused the Guard Voltigeurs -to form front to the south in the Bois des Ognons, so as to -watch the ravines, down one of which the Mance flowed to -Ars, and in the bed of the other the Jurée ran to Novéant. -Lapasset, who barred the road from Gorze, was reinforced -by a regiment of Grenadiers, and Montaudon’s division of -the 3rd Corps was taken from Lebœuf and placed near -Malmaison, a little to the north of Gravelotte. Thus the -French line, instead of standing north and south, faced -generally to the south-west, between the Bois des Ognons -and the high ground north of the copses of Tronville. At -this time Lebœuf, with one division and a half—for Metman -had not yet joined him—was moving south-west from -Vernéville, and De Ladmirault’s divisions—for he had -quitted the Moselle valley in the morning—were only just -showing their leading troops towards Doncourt. Nevertheless, -Canrobert, who had developed a strong line of -guns as well as infantry on the right of Picard’s Grenadiers, -both on the face and flank of the German left, determined -to attempt the recapture of Vionville and Flavigny. He -was led to do so by a belief that the partial cessation of the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[p 178]</a></span> -German fire indicated exhaustion, and, aided by the whole -of his artillery, he certainly delivered a formidable onset -carried up to the very outskirts of the two villages. It was -then that Alvensleben called upon the cavalry to charge, -solely with the object of gaining time and relieving the -wearied foot, and hardly-treated gunners.</p> - -<h3>Bredow’s Brilliant Charge.</h3> - -<p>Bredow’s heavy brigade, the 7th Cuirassiers of Magdeburg, -and the 16th Uhlans of Altmark, eight squadrons, -from which two were withdrawn on the march to watch -the Tronville Copses, was selected to assail Canrobert’s -destructive batteries and stinging infantry. Von Bredow -drew out his two regiments, led them into the shallow but -protecting hollow on the north of Vionville, and, without -pausing, wheeled into line on the move, so that the array -of sabres and lances fronted nearly eastward. Then breaking -into a headlong gallop the troopers rushed like a -torrent over and through the infantry on their broad track -and into the batteries, near the Roman Road, which for -the moment they disorganized. But now the French horse -swarmed forward on all sides, and the survivors of Von -Bredow’s heroic men, having cheerfully made the heavy -sacrifice demanded from them, turned about to retreat -through the French infantry, punished as they rode back -by De Forton, Gramont, Murat and Valabrègue who brought -up three thousand dragoons, chasseurs and cuirassiers -against the remains of the devoted brigade. Von Bredow -sought safety behind Flavigny, whither Von Redern had -ridden up with a regiment of hussars, but he did not attack -because the hostile cavalry halted in their pursuit. The -charge had cost the Magdeburgers and Altmarkers 14 -officers and 363 men, nearly one-half the strength with -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[p 179]</a></span> -which they started on their astonishing ride; but the -glorious remnant had the proud satisfaction of knowing -that the two regiments had put an end to offensive attacks -from the side of Rezonville, that their infantry comrades -of the Brandenburg Corps had received effectual succour in -time of need, and that the steadfast artillery had gained -precious moments which they used to prepare for fresh -exertions.</p> - -<h3>The Fight becomes Stationary.</h3> - -<p>During the next three hours, and, indeed, to the end -of the day, the combat on the German right and centre -remained stationary, varied by desperate attempts to win -ground from the Imperial Grenadiers which cost many -lives and achieved no marked success. Seven fresh -batteries, however, came successively into action, so that -about four o’clock, the German line of guns, between the -wood of Vionville and Flavigny had been increased to more -than a hundred pieces and their fire effectually stayed -the French from advancing. Some portions of the 7th, -8th and 9th Corps, which had struggled up from the -Moselle valley during the sultry afternoon, entered the -woods, were pushed up the ravine road from Gorze, or -were thrown forward in front of the big battery which was -the mainstay of the left wing. Prince Frederick Charles -himself arrived about four o’clock. He had ridden straight -from Pont à Mousson on learning that a serious engagement -was afoot, and as he cantered up to the front he was -heartily welcomed by the men of the 3rd Corps which he -had commanded for ten years.</p> - -<h3>Arrival of the Tenth Corps.</h3> - -<p>Surveying the scene from the lofty upland above the -wood for a time, he rode off to another eminence near -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[p 180]</a></span> -Flavigny, because the stress of battle was then on the left -wing, where the rest of the 10th Corps, so long absent -from the field, had appeared just in time to encounter the -fresh troops which had been led forward by Marshal -Lebœuf and General de Ladmirault. When Von Bredow’s -Brigade rode against Canrobert’s Corps, Von Barby’s horse -were sent to guard the extreme left against a surprise from -the masses of French troops gathering on the Doncourt -hills. They pushed far northward, and sustained a -cannonade from the enemy, who soon forced them to -retreat; for Lebœuf, with Aymard’s Division—Bazaine -had now called for Nayral’s as well as Montaudon’s—moved -down towards the Tronville thickets, and Ladmirault, -whose infantry had at length reached him from the Moselle -valley, sent Grenier forward in line with Aymard. These -two divisions, driving the horsemen back towards Tronville, -at once assailed the woodlands, so often named, and combining -their attack with that of Tixier, whose division -formed the right of Canrobert’s Corps, they expelled the -German infantry from the northern section of the wood. -Lehmann’s Hanoverians and the wreck of the Brandenburgers -gave ground slowly, but, after an hour’s severe -bush-fighting, the left of the 3rd Corps was obliged to -yield, and nothing restrained the advancing French infantry -save the terribly effective fire of the German gunners, upon -whom the brunt of the battle fell. As the most forward -German guns were retired south of the highway, Grenier -sent three batteries over the ravine, and fortune seemed, -for the first time, to favour the Imperial soldiers. But, -at this trying moment, the 20th Division of the 10th -Corps—the men had already marched that day twenty-seven -miles—appeared on the heights of Tronville. General -von Kraatz, its commander, brought with him eight -battalions, four squadrons, and four batteries, an opportune -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[p 181]</a></span> -reinforcement, which had been led thither because the -summons, given by faint reverberations of a heavy cannonade, -heard at Thiaucourt, had been clenched by the -arrival of a note written on the field of battle.</p> - -<p>The artillery, as usual, took the lead, hastening to the -field across country, and, before the infantry could advance -twenty-four guns in action north of Tronville, checked the -French skirmishers, and obliged Grenier’s batteries to recross -the ravine. Then the foot went into the wood, and -soon chased the French from all the copses except a patch -on the north. At this time, General de Ladmirault, who -had been joined by heavy masses of cavalry, had on the -heights, near the farm of Greyère, abundance of artillery -and De Cissey’s Division. On his right ran a deep and -steep ravine towards Mars la Tour; he was about to cross -this obstacle, and had, in fact, entered the hollow, intending -to sweep down upon the German left, when he became -aware that a strong hostile body was approaching from the -west. It was General von Schwarzkoppen, commanding a -division of the 10th Corps. He brought on to the field the -38th brigade, diminished, however, by detachments to five -battalions, two companies of pioneers, twelve guns, and -six squadrons of Dragoons of the Guard. General de -Ladmirault’s proceedings had been closely watched by -some German horse, and his advance-guard of Chasseurs -d’Afrique had been driven out of Mars la Tour by the -Dragoons of the Guard. Seeing the oncoming enemy, he -hastily recrossed the ravine, and placed De Cissey and his -artillery in position to resist any attack. The intelligence -that an enemy had shown himself on the west had run -along the French line, and had induced Grenier and -Lebœuf to suspend their apparently prosperous onset, thus -diminishing the pressure upon Von Kraatz in the Tronville -wood, and also on the artillery, which had been so -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[p 182]</a></span> -long engaged near Vionville. General Schwarzkoppen -had, during the day, marched to St. Hilaire on his way to -the fords of the Meuse; but, hearing the cannonade, he -halted, sent out patrols, and finally moved off towards the -battle, guided by columns of dust, clouds of smoke, and the -deep-toned muttering of the rival guns. When he reached -Mars la Tours, Voights-Rhetz, the Corps Commander, rode -up. Both he and Prince Frederick Charles, who watched -the fight from a hill above Flavigny, were under the delusion -that the French right could be taken in flank by an attack -from Mars la Tour; and Von Wedell, who commanded the -newly-arrived brigade, was ordered to fall on. But, for -once, the German Staff did not show their far-famed skill; -for they did not reconnoitre the ground, nor had they -observed the formidable array of De Cissey’s brigades. Von -Wedell’s men dashed forward with alacrity, but found in -their path a deep hollow, which covered the French front, -as well as flank, on that side. Nevertheless, the battalions, -in two lines, hurried down one bank and up the other, and -then met an entire French Division. A brief and bloody -fight at close quarters—the opposing lines were separated -in some places by only fifty yards—ensued; but so continuous -and deadly was the French fire that the sturdy -Westphalians had to yield. Their dead and dying covered -the summit, and filled the hollow way; two-thirds of the -16th Regiment were left on the field, and the whole brigade, -shattered into a shapeless crowd of fugitives, hurried to -the rear. Then forward to their succour came bounding the -2nd Dragoons of the Guard, Colonel von Auerswald at -their head, spurring headlong to the front through the -disordered crowd, taking the hedges and ditches in their -stride, and galloping furiously into the midst of the -pursuing French, who had leaped forward from the right -of Grenier’s Division. It was a hopeless charge—a ride to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[p 183]</a></span> -certain death—but the readiness of the Dragoons saved -the right of the brigade; yet at great cost, for they left -dead on the field their brave Colonel, a Major, and three -Captains. Nine officers in all, and seventeen men were -killed; four officers and sixty men were wounded; while -one officer and five men were captured. Two of Count -Bismarck’s sons, privates in this regiment, rode in the -charge; the eldest, Herbert, was shot in the thigh, -the youngest, Wilhelm, a stout trooper, lifted a wounded -comrade on to his horse, and carried him off the field. -The charge of the Dragoons enabled the broken -battalions to draw off towards Tronville, but the guns in -position still held on near Mars le Tour, west of which, -towards Ville sur Yron, a horse battery and a squadron of -the 2nd Dragoons of the Guard were engaged in a smart -skirmish with a body of Chasseurs d’Afrique. This encounter -was followed shortly afterwards by</p> - -<h3>The great Cavalry Combat.</h3> - -<p>Ladmirault had sent six regiments of horse over the gully -on his right—Legrand’s Hussars and Dragoons, Du Barail’s -solitary regiment of Chasseurs d’Afrique, and the superb -brigade of Lancers and Dragoons of the Guards commanded -by General de France. On the other side Von Barby’s -brigade had approached Mars la Tour during the fatal -attack upon De Ladmirault’s infantry, and soon after it was -joined by two squadrons of the 4th Cuirassiers, the 10th -Hussars, and the 16th Dragoons. Sweeping round to the -north of the village, Barby formed up his troopers in the -narrow space between the Yron and the Greyère ravine, -while Legrand and his comrades showed their compact -masses to the north. The French regiments were placed -in echelon, Legrand’s Hussars, led by General Montaigu, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[p 184]</a></span> -on the left, Gondrecourt’s Dragoons on his right rear, and -next the Guard Lancers and Dragoons. The Chasseurs -d’Afrique were behind all. The first shock fell upon the -13th Dragoons which, having taken ground to the right, -had only time to wheel partially into line before Montaigu’s -Hussars rode through the squadron’s intervals, and it -would have fared ill with the Prussians had not Colonel -von Weise plunged in with the 10th Hussars and overset -the French. Von Barby on the left, at the head of the -16th Uhlans and 19th Dragoons, met the French Guard -Cavalry in full shock, and then ensued a furious confused -fight upon the whole line. Each side endeavoured to fall -upon a flank, and the squadrons swayed to and fro amid a -huge cloud of dust. Suddenly, a squadron of Prussian -Guard Dragoons, returning from a patrol, came riding -across country from the west and struck the flank of the -French Guards. Du Barail’s Chasseurs d’Afrique and -Gondrecourt’s Dragoons dashed into the <i>melée</i>, but the -Westphalian Cuirassiers drove like a wedge into the opposing -ranks, and the 16th Dragoons fell upon and smote -them in flank and rear. Legrand was killed, Montaigu -wounded and a prisoner, and the French cavalry, wheeling -about, rode out of the fight, throwing into disorder a -brigade of Chasseurs, which had been sent by General de -Clérambault to cover the retreat. The Gallic horse had -brilliantly sustained their reputation, yet they were overmatched -by the Teutons, who also lost three commanding -officers. But Von Barby was able to reform his victorious -squadrons on the plateau and withdraw them at leisure, -watched, but not pursued, by a squadron of Dragoons belonging -to De Clérambault’s division. General Ladmirault -surveyed the field from the heights of Bruville, and came -to the conclusion that no more could be accomplished by -the French right wing. He had only two divisions, his -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[p 185]</a></span> -cavalry had been defeated, and he “discovered” between -Tronville and Vionville “an entire Corps d’Armée.” So he -rested and bivouacked on the hills about the Greyère farm. -The forces of his next neighbour on the left, Lebœuf, had -been reduced to Aymard’s division, for Marshal Bazaine -had called away Nayral to support Montaudon near Rezonville; -indeed, at one moment he had abstracted one of -Aymard’s brigades, but, yielding to Lebœuf’s remonstrances, -he sent it back.</p> - -<h3>End of the Battle.</h3> - -<p>It was now past seven o’clock, and both sides were exhausted -by the tremendous strain which they had borne so -long; yet the battle continued until darkness had settled -over the woods and villages and fields. For Barnekow’s -division and a Hessian brigade had entered the woodlands -and pressed forward on the Gorze road, creating new alarm -in the mind of Bazaine, who throughout the day was -governed by his belief that the Germans intended to turn -his left and cut him off from Metz. So that when Colonel -von Rex pushed boldly up the ravine against Lapasset and -his flankers opened fire from the edge of the Bois des -Ognons, the French Commander drew still more troops to -that flank. Between Rezonville and the ridges near Gravelotte -he had, by eventide, placed the whole of the Guard, -Frossard’s Corps, Lapasset’s brigade, and one-half of -Lebœuf’s Corps. Fearing the storming columns which ever -and anon surged outward from the woods towards the commanding -heights south of Rezonville, Bourbaki brought up -fifty-four guns and arrayed them in one long battery. The -closing hours of the day witnessed a stupendous artillery -contest, which was carried on even when the flashes of flame -alone revealed the positions of the opposing pieces. The -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[p 186]</a></span> -thick smoke increased the obscurity, and yet within the -gloom bodies of German infantry, and even of horse, sallied -from the woods or vales and vainly strove to reach the -coveted crests or storm in upon Rezonville itself. At the -very last moment a violent cannonade burst forth on both -sides, yet to this day neither knows why it arose, where it -began, or what it was to effect. At length the tired hosts -were quiet; the strife of twelve hours ended. The German -line of outposts that night ran from the Bois des Ognons -along the Bois St. Arnould, then to the east of Flavigny -and Vionville through the Tronville Copses; and after the -moon rose upon the ghastly field the cavalry rode forth and -placed strong guards as far westward as Mars la Tour and -the Yron. The French slept on the ground they held, the -heights south of Rezonville, that village itself, and the -ridges which overlook the highway to Verdun as far as -Bruville and Greyère. It had been a day of awful carnage, -for the French had lost, in killed and wounded, nearly -17,000, and the Germans 16,000 men.</p> - -<p>It is impossible to state exactly the numbers present on -the field—probably, 125,000 French to 77,000 Germans. -The latter brought up two complete Corps, the 3rd and -10th, two divisions of cavalry, the 5th and 6th—these -sustained the shock and bore the chief loss—a brigade of -the 8th Corps, the 11th Regiment from the 9th, and -four Hessian regiments of that corps under Prince Louis, -the husband of the British Princess Alice. They also had, -in action or reserve, 246 guns. The French mustered the -Imperial Guard, the 2nd Corps, three divisions and one -regiment of the 6th Corps, three divisions of the 3rd, and -two of the 4th Corps, five divisions of cavalry, and 390 -guns; so that on the 16th, they were, at all times, numerically -superior in every arm. When Alvensleben came into -action a little after ten o’clock with the 3rd Corps and -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[p 187]</a></span> -two divisions of cavalry—perhaps 33,000 men—they had in -their front the 2nd and 6th Corps, the Guard, and the -Reserve Cavalry—not less than 72,000, the guns on the -French side being always superior in number. The 3rd -Corps, less one division, was at ten o’clock only three miles -from the field; these and half the 4th Corps arrived in the -afternoon, adding more than 50,000 men to the total, while -the Germans could only bring up the 10th, and parts of -the 8th and 9th, fewer than 40,000, some of them -marching into line late in the evening. The French -Marshal, who fought a defensive battle, did not use his -great strength during the forenoon, or in the afternoon -when his right wing had wheeled up to the front. The result -was an “indecisive action”—the phrase is used by the -official German historian—and that it was indecisive must -be attributed, at least in part, to the fact that Marshal -Bazaine, nor he alone, stood in constant dread of an overwhelming -inroad of “Prussians” on his left, with intent to -cut him off from Metz and thrust him, unprovided with -munitions of all kinds, on to the Briey–Longuyon road. -But it may be inferred from the mode in which the battle -was fought by the French commanders, from the first shot -to the last, that the Germans had obtained a moral -ascendency over the leaders and the led, and that such an -ascendency had a great influence upon the tactics, as well as -the strategy, of Marshal Bazaine and his subordinates in -command. Nothing supports the correctness of this inference -more strongly than the fact that an Army of 120,000 men -considered a great success had been achieved when it had -resisted the onsets of less than two-thirds of its numbers, -and had been driven from its line of retreat!</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[p 188]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="pagenba" id="CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX.</h2> -</div> - -<p class="h2sub">PRESSED BACK ON METZ</p> - -<p>Darkness had set in, and the last shot had been -fired, when Marshal Bazaine rode back to his head-quarters -at Gravelotte. There he became impressed with -the scarcity—“penury”—of munitions and provisions; -there he acknowledged to the Emperor that the direct road -to Verdun had been closed, and that he might be obliged -to retreat by the north; and there he wrote the order which -was to move his entire Army the next day nearer to Metz. -The troops began their retrograde march as early as four -o’clock, by which hour Prince Frederick Charles was up on -the hill above Flavigny, intently watching his antagonists. -Rezonville was still occupied by infantry, a cavalry division -was drawn up between that village and Vernéville until late -in the forenoon, and the marches of troops to and fro kept -the cautious German Commanders, for some time, in a state -of uncertainty.</p> - -<p>It has now to be shown how they had employed the 16th -outside the area of the conflict, where the several Corps -stood in the evening, and by what means the Great Staff, -on the 17th, acquired the knowledge that the “Army of the -Rhine” had retired upon the line of hills immediately to -the westward of Metz.</p> - -<p>The movement of troops comes first under notice. On -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[p 189]</a></span> -the extreme left the 4th Corps having crossed the -Moselle at Marbache, had pushed forward in a south-westerly -direction, part of the Corps making a dashing but -fruitless attempt to intimidate the garrison of Toul, so important -because it barred the railway to Chalons, and at the -end of the day was still under orders to march upon the -Meuse. The Guard, preceded by its cavalry, advanced from -Dieulouard to several points half-way between the Moselle -and the Meuse, the right being at Bernecourt and the left -about Beaumont. The 12th Corps, Saxons, crossed the -Moselle at Pont à Mousson, and had one division there and -one about Regnièville en Haye. The 2nd Corps, still -approaching the Moselle by forced marches, had attained -villages east of the Seille. It will be readily understood -that, as the 4th and 2nd Corps were so far distant -from the centre of action west of Metz, they could hardly -be moved up in time to share in the impending struggle; -and they, therefore, for the present, may be omitted from the -narrative. It was otherwise with the remaining Corps, and -it was the aim of the Great Staff to bring them all up to -the Verdun road.</p> - -<p>From the very earliest moment, General von Moltke -held the opinion that the full consequences of the action on -the 14th could only be secured by vigorous operations on -the left bank of the Moselle; and as the reports came in -from the front on the 16th, that sound judgment was more -than confirmed. The Royal head-quarters were transferred -in the forenoon to Pont à Mousson, whither King William -repaired; and Von Moltke, who had preceded the King, -found information which led the general to the conclusion -that a new chapter in the campaign had been opened. -Accordingly, he desired to push up to the front the largest -possible number of troops, so that he might, if such a design -were feasible, have ample means wherewith to shoulder -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[p 190]</a></span> -off the French to the northward, and sever their communications -with Chalons. At this stage, the idea of shutting -them up in Metz had not yet been conceived. The 7th, -8th and 9th were ordered to hasten forward on the -road towards Vionville, and some part of them, as we have -seen, were engaged on the 16th. Extra bridges were erected -on the Moselle, the roads were cleared of all impediments, -and the results rewarded the foresight, energy and goodwill -displayed by officers and men. The 12th Corps was -eighteen, and the Guard twenty-two miles from the battlefield, -but so keen and intelligent were their commanders, -that, inferring from the information they received what -would be required of them, they stood prepared to execute -any order as soon as it arrived. The former body, indeed, -marched off northward in the night, and sent word of the -fact to the Guard, which led the commander to assemble -the divisions on the instant and stand ready to step forth. -So that when the formal orders were brought, the Guard -started at five in the morning, when the Saxons were already -on the road. The 8th Corps, or rather its remaining -division, were on the way at dawn, preceded by the 9th, -and followed by the 7th from its cantonments on the -left bank of the Seille. Thus the whole available portions -of the Second and First Armies were in motion, to sustain -the 3rd and 10th, if they were attacked on the 17th; to -act, as circumstances required, if the French abandoned -the battlefield.</p> - -<p>Prince Frederick Charles, who had slept at Gorze, took -horse at dawn, and reached his watch-tower on the hill -south-west of Flavigny at half-past four o’clock, early -enough to distinguish by the increasing light the French -line of outposts between Bruville and Rezonville. About -six o’clock the King joined the Prince, and at the same -time the 9th Corps took post near the right wing of the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[p 191]</a></span> -3rd. What the staff had now to determine was whether -the French intended to retire or attack, and if they retired -whither they went. Patrols, busy on all sides, gave in contradictory -or rather discordant reports, which for some time -left it doubtful whether the retreat was not actually being -carried out by Conflans on the Briey road; but by degrees -the head-quarters arrived at the conclusion that the -French would not attack, that they had not withdrawn far, -and that the task of grappling with them must be deferred -until the next day. Soon after noon, when General -Metman, acting as rear guard, quitted Rezonville, there -were on or near the field no fewer than seven German -Corps and three divisions of cavalry; so that had the -French renewed the battle for the Verdun road, even early -in the morning, they would have found it a severe task to -make their way at least along the southern or Mars la Tour -high road. About eight in the morning General von -Moltke had dictated an order on the height near Flavigny, -in obedience to which the 7th Corps marched by Borny -and Ars upon Gravelotte, following the Mance brook, and -occupying the woods on the right and left; while the -8th, already in part on the field, ascended the watercourse -and ravine which gives access to Rezonville. The -object of the double movement was to accelerate the retreat -of the French from these places. It was not accomplished -without some wood-fighting, but about half-past three -General Metman withdrew his flankers, and glided out of -sight beyond the ridge near Point du Jour. But the firing -had alarmed Von Moltke, who, dreading lest the fiery -Steinmetz should bring on a general or even partial engagement, -sent him positive orders to stop the combat. -The veteran, however, pressed forward himself with Von -Zastrow, Von Kameke and their staff officers. Emerging -from the woods into the open, they beheld across the deep -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[p 192]</a></span> -ravine the French camps on the opposite plateau, and even -discerned the works thrown up by the careful Frossard to -cover his guns and infantry. A mitrailleuse at once -opened fire on the group of horsemen, and drove them away, -but not before they had seen enough to prove, when combined -with the cavalry reports from the north-west flank, -that the French Army was encamped on the heights to the -west of Metz, and had not attempted to withdraw by any of -the still open roads towards Mézières or Chalons. Therefore, -the German armies halted, and the Generals had a -little leisure to frame a plan of operations for the 18th.</p> - -<h3>Marshal Bazaine.</h3> - -<p>Human ingenuity has imputed various motives to the -French Marshal, some of them being discreditable to his -loyalty, all based on a low estimate of his character as a -man, and capacity as a soldier. His own account is that he -did not persevere in trying to effect his retreat, either by -force or skill, partly because the Army was not well supplied -with food and munitions, and partly, as is apparent -from his evidence and books, because he had formed a -military theory which he proposed to work out near Metz -to the disadvantage of the enemy. He held that he had a -strong post on the flank of the German communications, -and that, if he could make his adversaries waste their -troops in repeated attacks upon “inexpugnable” positions, -he might be able to resume the offensive when the Army -at Chalons should take the field. Secretly, we suspect, he -had become imbued with a belief or apprehension that what -the French call the <i>moral</i> of the Army had been seriously -impaired; that their staying power in action was not what -it should have been, and that they could not be trusted to -perform so delicate an operation as a long flank march -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[p 193]</a></span> -within reach of a foe exalted by victory, aided by a powerful -and audacious cavalry, and an infantry capable of marching -twenty miles a day, and enjoying the advantage of greatly -superior numbers. As usual, the motives of Bazaine were -“mixed,” but there does not seem any good reason to -believe that he was selfishly disloyal to the Emperor, -faithless to France, or insensible to the charms of “glory.” -His chief defect was that he did not possess sufficient -military competence to command a large Army—a defect -he shared with his comrades of high rank; and his misfortune -was that he succeeded to an inheritance of accumulated -error entailing severe penalties, from the infliction of -which only a rare genius, like that of the First Napoleon, -could have saved himself and his Army.</p> - -<p>Active warfare had now continued for a fortnight, and -at sundown on the 17th of August the “Army of the -Rhine” found itself obliged to form front facing, not -Berlin, but Paris; while the formidable Armies of King -William, with their backs to the French capital, turned -their eyes towards the Rhine.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="gravelotte"> - <a href="images/gravelotte_large.jpg"> - <img src="images/gravelotte_inline.jpg" alt="" /></a> - - <div class="caption">PLAN V: BATTLE of GRAVELOTTE, <span - class="smaller">2.45 P.M.</span></div> - - <div class="subcapit">Weller & - Graham L<span class="sup">td</span>. Lithos.  - London, Bell & Sons</div> -</div> - -<h3>The Battlefield of Gravelotte.</h3> - -<p>Whatever may have been his motives, Marshal Bazaine -directed his Army to retire upon a position of exceptional -strength on the heights to the westward of Metz, which look -towards the wooded ravine of the Mance brook throughout -its course, and beyond its source over the undulating plain -in the direction of the river Orne. This ridge of upland -abuts on the Moselle near Ars, is covered at its broad -southern end by the Bois de Vaux, is intersected by the -great highway from Metz to Verdun, which is carried -along a depression where the wood terminates, and over -the shoulder above Gravelotte. North of the road the -high ground, with a westerly bias, runs as far as -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[p 194]</a></span> -Amanvillers, and thus trending slightly eastward, ascends to St. -Privat la Montagne and Roncourt, and back to the Moselle -bottom lands below Metz. The left of the position, -opposite the Bois de Vaux, is curved outwards, its shape -being indicated by the high road, which, after bending -round and creeping up the hill as far as Point du Jour, -turns abruptly to the west, and crosses the Mance upon a -causeway east of Gravelotte. This bulwark, occupied by -Frossard’s Corps, from near Point du Jour to St. Ruffine -in the lowlands, was made more formidable by shelter-trenches, -field works, and gunpits. The two houses at -Point du Jour were pierced for musketry, and the immense -quarries in the hill-side, at the elbow of the ridge facing -the Mance, were filled with troops. The only mode of -reaching the front was either up the narrow causeway by -St. Hubert, or across the deep ravine. Behind this strong -front the ground sloped inwards, so that the troops and -reserves could be, and were, screened from view as well as -from fire. In the bottom stood the village of Rozérieulles; -and above, the eminences on which the engineers had -planted the forts of St. Quentin and Plappeville. The -hollow through which the highway ran was bordered -with vineyards, and near to Metz villages and houses -clustered thickly astride of the road. On the right of -Frossard were the four divisions forming the Corps of -Lebœuf, extending as far as the farm of La Folie, opposite -Vernéville. Here the ground was high and open, yet also -sloping to the rear as well as the front, and its chief -strength lay in the strongly-built farmsteads of St. Hubert, -seated on the roadside just above Gravelotte, in those of -Moscow and Leipzig, standing on the bare hill-side; and -in the Bois de Genivaux, a thick wood, which filled the -upper part of the Mance ravine. Beyond the 3rd Corps -lay the 4th, under De Ladmirault, having its left in -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[p 195]</a></span> -the farm and château of Montigny le Grange, and its -right at, and a little north of, Amanvillers, a considerable -village, planted in a depression at a point where one of the -roads from Metz quits the deep defile of Chatel St. Germain, -and bends suddenly westward to join, at Habonville, -the road to Briey. The track of the railway, then -unfinished, ascends this wooded gully, and winds on to the -open ground at Amanvillers. The country in front of the -ridge, from that place to Roncourt, is an extensive open -descent, which has been compared to the glacis of a -fortress, at the foot of which stand the villages of Habonville, -St. Ail, and St. Marie aux Chênes. On the southern -edge of this succession of bare fields is the Bois de la -Cusse, which was not, strictly speaking, a continuous wood, -but a sort of common irregularly strewed with copses; -and on the north were the valley of the Orne and the woods -bordering its meandering course. The 6th Corps, Canrobert’s, -occupied and guarded the right flank, having an -outpost in St. Marie, and detachments in the villages -beyond Roncourt; but placing its main reliance on St. -Privat, which, looked at from the west, stood on the sky line, -and, being nearly surrounded by garden walls, had the aspect -of a little fortress. The Imperial Guard, considered as a -reserve, was drawn up in front of the fort of Plappeville, -on the east side of the deep ravine of St. Germain. The -fort of St. Quentin looked well over, and protected the -whole of the French left, and served especially as a support -to Lapasset’s Brigade at St. Ruffine, which faced south. -Here the edge of the position touched the suburbs of Metz, -and was within cannon-shot of the right bank of the -Moselle, opposite Jussy.</p> - -<p>It will be seen that the battlefield may be divided into -two portions, differing from each other in their external -aspects. The bold curved ridge held by Frossard rose -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[p 196]</a></span> -between two and three hundred feet above the bed of the -Mance, having in rear ground still higher, and was backed -by the mass upon which stands Fort St. Quentin. It was, -indeed, a natural redoubt open to the rear, covered along -its front by the steep sides of a deep ravine, and accessible -only by the viaduct built over the brook, a solid embankment, -except where a vaulted opening allowed the stream -to pass. On the French side of the bridge was the strong -farmstead of St. Hubert, well walled towards the assailant; -and further north the thick woods of Genivaux, which ran -near to and beyond the farm of Leipzig; so that while a -deep gully protected Frossard, Lebœuf had defensive outposts -in the wood, which he intrenched in a series of -recessed field works, and in the stout farm buildings, -which stormers could only reach by passing up gentle -acclivities, every yard whereof could be swept by fire. The -right half of the line was different in every respect from the -left—for there was no wood, and the whole front, from -Amanvillers to Roncourt was, for practical purposes, -though not so steep, as free from obstacles as the slope of -the South Downs. The left and centre were supplied with -artificial defences, but the right, which did not rest on any -natural support, and might be turned, was not fortified by -field works, because Marshal Canrobert’s intrenching tools -had been, perforce, left behind at Chalons. The great -defects of this “inexpugnable” position were that it had -bad lateral communications, no good lines of retreat, and a -weak right flank. Marshal Bazaine, who misjudged the -formidable strength of his left wing, and gave his opponent -the credit of contemplating an attack on that side, had -taken post in Fort Plappeville, where he placed the reserves, -and whence he could not see the right, which it does not -appear that he had ever examined. The penalty for so -grave an error was the loss of the battle.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[p 197]</a></span></p> - -<h3>The German Plans.</h3> - -<p>Before starting from the hill over Flavigny for Pont à -Mousson on the afternoon of the 17th, General von Moltke -had issued an order to Prince Frederick Charles and Von -Steinmetz, indicating the operations which were to begin -the next morning. Their purport was that while the -7th Corps stood fast, and the 8th leant towards the -right of the Second Army, the Corps composing it should -move forward, left in front, facing north. It was a -general direction, intended to place the troops in such an -array as would enable them to strike and stop the French, -if they still sought to reach Chalons by the northern roads, -or by a right wheel bring the whole German force to bear -upon the enemy if he were found in position before Metz. -By six o’clock on the morning of the 18th, King William -and his staff were once more on the height near Flavigny, -soon after which time the whole Army was in movement, -and a sputter of musketry had begun on the extreme right -between Frossard’s foreposts and those of the 7th Corps -in the woods. The 8th had come up near to Rezonville; -the 9th was moving between that village and St. -Marcel; the Guard was passing Mars la Tour; and -the 12th was on the road to Jarny. Behind, in second -line, were the 10th and 3rd, the 5th and 6th divisions -of cavalry being attached to the latter Corps respectively; -while the 2nd Corps, which had bivouacked at Pont à -Mousson, had started on another forced march, in order, -should there be a battle, to enter the field before dark. -The morning wore away, and, except on the right where -his left was visible and his skirmishers active, no -evidence of the enemy’s presence could be found. The -Saxon cavalry division, scouting northward and westward, -lighted only on stragglers and patrols; the horsemen -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[p 198]</a></span> -and staff officers out in front of the other Corps -watching as well as they could the movements of the -French, sent in divergent statements, leaving it doubtful -where their main body was, and what it was doing or intended -to do. Great uncertainty, in short, prevailed until -after ten o’clock, and even then General von Moltke and -the staff were under the impression that the French right -was near Montigny la Grange; but, believing that the -adversary would fight, an order went forth at 10.30 a.m., -which finally brought the German Armies into line facing -eastward. Meantime Prince Frederick Charles had, by -degrees, also arrived at the conclusion that the French -would accept battle, and, at half-past ten, he likewise instructed -General von Manstein to move towards La Folie -and begin an attack with his artillery, provided the enemy’s -right was not beyond Amanvillers. Immediately afterwards, -while Von Moltke still believed that the flank he -wished to turn was at the last-named village, the Prince -acquired certain information, from a Hessian cavalry -patrol, that the French right rested on St. Privat la -Montagne. By such slow degrees was the long-sought -flank discovered. Orders were then given directing the -12th and the Guard to wheel to the right and move on -St. Marie aux Chênes and Habonville; but before they -could come into line, Manstein’s guns were heard, and Von -Moltke became apprehensive lest the exciting sounds of -conflict would carry away the impetuous Steinmetz, lest -the First Army, always so eager for battle, might strike in -prematurely and injure a combination which depended so -much upon a simultaneous onset. Accordingly, the rein -upon that General was tightened, and he was told that he -might use artillery, yet not do more with his infantry than -attract the notice of the enemy and keep his attention on -the strain. But so thoroughly were the chiefs of the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[p 199]</a></span> -German Corps imbued with the same principles of conduct, -that the Prince Royal of Saxony and Prince Augustus of -Würtemberg had already, in anticipation, prepared to play -the part which was to be assigned them. Having learned, -from their own scouting parties, where the French right -stood, and having heard the guns at Vernéville, they had -both wheeled their divisions to the eastward, and pushed -out their advance Guards. Thus they were ready to march -at the moment when the order arrived; in fact, the order -was in course of execution before it reached the officers to -whom it had been addressed. Meantime, acting on the -first instructions from the Prince, drawn up when he -believed the right rested on Amanvillers, General von -Manstein, a little before noon, had begun</p> - -<h3>The Battle of Gravelotte.</h3> - -<p>At this moment, it should be noted, the French camps -on the right centre and right did not know that an -enemy was within a long mile of their bivouacs. The usual -patrols had been sent out and had returned—even scouts -selected by the local officials for their knowledge of the -country—to report that they had not seen anybody. -Marshal Canrobert, in his evidence on the Bazaine court-martial, -expressly testifies to the fact, and adds that the -first intimation he received came from the boom of hostile -guns on his left front. The troops of Ladmirault’s Corps, -encamped on both sides of Amanvillers, were peacefully -engaged in cooking their noontide meal, when General von -Manstein, who seems to have been endowed with some of -the impetuosity of his namesake, who figured in the wars -of Frederick II., riding ahead of his corps, caught sight of -the quiescent camp. The temptation could not be withstood. -From the hills near Vernéville he could not see the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[p 200]</a></span> -troops at St. Privat, but he had been informed by the -Hessian Cavalry that the French were there. He had -been formally enjoined to attack if the enemy’s right was -near La Folie; it was much to the north of that farm; yet -Manstein, unable to neglect the opportunity of startling a -negligent camp by an outburst of fire, sent the solitary -battery which had accompanied him into instant action -from a rising ground east of Vernéville. The first shot -was fired at a quarter to twelve, and its successors roused -the French line from St. Privat to the centre, for Frossard -and Lebœuf seemed to have been on the alert. General -von Blumenthal, with the leading infantry battalions, was -at that time moving on the farm of Chantrenne, and he -was stopped by the lively musketry salute which greeted -his men. Manstein, seeing that his guns were too distant -from their living targets, now ordered the battery forward, -and it was soon joined, first by the divisional then by the -corps artillery; the whole finally forming a long line of -fifty-four pieces, each battery having, as it dashed up, -wheeled to the right and opened fire. The movement was -a grave error, for the long rounded hill on which the -batteries stood faced south-east, offered no shelter except -on its low right shoulder, and the guns were exposed to a -fire from the front, the flank, and even from the left rear. -Two batteries were slewed round to the left, but that did -not remedy the original mistake. There were no infantry -at hand to keep down the fire of the French foot, which, -lurking in the hollows, sent a hail of bullets among the -guns. Committed to this false position, the superb German -artillerymen did their utmost to make it good; but -no heroism could avail against its cruel disadvantages. -General Blumenthal, indeed, had carried the Chantrenne -farm, but the enemy, at the first shot, had thrown a -garrison into another homestead named Champenois, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[p 201]</a></span> -whence the chassepots smote the front of the batteries. -The Hessians, also, had developed a powerful attack -through the Bois de la Cusse towards the railway embankment -and Amanvillers, thus taking off some of the severe -pressure from the devoted gunners. But the French -infantry crept nigher and nigher; under the rush of shells, -shrapnel, and bullets, officers, men, and horses fell fast and -faster. By concentrating their aim the Germans crushed -one or silenced another battery; by using shell they sometimes -scattered oncoming infantry; still the penalty of -haste and a wrong direction had to be paid. The left -battery, disabled, was caught in the tempest and borne -down by a rush of French foot. Two pieces were dragged -away by hardy men and wounded horses; two were left -on the field; and two were captured. Yet this astonishing -artillery, though horribly shattered, continued to hold its -ground. It was saved, at a later moment, from a persevering -attack on its vulnerable flank by the steady onset of -an infantry battalion, which lost nearly half its strength -in succouring the guns. Then, for the position was really -untenable, all the batteries, except three on the right, -where there was a little shelter, at length drew reluctantly, -in succession, out of the shambles and went rearward to -refit. It was half-past two; they had been more than two -hours in the jaws of death, and had lost no fewer than 210 -officers and men and 370 horses. So audaciously, if sometimes -unwisely, was this grand arm employed in battle -that no one need be astonished to learn how Canrobert, -who loved a picturesque phrase, called his dreaded and -admired opponents, “<i>tirailleurs d’artillerie</i>.”</p> - -<h3>Prince Frederick Charles at the Front.</h3> - -<p>Manstein, who was to have attacked the French right, -had dashed somewhat impetuously against the right centre, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[p 202]</a></span> -and for some two hours his Corps sustained the brunt of -the engagement, for the Guards and the Saxons were still -on the march, the first heading for Vernéville and Habonville, -the second on St. Marie aux Chênes, into which Canrobert -had hurried three battalions. North of the artillery, -whose bloody adventure has been described, the Hessian -division, under Prince Louis, posted astride of the railway -embankment, which, running from Amanvillers to Habonville, -cut the line of troops at right angles, held the copses -of the Bois de la Cusse, and, supported by thirty guns, -formed the backbone of the German attack in that exposed -quarter. Further south, the other half of the 9th Corps, -the 18th Division, had its reserves near Vernéville, with -troops established in Chantrenne and L’Envie; but they -could make no way, because the French were solidly -planted in Champenois, in the Bois de Genivaux, in a -spinney projecting to the westward of La Folie, in that -farm and on the higher ground above. About half-past -two the contest in the centre had become defensive on the -part of the 9th Corps, and the energies of the leaders -and the troops alike were taxed to retain the ground -already occupied and extricate the artillery. Prince -Frederick Charles, on learning just before noon, from the -cavalry reports, where the French right actually stood, -became anxious when he heard at St. Marcel the uproar of -a hot artillery engagement, and he rode off at once towards -the sound and smoke which rose in clouds above the -woods. On reaching Habonville he was able to survey the -conflict, and also discern, in outline, the enemy’s position -at St. Privat. The great head-quarters were still imperfectly -informed, yet they wished to restrain precipitate -action and prevent a home-thrusting central attack until -strong bodies could be launched against the French right. -The Prince, however, saw that the combat could not be -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[p 203]</a></span> -broken off, and he set himself to make all secure by -placing a brigade of the Guard, as a reserve, to assist the -9th Corps, which was all that Manstein requested, and -by ordering up four batteries from the 3rd Corps, the -infantry masses of which were not far from Vernéville. -Prince Augustus of Würtemberg had preceded the Guard -Corps, and as soon as General Pape, commanding the -1st infantry division, arrived with the advanced guard it -was arranged that his four batteries should go into action -to the south-west of Habonville, that is on the left of the -much-tried Hessians, and cover the march of the Guard -towards St. Marie. The spot first selected for the guns -was found defective, and the batteries, at a gallop, took up -new ground further to the left, to the south-west of St. -Ail. Thereupon, that village was occupied by the Guard; -Prince Augustus sent for the corps artillery, and soon nine -batteries were arrayed between the two villages, on a -diagonal line pointing to the north-west, that is, so disposed -as to bring to bear a heavy fire on St. Privat, a -succour which gave further relief to the gunners of the -9th Corps. For not only Canrobert’s cannon, but his -infantry, lurking in the shallow valleys along the front, -now directed their shells and bullets upon the Guard -batteries. Although the French did not attempt any -heavy stroke, they were active and enterprising, and kept -their swarms of skirmishers within a thousand yards of -the guns, but, as the official historian remarks, over and -over again, beyond the range of the needle-gun. Before -three o’clock the Guard Corps was up, and the 12th, or -rather half of it, had approached near St. Marie. Such -was the condition of the battle on that side; and it is now -necessary to describe the daring operations of the First -Army, on the German right wing.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[p 204]</a></span></p> - -<h3>Steinmetz Attacks the French Left.</h3> - -<p>It will be remembered that the 7th and 8th Corps, -commanded by Von Steinmetz, upon whom it was necessary -to keep a tight hand, had been brought up to the -south and west of Gravelotte, the left of the 8th touching -Manstein’s right. The 7th provided the outposts -which lined the fringe and salient of the Bois de Vaux, and -these troops were engaged in an intermittent and bickering -contest with the French infantry thrown out upon that -flank. The 1st Division of Cavalry, from the right bank, -crossing the Moselle at Borny, rode up about noon as a -support, and General von Fransecky, preceding the 2nd -Corps, assured the King, whom he found near Flavigny, -that one division would arrive in time to form a reserve for -the First Army. Von Steinmetz, on a height near Gravelotte, -nervously observed the French, sent in repeated information -that they were moving off, and evidently desired -to adopt the tactics which he had applied on two previous -occasions. He was ordered to be still, and when the guns -spoke at Vernéville, Von Moltke, knowing their effect upon -the veteran warrior, intimated afresh that he must stand -expectant yet awhile. Permission was given, as already -mentioned, to use his guns; but when the despatch was -handed to Steinmetz he had already opened fire with the -batteries of the 7th Corps, arrayed to the south, and of -the 8th to the north of Gravelotte; and the infantry had -been moved eastward to the edge of the region just clear -of the French fire. The troops in the Bois de Vaux were -reinforced, the mill of the Mance and the gully itself were -occupied, and an ample force was posted above the ravine -to protect the line of guns.</p> - -<p>The expectant attitude, always distasteful to Von Steinmetz, -was not, and in the nature of things could not be -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[p 205]</a></span> -long maintained by the First Army. The generals on the -spot knew more accurately what had occurred in the centre -than the Great Staff when the order to look on was written. -General von Goeben, knowing how deeply Manstein had -committed the 9th Corps, felt bound to attack in order -that he might detain and provide employment for the -French left. From a point near Gravelotte he could see -the masses of troops held in reserve by Lebœuf and -Frossard, and, with the ready assent of his immediate -chief he pushed forth columns from both his divisions. On -the south of the high road the soldiers disappeared in the -deep gully of the Mance, their path marked by puffs of -smoke as they drove back the French skirmishers, and reappeared -climbing the opposite slope leading to the huge -quarries below Point du Jour; but here, struck and repelled -by the defenders, they vanished again into the depths, where -they held on to the gravel pits in the bottom. Nearer the -high road, one battalion wedged itself in to the quarries -close to St. Hubert; while beyond the highway, the Germans -dashed through the wood, established themselves on -its eastern border above and about the farmstead, and -stormed the stone parapets set up by the French foreposts -at the confluence of the two streamlets which form the -Mance. Farther they could not go, because Lebœuf’s men -stiffly held the eastern patch of woodland, while the open -ground towards the Moscow farm was swept by musketry -fire from the deep banks in the cross-roads, from the shelter -trenches above, and from the loopholed buildings of the -farm. But the attack on the Bois de Genivaux aided -the men of the 9th Corps, who, from Chantrenne, had -entered its northern border, and compelled the defenders -of the lines in front of Moscow to turn upon the new assailants. -Then the companies which had gathered about St. -Hubert became engaged in a destructive contest, for the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[p 206]</a></span> -walls were high and well garnished, and the northern point -of attack was more or less commanded by the higher ground -towards Moscow. On the south front, however, there -proved to be more chances of success.</p> - -<p>Relying, perhaps, on Frossard’s infantry and guns, the -discharges from which commanded the high road, the -garrison had forgotten to barricade the gates, doors, and -windows; and when the place had been cannonaded by the -southern line of guns, the assailants, who had suffered -great loss with unflinching hardihood, came on with an -irresistible rush, and carried the farm by storm. The feat -was accomplished about three o’clock; and the work done -gave a solid support to the German right wing. At this -time, the German guns, so well fought, having taken more -forward positions, had mastered the French artillery, which -sank into comparative silence. There were seventy-eight -pieces in action on the south of the high road, and fifty-four -on the north, and their superiority is admitted and recorded -by Frossard himself, who saw his batteries idle or withdrawn, -his reserves smitten, and its defenders literally -burnt out of the farm buildings at Point du Jour. Yet -the French left was not shaken, it was hardly touched, by -a vehement attack which had given the Germans a better -defensive position, indeed, but still one only on the verge of -Frossard’s stronghold, and affording no facilities for a rush -against the fortified lines occupied by the 3rd French -Corps, in the thickets of Genivaux and on the brow of the -bare hills.</p> - -<p>The capture of St. Hubert was nearly coincident with -that stage in the heady fight before Vernéville which saw -the Hessians embattled on the Bois de la Cusse, the exposed -artillery of the 9th Corps in retreat from a false position, -and the opportune appearance of the Guard about Habonville -and of the Saxons to the north-west of St. Marie. In -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[p 207]</a></span> -front of their main line the French held the latter village, -were well forward in the hollows west of Amanvillers, stood -fast in the farms of La Folie, Leipsic, Moscow, Champenois, -and that portion of the Bois de Genivaux which covered -the eastern arm of the Mance. The fight had raged for -more than three hours, and they had only lost possession of -the L’Envie and Chantrenne, places distant from their -front, and St. Hubert, which, no doubt, was a dangerous-looking -salient within a few hundred yards of the well-defended -ridge where the high road turned at right angles -towards the blazing farm of Point du Jour. From end to -end, therefore, and it was between seven and eight miles in -length, measured by an air-line, the whole of Bazaine’s -formidable position was intact. The Imperial Guard, the -effective reserve, still stood on the heights east of Chatel St. -Germain, behind the left, and six miles from the right -where the battle was to be decided.</p> - -<h3>Operations by the German Left Wing.</h3> - -<p>The two Corps, forming the left wing of the German -Army, had been guided far more by the reports brought in -by daring cavalry scouts, than by the orders received either -from Prince Frederick Charles or Von Moltke, because these -latter were necessarily less well-informed than the Corps -commanders who were the first to receive the information. -Yet the latter, of course, while taking their own line conformed -to the governing idea, which was that the French -right flank, wherever it was, should be turned. Moving -eastward from Jarny, with the 12th Corps the Crown -Prince of Saxony learned before two o’clock, that Roncourt -was the extreme northern limit of Canrobert’s Corps, and -he, therefore, varied a head-quarter’s order to march upon -St. Marie, by directing one division, the 23rd, under Prince -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[p 208]</a></span> -George, to march down the right bank of the Orne, through -Auboué, and turn to the right upon Roncourt. One brigade -of the 24th Division he directed on St. Marie, keeping the -other back as a support. About the same time the whole -of the Guard, except one brigade detached to back up the -9th Corps, had formed up near Habonville, and their -batteries, as we have seen, had taken up a position which -enabled them to smite St. Privat. When, therefore, General -Pape had moved up the Guards by the ravine west of St. -Marie he found the Saxons ready to co-operate with him in -driving out the French battalions occupying the pretty -village which has the air of a small rural town. It sits at -the foot of the long bare incline leading down from St. -Privat, traversed by a straight road bordered, as usual, by -tall scraggy trees; and nestling amid gardens and walled -inclosures shines out a cheerful white spot in the diversified -landscape. From this point, St. Privat looms dark and -large on the hill-top, larger and darker looking than it -really is. To the southward of that village, beyond a dip, -down and up which the cottages creep, stands the farmstead -of Jerusalem, and further south the ground rolls -away towards Amanvillers. More than a mile of open -country separates St. Privat from St. Marie, affording no -lurking places to either side, except such as can be found in -the gentle swelling and falling of the fields; indeed, to the -casual observer the smoothness of the surface seems broken -only by the poplars on the highway. West of St. Marie -there is a shallow ravine, and beyond it copses, and south, -as we know towards Vernéville, more copses, ruddy brown -farmsteads, and white villages. At this moment the battle-smoke -puffed out, curled, rose in fantastic clouds, or rolled -along the ground, upon the hill-sides and above the thickets -and barns; about St. Marie, however, the air as yet was -untainted by the sulphurous mists of combat so rank a mile -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[p 209]</a></span> -away, but the garrison stood painfully expectant of the -coming fray. For though the Guards were hidden the -Saxon brigade to the north-west was visible, and the -skirmishers driven from St. Ail, told how the “Prussians” -were mustering for the onset.</p> - -<p>Suddenly lines of skirmishers appear, gun after gun -drives up, the Saxon artillery reinforcing the pieces which -the Guard can spare, until three distinct lines of batteries -are formed and open on the village. The German Generals, -who judged the place to be stronger and more strongly -garrisoned than it was, had brought to bear overwhelming -forces—probably also to save time; so that, after enduring -a hot cannonade from seventy-eight guns, the French battalions, -who had borne the bombardment and had spent -abundance of ammunition in return, did not await the -shock of the storming columns sent against them, but fled -by the eastern outlet to their main body. The Guard and -the Saxons, who had come on with ringing hurrahs, swept -into the place on all sides; some prisoners were taken, but -the greater mass of the defenders and the French battery -which had kept up a flank fire on the approach to the -south face of the village, got safely up the hill. When -they were inside St. Marie the assailants were able to see -that “the adversary had done nothing to increase, by artificial -means, the defensive value of a post, naturally strong; -and had even neglected to barricade the roads and paths by -which it is entered.” The truth is that the occupation of -St. Marie by the French was an after thought, and that -although defensible in itself the place was far too remote -from the main French line of battle to be supported; and -the garrison, which no doubt, in a different temper, might -have died fighting in the streets and houses, yielded when -they felt the hail of shells and saw the impending storm-cloud -of infantry ready to burst upon them. The -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[p 210]</a></span> -defenders hastened towards Roncourt and St. Privat, losing -men from the fire of their exulting enemies, who followed -on the eastern side until stopped by the chassepot and the -guns on the hills. Thus a point of support was secured in -that quarter, about half-past three, but no advance could -be made until the artillery had prepared the way, and the -turning column had made further progress in its march.</p> - -<p>Nevertheless, the Saxon troops on the north of St. Marie -and some who had been engaged in its capture, carried -away by their ardour and the sight of a retreating foe, -pursued so far and were so promptly reinforced that a -fierce infantry fight ensued. For a French brigade, led by -General Péchot, dashed out of their lines, struck roughly -on the front and turned the left flank of the Saxons who, -being obstinate, held the slightly uneven meadow lands -with great difficulty and much loss. Although they were -aided by their own batteries and those of the Guard which -had been moved forward on the front between St. Ail and -Habonville, and whose fire smote diagonally the French -columns rushing out of Roncourt and St. Privat, yet the -Saxons were overmatched; and, after much labour, as they -were nearly all spread out in skirmishing order, General -Nehrdorff, who comprehended the situation, and saw the -waste of effort, gradually drew them back to the original -line. The French counter attack, swift and sharp, was -well sustained, and the bold Saxons paid a heavy price for -their temerity. While this combat was in progress, the -Crown Prince of Saxony from a height in front of Auboué, -gazing intently towards Roncourt, made an important discovery—he -saw troops in movement to the north of that -village, and, in fact, Canrobert’s outposts extended nearly -to the Orne. Thus, after a long search, yet not before -four o’clock, the extreme right of the French Army was at -length found, and thereupon the turning column of horse, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[p 211]</a></span> -foot, and guns, one-half Prince George’s division, was -ordered to take a still wider sweep northward ere it -wheeled in upon the French rear. As it marched stealthily -on its way, the Saxon artillery developed a long line of -batteries pointing towards Roncourt, protected by Craushaar’s -brigade, which made a lodgment in the western -block of a deep wooded ravine on the left of the guns, and -stood ready to dash forward when their comrades emerged -from the villages and copses behind the French right. In -the centre the troops of the 9th Corps had stormed and -occupied the farm of Champenois, had tried again, without -success, to win the eastern tracts of the Bois de -Genivaux, and, supported by 106 guns, had maintained a -sanguinary contest with Lebœuf’s steady brigades, ensconced -over against them in the farms, thickets, and -hollow ways. About five o’clock the fury of the battle -diminished for a moment, in the centre, on the left, and -even on the right, where, down to that hour, it had raged -with a spirit and vigour which must now be described.</p> - -<h3>General Frossard Repels a fresh Attack.</h3> - -<p>The enormous defensive strength of the position held by -General Frossard’s Corps does not seem to have been -thoroughly understood by anyone except that accomplished -engineer. Marshal Bazaine did not perceive its value, for -he was perpetually afraid that the Germans would break -in upon it, either from the Bois de Vaux or by the high -road, and his apprehensions or prejudices were confirmed -when a column of troops was seen to be ascending the -river-road from Ars towards Jussy, near St. Ruffine. -General von Steinmetz, on the other hand, who had peered -out from every available height between the Bois des -Ognons and Gravelotte, although each attack which he -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[p 212]</a></span> -had directed had been repelled, thought he discerned -symptoms of weakness and even of retreat. The truth is -that Frossard’s men were well hidden, not less by the -natural features of the ground than by the trenches which -he had dug and the breastworks which he had thrown up. -If his batteries were silent or withdrawn it was because, -although overpowered in the gun fight, they were yet still -able to arrest the onsets of infantry; and if the French -fantassins were invisible, it was because they were lying -down or arrayed on the reverse of the ridge. The hot-tempered -General of the First Army, however, surmised, -after the capture of St. Hubert, that troops had been -detached to aid the distant right, or that a moment had -come when, if pressed home by an attack of all arms, Point -du Jour could be carried and the French driven headlong -into Metz. Under the influence of this delusion he rode -up to General von Goeben, who was watching the battle -near Gravelotte. Captain Seton, an Indian officer who -was present, noticed the violent gestures and rapid talk of -Steinmetz because they offered so strong a contrast to the -steady coolness of the younger warrior. At that moment -he was expounding opinions and issuing orders which -brought on one of the most brilliant and destructive -episodes in the battle. Goeben had already sent forward -Gneisenau’s brigade, partly on and partly north of the -road, but they were needed to feed the combat, support -the weakened and scattered companies, and secure St. -Hubert.</p> - -<p>What Steinmetz now designed was a home-thrust on -the French position; and, accordingly, he ordered several -batteries of the 7th Corps and Von Hartmann’s cavalry -division to cross the Gravelotte defile and plant themselves -on the gentle acclivities to the south of the road. Now -the highway runs first through a cutting, is then carried -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[p 213]</a></span> -on an embankment, and only near St. Hubert are the -gentle southern slopes above the gully accessible to horses -and guns. But this narrow track swarmed with troops, -into the midst of which came the cavalry and artillery. -The infantry gave way and four batteries arrived on the -opposite side of the defile, followed by the 9th Uhlans. -But so deadly was the storm of shot which burst from the -French position—for cannon, mitrailleuse, and chassepot -went instantly to work—that two of the batteries were at -once driven into the ravine below. The Uhlans actually -rode out into the open, took up a position, and remained -until it was plain to all that the lives of men and horses -were being uselessly sacrificed. The other regiments, -“well peppered,” had already gone “threes about” before -clearing the defile, and the Uhlans, who were dropping -fast, rode back, as well as they could, to Gravelotte or the -sheltering woods. A more extravagant movement has -rarely been attempted in war, or one less justified by the -evident facts of the situation as well as by the deadly -results. Yet two batteries actually remained, one, under -Captain Hasse, in the open, about seven hundred yards -from the French lines of musketry; the other, commanded -by Captain Gnügge, covered in front by the low wall of -the St. Hubert garden, but lending a flank to the adversary -at the top of the road. Captain Hasse and his gunners -were stubborn men; they fought their battery for two -hours, in fact, until nearly all the men and horses were -down. Even then Hasse would not retire, and one of his -superiors was obliged to hurry up fresh teams and forcibly -drag the guns away. But the battery under the wall held -on, and did good service by firing on the French about the -Moscow farm.</p> - -<p>The failure of these mistaken attacks and the retreat of -guns and horsemen seems to have shaken the constant -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[p 214]</a></span> -German infantry, for they gave ground everywhere but at -St. Hubert, and the French came on with such vigour that -General Steinmetz himself and his staff were under a -heavy fire. Fortunately three fresh battalions plunged -into the combat; but they could not do more than sustain -it; for every attempt made to approach the French, either -towards the Moscow farm or Point du Jour, met with a -speedy repulse. Indeed, down to five o’clock, the point of -time at which we have arrived, along the whole line, no -progress whatever had been made by the German right -wing, which held on to St. Hubert, the ravine of the Mance, -and the western portion of the Bois de Genivaux, but -could not show a rifle or bayonet beyond in any direction. -It was only the powerful German artillery which still -remained the superb masters of the field, so far as their -action was concerned.</p> - -<p>It was at this time that King William and his staff, -which included Prince Bismarck, rode up to the high -ground above Malmaison, where he established his head-quarters -in the field, and whence, until nearly dark, he -watched the battle. Over against him, concerned respecting -his left, and ignorant of the state of the battle on his -right, was Marshal Bazaine, in the fort of Plappeville, -whither he had returned from St. Quentin, which commanded -a wide view to the south and south-west. He -says that he gave General Bourbaki discretion to use the -Guard wherever it might be wanted. But that officer knew -little more than the Commander-in-Chief. An hour or two -earlier, taking with him the Grenadier Division of the Guard, -he had started towards the north, following a hilly road -east of the St. Germain ravine. He had seen the immense -mountain of white smoke which towered up in the north-west, -but the current of air, hardly a wind, apparently blew -from the south-east, since at Plappeville he could not hear -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[p 215]</a></span> -the roar of the guns, and the view was so obstructed that -he could not obtain even a glimpse of the country about -St. Privat. He had to leave behind him the Voltigeurs -and Chasseurs of the Guard, who were partly in reserve -and partly posted to support Lebœuf, who called up one -regiment from Brincourt’s brigade. Bazaine had also sent -some guns to support Lapasset in his contest with the -troops which Von Golz had marched up from Ars to the -woodlands and vineyards opposite St. Ruffine. The -French at this stage were still in good spirits. If Lebœuf -was a little anxious behind his farmsteads, his woods, and -skilfully-disposed re-entering echelons of shelter trenches; -Frossard, who soon after relieved his front ranks from the -reserve, was content; and De Ladmirault, as was usual -with him, believed that he might be almost considered -victorious, and only required a few battalions of the Guard -to insure his success. The ammunition on both sides was -running out here and there; indeed, Canrobert declares -that he was compelled to borrow from De Ladmirault; -still there was enough to last out the day. Over the seven -or eight miles of flame and smoke and tumult, for a brief -interval, came what may be called a lull compared with -the deafening tempest of sounds which smote on the ear -when the rival combatants raged most fiercely.</p> - -<h3>The last Fights near St. Hubert.</h3> - -<p>For some time longer the German right wing did little -more than defend its somewhat irregular line of front. -The 2nd Corps, which had been marching every day -since it quitted the Saar, had attained Rezonville, and -King William placed it under the orders of Von Steinmetz. -As the minutes flew by, the head-quarter staff on the hill -near Malmaison were impressed by a fact and an -appearance<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[p 216]</a></span>—the -increase of the vivacity and volume of fire towards -the north—where the Guard had begun its onset on St. -Privat—and the symptoms of wavering which seemed, -and only seemed, to be visible on the French left. -The King, therefore, sanctioned a fresh and formidable -advance upon Frossard’s brigades by all the troops which -Von Steinmetz could spare for the enterprise. But the -main object of Von Moltke, we infer, was to prevent, by -striking hard, the despatch of any assistance to Canrobert, -and thus assist, by a resolute advance, upon one wing, the -decisive movement then approaching its critical stage on -the other. The 2nd Corps was, therefore, brought up -to Gravelotte, and all the available troops of the 7th -and 8th were held in readiness to assail, once more, the -enemies beyond the Mance.</p> - -<p>But the French, who, though wearied, were still undaunted, -anticipating their foes, became the assailants. -Their silent guns spoke out in thunder, the heights were -shrouded in a canopy of smoke, and the bolts hurled from -the batteries fell like hail on the woods, and sent such an -iron shower as far forward as the hill-top where the King -and his great men stood, that Von Roon prevailed on the -King to ride further back. The lively French skirmishers -dashed forth into the open, strove hard to reach St. Hubert, -drove the German foreposts headlong down the steeps into -the Mance gully, filled the high road with a rushing, -clamorous crowd of fugitives, and even caused terror and -commotion in the rear of Gravelotte, so vehement and unexpected -was the stroke. Fortunately for the Germans, -the principal bodies of troops in St. Hubert and the woods -were unshaken, and their rapid fire, as well as the responses -sent from the artillery, checked the violent outfall. Then, -as the sun was getting low, the fresh German brigades -struck in. The men of the 7th Corps went down into -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[p 217]</a></span> -and over the Mance valley, and stormed up the eastern -bank. The 2nd Corps, eager to win, pressed along the -highway, with their drums and trumpets sounding the -change, or moved on the south side. They passed onward -in a tumult, and boldly tried to grapple with the strong -lines of the defence. Not only their commander, Fransecky, -and Steinmetz, but Von Moltke himself rode into the defile -to witness and direct this huge and uproarious column of -attack. But neither their numbers, and they were many, -nor their valour, which was great, nor the unfaltering -devotion of their officers could resist the smashing fire of -cannon and mitrailleuse and chassepot which the French -brought to bear upon them. Some daring spirits pressed -close up towards the ditches and breastworks, a few clung -to the banks and bushes on the brow of the slope near -Point du Jour. A dense mass collected near St. Hubert, -where Fransecky and Steinmetz, in the thick of the throng, -saw the bands who had hurried to the front break off, turn -and hasten rearward, while fresh troops still pressed upward -through the confused crowds of fugitives. So for some -time, in the twilight, the strange fight went on. As it -grew darker, the outlines of Lebœuf’s cleverly-designed -shelter trenches near the Moscow farm were drawn in lines -of musketry fire, and gradually nothing, save the flashes of -guns and rifles, could be seen in the gloom. At length, -when friend could not be distinguished from foe, when no -breach could be made in the French line, which, except the -outpost of St. Hubert, remained what it had been in the morning, -the Generals placed strong guards on their front, and -stood prepared to renew the battle with the dawn. General -Frossard, who had engaged all his reserves, was proud of his -achievement, and not less of the foresight he displayed in -providing artificial cover for his men. That had made the -position, from the Great Quarries to the farm and copse of -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[p 218]</a></span> -La Folie, impregnable, and renders it all the more difficult -to comprehend how Marshal Bazaine could have shown -such manifest distrust of the fastness which protected his -left wing. The attack on St. Ruffine by Von Golz was -merely a diversion shrewdly designed to increase the -Marshal’s alarms, and its relative success shows how -correctly Von Moltke estimated his adversary’s abilities as -a soldier. He reaped an ample reward, since long before -the last shot was fired in the neighbourhood of St. Hubert, -the French had been worsted at the other and distant -extremity of the vast field of battle.</p> - -<h3>The Prussian Guard on the Centre and Left.</h3> - -<p>It may be said, indeed, that not one, but several battles -were fought on the 18th of August, in the long space -between the Bois de Vaux and the Forest of Moyœuvre. -They were inter-dependent, because one mass of combatants -held fast another, and the essence of the German plan was -that three-fourths of the French Army should be nailed to -the positions they had taken up, while the remainder were -crushed by the pressure of superior forces. The original -design of Von Moltke was framed on the supposition that -the French right stood near Amanvillers, and that he -would be able to fling upon an exposed flank two Corps -d’Armée. Before the error was discovered, several hours -had been consumed; the Guard had been obliged to prolong -the front fighting line; only a part of the Saxon Corps -could be spared to engage in the turning movement, and -the ground which they had to traverse grew longer and -longer as the day waxed shorter. The extent of country -over which the various armies operated, and the smoke -which obscured the view, prevented a correct appreciation -of the situation of affairs at a given moment, and the -German commanders were liable to be deceived, and were -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[p 219]</a></span> -deceived by appearances. The knowledge that so brief an -interval of daylight remained, and an anxiety to make the -most of precious moments, quickened the tendency to -decisive action, and thus brought about the rash and -premature attack which was so destructive, and nearly -proved so fatal to the Prussian Guard.</p> - -<p>Their magnificent divisions of Infantry, it will be -remembered, stood between St. Ail and St. Marie, except -one brigade which had been annexed to the 9th Corps. -It was intended that they should remain quiescent until the -Saxon column broke out upon the French right in the -direction of Roncourt, and for a brief interval of time, -after five o’clock, the action in the centre as well as on -the left was confined to a deliberate cannonade. Prince -Augustus of Würtemberg, who was then near St. Ail -gazing alternatively on the ebb and flow of Manstein’s -battle in the Bois de la Cusse and towards the Bois de -Genivaux, and on the aspect of the field about St. Privat, -thought he saw French troops moving south from Roncourt. -Combining this impression with the fact that, as -we have already stated, a long line of Saxon guns had -been arrayed due north of St. Marie, he rapidly formed -the opinion that the turning column was on the point -of striking the enemy, and that the moment had come -when the Guard should be employed. He was also somewhat -affected by the condition of the combat in the centre, -and, perhaps, as much by the waning day which left so -narrow a margin of time for decisive activity. He appealed -to Prince Frederick Charles and easily converted -the Commander-in-Chief of the Second Army to his -views. So the order went forth that the Guard should -attack, and having set Budritzki’s division in motion -from St. Ail, Prince Augustus rode to St. Marie. There -General von Pape revealed to him his misconception—the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[p 220]</a></span> -turning column was not even then in sight, and unless -preceded by bombardment from all the batteries, a front -attack on St. Privat, Pape said, would have but a slight -chance of success. Why, then, was it delivered? Because -the other division of the Guard was actually at that moment -under fire and losing men by scores on the open slope. It -was a bitter moment for Prince Augustus, whose error was -to cost the Guard losses which are counted by thousands. -Moreover, General Manstein, seeing Budritzki in motion, -and De Cissey, whose division formed De Ladmirault’s -right, wheeling up diagonally on the flanks of the new foe, -determined to despatch his Brigade of Guards, the 3rd, -straight upon Amanvillers, to resume the offensive with his -Hessians, and support, by all the means he possessed, the -daring onset initiated on his immediate left. Practically, -therefore, although other troops were engaged at different -points on the front of the 9th Corps, the battle on the -northern half of the field was thenceforth fought out by the -Saxons and the Guard.</p> - -<p>The character of the unequal combat was the same from -end to end of the line—superb, because it proved the -steadfast valour of Prussia’s chosen infantry; awful, -because the bare fields in the track of the onslaught were -soon literally strewed with thousands of dead and wounded. -The charge of the 3rd Brigade towards Amanvillers was -pushed with such unwavering velocity that, although the -ranks were thinned at every stride, the hardy survivors, -spread out in skirmishing order, carried their front to the -brow of a hill within half a mile of Amanvillers. There -they were stopped by the fire which smote them in front -and flank. Yet there they stayed undaunted, and maintained -a steady contest with antagonists who, if they tried to dash -forward, could not reach the unyielding line of the 3rd -Brigade. On their left the Hessians moved up on both -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[p 221]</a></span> -sides of the railroad cutting, and finally captured a house -built for the watchman at a level crossing. Comrades of -the 9th Corps, from the Bois de la Cusse, soldiers who -had been toiling for many hours, essayed to reach the -Guard, but they had not strength enough left, and retired -when they suddenly discerned, above Amanvillers, two -regiments of Grenadiers—it was Bourbaki who had led -Picard’s battalions on to the plateau, but who, distrusting -appearances visible about and beyond St. Privat, feared to -plunge into the fight at Amanvillers. Looking out from -his hill, Bourbaki may have seen the devoted march of -Budritzki’s troops up the gentle slope in front of St. Ail; -for these, what was left of them, were closing on the spur -which lies south-west of St. Privat, and stretching out as -far as the high road to St. Marie, a long dark streak of fire -and smoke and the broad fields behind them black with the -dying and dead. For the constant Guards, undismayed, -the remnant of a splendid division, not only persevered and -won the little rounded hill, but rooted themselves under -its shelving terraces, while the left companies, next the -high road, found shelter in its ditches. They had suffered -most when beyond the effective range of the needle-gun, in -the belt where the chassepot had rained balls as thick as -hail. They could now retort the fire, and at least keep -their opponents at bay. These battalions, like those of -the 3rd Brigade, had dared all the deadly perils of the -open ground; they had bought a relative success at a -heavy price, and were resolved to retain what they had -won, their line of fire extending from the high road to -the rounded eminence, or long hillock, south-west of -Jerusalem. Three batteries had driven up to aid the -infantry; the main body of the Guard Artillery had -advanced eastward; and the Hessians and 3rd Brigade -prolonged the front of combat to the south.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[p 222]</a></span></p> - -<p>During part of the period thus occupied General Pape, -holding one brigade in reserve at St. Marie, attacked with -the other on the north of the high road. Starting at a -quarter to six o’clock, this body of Guardsmen crossed the -road facing north, and then wheeling in succession to the -right, went obstinately forward. The French fire, from the -outset, was close and deadly; officers of all ranks fell fast; -companies were reduced to straggling groups or scattered -files; the whole line was soon dispersed here and there; -but they still pressed on. One moiety trended to the right -another to the left, and General von Pape, watchful, -active, and fortunate, for he was not hit, led fresh battalions -to fill up the gaping intervals. Soon after the foremost -bands had got within seven hundred yards of St. Privat, -where, in places, at least, the slope afforded shelter, the -reinforcements arrived; and it may be said that thenceforth -a continuous, yet thin line, curved inwards at the -northern end, and fringed with smoke and fire, stretched -irregularly over the vast glacis-like declivities from opposite -Amanvillers to the outskirts of Roncourt, where the Saxons -prolonged the ragged and shapeless, but redoubtable array. -Against this mere thread of riflemen, not even when they -were weakest, the French directed no bold attack, perhaps -because they had no reserves and stood in respectful awe -of the hostile artillery which drew nearer and nearer as the -evening wore on, until the black batteries formed a second -line to the intrepid infantry.</p> - -<p>It was about seven o’clock. St. Privat was in flames, -the black and tawny smoke of the burning village, boiling -upwards, stood out against the obscured sky in strong contrast -to the swelling clouds of white vapour, through which -leaped incessant sparkles from hundreds of rifles, and the -broader flashes of the cannon. At no preceding period of -this dreadful day had the battle raged with such intensity; -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[p 223]</a></span> -for now along the whole front of eight miles there was a -deafening roar and crash and tumult, and a murky atmosphere -concealing the ghastly sights which make these -fields of carnage so appalling to the lively imagination, -which seeks in vain to realize its multitude and variety of -horror. Yet there was an element of grandeur and -sublimity in the exhibition of courage, constancy and fortitude -upon such a stupendous scale. “It is a good thing -that war is so terrible,” said General Robert Lee, “otherwise -we should become too fond of it.” Here, among these -woods and villages of Lorraine, war showed in abundance -its attractive and repulsive forms.</p> - -<h3>The Capture of St. Privat.</h3> - -<p>Marshal Canrobert had discerned the approaching -Saxons, who were now marching from the north upon Roncourt, -Montois, and Malancourt. He felt that his right -had been turned, and looked in vain for the expected succour. -Bazaine, he says, had promised to send a division of the -Guard. Bourbaki, astounded by the spectacle which met -his eyes, when he emerged from the wooded defiles west of -Saulny, had, as we have seen, allowed himself to be attracted, -for a moment, towards De Ladmirault, had then -retraced his steps, and had taken a position to cover the -high road to Woippy, the so-called northern road from -Metz which goes to Briey. He had with him, according to -his own statement, three or four thousand Grenadiers and -some artillery; but he did not arrive in time to frustrate -the Saxons and Prussian Guards. The Marshal, a little -after seven, or even before, felt that he could not stand. -He complains of failing ammunition, declares that the -German artillery had obtained a complete mastery over -his guns, and that his flank was turned. “At this moment,” -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[p 224]</a></span> -he says in his own picturesque fashion, “a valiant officer, -who has since been killed before Paris, and who was -called Péchot, arrived at St. Privat [from Roncourt] -with the 9th battalion of Chasseurs, the 6th and 12th of -the Line. He dashed forward to stop the enemy; but, -as the enemy flung at us masses of iron, and did not -come himself, as it was shells which came instead, we -could not hold on. Péchot warned me, and we were -obliged to retire. We did so by moving in echelon from -the centre, and, in good order, I emphasize the phrase, we -gained the heights beside the wood of Saulny.” The -German Staff acknowledge that the rearward movement -was admirably done; but the succinct narrative vouchsafed -by the Marshal to the Court which tried Bazaine, gives only -a vague glimpse of the closing scene.</p> - -<p>When the “valiant Péchot” retired from Roncourt -before the Saxon inroad, he skilfully put his brigade into -the forest of Jaumont, on the right rear of the original -line. Colonel Montluisant, the gallant artilleryman, having -received a welcome supply of ammunition, sent up from St. -Quentin by the order of Bazaine, posting his batteries in -lines one above the other on the terraces near the wood of -Saulny, opened a sustained fire to cover the retreat. -Bourbaki, although Canrobert did not know it at the time, -such was the confusion and so thick was the air, had -moved his batteries and Grenadiers near enough at dusk to -bring both musketry and cannon-shot to bear upon the -Germans. In St. Privat, glowing like a furnace, and as -the darkness became deeper, shedding a wild light upon the -scene, there were still stout and obstinate soldiers who -either would not, or could not, follow the retiring brigades. -Upon these devoted troops, as the sun went down behind -the dark border of woods beyond the valley of the Orne, -the much-tried Prussian Guards and the leg-weary Saxons -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[p 225]</a></span> -threw themselves with all their remaining vigour; and in -rear of them, yet far down the slope, stepped one Division -of the 10th Corps. The guns reinforced had again been -dragged forward, some overwhelming St. Privat, others -pounding Montluisant, or facing south-east, and smiting the -French about Amanvillers. Then, with loud hurrahs, the -assailants broke into St. Privat, pursued the defenders -amid the burning houses, captured two thousand prisoners, -who were unable to escape from the buildings, and developed -their lines in the twilight on the plateau beyond. -The capture of St. Privat enabled the German artillery to -press on once more, each battery striving to gain the foremost -place. For Canrobert’s retreat exposed the right -flank of De Ladmirault’s Corps, and, under a scathing fire, -he was obliged to throw it back, protected by Bourbaki on -the hill, and supported by a brigade promptly despatched -towards that side by Lebœuf, who, all through the eddying -fight, showed a fine tactical sense and great decision. How -far the Germans were able to push their advantage it is -difficult to say, since General Gondrecourt, who was near -the place, maintains that some of De Ladmirault’s soldiers -remained through the night in Amanvillers; whereas the -Germans assert that they broke into part of the village. -Be that as it may, Montigny la Grange, La Folie, and the -posts thence to Point du Jour, for certain, were held by the -French until the morning. Marshal Lebœuf has stated -that he summoned his Generals in the evening, and said to -them: “The two Corps on our right, crushed by superior -forces, have been obliged to retire. We have behind us,” -he added, “one of the defiles through which they (‘cette -troupe’) may retreat. If we give back a step the Army is -lost. The position, doubtless, is difficult, but we will -remain.” He declares that the attack continued until -midnight, and that not one of his men budged a foot, which -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[p 226]</a></span> -is true; but Canrobert’s men did fly in disorder to Woippy, -and De Ladmirault confessed that there was “some disorder” -in his Corps, and that what remained of them in -the wood of Saulny stood to their arms all night. The -General states his case in an extraordinary manner. -“Night,” he says, “surprised us in this situation, having -gained the battle, but not having been able to maintain our -positions.” What he meant to assert was that he, De Ladmirault -had won the battle, but that the defeat of Canrobert -had obliged him to retire. The truth was that some -troops remained in Montigny la Grange, but that the rest, -or nearly all of them, where huddled together in the wood -of Saulny, whence they retreated at dawn.</p> - -<p>During the night each Corps commander received from -Marshal Bazaine an order to occupy certain positions under -the guns of Metz. Canrobert, De Ladmirault, and the -Guard, marched in the night, or very early in the morning, -to the places assigned them; Lebœuf began his movement -at dawn, but Frossard kept outposts on his front line long -after daylight. During the forenoon, however, the Army -of the Rhine had gained the shelter of a fortified town, -which they were not able to quit until they marched off to -Germany as prisoners of war.</p> - -<p>The effective strength of the German Armies present on -the field of Gravelotte was 203,402 men, and 726 guns; it -would not be easy to calculate how many were actually engaged -in the fight, but the forces held in reserve were considerable. -The number on the French side has been put as -low as 120,000, and as high as 150,000 men, and probably -about 530 guns. The loss of the Germans in killed and -wounded was 20,159, and 493 missing. The French loss is -set down at 7,853 killed and wounded and 4,419 prisoners, -many of whom were wounded men. The disproportion is -tremendous, and shows once again that, armed with the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[p 227]</a></span> -breechloader, the defender is able to kill and injure nearly -two to one. There were killed or mortally wounded in the -German ranks no fewer than 5,237 officers and men, while -the aggregate for the French is only 1,144. The loss of -officers and men in the Prussian Guards, nearly all inflicted -in half an hour before St. Privat, reached the dreadful -total of 2,440 killed or mortally injured, and of wounded -5,511!</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[p 228]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="pagenba" id="CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X.</h2> -</div> - -<p class="h2sub">THE STATE OF THE GAME, AND THE NEW MOVES.</p> - -<p>The huge, stubborn, vehement and bloody conflict -waged in the rural tract between the northern edges -of the Bois de Vaux and the Forest of Jaumont, which the -French Marshal called the “Defence of the Lines of Amanvillers,” -the French Army, “the Battle of St. Privat,” and -the Germans the battle of “Gravelotte-St. Privat,” established -the mastery of the latter over “the Army of the -Rhine.” Marshal Bazaine had not proved strong enough -to extricate the Army he was suddenly appointed to command -from the false position in which it had been placed -by the errors and hesitations of the Emperor and Marshal -Lebœuf. He had not been able to retrieve the time wasted -between the 7th and 13th of August, by imparting, after -that period, energy and swiftness to the movements of his -troops, or, if he possessed the ability, of which there is no -sign, he did not put it forth. Certain words imputed to -General Changarnier, correctly or otherwise, hit the blot -exactly. “Bazaine,” the General is represented as saying, -“was incapable of commanding so large an Army. He -was completely bewildered by its great numbers. He did -not know how to move his men. He could not operate with -the forces under his orders.” So simple an explanation did -not, of course, satisfy those who could only account for a -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[p 229]</a></span> -stupendous calamity by accusing the Marshal of treason. -But on the 19th of August, the Emperor was still on the -throne, and whatever thoughts may have passed through -the mind of Bazaine after Sedan, it is inconceivable that -he wilfully sacrificed the Army before that event. He was -misinformed, he could not grasp the situation, he formed -conjectures, without any solid basis, and acted on them; -he was oppressed by the comparative want of provisions -and munitions; and, above all, he could not resist the magnetism -exerted by a stronghold like Metz, a magnetism -which is likely to prove fatal to other weak captains who -will have to handle armies, counted by hundreds of -thousands, in the vicinity of extensive fortified camps. The -consequences of the battles of Colombey, Vionville and -Gravelotte are sufficiently accounted for by a recognition of -the errors which, from the outset, placed the Army of the -Rhine in a position whence it could have been extricated by -a Napoleon or a Frederick, but not by a Bazaine; and only -quenchless wrath, born of defeat, or “preternatural suspicion,” -too rife in the French Army, could seek an explanation -in personal ambition or treason. The war was begun -without the preparation of adequate means; the operations -projected were based on miscalculations, political and -military; the Generals were selected by favour; and when -the collision of Armies took place, the French were outnumbered, -out-marched, out-fought, and out-generalled. -Bazaine was no more a traitor than Prince Charles of Lorraine -in Prague, the King of Saxony in Pirna, or even poor -Mack in Ulm. He was a brave soldier, and an excellent -corps commander, but he was very far from ranking among -those captains, and, according to the first Napoleon, they -are few, who have the faculty and knowledge required to -command 300,000 men. Upon his subsequent conduct, -being beyond its scope, this history has nothing to say; -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[p 230]</a></span> -moreover, it would acquire a volume to illuminate that -dreadful labyrinth, the “Procès Bazaine.” All we require -to note is that, as a result of a series of errors, the whole of -which did not fall to the Marshal’s share, one French Army -had been routed and driven headlong to Chalons, and -another, the larger and better, had been worsted in combat -and forced to seek shelter within the fortified area of Metz.</p> - -<p>The German leaders forthwith resolved, and acted on the -resolve, to take the largest advantage of success. When the -broadening day showed that the French were encamped -under the guns of the forts, and that they did not betray -the faintest symptom of fighting for egress on any side, the -place was deliberately invested. On the 18th, the cavalry -had cut the telegraph between Metz and Thionville, and -partially injured the railway between Thionville and Longuyon; -and the French had hardly repaired the wire on the -19th before it was again severed. Soon the blockade was -so far completed that only adventurous scouts were able at -rare intervals to work their way through the German lines. -As early as the forenoon of the 19th, the King had decided -to form what came to be called the “Army of the Meuse” -out of the Corps which were not needed to uphold the -investment of Metz, and thus place himself in a condition -to assail the French Army collecting at Chalons. The -new organization was composed of the Guard, the 4th -and the 12th Corps, and the 5th and 6th Divisions of -Cavalry; and this formidable force was put under the -command of the Crown Prince of Saxony, who had shown -himself to be an able soldier. Consequently, there remained -behind to invest Bazaine, seven Corps d’Armée and a -Division of Reserved under General von Kummer, which -had marched up from Saarlouis, and was then actually -before Metz on the right bank of the Moselle east of and -below the town. The main strength, six Corps, were posted -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[p 231]</a></span> -on the left or western bank, and the supreme command -was intrusted to Prince Frederick Charles. Not a moment -was lost in distributing the troops so that they could support -each other, and in sealing up the avenues of access to the -place. A bridge over the Moselle, covered by a tête de -pont was constructed above and below Metz; defensive -positions were selected and intrenched, and throughout the -whole circuit, in suitable places, heavy solid works, as well -as lighter obstructions, were begun. If the enemy tried to -reach Thionville by the left bank he was to find an organized -defensive position in his path, and the troops beyond the -Moselle were to assail his right flank. If he endeavoured -to pass on the other shore, similar means would be applied -to bar his way. Field works would arrest his attack, and -his left flank in that case would be struck. Egress to the -west was to be opposed by abbatis, trenches and other -obstacles. Remilly, then the terminus of the railway, and -the site of a great magazine, was to be specially guarded; -but if any “eccentric” movement were attempted on the -eastern area, the Generals were to evade an engagement -with superior forces. It is not necessary to enter more -minutely into the blockade of Metz, which henceforth becomes -subordinate to the main story. We have followed, -so far, the fortunes or misfortunes of the Army now surrounded -by vigilant, skilful and valiant foes; but the -active interest of the campaign lies in other fields, and -bears us along to an undreamed-of and astounding end.</p> - -<h3>The King Marches Westward.</h3> - -<p>One Army had been literally imprisoned, another remained -at large, and behind it were the vast resources of -France. Three Marshals were cooped up in the cage on the -Moselle; one, MacMahon, and the Emperor were still in -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[p 232]</a></span> -the field; and upon the forces with them it was resolved -to advance at once, because prudence required that they -should be shattered before they could be completely organized, -and while the moral effect of the resounding blows -struck in Alsace and Lorraine had lost none of its terrible -power. Therefore the King and General von Moltke -started on the morrow of victory to march on Paris through -the plains of Champagne. The newly-constituted Army -of the Meuse, on the 20th, was in line between Commercy -and Briey, moving towards Verdun on a broad front, with -the cavalry so well forward that on the 22nd the Guard -Uhlans were over the Meuse. At the same time the -Crown Prince of Prussia, who had continued his march -from the Meurthe and Upper Moselle, was astride the -Meuse between Void and Gondrecourt, with infantry in -front at Ligny and a cavalry patrol as far forward as Vitry. -His columns had passed by roads south of Toul, from the -Moselle valley on to the Ornain, and as Toul refused to -surrender when, a little later, it was bombarded by field -guns, a small detachment was left to invest it until captured -French garrison guns could be hauled up from -Marsal. On the 23rd the Meuse Army was up to the right -bank of the river, and the whole of the Third had entered -the basin of the Ornain. Both Armies advanced the next -day further westward and continued the movement on the -25th—a critical day on which they attained positions it -becomes necessary to note more minutely. The 12th -Corps, having failed on the 24th to carry Verdun by a -coup de main, halted at Dombasle on the 25th, with its -cavalry at Clermont in Argonne and Sainte-Menehould. -The Guard was on the Aisne at Triaucourt, the 4th near -by at Laheycourt, the Second Bavarians on their left front, -at Possesse, the 5th Corps near Heiltz l’Evêque, the Würtemberg -Division at Sermaize on the Ornain, the 11th -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[p 233]</a></span> -Corps close to Vitry on the Marne, the 6th Corps at Vassy -on the Blaise, and the First Bavarians at Bar le Duc, -whither the King had come on the 24th, by way of Commercy, -from Pont à Mousson. Thus the whole force was -marching direct on Chalons, left in front; that is, the -Third Army, as a rule, was a march in advance of the -Saxon Crown Prince.</p> - -<h3>The Cavalry Operations.</h3> - -<p>During the period occupied in reaching these towns and -villages the cavalry had been actively employed scouting -far in advance and on the flanks; and what they did forms -the most interesting and instructive portion of the story. -As early as the 17th a troop of Hussars captured a French -courrier at Commercy, and from his despatches learned that -the Cavalry of Canrobert’s Corps had been left behind at -Chalons, that Paris was being placed in a state of defence, -that all men between 25 and 35 had been called under -arms, and that a 12th and 13th Corps were to be formed. -Another patrol was able to ascertain that at least part of -De Failly’s troops had retreated by Charmes, and that other -hostile bodies had gone by Vaudemont and Neufchateau; -they were hurrying to the railway station at the latter place -and at Chaumont. At Ménil sur Saulx, on the 18th, the -indefatigable horsemen seized many letters, and a telegram -from M. Chevreau, Minister of the Interior, stating that -the Emperor had reached Chalons on the 17th—he really -arrived there on the evening of the 16th, having driven -from Gravelotte in the morning—and that “considerable -forces” were being collected in the famous camp on the -dusty and windy plains of Champagne. Thus, day after -day, the mounted parties preceded the infantry, spreading -far and wide on all sides, so that as early as the 19th some -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[p 234]</a></span> -Hussars actually rode within sight of French infantry -retreating from St. Dizier, and on the 21st captured men -belonging to the 5th Corps near Vitry. The next day the -2nd Cavalry Division rode out from four-and-twenty to -six-and-thirty miles, entering, among other places, Chaumont, -where, from the station books, they learned that De -Failly’s infantry had gone on, three days only before, in -twenty trains, while Brahaut’s Cavalry followed the road. -On the 23rd the 4th Division of Cavalry had passed St. -Dizier and ridden into the villages to the east of Chalons -itself. Thence Dragoons were sent forward and these -picked up information to the effect that the French Army -had quitted the great camp. Reports to this effect had -already reached head-quarters, and had moved Von Moltke -to tell General von Blumenthal, the Crown Prince’s chief -of the staff, that it would be most desirable to have prompt -information showing whither the enemy had gone. The -4th Cavalry Division, which, on the 24th, was at Chalons -camp, now abandoned, burnt, and desolate, pushed a party -towards Reims, and there found that the French Army -had departed in an easterly direction. Before this vital -information arrived at the great head-quarters the King -and Von Moltke had determined that the two Armies -should, at least for the time, still move westward on the -lines appointed; and on the evening of the 25th, therefore, -they occupied the positions already described. But at this -moment the Army of MacMahon stood halted at Rhetel, -Attigny, and Vouziers, within two marches of the Meuse, -between Stenay and Sedan!</p> - -<p>In order to learn why they were there we must turn to -the camp at Chalons, which had been the scene of dramatic -events, fluctuating councils, and fatal decisions, the fitting -forerunners of an unparalleled disaster.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[p 235]</a></span></p> - -<h3>The Emperor at Chalons and Reims.</h3> - -<p>Immediately after the first defeats befell the French -Armies on the frontier, General Montauban, Comte de -Palikao, summoned by the Empress, found himself -abruptly made the head of a Government. He took, of -course, the post of Minister of War. The Empress had -been Regent from the day when the Emperor quitted -Paris, and she exercised, or appeared to do so, a great -influence on the course of events. The first act of the new -Minister was to collect the materials out of which might -be formed a fresh Army, a task in the execution of which -he displayed considerable energy. The rapid march of the -invader had intercepted, as we have related, one infantry -division of Canrobert’s Corps, all his cavalry “except a -squadron,” as he pathetically exclaimed, and more than -half of his artillery. These remained in the camp of -Chalons, and the Army formed was composed of these -men, the 12th Corps, one division of which consisted of -Marine Infantry; then the 1st and 5th Corps, which had -come at racing speed from Alsace; and finally of the 7th -from Belfort, which reached Chalons by way of Paris. -There were in addition two regiments of Chasseurs -d’Afrique, and subsequently a third—Margueritte’s gallant -brigade. General Lebrun estimates that the aggregates, -including non-combatants, amounted to about 130,000 -men. It will be duly noted that this Army came almost -from the four winds, driven thither by the terrible pressure -of defeat, and that many of the new troops were recruits, -without discipline or training. They were collected -together on an open plain, and had barely assembled -before the vivacious German cavalry were reported to be -and, though in small force, were close at hand. When the -Emperor arrived on the night of the 16th, by far the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[p 236]</a></span> -greater part of the troops were still distant; some speeding -on their way from Chaumont and Joinville, others -travelling from Belfort, and some from Cherbourg and -Paris. They dropped into the camp in succession after the -17th, and we may note that the 7th Corps never entered -Chalons at all, but was sent on to Reims, which it reached -on the 21st. Out of this assembly of soldiers Marshal -MacMahon had to organize an Army. Moreover, the -intendants, charged with the duty of supplying the troops, -had only just come up. To increase the confusion many -thousand Mobiles, who had been at an early date sent -thither from Paris, behaved so badly—some reports of -their ape-like tricks are almost incredible—that they were -speedily returned to the capital, although the Emperor and -Marshal Canrobert, who had commanded them, would -have preferred, the former for political reasons, that they -should be distributed in the northern garrison towns. -Nothing more need be said of the Army of Chalons except -that, although it contained some admirable troops, none -finer than the Marines, whose only fault was that they -could not march, yet that it was unfit to engage in any -adventure whatever, especially one so perilous and toilsome -as that into which it was soon plunged.</p> - -<p>Weary, perturbed, broken in health and spirits, yet -outwardly serene, Napoleon III. slept on the night of the -16th in the pavilion of the camp, which he had often -visited when it was orderly and brilliant, which he now -revisited as a fugitive, passing silently, almost furtively, -through its disorder and gloom. With him was Prince -Jerome Napoleon, who saw the fortunes of his house, like -Balzac’s <i>peau de chagrin</i>, shrinking visibly day by day, and -whose fertile mind was alive with expedients to avert the -fatal hour. He resented the bigotry of the Empress, who -would not surrender Rome as a bribe to the Italian Court; -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[p 237]</a></span> -he was pondering over and, indeed, openly suggesting the -abdication of the Emperor. Sleeping also in that pavilion -was the youth, Louis, who is barely mentioned in the -French accounts after the 2nd of August; whose public -life began in the tumult of a national catastrophe and -ended so tragically among the savage Zulus.</p> - -<p>Daylight brought no respite to the Emperor. He saw -around him silent and unsympathetic throngs of soldiers -bearing the marks of defeat and rout, and it is said that he -was even jeered by the Parisian Mobiles, who had previously -shouted in the ears of the astonished Canrobert, -“À Paris! À Paris!” instead of “À Berlin!”</p> - -<p>Then came from the capital General Trochu, who had -been appointed to command the newly-formed 12th Corps, -and was destined, in case of accident, to succeed MacMahon. -In conversing with the Emperor the General developed a -plan of action, which astonished yet did not altogether -displease his Majesty. Succinctly stated it was this: That -the Emperor and the Army should return to Paris, and -that General Trochu should be named Governor of the -capital. The Emperor, as usual, listened, doubted, demurred, -yet did not refuse to contemplate a scheme which promised -to place him, once more, at the head of affairs, but he gave -no decision. Marshal MacMahon was summoned; he was -to command the Army which, according to the plan, was to -be organized near Paris; and when consulted he spoke -favourably of Trochu as a man and a soldier, and readily -accepted the command of the Army. Prince Napoleon, so -soon to set out for Florence, if he did not suggest, supported -the nomination of Trochu, on the ground that a revolution -might break out at any moment in Paris, and that the -General was the man to put it down. It was during the -prolonged debate on these perplexing questions that some -one said—“the Emperor neither commands the Army nor -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[p 238]</a></span> -governs the State;” whether the words dropped from the -lips of Napoleon III. or his cousin, Marshal MacMahon, -who was present, could not remember; but whoever uttered -them they were true. There was a subsidiary and much-disputed -question—what should be done with the noisy -Mobiles, who so eagerly desired to re-enter Paris? In the -end it was agreed that, although the Emperor, for political, -and MacMahon, for military reasons, desired to give them -a taste of much needed discipline in the northern fortresses, -these obstreperous battalions should be sent to the capital. -Thus it came about that Marshal MacMahon took command -of the Army and that Trochu became Governor of Paris. -The new Governor, with his letter of nomination in his -pocket, set out on his return journey; but while he went -slowly by rail, M. Pietri, using the telegraph, informed the -Empress of what had been done, and alarmed her and the -Minister of War by reporting the intelligence that the -Emperor and the Army were to move on the capital. -Thereupon, two hours before the luckless Trochu set foot -in Paris, Palikao had sent a remonstrance by telegram, -dated 10.27 p.m. on the 17th. “The Empress,” he said, -“has communicated to me the letter in which the Emperor -announces that he wishes to move the Army from Chalons -to Paris—I implore the Emperor to give up this idea, -which will look like a desertion of the Army of Metz.” If -there was a “letter” Napoleon must have written it on the -16th, during his journey, which is not likely; but the -document referred to was, no doubt, Pietri’s telegram to -the Empress. Some answer must have been sent from the -pavilion at Chalons, after Trochu departed, for when he -saw M. Chevreau, at midnight, the Minister said promptly—“The -Emperor will not return”; and when the General -exhibited his proclamation to the Empress, beginning with -“Preceded by the Emperor,” she instantly exclaimed, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[p 239]</a></span> -“You cannot state that, because it is not a fact; the -Emperor will not come.” Thus the Trochu plan was -frustrated; yet the remarkable thing is that the Emperor -had not made up his shifting mind; for on the 18th, -as Marshal MacMahon affirms, Napoleon intimated his -intention to start the next day. Still we find a telegram -from him to Palikao, dated the “18th, 9 h. 4 m.,” presumably -in the morning, in which he says, “I give in to -your opinion,” so that his resolutions fluctuated from hour -to hour. A most singular historical figure, at this juncture, -is the once-potent Napoleon III. Virtually exiled from -his capital, and not permitted, if he wished, to command -his troops, he was condemned to “assist,” as the French -say, at the capture of armies, the downfall of his dynasty, -and the wreck of a nation.</p> - -<p>These lugubrious debates, held almost within sight of -the battlefield of Valmy, went on from day to day. “What -should be done with the Army?” was the question which -trod on the heels of “What shall be done with the -Emperor?” or rather both were discussed together. On -the 18th came a despatch from Bazaine, stating that the -Marshal had fought a battle two days before, that he had -“held his positions,” yet that he was obliged to fall back -nearer to Metz in order that he might replenish his supplies -for men and guns. This message had crossed one from -MacMahon announcing his appointment, conveying the -important information that he was still under the orders of -Bazaine, and asking for instructions. The answer came -the next evening, and it expressly declared that, being too -remote from Chalons, Bazaine left the Marshal free to act -as he thought fit. That telegram, it was the last which -came direct by wire from Metz, raised the great military -question. Palikao had already begun to insist that Metz -should be relieved. The Marshal admits that he was -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[p 240]</a></span> -undecided for the moment; for if he started for the Meuse -Paris would be uncovered, and the sole remaining French -Army put in great peril; whereas, if he did not march -eastward and Bazaine did march west, then the latter -might be lost. In his anguish of mind, not knowing that -the wire had been cut, he appealed, by telegram, to Bazaine -for his opinion. At the same time, on the 20th, he forwarded -a message to Palikao, which stated the case most -clearly. His information, and it was in substance correct, -led him to believe that the roads through Briey, Verdun, -and St. Mihiel were intercepted by the Germans; and he -added that his intention was to halt until he learned -whether Bazaine had moved by the north or the south—the -idea that he might be shut up closely in Metz had not then -matured in MacMahon’s mind. In the meantime he saw -plainly the dangers to which he was exposed by remaining -on the plain of Chalons; and, therefore, on the 21st moved -the whole Army to Reims, a long march, which tried the -inexperienced troops, and filled the country roads with -hundreds of stragglers.</p> - -<h3>MacMahon Retires to Reims.</h3> - -<p>That very morning M. Rouher, inspired by a desire -to talk with his old master, arrived at Chalons, and proceeded -with the soldiers to their new destination. In the -evening, at the Imperial quarters, MacMahon was summoned -to consider afresh the oft-debated questions of the -hour. M. Rouher explained to the Marshal his views, -which were, in reality, those of Palikao, for the President -of the Senate was oppressed with the feeling that Bazaine -must be relieved. But at this moment MacMahon was -firmly resolved to march on Paris, and, possessing exact -information, he stated his case, on the occasion, with great -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[p 241]</a></span> -force and clearness. He was bound to assume, he said, -that Bazaine was surrounded in Metz by 200,000 men; -that in front of Metz, towards Verdun, stood the Saxon -Crown Prince with 80,000 men; that the Prussian Crown -Prince was near Vitry at the head of 150,000 men; and -consequently that if he risked a march eastward into the -midst of these armies, “I should,” he continued, “find -myself in a most difficult position, and experience a disaster -which I desire to avoid.” A most just estimate, formed -on reports which were defective upon one point only—the -Prussian Crown Prince was still about Ligny, but his -cavalry, as will be remembered, had looked in upon Vitry. -Moreover, the Marshal adhered to his opinion that the -Army of Chalons should be preserved, because it would -furnish the groundwork for an organized force 300,000 -strong. M. Rouher, who acquiesced, then suggested that -the Emperor should issue a proclamation explaining -the reasons why the Army of Chalons moved on Paris; -which, being done, Rouher went his way, and MacMahon -drew up the order of march towards the capital.</p> - -<h3>The Chalons Army directed on the Meuse.</h3> - -<p>The morning of the 22nd was spent in preparation, but, -before the final orders were issued, the Emperor received -the fatal despatch, dated Ban Saint Martin [Metz], August -19, which Marshal Bazaine had been able to send through -the German lines. After a brief description of the battle -of Gravelotte, which ended, he said, in a change of front -by the 6th and 4th Corps, the right thrown back, to ward -off a turning movement, and reporting that he had drawn -in the whole Army upon a curved line, from Longeville to -Sansonnet, behind the forts, he stated that the troops were -wearied by incessant combats, and needed rest for two or -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[p 242]</a></span> -three days “The King of Prussia, with M. de Moltke,” -he went on “were this morning at Rezonville, and everything -goes to show that the Prussian Army is about to -feel up to (va tâter) the fortress of Metz. I count always -upon taking a northern direction, and turning, by Montmédy, -into the road from Sainte-Menehould to Chalons, if -it is not too strongly occupied. In the contrary case, I -shall continue upon Sedan, and even upon Mézières, to -reach Chalons.” The Emperor sent this despatch to MacMahon, -who inferred from it that Bazaine was about to -start, and that, after crossing the Meuse at Stenay, he -should find him in the neighbourhood of Montmédy. He, -therefore, withheld the orders directing the Army on Paris, -and issued those which turned its face to the East. -Further, he transmitted a telegram addressed to Bazaine, -stating that, in two days, his Army would be on the Aisne, -whence, in order to bring succour, he would operate according -to circumstances. Soon afterwards a despatch arrived -from Palikao, saying that the “gravest consequences” -would follow in Paris were no attempt made to help -Bazaine; but the Marshal had already taken his decision, -though with a dubious mind, because he knew better than -the Comte de Palikao, who was extremely ill-informed, -what dangers would beset his path, and how slight was the -chance that the Army inclosed in Metz would be able to -burst through the investing lines. The Emperor remained -in a passive condition; he did not approve, he did not -oppose; but he shared, as a sort of interested spectator, in -a venture determined by the operation of political motives, -and devoid of a sound military basis.</p> - -<p>For the moment, at least, Marshal MacMahon remained -steadfast to his latest resolution; and on the 23rd the -French Army moved out from its camp near Reims. It -was not directed on the Verdun road, because the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[p 243]</a></span> -Commander-in-chief was well aware that if he was to gain -Stenay, that goal could only be attained by evading the -Saxon Prince’s Army, which would necessitate a flank -march on routes farther north. The first day’s journey -was short, for the Army halted on the river Suippe, facing -north-east, with a cavalry division in front towards Grand -Pré. At this early stage provisions were so scarce that -Ducrot, commanding the 1st Corps, and Lebrun, who had -the 12th, complained to the Marshal, who advised them to -do as he did when retreating from Reichshofen—live upon -the inhabitants. Yet the stress was severe, the country -incapable of furnishing sufficient supplies, and MacMahon, -yielding to the pressure, believed that the better course -would be to follow the railway. He, therefore, moved -next day to Rhetel with the 12th and 5th, while the 1st -halted at Juniville, and the 7th near Vouziers, Margueritte’s -flanking cavalry remaining hard by on the left bank -of the Aisne. A short march on the 25th brought all the -Corps astride the river, between Rhetel and Vouziers, with -cavalry outposts at Le Chesne and Grand Pré. The movement -had begun badly; but before following this Army -farther on its devious path, we must return to the German -head-quarters at Bar le Duc, where, at length, it had become -known that the French were not retreating on Paris, -but were advancing towards the Meuse!</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[p 244]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="pagenba" id="CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI.</h2> -</div> - -<p class="h2sub">THE GRAND RIGHT WHEEL.</p> - -<p>It has long been a well-authenticated fact that MacMahon’s -march eastward from Reims took the German -head-quarter staff by surprise. The reason was that they -could not believe in the probability of a movement which, -from their point of view, had no defence on military -grounds. So that Marshal MacMahon with a fair, and -General von Moltke with full knowledge of the facts, really -arrived at identical conclusions when they surveyed the -situation with what we may call cold scientific eyes. The -influences which governed the Marshal’s decision could not -be known at Bar le Duc on the 25th of August; but it was -none the less apparent to the cautious Von Moltke that his -adversary had committed a great error. The German was -surprised, he was even somewhat embarrassed, but he -never lost his presence of mind, and he was not unprepared.</p> - -<p>Indeed, the subject had been discussed already by himself -and his colleagues. As early as the 23rd, Prince -Frederick Charles intercepted a letter from an officer of -high rank belonging to the Metz Army. The writer expressed -a confident hope that succour would soon arrive -from Chalons. Thereupon the Saxon Prince was directed -to keep a sharp look-out towards Reims, and break the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[p 245]</a></span> -railway between Thionville and Longuyon in more places -than one. The next day, at Ligny, the Great Staff met -and conferred with the Crown Prince. It was then that -Quartermaster-General von Podbielski was the first to -suggest that if a march from Reims towards Bazaine was -barely admissible on military grounds, it might be explained -by political considerations, and consequently, the -General thought, the German Armies should close to their -right. The reason was not deemed sufficient, and the -Armies went on as pre-arranged. Not until eleven in the -evening of the 24th did the wary Von Moltke consider that -he had accumulated information sufficient to justify a tentative -change of plans. He learned from his own cavalry -patrols that Chalons had been deserted; from a Paris -newspaper, captured on the 24th, that MacMahon was at -Reims with 150,000 men; and finally he got a telegram, -dated Paris, the 23rd, and received at Bar le Duc viâ -London. “The Army of MacMahon,” it said, “is concentrated -at Reims. With it are the Emperor Napoleon and -the Prince. MacMahon seeks to effect a junction with -Bazaine.” Still Von Moltke doubted. The straight line -to Metz was barred, would the enemy venture to face the -risks involved in a circuitous march close to the Belgian -frontier? If he did the German Armies must plunge into -the Argonne; but at present the General decided that -enough would be done were the Army turned to the north-west, -and were a keen watch kept upon its own right by -sending the cavalry, if possible, as far as Vouziers and -Buzancy. Such were the morning orders. Here it may -be noted that Von Moltke spent the afternoon in framing -a plan, solely for himself, based on the shrewd assumption -that MacMahon might have quitted Reims on the 23rd, -and might be over the Aisne already. If he moved on -continuously he could not be caught on the left bank of -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[p 246]</a></span> -the Meuse. Therefore Von Moltke drew out tables of -marches which, had they all been performed, as they easily -might have been, would have concentrated, in full time, -150,000 men at Damvillers, east of the Meuse, and within -easy reach of the Army blockading Metz. Two corps, -from that force, were also called on to co-operate. They did -move out as far as Etain and Briey, but not being wanted -they soon returned to their cantonments on the Orne and -the Yron. Thus the plan was not carried out, but it was -prepared, indeed, served as a basis, during the next two -days, and was ready for execution; and it reveals, once -more, the astonishing foresight and solid ingenuity which -watched with sleepless eyes over the conduct of the German -Armies.</p> - -<p>After he had finished the scheme by means of which he -intended to thwart MacMahon, in any case, fresh intelligence -arrived—newspaper articles and speeches in the -Chamber which declared that the French people would be -covered with shame were the Army of the Rhine not relieved; and -above all a telegram from London, based on a -paragraph in “Le Temps,” of August 23rd, stating that MacMahon, -although by such a movement he would uncover -the road to Paris, had suddenly determined to help -Bazaine, and that he had already quitted Reims, but that -the news from Montmédy did not mention the arrival of -French troops, meaning troops from Metz, in that region. -Von Moltke was not deeply impressed by the articles and -speeches, although he begun to give some weight to Podbielski’s -shrewd remark; but the positive statement in the -telegram did move him, and he and the Quartermaster-General -hastened to lay the matter before the King. The -result was that those definite orders were issued which -produced the great right wheel and sent the whole force -towards the north. Nevertheless, the strategist still insists -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[p 247]</a></span> -that, on the evening of the 25th, he had no information -which gave sure indications of the enemy’s whereabouts.</p> - -<h3>The Cavalry Discover the Enemy.</h3> - -<p>These were soon forthcoming. The cavalry, set in -motion at dawn, over a wide space and far in advance of -the new direction, were not long in regaining touch of -MacMahon’s Army. For the horsemen rode out quickly, -and speedily searched the country side from Dun on the -Meuse to the heart of the camp at Chalons, accumulating -in their excursions information almost sufficient to convince -the circumspect Von Moltke. This sudden display of -activity and daring is a splendid spectacle. The wind -howled through the woods and swept the bare tracks, and -heavy storms of rain deluged the country from Bar le Duc -to Rhetel, but the swift march of these superb reiters was -neither stayed by the blast, the dripping woods, nor the -saturated cross-roads. No hardships, no obstacles slackened -their speed, and large were the fruits of their energy, endurance, -and astuteness. Here we may observe, and it is -a remarkable fact, that hitherto the Saxon leader’s cavalry -had been directed only towards the west. The horsemen -of the Third Army had ridden within sight of Reims and -on the south, or left flank, had approached closely to the -Aube. Those attached to the Saxon Prince’s command -had felt out to their immediate front and towards the -Prussian Crown Prince’s left, but had not examined the -districts to their right front. A cavalry regiment had -made a tiring forced march towards Stenay, but not a -trooper was directed on Grand Pré, or on Varennes, until -the 25th. Yet there were French horse on Grand Pré on -the 24th, and it is evident that had only one division been -despatched towards and through Varennes immediately -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[p 248]</a></span> -after the Saxon Prince’s troops had crossed the Meuse, -above and below Verdun, the presence of MacMahon’s -Army on the Aisne must have been discovered, and the -report handed in at head-quarters on the morning, or at -latest the afternoon, of the 25th. That would have been -done had General von Schlotheim, the chief of the staff -with the Meuse Army, been as careful to reconnoitre the -country on his right as Von Blumenthal was to send out -horsemen to the flank as well as the front of the westward -moving host. It was not done, and the error of judgment -involved the loss of four-and-twenty hours.</p> - -<p>The error was promptly and amply repaired. While -each corps in the mighty Army, having wheeled to the -right, was tramping north in the driving rain through the -muddy forest roads to gain the distant bivouacs assigned -them, the cavalry divisions had come up with, watched, -touched, astonished, and bewildered the French, making -the 26th of August a memorable day in their camps.</p> - -<p>Near the Meuse the ubiquitous patrols discovered troops -at Buzancy; upon the central road which runs beside the -Aire, the foremost squadron saw infantry and cavalry in -Grand Pré; upon the Aisne, two adventurous parties pressing -up close to the flank and rear of Vouziers, were able to -observe and report the presence of large bodies of all arms -encamped to the east of the town, and to specify the -positions which they held. No attempt was made to -attack, and there was no firing except a sputter of carbine-shots -discharged by a French at a German patrol which -had approached the left bank of the Aire near Grand Pré. -The whole line of horsemen, from the Meuse to the Aisne, -was in constant communication, and their scouting parties, -eager to see and not be seen, found their designs favoured -by the abounding woods and the undulations of the land. -Thus, in one day, a thick fringe of lynx-eyed cavalry was -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[p 249]</a></span> -thrust in close proximity to the adversary many miles in -front of the German Corps, plodding their arduous way -along the plashy tracks and by-ways of the Argonne.</p> - -<h3>Movements of the French.</h3> - -<p>No such bold and prudent use was made of the French -cavalry by Marshal MacMahon, whom we left with his -Army still lingering near the Aisne. The misgivings which -oppressed him at Reims did not diminish during his halt -at Rhetel; and they deepened as he moved towards the -Meuse. But no doubts, based on the absence of intelligence -from or concerning Bazaine and the difficulty of supplying -the Army, will account for the misuse which he made of -his cavalry. The danger he had to dread lurked in the -region to the south, yet after the 24th the duty of covering -the exposed right flank and of gleaning exact information -was imposed upon the brigade attached to the 7th Corps. -For Margueritte’s division of Chasseurs d’Afrique was, on -the 25th, suddenly drawn from the right and sent forward -to Le Chesne in front of the centre pointing towards Sedan -or Stenay; while Bonnemain’s division of heavy cavalry -moved slowly close in rear of the 1st Corps, where it was -useless. The incidents of the memorable 26th, when even -minutes were priceless, quickly demonstrated the gravity of -the error. On that day, at the close of a brief march, the -12th Corps stood at Tourteron, the 5th at Le Chesne, the -1st at Semuy, and the 7th a little east of Vouziers. Margueritte -moved on to Oches, and Bonnemain’s was at -Attigny, on the left bank of the Aisne.</p> - -<p>Now Douay, who commanded the 7th Corps, had become -anxious, for he was on the outward flank. He sought some -security by sending a brigade, under General Bordas, to -Buzancy and Grand Pré, and his strongest regiment of -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[p 250]</a></span> -Hussars to scout along the two rivers which unite at Senuc. -The Hussar patrols came in contact with the German, and -it was one of them which emptied its carbines at the hostile -and inquisitive dragoons of the 5th Cavalry Division. Retiring -hastily on Grand Pré the French Hussars handed -in reports which so impressed General Bordas that he at -once contemplated a retreat on Buzancy, and forwarded the -alarming message to his Corps Commander. General Douay -instantly inferred that the dreaded German Army was not -distant, and, ordering Bordas to retreat on Vouziers, he sent -the baggage and provisions to the rear, and drew up his -divisions in line of battle, at the junction of the roads from -Grand Pré and Buzancy. Just before sunset a horseman -rode up with a message that, after all, Bordas had not -retired from the village which he occupied, though he -believed the road to Vouziers was intercepted, and that the -enemy might be upon him at any moment. The remedy -applied was to send forth General Dumont with a brigade -to bring him in. While Dumont marched in the darkness -Douay and his staff passed the night at a bivouac fire -listening eagerly to every sound, and starting up when the -step of a wayfarer or the clink of a horseshoe fell on their -ears. About three in the morning of the 27th Dumont -brought in Bordas and his brigade, together with a few -Germans who, pressing too far forward at eventide, had -been captured. Nor did the effect produced by the enterprising -German cavalry end here. General Douay had sent -in to MacMahon a report of the exciting incidents; and -with the morning light came the information that the -Marshal had directed the whole Army to draw near and -support the 7th Corps. So it fell out that the mere appearance -of the German cavalry had arrested the French. -But at the same time their leaders were also told by fugitive -country folk—nothing definite could be extracted from the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[p 251]</a></span> -prisoners taken at Grand Pré—that the Prussian Crown -Prince was at Sainte-Menehould, and that another army—whence -derived, in what strength, or by whom commanded -they could not imagine—was advancing from Varennes.</p> - -<h3>The Marshal Resolves, Hesitates, and Yields.</h3> - -<p>We now touch on the moment when the decision was -adopted which impelled the French Army on its final -marches towards defeat and captivity; a decision mainly -due to the extreme pressure exerted by the Comte de Palikao -and the Regency. Marshal MacMahon had transferred his -head-quarters to Le Chesne-Populeux, a village on the -canal which connects the Aisne and the Meuse. The 12th -Corps was there, with the 5th in its front at Brieulles sur -Bar; the 7th, as before, at Vouziers, and the 1st in its rear -at Yoncq; Margueritte’s horse at Beaumont, and Bonnemain’s -still about Attigny. The information placed before -the Marshal by the inhabitants and his own officers seemed -to justify those apprehensions which he had so strongly expressed -at Reims, and he began to feel again that he was -marching towards that “disaster which he wished to avoid.” -In the midst of a prolonged survey of the position, he was -summoned by the Emperor who, having received some -authentic information, declared that the Prussian Crown -Prince had turned from the road to Paris and was then -advancing northwards. With Napoleon III. MacMahon -remained for a long time, and came back to his head-quarters -resolved to retreat upon Mézières. Indeed, he -issued orders on the spot, directing all the Corps to retire -behind the canal the next day, and take post at Chagny, -Vendresse, and Poix. Then, at half-past eight in the -evening of the 27th, he dictated to Colonel Stoffel a telegram -designed for the Minister, in which he said that there was -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[p 252]</a></span> -one hostile Army on the right bank of the Meuse and -another marching upon the Ardennes. “I have no news -of Bazaine,” he went on. “If I advance to meet him I -shall be attacked in front by a part of the First and Second -German Armies, which, favoured by the woods, can conceal -a force superior to mine, and at the same time attacked by -the Prussian Crown Prince cutting off my line of retreat. -I approach Mézières to-morrow, whence I shall continue -my retreat, guided by events, towards the west.” Colonel -Stoffel relates that, just as he was about to carry the telegram -to Colonel d’Abzac, with orders to forward it at -once, General Faure, chief of the staff, came in; and MacMahon, -seizing the telegram, said, “Here is a despatch -which I have written to the Minister.” Faure read, and -begged the Marshal not to send it, for, said he, “You will -get an answer from Paris, which, perhaps, will prevent you -from carrying out your new plans. You can transmit it -to-morrow, when we are already on the road to Mézières.” -The Marshal answered, “Send it,” and it was sent.</p> - -<p>The reply, so shrewdly foreseen by General Faure, was -handed to the Marshal about half-past one on the morning -of the 28th. It was dated, “Paris, August 27, 11 p.m.,” -addressed to “the Emperor,” and began with these tell-tale -words, “If you abandon Bazaine,” wrote the Comte de -Palikao, “‘la revolution est dans Paris,’ or Paris will revolt, -and you will be attacked yourself by all the enemy’s forces.” -He asserted that Paris could defend herself, that the Army -must reach Bazaine; that the Prussian Crown Prince, -aware of the danger to which his Army and that which -blockaded Metz, was exposed by MacMahon’s turning -movement, had changed front to the north. “You are at -least six-and-thirty, perhaps eight-and-forty, hours in advance -of him,” the Minister continued. “You have before -you only a part of the forces blockading Metz, which, seeing -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[p 253]</a></span> -you retire from Chalons to Reims, stretched out towards -the Argonne. Your movement on Reims deceived them. -Everybody here feels the necessity of extricating Bazaine, -and the anxiety with which your course is followed is extreme.” -The Marshal’s will broke down under this strain. -He could not bear the thought that men might in future -point to him as one who deserted a brother Marshal. -Against his better judgment he revoked the orders already -issued, enjoining a retreat upon Mézières, and put all his -Corps in motion for the banks of the Meuse. To complete -the narrative of this decisive event, it may here be said -that, on the 28th, at Stonne, as the Marshal himself has -admitted, the Emperor made a last desperate appeal against -the change of plan. Another despatch from Palikao, dated -half-past one in the morning of the 28th, this time addressed -to the Marshal, had come to hand at Stonne. “In the -name of the Council of Ministers and the Privy Council,” -it said, “I request you [‘je vous demande’] to succour -Bazaine—profiting by the thirty hours’ advance which you -have over the Crown Prince of Prussia. I direct Vinoy’s -Corps on Reims.”</p> - -<p>It is probable that the purport, or a copy of this telegram, -was sent to the Emperor, for he twice, through his own -officers, reminded the Marshal that the despatches of a -Minister were not orders, and that he was free to act as he -thought expedient, and implored him to reflect maturely -before he gave up his intention to retreat. So much must -be said for Napoleon III.—that, at Metz, on the morrow of -Woerth and Spicheren, and at Stonne, when the toils were -fast closing round him, his military judgment was prompt -and correct. But the Marshal had decided; and the prayers -of an Emperor did not avail against the gloomy forecasts, -the impassioned language, and the formal request or demand -of a Minister of War whose telegrams exhibit the depth of -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[p 254]</a></span> -his ignorance concerning the actual situation. It is not -surprising that he was ill-informed, seeing how difficult it -was for officers on the spot, German as well as French, to -obtain exact knowledge; but it is amazing that an experienced -soldier and Minister of War should not be aware -of his own incompetence to direct, from his closet in Paris, -an army in the field. Palikao combined the qualities of -the Dutch Deputy with those of the Aulic Councillor; and -the troops of Marshal MacMahon tramped on to meet their -approaching ruin. The positions they attained on the 28th -will be more conveniently specified later on; for it is time -to follow, once more, the footsteps of the hardy and far-marching -Germans, who were now across the direct path of -MacMahon’s Army.</p> - -<h3>Movements of the Germans.</h3> - -<p>How, by long and laborious marches, the tough foot -soldiers, almost treading on the heels of their mounted -comrades, gained ground on the adversary must now be -succinctly narrated. On the 26th, the 12th Corps reached -Varennes, and the Saxon Prince established his head-quarters -at Clermont in Argonne. The Guard went on to -Dombasle, and the 4th Corps to a point beyond Fleury. -Such were the marches of the Army of the Meuse. In the -Third Army, the Bavarians made a wet and weary night -march in the wake of the 4th Corps, attaining Triaucourt -and Erize la Petite; but for the moment, the 5th, the -6th, and the Würtembergers stood fast. The reason for -this apparent hesitation was that Von Moltke was not yet -quite convinced. King William remained at Bar le Duc -all the forenoon. Thither came the Crown Prince and -General von Blumenthal from Ligny, and, at a council -held in the great head-quarters, both of them declared -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[p 255]</a></span> -unequivocally in favour of the northern march, urging that it -would be wiser to delay the movement on Paris than run -the risks of a battle in the north unless it could be fought -by all the forces which could be got together. These -opinions prevailed, and it was decided that the Bavarians -should start at once, and that the next day the other Corps -of the Third Army should proceed to Sainte-Menehould and -Vavray. General von Blumenthal, indeed, had formed a -strong judgment on the situation. A few hours after the -consultation at head-quarters, writes Dr. William Russell -in his “Diary,” “taking me into a room in which was a -table covered with a large map on a scale of an inch to a -mile, he (Blumenthal) said, ‘These French are lost, you -see. We know they are there, and there, and there—and -Mahon’s whole Army. <i>Where</i> can they go to? Poor -foolish fellows! They must go to Belgium, or fight <i>there</i> -and be lost;’ and he put his finger on the map between -Mézières and Carignan.” It is a remarkable fact that -General Longstreet judging only from the telegrams which -reached the United States about this time, arrived at the -same conclusion.</p> - -<p>King William, during the afternoon, journeyed to Clermont; while -the Crown Prince drove to Revigny les Vaches, -which he made his head-quarters until the 28th. Before -losing sight of Bar le Duc, we may quote from Dr. Russell’s -pages one other sentence, which affords a brief glimpse of -the great political leader in this war. In the forenoon on -the 26th, the graphic Diarist “saw Count Bismarck standing -in a doorway out of the rain whiffing a prodigious -cigar, seemingly intent on watching the bubbles which -passed along the watercourse by the side of the street;” -but probably with his thoughts far away from the evanescent -symbols of men’s lives. He had entered the town -with the King on the 24th, and feared that the royal staff -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[p 256]</a></span> -would linger there for several days, “as in Capua;” yet, -in a few hours, this playful censor of delay was speeding -North, like the Armies, to play a conspicuous part in a -sublime tragedy at Sedan.</p> - -<p>In his quarters at Clermont, General von Moltke still -disposed of the Meuse Army and the Bavarians in a manner -which would enable him to effect, if necessary, that -concentration at Damvillers which we saw him meditating -and devising on the afternoon of the 25th, at Bar le Duc. -Thus, on the 27th, the Guard, which came up to Monfaucon, -and the 4th Corps to Germonville, were each directed -to throw bridges over the Meuse, so that there should be -four points of passage in case of need. The Bavarians -followed from the rear as far as Dombasle and Nixéville, -and the other Corps of the Third Army turned frankly -northward, the 5th pushing its advance-guard to Sainte-Menehould. -At the same time the Saxon Corps had -crossed the Meuse at Dun and established a brigade firmly -in Stenay. The cavalry had been as active and as useful -as ever. They had covered the march of the Saxon Corps -by occupying Grand Pré, Nouart, and Buzancy, coming -into contact with the French at the last-named village. -General de Failly, who, early in the morning, had moved -to Bar, observed hostile cavaliers beyond the stream, and -sent Brahaut’s brigade to drive them off and seize prisoners. -That brought on a smart skirmish, during which De Failly -received orders to retreat on Brieulles; but Brahaut was -driven from Buzancy by the fire of a horse battery; and -the unlucky French General made no prisoners. There -was no other rencontre during the day, but the German -cavalry on all sides rode up close to the enemy’s posts and -kept the leaders well informed. From the reports sent in, -Von Moltke inferred that there had been a pause in the -French movements; at all events, that none of their troops -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[p 257]</a></span> -had crossed the Meuse; and, as he knew that the Saxons -were in Dun and Stenay, he thought himself, at length, -justified in believing it possible that he might strike MacMahon -on the left bank. Consequently, he abandoned the -Damvillers plan, and sent back to Metz the two Corps -which had been detached from the blockading army. -Therefore, while the Saxons stood fast, for one day, the -Bavarians were directed to march, on the 28th, upon -Varennes and Vienne le Chateau; the Guard upon Banthéville; -and the 4th Corps on Montfaucon—the general -direction for all the Corps being Vouziers, Buzancy, and -Beaumont. During that day these orders were fulfilled, -each Corps duly attaining its specified destination; the -Guard and 4th Corps, before they started, taking up the -bridges thrown over the Meuse. Four divisions of cavalry -were out prying, through the mist, into every movement -of the 5th and 7th French Corps, whose left flank, it was -ascertained, was absolutely unguarded, so that the German -horse looked on, and, in some cases, were misled by the -astonishing confusion displayed by the enemy’s vacillating -motions.</p> - -<h3>Effects of MacMahon’s Counter-Orders.</h3> - -<p>The fatal decision adopted at Le Chesne on the night of -the 27th brought disorder and disaster upon the French -Army. The wise resolve to retreat on Mézières, strangely -as the statement may sound, had rekindled the fading -spirits of the French soldiers. As soon as the fact was -communicated to them they sprung with alacrity to perform -the task of preparation. The officer who bore the -order to the 7th Corps started from Le Chesne at six o’clock, -and by nine at night the baggage, the provision transport, -the engineers’ park, were actually in motion for Chagny, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[p 258]</a></span> -through the long defile which leads to Le Chesne. The -cavalry were despatched to watch the flanks, and the -infantry in silence and darkness glided towards their first -halting place, Quatre Champs. “Everyman,” says Prince -Bibesco, who was an eye-witness, “marched with a firm -step. All seemed to have forgotten the cold, the rain, and -the anxiety of the preceding days.” They drank in hope -with the refreshing air, and then their hopes were suddenly -extinguished; for as they were near Quatre Champs, -at half-past five in the morning, an aide-de-camp from -MacMahon rode up to General Douay and told him the -latest decision—the Army was to move upon the Meuse.</p> - -<p>The orders brought by the ill-omened messenger were -that the 7th Corps, that very day, should move to Nouart, -which it was not destined to reach; the 5th Beauclair, -which it could not attain; that the 12th should gain La -Besace, and the 1st Le Chesne, both of which marches were -duly performed. Bonnemains’ heavy brigade of horse was -sent to Les Grands Armoises, and Margueritte’s towards -Mouzon, but afterwards to Sommauthe. The 7th Corps, -fearing greatly for its baggage train, already far away, set -out again and only reached Boult-aux-Bois, the men on -short rations, the horses without a feed of oats. The same -troubles beset the other corps which had despatched their -trains northward. But the largest share of ill-fortune befell -De Failly. He was ordered to march by way of -Buzancy upon Nouart and Beauclair—indeed, to get as -far forward as he could on the road to Stenay. The -Marshal knew it was occupied, for he told De Failly to -expect a sharp resistance before he could carry it. But -when within sight of Harricourt and Bar his adventures -began. He discerned hostile cavalry in his path; they -were vigilant Uhlans of the Guard. De Failly halted; the -cavalry increased, became enterprising, and some shots -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[p 259]</a></span> -were exchanged; but in the end the French General, finding -that he could not rely upon the support of Douay, who -was resting his wearied men at Boult-aux-Bois, and believing -that the direct road to Nouart was commanded by the -enemy, he turned aside and, through narrow muddy lanes, -made his way by Sommauthe to Belval and Bois les -Dames, the last division not arriving at the camp until -eight in the evening. Nevertheless, his appearance at and -south of Bois les Dames so imposed on the German cavalry -scouts that they retired from Nouart in the afternoon. -The movements and halts of both French corps had been -observed, and when night fell the Germans at Bayonville -saw the French bivouac fires beyond Buzancy and in the -direction of Stenay. At this time there were no hostile -German infantry west of the Meuse nearer than Banthéville; -for the troops on the flank of the French, from -Vouziers to Dun, were wholly horsemen. No more valuable -demonstration of the priceless value of cavalry was ever -made than that afforded by the Teutons during this -campaign. They were more than the “eyes and ears of -the Army;” they were an impenetrable screen concealing -from view the force and the movements of the adversary, -who was still engaged in pushing up his troops in the -hope of compelling the French to fight a decisive battle on -the 30th. That hope, entertained by Von Moltke on the -28th, was not fulfilled, because, at the last moment, MacMahon -turned his Army from Stenay upon Mouzon. On -that day the King moved on to Varennes, and the Prince, -his son, to Sainte-Menehould.</p> - -<h3>German and French Operations on the 29th.</h3> - -<p>The position of affairs on the evening of the 28th was -somewhat perplexing, because the earlier reports sent in to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[p 260]</a></span> -head-quarters indicated, what was the fact for a brief -interval, that the French were retiring northward. But -no sooner had orders been issued to fit that state of things -than certain information came to hand which showed that -the Meuse was again their immediate objective; and it -was then that, by abstaining from provocation, Von Moltke -judged it possible to move up troops sufficient to fight -with advantage on the 30th, somewhere west of Stenay. -The Saxon Prince, acting within the discretionary limits -allowed him, decided to cross the Meuse with the 12th -Corps, and bring up the Guard and 4th to Buzancy and -Nouart, but to evade a battle, and content himself with the -fulfilling the task of obtaining intelligence. The orders -were issued, and, while they were in execution, one body of -cavalry tracked the 7th Corps during its painful march to -Oches and St. Pierremont, and saw the divisions settling -down in their bivouacs; and another made prize of Le -Capitaine Marquis de Grouchy bearing despatches from -MacMahon to De Failly. This was an important capture, -for it not only deprived the unfortunate General of vital -orders, but it placed in the hands of Von Moltke the -arrangements which the Marshal had drawn up to guide -the motions of his Corps. Out of this mishap grew a fresh -misfortune for the French.</p> - -<p>Marshal MacMahon, on the morning of the 28th, framed -his plans on the supposition that he would be able to pass -the Meuse at Stenay, and kept the heads of his columns -pointing south-west; but learning at a later period that -the Saxons were posted at that place in force—his reports -said 15,000 men—he was again, at midnight, obliged to -change his scheme, and he resolved to pass the river at -Mouzon and Remilly. He, therefore, sent out orders -directing the 12th Corps and Margueritte’s cavalry to -Mouzon, for, having no pontoon train, he was compelled to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[p 261]</a></span> -seek permanent bridges; the 1st Corps and Bonnemains’ -horse to Raucourt; the 7th to La Besace, which, as we -have seen, they did not reach, but halted at Oches and St. -Pierremont; and the 5th to Beaumont, which place they -entered after weary marches and a sharp action. These -were the orders for the day which, with other useful -documents, were found in the pockets of De Grouchy. No -special interest pertains to the march of the 1st Corps. -The 12th found its way safely to Mouzon, crossed the river, -and occupied the heights on the right bank, while General -Margueritte despatched some of his Chasseurs on the -Stenay road. What then happened? The Chasseurs returned -and reported that they had seen no enemy, although -at that moment Stenay was held by the enemy’s horse and -foot. “They committed,” writes General Lebrun, then -commanding the 12th Corps, “the fault which in former -wars was made a ground of reproach against the French -cavalry.” When in sight of Stenay they saw no Germans -and turned back instead of pushing on to and beyond the -town, or trying to do so; and the corps commander justly -regards this laxity as a grave fault. So Lebrun, resting at -Mouzon, could learn nothing, either from spies or his -famous Chasseurs, respecting an enemy then within a few -miles. The irony of the situation was complete when, a -little later, the Zieten Hussars from Stenay rode up to -Margueritte’s vedettes, and found him although he could -not find them. In that fashion the French made war in -1870. General de Failly and his 5th Corps were more -severely treated, for their ill-luck and misdirection brought -upon them</p> - -<h3>The Combat at Nouart.</h3> - -<p>Acting on verbal instructions, given on the night of the -28th, at Belval, by a staff officer from the head-quarters at -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[p 262]</a></span> -Stonne, De Failly set out the next morning towards Beaufort -and Beauclair, two villages a few miles south-west of -Stenay. He did not know, as we do, that the Marshal -had changed his plans, and that the officer bearing the -countermanding order had fallen into the hands of a -German patrol. The French General did not break up -his camp and quit Belval until ten o’clock in the morning, -which gave the Saxons, who had been brought over the -Meuse from Dun, plenty of time to watch his movements. -Indeed, he could see them, troops of all arms, on the -heights of Nouart, moving, as he judged, in an easterly -direction, which was an error, possibly arising from some -turn in the road, for the whole 12th Corps were over -the Meuse between Dun and Nouart. General de Failly -disposed his troops in two columns, one of which marched -towards Beaufort by country roads; the other, with the -General, consisting of Guyot de Lespart’s division and two -regiments of Brahaut’s cavalry, made for Beauclair. -Their road lay through the valley of the Wiseppe, a -sluggish stream meandering through a marshy bottom -land and passing Beaufort on its way to the Meuse. The -route through Nouart was barred by the Germans, and -when the leading French squadrons, crossing the valley to -gain the main road, began to ascend the slopes, they -suddenly came under a smart fire from infantry and guns. -The French Hussars flitted fast back across the meadows, -and De Failly at once stopped the march of both columns, -putting his infantry and guns in position, and resting them -principally upon two small villages. Then ensued, about -noon, an indecisive but vexatious combat, for the Germans -did not intend to attack in force, but simply harass and -delay the 5th Corps; and De Failly, uncertain respecting -the numbers which might be hidden by the woods, dared -not retort, especially as he was remote from the French -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[p 263]</a></span> -Army and without support from any other corps. So, for -several hours, the fight went on. The object of the -Saxons, who descended into the valley, was simply to -detain the French, and, although the assailants traversed -the brook and the high road, pushing forward a few companies -and supporting them by an artillery fire from the -heights, they did not come to close quarters. General de -Failly was of opinion that he had repelled an attack, and -that the enemy did not renew it because the French were -so strongly posted; but the truth is that Prince George of -Saxony not only held back his superior force because he -had been enjoined to abstain from a serious engagement, -but was himself misled by erroneous reports respecting -the state of affairs towards Stenay. Soon after four -o’clock De Failly also drew off; he had then just received -a duplicate of the order directing him upon Beaumont. -He sadly deplores the mischance, and pathetically relates -how all his wearied troops reached Beaumont “during the -night,” except the rear-guard, which did not enter the -camp until five o’clock on the morning of the 30th.</p> - -<h3>The State of Affairs at Sundown.</h3> - -<p>Thus, for the French, terminated another day of error -and loss, which left three Corps still on the left bank of -the Meuse. When the sun went down, the German horse -were close to every one of them except the 12th, which, it -will be remembered, was on the right bank near Mouzon. -The active cavalry moved in the rear of the 1st Corps, -seizing prisoners at Voncq, riding up to Le Chesne, and -keeping watch through the night upon the wearied 7th -Corps, as it sought repose in the camps of Oches and St. -Pierremont. The German Infantry Corps, meantime, had -been closing up for the final onslaught. The 12th Corps -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[p 264]</a></span> -was in and about Nouart, covered by outposts and patrols, -which stretched away to Stenay. The Guard was at -Buzancy, the 4th Corps at Remonville; the 5th Corps was -at Grand Pré, with the Würtembergers near at hand; the -Bavarians had come up to Sommerance and its neighbourhood -on both banks of the Aisne; the 11th Corps -stood at Monthois on the left, while the 6th Corps was -in the rear at Vienne le Chateau. The head-quarters of -King William were set up in Grand Pré, under the old -gloomy castle, the Prussian Prince was near by at the little -village of Senuc, and the Saxon Prince at Bayonville. -Thus, in three days, the whole Army had drawn together, -facing north, and was ready, at a signal, to spring forward -and grapple with the enemy who had committed himself -so rashly to a flank march in the face of the most redoubtable -generals, and the best instructed, disciplined and -rapidly-marching troops in Europe.</p> - -<p>Examining attentively the reports which reached him -from all points of the extensive curve upon which the -cavalry were so active, and poring over the map, General -von Moltke at length formed a definite judgment on the -position as it appeared to him through this medium. He -inferred that the Army of Chalons was marching in a -north-west direction towards the Meuse; that its principal -forces were then probably between Le Chesne and Beaumont, -with strong rear guards to the south; and the -practical result of his cogitations was that the German -Armies should move upon the line Le Chesne-Beaumont in -such a way as might enable them to attack the enemy -before he reached the Meuse. Therefore, the Saxon Prince’s -Army, except the Guard, which was to become the reserve, -was to march early on Beaumont, two Corps of the Third -Army were to support the Saxon onset, but the left of that -Army was to march on Le Chesne. As a matter of fact, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[p 265]</a></span> -the French, in part at least, were nearer the Meuse than -Von Moltke supposed, for the 12th Corps was on the right -bank, and the 1st at Raucourt; while the 7th was at Oches, -the 5th at Beaumont, and there were no troops at Le Chesne -except stragglers. MacMahon took in the situation; he -was resolved to pass the river “coûte que coûte”: and his -chance of doing so, even then, depended on the rapidity -with which his troops could march. The 5th Corps was -struck and routed the next day, but the French Army did -succeed in effecting a passage over the stream.</p> - -<h3>The Battle of Beaumont.</h3> - -<p>The German Armies had now fairly entered the Ardennes, -formerly the northern district of the old province -of Champagne. It is a land of vast woods which crowd -one upon another between the Bar and the Meuse. -Looking from some smooth hill-top, the landscape, in -summer, wears the aspect of a boundless forest, the dark -furrowed lines of shadow alone indicating the hollows, -gullies, ravines, and defiles. Here and there may be seen -a church or château, or a glimpse may be caught of a road -bordered by tall trees. The woods are so dense that -infantry, still less guns and horsemen, cannot work through -them, or move at all, except upon the high roads, lanes -and tracks, worn by the villagers and farm people. Marshy -brooks lurk under the green covert, and rivulets burrow -their way through steep banks. Yet there are open spaces -in the maze of verdure, farmsteads and fields, and rounded -heights whence the tourist may contemplate the extensive -panorama. It is not a country which lends itself easily to -military operations, but one more suitable to the sportsman -than the soldier. The boar of the Ardennes is still -famous and it is on record that a certain Herr von -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[p 266]</a></span> -Bismarck, once upon a time, hunted the wolf through the -snow in the very region where he was hunting the French -in August, 1870.</p> - -<p>It was amidst these thickets, dingles, and almost pathless -wilds that the French had to retreat and the Germans -to pursue. We have seen that General de Failly’s Corps -was struggling all night to reach what they hoped would -be a comparative haven of rest at Beaumont, a bourgade -upon the high road from Le Chesne to Stenay, planted -down in a hollow, surrounded by gardens, and having in its -centre a fine church visible from afar. Here he pitched -his tents, so that his tired soldiers might recover from the -fatigues they had endured in useless marches; and he -thought, in his simple way, that he might safely defer his -march until the afternoon. Yet Marshal MacMahon had -visited the camp early in the morning, and if he used -language to De Failly, as he probably did, similar to that -which he employed at Oches, it should have quickened the -General’s movements and saved him from defeat. For, -after visiting Beaumont, MacMahon, much concerned for -the 7th as well as the 5th Corps, rode into the camp at -Oches. The trains had entered the defile leading to Stonne, -some hours earlier, preceded and escorted by the brigades of -Conseil Dumesnil’s Division, and the 2nd Division was -just about to start, leaving the 3rd as a rear-guard. “You -will have 60,000 men upon your hands, this evening,” he -said, “if you do not succeed in getting beyond the Meuse.” -Urging Douay to get rid of his heavy convoy, and “coûte -que coûte,” cross the river, he indicated Villers below -Mouzon as the point of passage, and rode away. The misfortunes -of the 7th Corps, also much tried, will be related -later; but it may be said that they did not reach Mouzon, -for their outlet from the toils proved to be the southern -gate of Sedan!</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[p 267]</a></span></p> - -<h3>The Surprise of the 5th Corps.</h3> - -<p>Inspired by the hope of closing with the enemy, the -German Armies were astir at dawn, and soon long columns -of men and guns were tramping steadily northward; but, -for the present the narrative is concerned only with the -Saxon 12th, the Prussian 4th, and Von der Tann’s -Bavarians. These troops advanced through the forests, -the Saxons near the Meuse, the 4th in the centre by -Nouart and Belval, and the Bavarians, from their distant -bivouac at Sommerance, upon and beyond Sommauthe. -Now it was originally designed that the two Corps, on the -right and centre, should attack simultaneously, and to -insure this, each column, on arriving at the skirts of the -forest, was directed to halt under cover until it had ascertained -that the others on each flank had also gained the -edge of the woods. But it turned out that the Saxons, -from the start, were delayed by various obstacles which -impeded not only the artillery, but the infantry. The -leading division of the 4th Corps met with fewer obstructions -on its route through Belval, and thus arrived -first on the scene of action. On the line of march in the -forest, intelligence was picked up which quickened its -motions, and a squadron sent forward confirmed the statement -that the French about Beaumont reposed in thoughtless -security. The Corps Commander, Von Alvensleben I.,—for -there were two who bore the name in this Army,—an -officer ever ready to go forward, was present with the -advance-guard of the division, and not likely to hold it -back. So the soldiers advanced in silence. On approaching -the open country, the Hussars in the front glided out -of sight, and a company of Jägers crept towards the selvage -of the wood, and, from a hillock near a farm, they saw, -only six hundred paces distant, a French camp, and beyond -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[p 268]</a></span> -other camps. The cavalry horses were picketed, the -artillery teams had not returned from seeking water, the -soldiers were either resting or employed on the routine -work of a camp. What should be done? Here was an -absolutely unguarded Army Corps, ignorant that an enemy -was within short musket range. The divisional commander -had orders to await the arrival of lateral columns, but he -felt that the Frenchmen might discover his unwelcome -presence at any moment. He had only a brigade on the -ground, yet the temptation to seize an opportunity so unexpected, -was almost irresistible. He, therefore, decided -to attack as soon as his brigade could deploy, and his batteries -plant themselves in a favourable place. Suddenly -the men in the French camp were all in motion. General -von Alvensleben inferred that the proximity of his troops -had been perceived, whereas the activity displayed, as we -learn from De Failly, was caused by an order to fall in -before starting for Mouzon. Without waiting, however, -until the battalions in rear could reach the ground, Alvensleben -opened fire, and the shells bursting in their camp, -gave the first warning to the French that their redoubtable -adversaries were upon them. General de Failly says that -the grand-guards had not had time to signal the enemy’s -presence, and that his own information led him to believe -that the Germans had marched upon Stenay. The verdict -of Marshal MacMahon upon his subordinate is that -“General de Failly was surprised in his bivouac by the -troops of the Saxon Crown Prince.”</p> - -<p>The French soon recovered from their disorder, swarms -of skirmishers rushed out towards the assailants, some -batteries went rapidly into action; and the combined fire -of shells and bullets wrought havoc among the Prussian -gunners and the infantry, hitting even those on the line of -march. They did not yield to the pressure; and when the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[p 269]</a></span> -French delivered a determined attack it was repelled by -volleys and independent firing. Then the French got -several batteries into position on the hill side north of -Beaumont; the Germans were reinforced by the arrival of -guns and foot, for the other division of the Corps came up -and at once deployed on the right of its comrades. At -this time, a little after one o’clock, the Saxons on the right, -next the Meuse, and the Bavarians on the left, who had -been marching since five o’clock in the morning, had also -begun to take part in the fight. King William and his -vast Staff, posted on a hill off the road from Buzancy, and -his son, on a similar elevation near Oches, were closely -watching the battle, discernible thence in its general smoky -features, at least by the King.</p> - -<p>General de Failly had no desire to fight a regular engagement. -His aim was to put his troops in order and -offer as much resistance as might be required to cover his -retreat upon Mouzon, distant only six miles. He, therefore, -relied on his line of guns above the village, and they -were effective, for some time; but he showed great apprehension -lest his left, or Meuse flank, should be turned. -Seeing the German lines develop and grow stronger, in -men and guns, feeling the new power brought to bear by -the Saxons, who, cramped for want of room, were pressed -close to the river, and, hearing the Bavarian guns on his -right, he made one more vigorous effort to arrest the -4th Corps. Thick lines of skirmishers, followed by supports -in close order, dashed forward with such valour -and impetuosity that they drove in the covering infantry -and charged to within fifty paces of the guns. The danger -was great, but the Germans rapidly flung everything near -into the contest, gained the mastery, compelled the gallant -Frenchmen to wheel about, followed them promptly, captured -the southern camp, and then poured into Beaumont -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[p 270]</a></span> -itself upon all sides. But the chassepot had told, and the -Germans paid heavily, as they always did and were ready -to do, for their persistent courage and well-tempered -audacity. With the town fell the other camps; and then, -for a time, the infantry combat ceased. But the artillery -advanced, as usual, and engaged in a long duel with the -powerful line of batteries established by the French to -facilitate the retreat of their infantry and arrest pursuit. -Although not able to stand up against 150 guns, they did -not retire until their infantry had got into another position -between the Yoncq brook and the Meuse. Then the batteries -cleverly withdrew in succession, and before the 4th -Corps could advance, De Failly’s troops disappeared in the -woods, and were seen no more until they were reached -beyond the hills and thrust headlong into Mouzon.</p> - -<p>While the 4th Corps was pulling itself together after the -onset, De Failly had been compelled by the impenetrable -wood of Givodeau to divide his forces, the left and the -reserve artillery following the main route to Mouzon took -post above Villemontrey, close to the Meuse, and derived -support from guns and infantry which Lebrun had put -into position on the high land in an elbow of the river on -the right bank. The right wing hurried round the western -side of the Givodeau thickets, and found a post upon -a plateau beyond. In the meantime, General Lebrun had -ordered two brigades of infantry, commanded by Cambriels -and Villeneuve, and a cavalry division, to cross the river at -Mouzon, but Marshal MacMahon, riding up, ordered back -Cambriels, and all the horse except two regiments of cuirassiers. -Those we shall presently meet again. The German -right wing vainly endeavoured to drive De Failly from -Villemontrey, and, after repeated attempts and much loss, -desisted from the enterprise; but kept a strong force at -hand and a large number of guns in action.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[p 271]</a></span></p> - -<p>Meantime a singular incident had occurred to the west -of Beaumont. Just as the Bavarians were about to join -in the attack on the camps by throwing themselves on the -French flank, they were fired on from a farm called La -Thibaudine and a hamlet named Warniforêt. They were -astonished because the presence of an enemy there was not -even suspected. The enemy was also astonished and still -more frightened. The combat was caused by a French -brigade, which had wandered from its line of march. It -seems that the advance brigade of Conseil Dumesnil’s -division preceding the transport of the 7th Corps, a series -of wagons, nine miles in length, had been ordered by -MacMahon, who met them, to move by Yoncq instead of -La Besace, and that, when the rear brigade came up to the -point of divergence, the marker left to give information -having disappeared, these unfortunate troops went forward -on the great road to Beaumont. A staff officer arrived -just as the action began, and he was leading the errant -troops back, when the Bavarians emerged in view. The -conflict which ensued was sharp, but it delayed the 7th -Corps and ended in the rout of the French, who fled as -best they could through Yoncq towards Mouzon. About -this time Douay was at Stonne; the Uhlans of the Guard -had followed him step by step, and bringing a horse -battery to bear on his rear guard, had induced General -Dumont to halt, deploy the brigade, and in his turn open -fire; but General Douay promptly appeared and stopped -the action, having made up his mind that the pressing -duty of the hour was to get over the Meuse in accordance -with the Marshal’s desire. So the 7th, after some hesitation, -retired upon Raucourt, hoping thence to gain Villers -below Mouzon; yet, being pursued by the Bavarians, -they were overtaken and attacked outside Raucourt, -and, hearing that the bridge was broken, they turned, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[p 272]</a></span> -some upon Remilly, and others through Torcy into Sedan -itself.</p> - -<h3>The Flight to Mouzon.</h3> - -<p>When the left wing of the 4th Corps, pressing towards -the defile of the Yoncq and the slopes above it, -sought to discover the French on that side, they were at -first sharply punished; but, following on, they came up -and closed with their adversaries. One brigade of Bavarians -had been sent to the 4th Corps and moved on the left -flank of the toilsome advance. For the ground was difficult, -the obstacles numerous, and the French, though shattered -and dispirited, still displayed a fighting front. But at -length, late in the afternoon, the Germans mastered a hill-top -whence adverse artillery had fired upon the assailants; -and then these fairly entered the plain before Mouzon. -Here, however, the French occupied an isolated hill, called -Le Mont de Brune, close to and almost overhanging the -Faubourg of Mouzon, from which its summit is less than -a mile distant. Unluckily for them they formed front -facing eastward, apparently anticipating an attack on that -side; but the Germans promptly turned the flank from the -south and south-west, and drove the defenders down the -steep slopes towards Mouzon, capturing ten guns. The -victorious forward movement brought the leading companies -in front of Villeneuve’s brigade and the Cuirassiers -in the plain. The Germans halted, and opened a steady -fire, when suddenly they beheld the 5th Cuirassiers coming -down on their left flank and rear. Captain Helmuth, who -commanded the three companies exposed to this ordeal, -made the left company face about in time, and then forbidding -his men to form rallying squares or groups, -ordered them to stand fast as they were, and only open fire -when he gave the signal. The gallant French horsemen, as -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[p 273]</a></span> -was their wont, rode straight upon the infantry; but the -independent firing opened on them at point blank range, -broke the impetus and crushed in the head of the charging -squadrons. Colonel Contenson fell mortally wounded -within fifteen paces of the infantry line; and, although -some fiery spirits dashed into their ranks, and one engaged -in single combat with Captain Helmuth until he fell -pierced by ball and bayonet, yet the whole mass of -cavalry was routed with immense loss, and driven into the -Meuse.</p> - -<p>For, by this time, the wreck of De Failly’s Corps was in -full retreat on all sides, and troops, artillery, transport -trains, and stragglers, were crowding on towards the bridge. -When his right was turned by the movement upon the -Brune hill, and still further by the march of the Bavarian -brigade upon Pourron, De Failly quitted his post at Villemontrey, -which enabled the right division of the 4th -Corps, the Saxon regiments fighting by its side, and the -artillery to push on by the main road to Mouzon. After -the first surprise of the Beaumont camp, the French had -mainly stood, here and there, to facilitate their retreat, -and the contest, which went on all the afternoon among the -woods and hills and ravines, was really a running fight. -The Germans had pursued with relentless pertinacity. -Their soldiers had been marching all day, but they seemed -to be tireless, for they never halted until the fugitives were -over the Meuse, or the darkness forbade further motion. -De Failly had been surprised and thrust in disorder over -the river, and when the evening closed the Germans were -in possession of the faubourg of Mouzon, and of the bridge -at its western end. The 7th Corps, cut off from Villers, -had moved, in a state bordering on panic, upon Remilly; -but there they found Bonnemains’ cuirassiers, the tail of a -division belonging to the 1st Corps, and a baggage column. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[p 274]</a></span> -The Meuse had been dammed to fill the ditches of Sedan, -and not only were the fords rendered useless, but the -swelling stream was unusually high. Douay, halted at -seven o’clock, became impatient after dark, and at ten -rode down to the bridge. He found the cuirassiers engaged -in passing over the feeble construction. “The horses,” -writes Prince Bibesco, “affrighted, because they could not -see the shaking planks hidden by the water, and shifting -under their steps, moved with hesitation, their necks extended, -their ears erect. Sitting upright, shrouded in their -large white cloaks, the cuirassiers marched on silently, and -appeared to be borne on the stream. Two fires, one at each -end of the bridge, flung a ghastly light on men and horses, -and, flickering on the helmets, imparted a fantastic aspect -to this weird spectacle.” At length the white horsemen -passed over; but when the turn of the artillery came the -horses were still more recalcitrant, and the passage was so -slow that, at two in the morning of the 31st, only three -batteries and two regiments of foot had passed the Meuse. -Douay then learned that the Marshal had ordered all the -Army to assemble at Sedan, and he moved the rest of his -Corps over the bridge at Torcy. These few details will -give some idea of the terrible disorder which prevailed -throughout the French Army.</p> - -<p>On the evening of the 30th the Germans were upon -the Meuse. The 4th Corps was before Mouzon; one -Bavarian Corps at Raucourt, the other at Sommauthe; the -5th and 11th Corps about La Besace and Stonne; the -12th was near the Meuse in front of Beaumont, and the -Guard just behind them; the Würtembergers were at -Verrières, and the 6th Corps well out to the west at -Vouziers. On this flank also were the 5th and 6th Cavalry -Divisions threatening and watching the French communications; -while the 12th Cavalry Division was astride -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[p 275]</a></span> -the Meuse at Pouilly, and one of its squadrons, evading -and passing through Margueritte’s vedettes, had discovered -and reported the presence of French troops on the Chiers -near Carignan, and the movement of trains on the railway -towards Sedan.</p> - -<p>So ended this ominous day. The Army of the Meuse -had lost 3,500 men in killed and wounded, but they had -routed one French Corps, and fractions of two others, -and they had captured forty-two guns. The French loss -is set down at 1,800 killed and wounded, but the Germans -aver that, included among the 3,000 acknowledged to be -missing, there were 2,000 who bore no wounds.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[p 276]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="pagenba" id="CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII.</h2> -</div> - -<p class="h2sub">METZ AND STRASBURG.</p> - -<p>At the very moment when the Army of Chalons, instead -of marching on its way to Montmédy, found -its Corps huddled together at Sedan, between the river and -the Belgian frontier, some information of the movement -undertaken by MacMahon, who yielded his better judgment -to the importunate entreaties (les instances) of Palikao, -reached Marshal Bazaine in Metz. He had already, on -the 26th of August, collected a large mass of troops upon -the right bank, in order to break out towards Thionville; -but the rain poured down all day in torrents, and, after a -consultation at the Farm of Grimont with his Marshals -and Generals, whose opinions were adverse to the sortie -projected, he issued an order directing the Army to resume -its former quarters. But, on the 29th, a messenger who -had crept through the German lines, handed to the Marshal -a despatch from the officer commanding in Thionville, -Colonel Turnier, stating that General Ducrot, with the 1st -Corps, should be “to-day, the 27th,” at Stenay on the left -of the Army, General Douay on his right being on the -Meuse. Bazaine seems to have had doubts respecting -the authenticity of this missive, the handwriting of which -his staff did not recognize; but the next morning, about -eleven, an agent of his own came in from Verdun. He was -the bearer of a telegram from the Emperor—it was really -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">[p 277]</a></span> -the message drawn up by MacMahon on the 22nd of -August, copied, apparently, in cipher, by Napoleon, and -intrusted to Bazaine’s emissary. The despatch, which had -no date, stated that the sender would march towards -Montmédy, and when on the Aisne, would act according -to circumstances, in order to succour the Metz Army. -Regarding the second document, though antecedent in -point of time, as a confirmation of the first which he had -received, Marshal Bazaine, on the 30th, issued the orders -which, the following day, led to</p> - -<h3>The Battle of Noisseville.</h3> - -<p>His plan, succinctly described, was to break through the -line of investment on the right bank of the Moselle by -directing three Corps, the 3rd, 4th, and 6th, principally -upon St. Barbe, and he hoped, if successful, to march them -forward upon Kedange, while the Guard and the 2nd -Corps followed the track by the river. He estimates the -force which was available for battle at 100,000 men, but he -probably had more; at any rate, the delays which had occurred -on the 14th of August, and were in part repeated on -the 31st, shows how arduous is the task of issuing with -such masses from a fortified town and position astride of a -river. The weather was not favourable, for the continuous -rain had soaked the ground, and at dawn a thick fog, which -hung about for several hours, impeded the operations. The -Germans had been more than usually on the alert since -the abortive attempt on the 26th, and had thought it -expedient to include Noisseville within the line of defence. -The noise and preparations in Metz did not escape their -notice, but the dense mist concealed much from their -searching gaze. Yet they saw and heard enough, both on -the eastern and western fronts of Metz, to warrant a belief -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">[p 278]</a></span> -that a resolute onset was impending. As the fog bank -rolled away, the batteries and the massing of troops became -visible, and General von Manteuffel transmitted the results -of his careful observations to Von Steinmetz and Prince -Frederick Charles, both of whom made instant arrangements -to support the 1st Corps and the other troops on -the right bank. The forenoon passed by, and, except some -slight skirmishes and a brief artillery duel, no action ensued. -About midday the French sat down to cook, and the smoke -from their fires rose in clouds, indicated their position, but -hid them from view; at the same time, although the sun -was shining, the culinary haze concealed the workmen engaged -in throwing up shelter for the heavy guns drawn from -the forts; and the German leaders arrived at the conclusion -that the onslaught would be deferred until the next -day; their soldiers also fell to cooking, and some fractions -recrossed the Moselle to join their main body; but their -attention to the phenomena before them was not relaxed.</p> - -<p>Yet the afternoon began to wear away. It was not until -half-past two that Marshal Bazaine gave that signal for -attack which was nevertheless not obeyed until another -hour and a half had been consumed. The signal was a -salvo from the battery of heavy guns placed behind the field -works hastily thrown up in front of Fort St. Julien. The -battlefield of the 31st was one with which we were made -acquainted when Von Golz took upon himself to arrest the -retreat of the French over the Moselle on the 14th of August. -It extended from Mercy les Metz by Colombey, Noisseville, -and Failly to Malroy on the Moselle. The French assailants, -therefore, had to cross the ravines east of Borny and work -up both banks of the Vallières brook which, rising near -St. Barbe, enters the Moselle opposite the Isle Chambière. -The 6th Corps, Canrobert’s, was to attack by the river road -towards Malroy; De Ladmirault, with the 4th, was to move -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[p 279]</a></span> -by Failly and Vrémy to outflank St. Barbe on its right, -while the left of that position was to be carried by Lebœuf’s -3rd Corps; and Frossard, with the 2nd, was to follow and -cover the right flank of Lebœuf. The Guard, the cavalry, -and reserve artillery were to stand between Fort St. Julien -and the Bois de Grimont, and all the baggage was to be -ready in the Isle Chambière. The Germans were prepared -to meet such an attack, but, as we have said, they had come -to believe that it would be deferred.</p> - -<p>Suddenly, about four o’clock, the dead silence was broken -by a salvo from the heavy guns, followed by the fire of De -Ladmirault’s batteries. Then the action began along the -whole front, the Germans at once developing a powerful -line of fifty guns about Servigny and Poix, far in advance -of the main line of defence, and bringing other pieces to -bear from different points. Nevertheless, favoured by the -broken ground and resolute to win, the French infantry -persistently advanced until about six o’clock they had driven -in all the foreposts, and had gained possession on their -right of Noisseville, the garrison of which village they -curiously complain held out longer than they were entitled -to do. The capture of Noisseville facilitated the principal -attacks which were directed upon Servigny and Poix, -villages which served as redoubts guarding the avenues to -St. Barbe, the culminating point in the region. At the -same time the French right had pushed well forward towards -Retonfay, the object being to protect the flank of -the 3rd Corps, now in motion upon the central posts of the -German line. Here the contest was severe, and in the end -the great line of guns which had held De Ladmirault at bay -so long, unable to bear the musketry fire in front and flank, -was compelled to withdraw behind the villages. But, -although the French infantry came up boldly on both flanks, -as well as in front, they were unable to overcome the sturdy -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">[p 280]</a></span> -defenders, in whose possession the villages remained at -dark. The French left under Canrobert had made repeated -attacks upon Failly, which met with no success, and he -halted at Chieulles and Vany: so that the movement near -the Meuse had secured but little ground. At dark the -French had not done more than occupy a line extending -from Canrobert’s right in front of Villers l’Orme to Noisseville, -and thence by Flanville to Château d’Aubigny. By -this time General von Manteuffel had been reinforced by -two brigades of Landwehr, and the 25th Division, under -Prince Louis of Hesse, which had crossed the Moselle, -and considerably strengthened his right wing. Then -occurred a remarkable incident. General Aymard, about -nine o’clock, creeping silently up to Servigny, flung forward -his division, and, without firing a shot, burst in upon -the surprised Germans, engaged in preparing the defences, -and carried the place. Astonished and enraged, -General von Gayl immediately gathered up a force, and -breaking, in his turn, upon the enemy, drove him out and -recovered possession before ten o’clock. Aymard’s is an -example of a night attack well performed; but the weak -defence of what had been skilfully won, was not so creditable -to the French.</p> - -<p>During the night General Manstein, with the other half -of the 9th Corps, crossed the Moselle, halted in rear of -the German right wing, and thus enabled the Hessian -Division to take post behind St. Barbe. A dense fog again -filled the valley at dawn, but at an early hour General von -Manteuffel, holding his ground in the centre and on the -right, brought his batteries to bear upon Noisseville and -promptly assumed the offensive. The place was strongly -occupied and stoutly defended. Although the Germans -broke in for a moment they were speedily expelled, and -several hours elapsed before the village fell into their -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">[p 281]</a></span> -hands. But throughout the day, except towards Rupigny -and Failly, the French stood on the defensive. For the -Germans arrayed 114 guns on the hills, crushed the adverse -artillery, and prevented the French infantry from making -any combined attack. The position on their right was soon -rendered less safe by the arrival of a brigade of the 7th -Corps which, coming up from Laquenexy, drove the French -out of Flanville. This demonstration on the right of -Marshal Lebœuf’s line, together with the terrible fire of -the German artillery, induced him, about eleven o’clock, to -draw back the whole of his troops and allow his adversary -once more to occupy Noisseville. On the French left, -Marshal Canrobert’s soldiers had been forced back upon -Chieulles, and the attacks upon Failly had wholly failed. -Prince Frederick Charles who, at Malancourt, had heard -the opening cannonade at Sedan on the morning of the -1st, took up his post of observation on a hill towards the -Moselle before eight o’clock, and provided for the arrival of -strong reinforcements, should they be needed, from the -left bank, but only the 10th Corps passed the Moselle and -was stationed between Argancy and Antilly. The retreat -of Marshal Lebœuf had been followed by that of the other -corps, and a little after noon the French Army was marching -back to the camps and bivouacs whence it had advanced -on the 31st. The great sortie had signally failed in opening -a road through the investing lines. The French had 3,547 -officers and men killed and wounded, including in the latter -category four Generals, one of whom, Manèque, mortally. -The German loss was 2,976 killed and wounded. Marshal -Bazaine estimates the number he put in the field at 100,000; -the German authorities say they began the fight with -40,800 men and 138 guns; and at the end of the encounter -had over the Moselle 73,800 men and 290 guns.</p> - -<p>Marshal Bazaine and his troops re-entered their prison -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">[p 282]</a></span> -on the afternoon of the day when the white flag was hoisted -on the Citadel of Sedan; and with his and their subsequent -misfortunes we have nothing more to do in this work. -Neither is it our business to consider whether by marching -up instead of down the right bank he could have escaped -with some portion of his Army safe and sound to the South -of France. That he did his uttermost to push through on -the 31st is the contention of the German staff, but it is -doubtful whether on the second day the same spirit prevailed. -All the knotty questions suggested by the military -situation about Metz and elsewhere at the end of August -could only be adequately discussed by entering upon a -history of transactions with which we have no present concern. -The essential fact is that the French Marshals tried -to break the barrier and failed at a moment when even their -success could not have prevented the capitulation at Sedan. -The attempt demonstrated the immense advantages of a -carefully prepared defensive position combined with a -readiness to use artillery in the front line from the first, and -an equal readiness to become the assailant whenever a -useful opportunity occurred. But to the mind of this -writer the moral of the Metz episode in the great war is the -danger attending these large intrenched camps, which will -certainly exert in the future, as they have in the past, an -irresistible attraction upon inferior commanders, and will -task the intellect, and the ingenuity and the firmness of -the greatest to put them to a proper use. Neither Bazaine -nor any colleague in superior command could be described -as a man of genius, and to such soldiers, while war is -conducted on a vast scale and armies in the field are -numbered by the hundred thousand, places like Metz will -not cease to become traps in which frustrated or beaten -armies will be caught and captured, sometimes, it may be, -by force or stratagem; usually by stress of famine. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">[p 283]</a></span> -Meantime the issue of the war will be decided, as it always has -been, by the belligerent who is able to keep the field.</p> - -<p>Although huge Armies had penetrated so swiftly into -France on the morrow of the frontier victories, there were -still, besides the fortress of Metz, which was in an exceptional -case, several other strongholds which stood out defiant -upon the main lines of the German communications. They -were Verdun, Toul, Bitsche, Phalsburg, Strasburg, and, at -a later stage, Belfort. Each of these, except the last-named, -required to be, and were, watched or invested by -troops drawn from the active Armies or the reserves in -Germany; but they had little or no influence upon the -colossal events which decided the issue of what we have -called the Campaign of Sedan. Strasburg alone was a -cause of any anxiety, because the Germans were eager to -obtain possession of a fortress the fall of which would give -them undisputed command of the Rhine, and become of -great value in the event of unlooked-for and improbable -reverses. General von Werder, with the Baden Division, -after the battle of Woerth, had been sent to invest the -town, and he arrived before it on the 11th. It is not -intended to relate in these pages the siege of Strasburg, -which properly belongs to the story of the Franco-German -war as a whole. The point to note is that the regular -siege was preceded by a useless bombardment. The -engineer desired to proceed in the orthodox way; the chief -of the staff wished to try the more violent method. He -insisted that a bombardment would terrify the inhabitants, -and make them exert such a pressure on the Governor, -General Uhrich, a gallant veteran, as would compel him to -surrender. The dispute was determined by an appeal to -the Great Head-quarters, then at Pont à Mousson, and -General von Moltke, who desired that the place should be -taken in the shortest possible time, and that the 40,000 -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_284" id="Page_284">[p 284]</a></span> -men before it might be available for other operations, -decided in favour of the bombardment. The consequence -was that dreadful sufferings were inflicted upon the -inhabitants of Strasburg, and terrible devastation brought -upon the town, but that the cruelty did not attain the end -in view; and that the wise engineer was permitted to apply -his method at a moment when, had his advice been adopted, -the besieging Army would have been near the success which -was ultimately attained. The bombardment of Strasburg -was not only an error regarded from a military point of -view, it was a great political blunder; for who can doubt -that the agonies endured in the last days of August, 1870, -and the resentment created by the awful destruction of life -and property, have materially helped to render inveterate -that hostility to German rule which even now reigns in -Strasburg as strong as ever. Strasburg would have been -captured, probably at an earlier date, had there been no -bombardment, humanity would have been spared a heartrending -spectacle, and Germany would have profited by -showing some deference towards the feelings and some -regard for the lives of the people whose town it was -intended to restore to the Reich, and over whom she had -determined to rule. It was only on the 26th, when the -King had just turned northward from the Ornain to hunt -after MacMahon, that Von Werder, finding Uhrich resolute, -decided to proceed by way of a regular siege. After the -end of the month the fortress ceased to be, in any sense, a -danger to the German Armies, which, whether closed around -Metz or marching westward through France, could afford -to await, with calmness, the certain surrender of Strasburg, -an end which might have been attained just as quickly had -the wisdom of King William’s statesmen been called in to -sustain the sound judgment of General Schulz, the accomplished -Engineer.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">[p 285]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="pagenba" id="CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII.</h2> -</div> - -<p class="h2sub">SEDAN.</p> - -<h3 class="noskip">German Decision.</h3> - -<p>While Strasburg was enduring the agonies of a -siege and bombardment, and the “Army of the -Rhine,” already oppressed by “la question des vivres,” was -chafing in its restricted camps under the cannon of Metz; -while Paris was quivering with excitement and barely -restrained from bursting into open revolt, the victorious -German host was closing steadily, yet swiftly, round the -distracted and misguided Army of Chalons. It was pressed -in so closely on the Belgian frontier that, during the afternoon -of the 30th, before De Failly had been driven over -the Meuse, Count Bismarck sent a formal communication -to the German Minister at Brussels, in which he expressed -a hope that, should MacMahon lead his soldiers across the -boundary, the Belgian authorities would immediately deprive -them of their arms. At night, in his quarters at -Buzancy, King William sanctioned a decisive order to his -son and the Saxon Prince. The troops were to march at -dawn, attack the enemy wherever he could be found on the -left and right bank of the Meuse, in order that he might -be crushed up as much as possible between the river and -the Belgian border. The Saxon Prince was to operate -beyond the Meuse, with two Corps; the Prussian Prince -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">[p 286]</a></span> -on the front and left; movements designed to bar the road -to Montmédy, prevent any attempt to recross the river, and, -eventually, to interpose the German left wing between the -French and Mézières. “Should the adversary enter Belgium -and not be immediately disarmed, he is to be followed at -once without waiting for fresh orders.” These were not the -final instructions which led to the investment of an Army, -but they prepared the way towards, and foreshadowed the -accomplishment of that astonishing result.</p> - -<h3>Confusion in the French Camp.</h3> - -<p>Marshal MacMahon, perplexed, but not dismayed, by -the events of the 30th, remained for some time in doubt. -“I do not know what I shall do,” said the Marshal early -in the evening to Ducrot’s aide-de-camp. “In any case, -the Emperor should at once start for Sedan.” At that -time the Emperor was in the camp of Ducrot, who, instructed -to protect the retreat of the Army either by Douzy or by -Carignan, that is, towards Sedan or Montmédy, had divided -his Corps between those two places. At a later period, -when darkness had set in, MacMahon, seated at a bivouac -fire, on the heights above Mouzon, sent for General Lebrun, -and directed him to retreat, at once, upon Sedan, not by -the highway, which was crowded with fugitives and wagons, -but by cross roads leading upon Douzy. “We have had a -bad time,” said the Marshal, “but the situation is not -hopeless. At the most, the German Army before us cannot -exceed in numbers sixty or seventy thousand men. If they -attack us, so much the better; we shall be able, doubtless, -to fling them into the Meuse.” The Marshal, who never -spared himself, and seemed to live without sleep, rode back -to Sedan, and Lebrun, stumbling along devious tracks, in -the darkness, and apparently in dubious military array, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">[p 287]</a></span> -fearing all the time that he might be attacked, entered -Douzy at eight in the morning, and did not reach Bazeilles, -his destination, until ten o’clock.</p> - -<p>Meantime Ducrot, embarrassed by the presence of the -Emperor, awaited anxiously, at Carignan, the final orders -of MacMahon. He respectfully urged His Majesty to -depart by train for Sedan, but the Emperor refused—“he -wished to be with the Corps which covered the retreat.” -He was astonished and incredulous when the rout before -Mouzon was described. “It is impossible,” he repeatedly -exclaimed, “our positions were magnificent!” In the night -he vanished from Carignan; and it was only some hours -after he had gone that Ducrot was informed of his -departure by train. The General then, in concert with -Margueritte, whose cavalry were on the Chiers, resolved to -retreat in the morning, without waiting longer for orders, -and to move upon Illy, because he assumed that MacMahon -would certainly direct the Army on Mézières. He was -mistaken. On reaching Villers-Cernay, about four in the -afternoon of the 31st, Ducrot learned that he was to retire -upon Sedan, and not upon Mézières, “whither I have not -any intention of going,” said the Marshal’s despatch. In -fact, the two Divisions of the 1st Corps, left at Douzy on -the 30th, had been already ordered to retire on the -Givonne. Lebrun, whom we saw follow in their wake, -after his painful night march, did not destroy the bridge -over the Chiers; so that, when he was passing Francheval, -Ducrot actually saw the enemy—they were Saxon horsemen—issuing -from the village, and cutting in upon the baggage -and transport trains.</p> - -<p>On that memorable 30th, when the Emperor informed -the Empress by telegram, from Carignan, that there had -been an “engagement of no great importance,” an officer -destined to be conspicuous, dropped in upon the Army; it -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">[p 288]</a></span> -was De Wimpffen. He has been defined by General -Lebrun, who was with him at St. Cyr, as a man of firm -will, and “an unlimited confidence in his own capacity.” -Indeed, he had come to restore victory. When he passed -through Paris, the Comte de Palikao was good enough to -tell him—so he writes, although Palikao “thinks” he -could not have so expressed himself—that MacMahon -chimed in too easily with the suggestions of the Emperor, -which was not the fact; that His Majesty was in a false -position, and that he caused the greatest embarrassment. -“Send me to the Army,” said De Wimpffen, “I shall -impart the needed boldness and decision.” So he was sent -to supersede De Failly in command of the 5th Corps, -carrying in his pocket a letter which authorized him to -succeed MacMahon in command of the Army, should any -accident befall the Marshal. It was this audacious personage -who supervened on the 30th, and to his horror, -found the Army he might have to guide and govern, falling -to pieces under his eyes. He met troops in flight from -Mouzon; they were frightened, famished, and could hardly -be persuaded that the “Prussians” were not at their heels. -As evidence of the reigning disorder, De Wimpffen says -that he collected on the 30th, three regiments belonging to -the 5th, 7th, and 12th Corps, some squadrons of De Failly’s -cavalry, and several hundreds of men belonging to the 1st -Corps, who obeyed a non-combatant officer. The General -led them during the night to Sedan. A like confusion -prevailed on all sides, as the soldiers, hungry and thoroughly -wearied, fell asleep as they dropped on the ground in their -dreary bivouacs.</p> - -<p>The Emperor entered Sedan about midnight. The -Marshal urged him to embark afresh in the train, and seek -security in Mézières, where General Vinoy was expected, -and where he did, indeed, arrive that night with the advance -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_289" id="Page_289">[p 289]</a></span> -guard of one division of the 13th Corps. The Emperor -refused to quit Sedan, but the Prince Imperial had been -sent away. The movement of Vinoy was delayed several -hours, because a train running to Avesnes, and bearing the -young Prince, “his baggage, his escort, and his suite,” -barred the way to Mézières.</p> - -<p>When morning dawned upon the discomfited Army, -Marshal MacMahon had not ceased to ponder. As he said -before the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry in 1872, -he had no intention of fighting a battle at Sedan, but he -wished to supply the Army afresh with provisions and -munitions; and he spent part of the day in considering -what he should do on the morrow, and in watching from -the citadel the march of his foes. There were, he believed, -a million rations in Sedan, but eight hundred thousand of -these were stored in wagons at the station, and as shells -reached them from beyond the Meuse, the station-master -sent away the train to Mézières. With it went a company -of engineers, instructed to blow up the bridge at Donchery; -but frightened by the shells, the driver halted long enough -to drop the engineers, and then hastily fled with the powder -and tools. The Marshal did not hear of the mishap until -ten o’clock at night, and when another company of engineers -reached the bridge, they found it in possession of the enemy! -Early in the morning, before that event occurred, Captain -des Sesmaisons, carrying a message from Vinoy, entered -Sedan, after having been fired on by a German battery -established near Frenois. He saw the Emperor in the -hotel of the Sub-Prefect, delivered his message, and received -a despatch from His Majesty directing Vinoy to concentrate -his troops in Mézières. Anxious that the Captain should -return in safety, the Emperor gave him a horse, and traced -on a map the road he should take, observing that the Army -would retire by that route the next day; that the road -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_290" id="Page_290">[p 290]</a></span> -would be open and safe, as it was new, had not been -marked on the map, and was unknown to the enemy. -But we learn from the German Staff history, that this -recently opened road, although not laid down on the -French, was duly figured in the German map, a contrast -between diligence and negligence not easily paralleled. -The Captain saw MacMahon, who then, nearly midday, -seemed resolved to march on Mézières, and believed that -he could crush any opposition.</p> - -<p>At this moment General Douay arrived, and gave a new -turn to his thoughts. Douay had surveyed the position in -front of his camp with an anxious eye, and had noted that, -unless reinforced, he could not hold the cardinal point—the -Calvaire d’Illy. He got additional troops in the end. -“But,” said the Marshal, who seemed to share Douay’s -apprehensions, “I do not want to shut myself up in lines; -I wish to be free to manœuvre.” “M. le Maréchal, to-morrow -the enemy will not leave you the time,” was the -General’s answer. According to Captain des Sesmaisons, -it was Douay’s comments on the position which made the -Marshal modify his judgment, and think of fighting where -he stood rather than of retreating on Mézières. The Captain -rode back to his General, and carried with him a -gloomy account of the condition and outlook of the Army -of Chalons. No troops were sent forth to watch the Meuse -below Sedan and communicate with Vinoy. Later in the -day, an old soldier who lived in the neighbourhood, sought -out General Douay and told him that the enemy was preparing -to pass the Meuse at Donchery—a fact, it might be -thought, which could not escape the notice of the watchers -in Sedan—and then it was that the General occupied the -position between Floing and Illy, and began to throw up -intrenchments as cover for men and guns. He had not -done so hitherto, because his soldiers, thoroughly exhausted -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_291" id="Page_291">[p 291]</a></span> -by incessant marches, sleepless nights, want of food, and -rear-guard combats, needed some rest. Enough has been -said to indicate the lamentable weakness of mind at head-quarters, -and the dire confusion prevailing throughout the -limited area between the Belgian frontier and the Meuse, -within which the French soldiers were now potentially inclosed. -It is time to show a different example of the -practice of war.</p> - -<h3>The Movements of the Germans.</h3> - -<p>The decision adopted by the Great Head-quarters at -Buzancy were, as usual, anticipated, and the Commander-in-Chief -of the Meuse Army, before the formal orders -reached him, had directed the Guard and the 12th Corps -to cross the river, by the bridge at Pouilly, constructed -on the 30th, and a new one made at Létanne soon after -daybreak on the 31st. The Saxon cavalry commander, -indeed, taking with him a squadron at dawn, rode down -the right bank, then shrouded in fog, as far as Mouzon, -entered the town with four lancers, and crossed the bridge -to the faubourg. Thereupon a Prussian battalion instantly -passed over and took possession of the town. This adventurous -squadron had actually captured prisoners and many -wagons loaded with provisions. When the two divisions -of cavalry, preceding the infantry advance, rode towards -Douzy and Carignan, they struck the tail of Lebrun’s -Corps, and fired into the distant columns which Ducrot, -on the other side of the Chiers, was leading by the hill -roads to Francheval. In fact, by noon the Guard horsemen -were masters of Carignan and such provision stores -as the French had not time to destroy; and the Saxons, -passing through Douzy, had fallen upon a convoy on the -right bank. The fire of infantry forced them back upon -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_292" id="Page_292">[p 292]</a></span> -the town, but they held that and the unbroken bridge -until the advance guard of the 12th came up in the -afternoon and established themselves in the place. The -Prussian Guard meanwhile, after a long march, had reached, -with its leading battalions, Porru aux Bois and Francheval, -the main body halting between Sachy and Missincourt, -and the cavalry remaining in the rear. Thus, the Saxon -Prince’s Army had secured all the bridges over the Chiers -and the important passage at Mouzon, where the 4th -Corps stood on both banks of the Meuse. The outposts -formed a chain from the right bank of the river in front -of Douzy, through Francheval to the Belgian frontier, at -that point only nine miles from the Chiers, and sixteen -from the Meuse. This narrow belt of territory was thus -barred against French enterprise; the road to Montmédy -and Metz was definitely closed. The Saxon Prince did -not push farther westward, because he knew that the Great -Staff had planned a passage of the Meuse below Sedan for -the next day, and, therefore, he did not wish to alarm the -French. Enough had been done and his troops needed -rest, especially the Guard, the whole of which had marched -during the day upwards of thirty miles, and the advance -guards more. No wonder the French were astounded at -the “prodigious marches” made by Germans, whom -they had considered to be incapable of such energy and -endurance. Some share of the French disasters must be -attributed to that fatal form of error—contempt for the -enemy.</p> - -<p>Not less success attended the operations of the Prussian -Crown Prince, whose business it was to secure possession -of the left bank of the Meuse, and, if practicable, bring -batteries to bear upon the French troops. We have already -described the effect produced by the horse artillery batteries -established under the protection of the cavalry at Frenois -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_293" id="Page_293">[p 293]</a></span> -upon the railway officials who sent off the provision trains, -and upon the drivers who ran away with the powder and -tools required to destroy the bridge at Donchery. Behind -the cavalry the whole Army was soon in motion. The -Würtembergers marched from Verrières to the neighbourhood -of Flize, where they became engaged with Vinoy’s -outposts, and induced them to burn the bridge over the -Meuse. The 11th Corps moved upon Donchery, and, -during the afternoon, not only secured the important -bridge at that place, but constructed a second. The 5th -Corps stood close in rear of the 11th, and the Second -Bavarians halted at Raucourt. On the extreme left the -6th Corps, covering the rear, went to Attigny, Semoy, -and Amagne; the 5th Division of Cavalry was at Tourteron, -and the 6th at Poix, both scouting over the railway -to Reims, and one breaking the line at Faux.</p> - -<p>The 1st Bavarian Corps, which led the infantry advance -upon the Meuse, moved early from Raucourt upon Remilly -and Aillicourt. They had only started at eight o’clock, -yet their guns were in position opposite Bazeilles before -the last division of Lebrun’s Corps, marching from Douzy, -could gain the village. The guns opened at very long -range, and Lebrun, who was on the watch, was so impressed -that he ordered the division to turn back and enter -the position by Daigny, where there was a bridge over the -Givonne. The French drew out their guns, which led Von -der Tann to reinforce his own, so that there was soon a -powerful line of batteries in action, and some houses in -Bazeilles broke out into flames. Then the Bavarian infantry -brigades arrived to support the advance guard, and -the French threw out infantry to annoy the hostile gunners. -Presently a sharp-eyed artilleryman observed that barrels -of powder had been brought down to the railway bridge, -apparently with intent to blow it up. Thereupon General -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_294" id="Page_294">[p 294]</a></span> -von Stephan directed a Jäger battalion to frustrate this -design; and just as the French were lowering some barrels -under the furthest arch, the Jägers, dashing on to the -bridge, fell upon the working party, drove it off, and -poured the powder into the Meuse. In this daring fashion -was the railway viaduct saved from destruction under the -noses of the 12th Corps. Von der Tann, having the fear -of Von Moltke before his eyes, desired to save the bridge -but not engage beyond the stream. The Jägers, however, -who, in the judgment of their comrades, held a post of -peril, were promptly supported, and the forward spirit -gaining the upper hand, the little troop, driving in the -French skirmishers, actually held for some time the fringe -of Bazeilles; but not being supported by the General, who -refused to disobey orders and bring on a premature engagement, -the hardy adventurers had to retire with loss, to -the right bank. Yet they secured the bridge from destruction, -and to this day, apparently, General Lebrun -cannot understand how it came to pass that MacMahon’s -orders were not executed. The French say that the powder -was spoilt and that no fresh supply could be got from -Sedan; but no effort is made to explain why, when the -Bavarians threw a pontoon bridge over the Meuse, just -above the railway crossing, Lebrun’s people did nothing to -prevent it. The truth is that they could not prevent one -bridge from being preserved, and the other from being -built.</p> - -<p>The gain on the day’s resolute operations, therefore, was -the acquisition of three permanent bridges over the Meuse, -two above and one below Sedan; the seizure of all the -passages across the Chiers; and the concentration of both -Armies upon the right and left banks of the river within -striking distance of the French troops packed up in a -narrow area about Sedan. The Crown Prince brought his -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_295" id="Page_295">[p 295]</a></span> -head-quarters to Chémery, and the King went through that -place on his way to Vendresse. At Chémery, “a brief -conference was held between the Generals Von Moltke, Von -Podbielski, and Von Blumenthal, relative to the general -state of the campaign and the next steps which should be -taken.” It was a notable meeting, and few words, indeed, -were required to indicate the finishing touches of an enterprise, -so unexpectedly imposed on them, and so resolutely -carried out by these skilful, far-seeing, and audacious -captains. They had come to the conclusion that the French -had before them only one of two courses—they must either -retreat bodily into Belgium, or sacrifice the greater part of -their Army in an endeavour with the remainder to reach -Paris by way of Mézières. There was a third—to remain -and be caught—but a finis so triumphant was not foreseen -by the trio of warriors who met in the village of Chémery.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="sedan"> - <a href="images/sedan_large.jpg"> - <img src="images/sedan_inline.jpg" alt="" /></a> - - <div class="caption">PLAN VI: BATTLE of SEDAN, <span - class="smaller">ABOUT 10. A.M.</span></div> - - <div class="subcapit">Weller & - Graham L<span class="sup">td</span>. Lithos.  - London, Bell & Sons</div> -</div> - -<h3>The Battlefield of Sedan.</h3> - -<p>The battlefield of Sedan may be described as the space -lying within the angle formed by the Meuse, and its little -affluent, the Givonne, which flows in a southerly direction -from the hills near the Belgian frontier. After passing -Bazeilles and its bright meadows, the greater river meanders -towards the north-west, making, a little below Sedan, a -deep loop inclosing the narrow peninsula of Iges on three -sides, and then running westward by Donchery, Dom le -Mesnil and Flize to Mézières. From the northern end of -the loop to the Givonne, the ground is a rugged, undulating -upland, attaining its maximum of height a little south -of the Calvaire d’Illy, at a point where the Bois de la -Garenne begins to clothe the steep slopes on the south and -east. Lower still is a deep defile, called the Fond de -Givonne, through which, turning the wood, runs the highway -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_296" id="Page_296">[p 296]</a></span> -from Sedan to Bouillon, a town on the Semoy in -Belgium. The eastern face of the position, therefore, was -the line of the Givonne, a belt of cottages, gardens, -factories and villages; the southern and south-western was -the fortress and the Meuse; the north-western front was -on the hills between Floing and Illy, and the lowlands on -the loop of the Meuse. The interval between Illy and the -Givonne was, at first, neglected because the French held -that no troops could work through the dense forest and -broken ground. The issues from this man-trap were the -narrow band of territory between the head of the Meuse -loop and the wooded Belgian frontier; the high road to -Bouillon; the routes eastward to Carignan up the Chiers, -and the gate of Torcy on the south. They were all difficult, -and in the nature of defiles which can only be traversed -slowly, even in time of peace, by large bodies of men, -horses, guns and wagons.</p> - -<p>Within this remarkable inclosure the French Army sat -down on the 31st of August. The 12th and the 1st Corps, -Lebrun’s and Ducrot’s, held the line of the Givonne, looking -east and south-east, because Lebrun had to guard the -Meuse at Bazeilles. The 5th Corps, now under De -Wimpffen, was partly in the “old camp,” close under the -fortress, and partly behind the 7th, which, as we have said, -occupied the rolling heights between Floing and Illy with -a strong outpost in St. Menges, at the head of the Meuse -loop on the road which led to Mézières through Vrigne aux -Bois—the road supposed to be unknown to the Germans, -because it was not laid down on the French maps. The -cavalry posted in rear of the 7th were the divisions of -Margueritte, Bonnemains and Amiel, while Michel was -behind Ducrot’s left at the village of Givonne. The sun -set, and the night passed, yet Marshal MacMahon expressed -no decision. Believing that the enemy’s numerical strength -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_297" id="Page_297">[p 297]</a></span> -had been exaggerated, or that he could break out in any -direction when he pleased, or trusting to fortune and the -opportunities which might offer during the conflict, perhaps -imagining that Von Moltke would grant him another day, -the Marshal became the sport of circumstance which had -escaped his control. “The truth is,” he said to the -Parliamentary Commission, “that I did not reckon on -fighting a battle on the ground we occupied. I knew already -that we had no provisions, and that the place was barely -supplied with munitions, but I did not yet know on which -side I ought, on the morrow (the 1st) to effect my retreat.” -The unfaltering adversary had no such doubts, and his firm -purpose brought on not only the Battle, but the Investment -of Sedan. For the information which reached the Great -Head-quarters during the evening of the 31st, induced Von -Moltke to quicken the operations. He inferred that no -attempt would be made by the French to break out by -Carignan; that they might try to reach Mézières or pass -into Belgium; and as he was eager to frustrate their -escape by any route, he instructed the Prussian Crown -Prince to set his Corps in motion during the night. The -Prince immediately issued the needful orders, and directed -Von der Tann to attack with his Bavarians at dawn, -without awaiting the arrival of the 12th Corps, so that -Lebrun in Bazeilles being held fast, the attention of the -French might be attracted towards that side. The Saxon -Prince, being duly informed, entered with characteristic -spirit and daring into the plan, and not only determined -to be early on the scene of action with the 12th and the -Guard, but to push the latter well forward, so as to anticipate -the French should they endeavour to gain the Belgian -border. Thus a common motive animated the German -chiefs who, in taking firm steps to gain a decisive result, -were so well seconded by their tireless and intrepid soldiers.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_298" id="Page_298">[p 298]</a></span></p> - -<h3>The Battle of Sedan.</h3> - -<p>A thick white mist filled the valley of the Meuse on the -morning of the 1st of September, 1870, so thick that Von -der Tann’s Bavarians, marching towards the railway bridge -and the pontoons above it, could not see many steps ahead, -as in two columns they moved at four o’clock in careful -silence through the dense and clammy atmosphere. At -that very time General Lebrun, whose anxieties kept him -awake, started up, and rushing forth, made the first bugler -he encountered sound the call, which roused the wearied -troops sleeping on the hills between Bazeilles and Balan. -Yet it would seem that, outside the former village, no -adequate watch was kept, for when the leading Bavarians -emerged from the fog, they gained at once possession of -several houses, and even entered the principal street without -firing a shot. It was only when the enemy were within -the place, that the gallant Marine Infantry, posted in the -houses and behind barricades, abruptly arrested the intruders -by opening a smart fire. Then began a sanguinary -contest for the possession of Bazeilles, which raged during -many hours; a series of street fights in which the inhabitants -took an active part; combats ebbing and flowing -through and round the market-place, the church, the larger -mansions, and the pretty park of Monvillers, washed and -beautified by the stream of the Givonne. Without a detailed -plan, the incidents of this terrible episode in the -battle, are unintelligible. Vassoigne and Martin des -Pallières, before the latter was wounded on the 31st, had -devised a plan of resistance worthy of the gallant division -they led, and it may be said that the defence of Bazeilles -was the most creditable feat of arms performed by the -French on that dreadful day. During the earlier hours, -indeed, they kept the upper hand, driving the Bavarians -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_299" id="Page_299">[p 299]</a></span> -out of the village on all sides, but being unable to eject -them from two stone houses abutting on the chief street. -The Bavarian batteries beyond the Meuse could not open -fire until six o’clock, because the fog had shut out the view, -which even then was indistinct. About this time General -Lebrun, who was quickly on the scene, had called reinforcements -from the 1st and 5th Corps; but then the -Saxons had come up opposite La Moncelle, where one -battery, firing at long range, astonished Lebrun, who saw -that the shells from his own guns fell short, or burst in the -air. When the 12th assailed La Moncelle fresh Bavarian -columns had crossed the Meuse, and the fierce conflict -which began in Bazeilles, had extended to the park of -Monvillers, where the French fought steadily. After four -hours strenuous battle, no marked progress had been made -in this quarter, where three Bavarian brigades had fallen -almost wholly into skirmishing order, scattered amidst the -houses and lanes of the villages, and some part of the park -on the left bank of the Givonne. Von der Tann bringing -over another brigade and the reserve artillery from the left -bank of the Meuse, called up a division of the 4th Corps -which he held back as a reserve. During the course of -this stubborn combat, the Saxon Corps had seized La Moncelle, -and had brought ten batteries to bear on that village -and Daigny, their left flank being prolonged by two Bavarian -batteries. The accuracy of their fire still further -astonished General Lebrun, who confesses that he had never -seen such artillery. He and his staff, six or eight persons, -were on an eminence above La Moncelle. “The shells,” he -writes, “cut off one branch after another, from the tree at -the foot of which I stood holding my horse;” and he goes -on to say that in quick succession, one officer was killed, -two mortally wounded, and two men who bore his fanion -were hit. He was as much impressed by the “avalanche -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_300" id="Page_300">[p 300]</a></span> -de fer” as Marshal Canrobert himself. The infantry in -Bazeilles resisted superbly, but the French General was -none the less amazed by the terrible fire of the German -guns. Between eight and nine the wave of battle was -flowing up the Givonne, for the Guard were now approaching -from Villers-Cernay.</p> - -<h3>MacMahon’s Wound and its Consequences.</h3> - -<p>Meanwhile, inside the French lines, the drama had -deepened, for the Commander-in-Chief had been wounded. -Marshal MacMahon has related how, before daybreak, -fearing lest the Germans should have moved troops over -the Meuse at Donchery, he had sent two officers to look -into matters in that quarter, and was awaiting their return -when, about five o’clock, he received a despatch from Lebrun, -which made him mount his ready-saddled horse and ride -towards Bazeilles. Arrived there he saw that the place -was well defended, and went to the left intending to examine -the whole line of the Givonne, especially as Margueritte had -sent word that German troops were moving towards Francheval. -Halting above La Moncelle, not far from Lebrun, -the Marshal has stated that while he was gazing intently -upon the heights in front of the Bois Chevalier, and could -not see anything, he was struck by the fragment of a shell. -At first he thought that he was only bruised, but that being -obliged to dismount from his horse, which was also wounded, -he fainted for a moment, and then found that his wound -was severe. Unable to bear up any longer he gave over -the command of the Army to General Ducrot, and was -carried to Sedan. That officer did not hear of the event -until seven or later; it is impossible to fix precisely the -moment when the Marshal was hit, nor when Ducrot learned -his destiny, the evidence is so contradictory; but sometime -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_301" id="Page_301">[p 301]</a></span> -between seven and eight Ducrot took the reins. His first -act was to order a retreat on Mézières; Lebrun begged him -to reflect and he did, but soon afterwards became positive. -“There is not a moment to lose,” he cried; and it was -arranged that the retreat should be made in echelons, -beginning from the right of the 12th Corps. Neither -General knew the real facts of the situation, nor guessed -even how vast were the numbers of the enemy.</p> - -<p>The retreat began; it attracted the notice of Napoleon -III., who had ridden on to the field above Balan; and it -roused De Wimpffen. He carried in his pocket an order -from Palikao authorizing him to succeed MacMahon, if the -Marshal were killed or disabled. He had kept the fact -secret; after the Marshal fell he still hesitated to use his -letter, but not long. The combat about Bazeilles was well -sustained; the cavalry had been out a little way beyond -St. Menges and, as usual, after a perfunctory search, had -“seen nothing,” the attack on the Givonne even was not -fully developed. General de Wimpffen, perhaps from mixed -motives, resolved to interfere and show his old comrades -how a man who really knew war could extricate a French -Army from perils in which it had been placed by weakness -and incompetence. He certainly thought himself a great -man, and he roughly stopped the retreat. Ducrot was indignant, -but he obeyed. Lebrun was not more favourably -affected by De Wimpffen’s loud voice and overbearing -manner. “I will not have a movement upon Mézières,” he -exclaimed. “If the Army is to retreat, it shall be on Carignan -and not on Mézières.” It should again be observed -that the new Commander-in-Chief was quite as ignorant of -the facts as his predecessors, and even when he wrote his -book many months afterwards had not learned from sources -open to all the world how many men stood at that moment -between him and Carignan, nor was he at all acquainted -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_302" id="Page_302">[p 302]</a></span> -with the difficult country through which he would have to -move. Ducrot’s plan, which would have placed the Army -between the Meuse below Sedan and the forest on the -frontier, leaving a clear sweep for the guns of the fortress, -was far more sensible than that of his imperious rival. -Still, to have a chance of success, it should have been begun -early in the morning, when the 5th and 11th German -Corps were struggling towards the woods; even then it -would have probably failed, but there would have been no -capitulation of Sedan. General de Wimpffen, although he -did not know it, was actually playing into the hand of Von -Moltke, who desired above all things that the French Corps -on the Givonne should remain there, because he knew, so -great were his means, so firm his resolution, and so admirable -as marchers and fighters were his soldiers, that the -gain of a few hours would enable him to surround the -Army of Chalons.</p> - -<p>How far the retreat from the front line was carried, -when it was stayed, and in what degree it injured the -defence, cannot possibly be gleaned from the French narratives, -which are all vague and imperfect in regard to time -and place. We know that the Germans did not carry -Bazeilles until nearly eleven o’clock, and then only by dint -of turning movements executed by the Saxons and fresh -Bavarian troops from the direction of La Moncelle. General -Ducrot, in his account, places his stormy interview with De -Wimpffen at a little after nine; and he says that when it -ended he spurred in haste towards his divisions—Pellé’s -and L’Hériller’s—and made them descend a part of the -positions which they had climbed a few instants before. -Lebrun is equally vague. He says in one place that when -De Wimpffen came up his first brigades had “partly” -crossed the Fond de Givonne, and in another, that the -Marine Infantry had abandoned Bazeilles, which they had -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_303" id="Page_303">[p 303]</a></span> -not done before nine o’clock. General de Wimpffen’s -recollections are still more confused and his chronology -unintelligible; so that it is impossible to ascertain precisely -what happened beyond the Givonne after Ducrot -ordered and his successor countermanded the retreat. If -we take the German accounts, and try to measure the -influence of the much-debated retreat by the resistance -which the assailants encountered, we may doubt whether -it had much greater influence on the issue than that which -grew out of the impaired confidence of the troops in their -antagonistic and jealous commanders. Nevertheless, it is -probable that the swaying to and fro in the French line -between Bazeilles and the village of Givonne, after nine -o’clock, did, in some degree, favour the assailants, and -render the acquisition of Bazeilles as well as the passage of -the brook less difficult and bloody. In any case, the intervention -of De Wimpffen can only be regarded as a misfortune -for the gallant French Army, which can hardly -find consolation in the fact that within four-and-twenty -hours he was obliged to sign with his name the capitulation -of Sedan.</p> - -<p>This needful explanation and comment serves to illustrate -the disorder, the infirmity of purpose, and the rivalries -which existed in the French camp; and we may well -agree with Marshal MacMahon when he says that the blow -which obliged him to relinquish the command was a grievous -event. Doubtless he would have taken a decided course -had he not been wounded, and would have marched, if he -could, with all his forces, either on Mézières or Carignan; -and besides, he says, there was Belgium near at hand. He -would not have tried to do all three at once. It is only an -Army, well compacted and educated from the bottom to -the top which can, without serious detriment, bear three -successive commanders in three hours.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_304" id="Page_304">[p 304]</a></span></p> - -<h3>Progress of the Battle on the Givonne.</h3> - -<p>While the French generals, almost in the presence of -the helpless Emperor, were using high words and thwarting -each other’s plans, the German onset had proceeded on -all sides with unabated vigour. But, about nine o’clock, -or a little earlier, the French dashed forward so impetuously -that the foremost German troops on the Givonne as -far as Daigny, had to give ground; and the batteries were -so vexed by musketry fire that they also fell back on some -points. In fact Lebrun’s left and Ducrot’s right came on -with great spirit, and shook, but did not arrest long the -hostile line. It was not until this period that the French -in Daigny pushed a brigade on to the left bank of the -Givonne and occupied ground which, by the confession of -their staff officers, had never been reconnoitred. They -brought over a battery, and General Lartigue rode with -them. The brunt of the onslaught, falling upon the Saxon -infantry immediately in front, these were hard bested; but -reinforcements arriving on either hand closed in upon the -enemy’s flanks, and, not only was he routed from the field, -but, being swiftly pursued, his battery was captured, and -the Saxons following the French into Daigny wrested from -them the village, the bridge, and the opposite bank of the -brook. General Lartigue’s horse was killed by a shell, -and he narrowly escaped capture, and was then, or shortly -afterwards, wounded. His chief of the staff, Colonel d’Andigné, -hit twice, dropped in a field of beet-root. Shells -from his own side fell near him, and he was grateful to -them because they drove away a pig which came and sniffed -at his wounds. Saxon soldiers gave him wine and lumps -of sugar, but one of them stole his watch and cross; in the -end he was tenderly carried to an ambulance. Some of -the Zouaves engaged in this combat about Daigny, cut off -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_305" id="Page_305">[p 305]</a></span> -from the main body of fugitives, turned northward, entered -the woods, and reached Paris after traversing the Belgian -border.</p> - -<p>The Germans owed their quick success at Daigny to the -fact that Lartigue was not supported, and to the fortunate -advent, at a critical moment, of the leading troops of the -Second Saxon Division, the whole of the 12th Corps being -now on the ground, engaged or in reserve. It need -scarcely be remarked that the batteries, as usual, preceded -the bulk of the infantry, for it was the Saxon guns which -extorted the admiration of Lebrun. The attack, which had -been made from his side, upon the Saxons and Bavarians -about La Moncelle, was equally brilliant at the outset, for, -as we have stated, the German batteries were driven back -by the close musketry, and the French were advancing impetuously, -when a Saxon regiment and part of a Bavarian -brigade striking into the fight, stopped the French and -drove them across the rivulet. Then the artillery returned; -soon there were ninety-six guns in action; and the infantry -pressing on, restored the battle. But in Bazeilles -itself the Marines had gained ground, and fresh troops -had to be poured into the village or upon its outskirts to -sustain the assailants, who were still held at bay by the -stout defenders. Yet the final stroke at the village was -delivered shortly after this check. The troops in Monvillers -and La Moncelle simultaneously swept forward from -the orchards, and osier-beds, and gardens, until they -emerged on the heights beyond, and showed a front which -threatened the road from Bazeilles to Balan.</p> - -<p>The French stronghold in the place was a large villa on -the north, which had resisted all day; but now the freshly -arrived Bavarians penetrated into the garden and turned -the building on one side; while the Saxons grouped in the -park of Monvillers, cutting a path through the hedges -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_306" id="Page_306">[p 306]</a></span> -with their billhooks, appeared on the other. The French -then retreated; but the splendid defence of the whole -position had inflicted a heavy loss on the adversary.</p> - -<p>In Bazeilles itself a conflict continued between the armed -inhabitants and the Bavarians, and soon after the whole -village was in flames. Whether it was set on fire purposely -or not is to this day a matter of bitter controversy; but it -stands on record that only thirty-nine lay persons met their -deaths, during this long contest, from fire or sword. It -was not the interest of the Germans to create a furnace -across a line of road; and one effect of the conflagration -was that the German pioneers, unable to quench it, were -compelled to open a line of communication with the troops -on the fighting line outside the burning village.</p> - -<p>The French retired and reformed between the Fond de -Givonne and Balan, whence their line ran northward, no -longer in the valley, but along the uplands to the Calvaire -d’Illy; for the Prussian Guard, issuing from Villers-Cernay -and Francheval, had thrust the French out of the village -of Givonne, and, long before Bazeilles was finally mastered, -had established powerful lines of guns which harassed the -French troops in the Bois de la Garenne. In fact, by nine -o’clock, there were six guard batteries in action, and two -hours afterwards the number was increased to fourteen. -Givonne was seized a little later, and infantry support -afforded to the right of the 12th Corps; but Prince -Augustus, in conformity with his instructions, held the -main body of the Guard ready to march towards Fleigneux, -effect a junction with the Third Army, and bar the road to -Bouillon. From an eminence a little east of Givonne and -just south of La Viré farm, whereon eighteen guns stood, -the Prince, looking westward about nine o’clock, saw the -smoke of that combat near St. Menges, which he knew -marked the formidable intervention of the 5th and 11th -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_307" id="Page_307">[p 307]</a></span> -Corps, whose operations in the forenoon must now be succinctly -described.</p> - -<h3>The March on St. Menges.</h3> - -<p>It will be remembered that, on receiving a pressing order -from Von Moltke, the Prussian Crown Prince directed the -two Corps just named and the Würtemberg division to -move out in the dark and occupy the Mézières road in -order to intercept the French should they endeavour to -retire upon that town. They promptly obeyed. The Würtembergers -crossed the Meuse on a bridge of their own -making, at Dom le Mesnil; the 5th and 11th at Donchery -by the permanent bridge and two improvised passages. -The object of the two Corps was to occupy the nearest -villages on the Mézières road, Vrigne aux Bois and Vivier -au Court, both which were attained about half-past -seven, when the contest was fierce on the Givonne. Here -the generals commanding, Von Kirchbach and Von Gersdorf, -received that despatch from the Prussian Crown -Prince which directed them to march on St. Menges and -Fleigneux, for at head-quarters a strong hope had now -arisen that the Army of Chalons could be surrounded. -The 11th moved on the right, next the Meuse, the 5th -on the left; but the roads were few between the river and -the forest—one column lost its way, and both Corps at the -head of the Loop had to use the same road. No French -scouts were out along this important line of communication. -Margueritte’s horsemen had patrolled a short distance, -about six, but neither saw nor heard of the approaching -columns; nor until the German Hussars, leading the erring -column ascending the Meuse from Montimont, had got -close to St. Menges, were they discovered by a French -patrol sent out at the suggestion of De Wimpffen.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_308" id="Page_308">[p 308]</a></span></p> - -<h3>The 11th and 5th Corps engage.</h3> - -<p>The shots exchanged by the hostile cavaliers aroused the -French infantry in St. Menges; but they offered no resistance -when the nearest German battalion attacked the -village, which was immediately occupied. Two companies, -prolonging the movement, effected a lodgment in Floing -and could not be expelled; while three batteries, escorted -by the Hussars, dashed upon the ridge south of St. Menges, -partly protected by a copse, and opened fire on the French. -It was this initial combat which attracted the notice of -Prince Augustus of Würtemberg, who looked with interest, -from his hill above the Givonne, upon the white battle -smoke which curled up beyond the heights of Illy. Shortly -afterwards seven additional batteries issued from the defile -and formed in succession on the hill—the same which had -filled General Douay with anxiety the day before—and -some infantry battalions followed; but the body of the -11th Corps was only just clearing the pass, and the 5th -was still behind. In order to protect the batteries, infantry -supports were advanced on either flank and in -front towards the Illy brook. General Margueritte, on the -Calvaire d’Illy had watched this unwelcomed development -of artillery. Seeing the infantry spread out below, he -thought that his horse might ride them down and then -disable the line of batteries, which seemed to be without -adequate support. Accordingly, by his order, General de -Galliffet led forth three regiments of Chasseurs d’Afrique -and two squadrons of Lancers against the intrusive foot -and audacious gunners. But he never got near the batteries. -Swooping down the slope upon the infantry below -him, his men and horses soon fell fast, and although they -swept through the skirmishers, they were crushed by the -fire of the supports and the guns on the hill and the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_309" id="Page_309">[p 309]</a></span> -squads of infantry on either side. They endeavoured to -ride in upon the flanks, but their bravery was displayed in -vain, for nothing could live under the fire which smote -them, and they rode back, frustrated, to the shelter of -their own lines. The cavalry outburst had been repelled -by a few companies of foot on an open hill-side. So puissant -is the breech-loader in the hands of cool infantry -soldiers. But the French foot took up the game, and the -chassepot, deftly plied, forced the forward German skirmishers -to fall back on the villages and hills.</p> - -<p>Gradually the two Corps arrived on the scene. Before -eleven o’clock the artillery of the 5th, preceding its infantry, -went into line on a second ridge to the westward, -and soon twenty-four batteries—that is, 144 guns—were -pouring an “avalanche de fer” into the French position, -and crossing their fire with that of the Guard batteries, -which showered their shells into the right rear of Douay’s -men from the heights beyond the Givonne. About this -time, also, as reinforcements came up to Fleigneux, the -companies there moved westward towards Olly; captured, -on their way, eight guns, many horses, much munition, -and above a hundred officers and men, who seemed intent -on escaping over the frontier, and finally entered Olly, -where soon afterwards they were gratified by the arrival of -a squadron of Prussian Hussars of the Guard. Thus was -the circle completed which placed the two Armies in communication. -In front of the right wing the two companies -which at the outset obtained a lodgment in Floing, were -at length supported and relieved. As the infantry from -the wooded region north of the Meuse Loop arrived, they -took the place of the battalions near the guns, and these -then went forward upon Floing, one after the other, and -by degrees got possession of the village. But the French -delivered a counterstroke so well pushed that the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_310" id="Page_310">[p 310]</a></span> -defenders of Floing could not keep them back, and they were -only thrust out by the timely intervention of three fresh -battalions from St. Menges. The French retired towards -the heights of Cazal, and for some time stopped the -further advance of their foes.</p> - -<p>The battle was now practically won; for the Germans -held Balan as well as Bazeilles, supported by one-half the -2nd Bavarian Corps brought up to aid the 1st; one -division of the 4th Corps was deep in the fight, and the -other in reserve, close at hand; the line of the Givonne, -from end to end, was occupied on both banks; the Guard -Cavalry, after vainly trying to charge up the Calvaire -d’Illy, were behind the 5th Corps; south of the Meuse a -Bavarian division faced the fortress; and to the west the -Würtembergers interposed between Vinoy’s troops in -Mézières and Sedan. Above all, a little after one o’clock, -there were no fewer than 426 guns hailing shells upon -the unfortunate French, who were almost piled one upon -another in an area which did not measure two miles either -in depth or breadth. It stands on record that there were -in full action twenty-six batteries on the North, twenty-four -on the East, ten to the West of La Moncelle, and -eleven on the South between Wadelincourt and Villette—an -array of force enough to crush out all resistance; but -the conflict still continued, for no one had authority sufficient -to stop the awful carnage.</p> - -<h3>The Condition of the French Army.</h3> - -<p>The main interest of the drama henceforth centres in -the despairing efforts of the French to avert the catastrophe -of Sedan. Early in the morning the Emperor Napoleon -mounted his horse and rode out with his own staff to -witness the battle. On his way towards Bazeilles he met -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_311" id="Page_311">[p 311]</a></span> -and spoke to the wounded Marshal, who was being carried -to the hospital in Sedan. Then the Emperor rode towards -the hills above La Moncelle, and for several hours he -lingered on the field, well under fire, for two officers were -wounded near him; but he had no influence whatever on -the battle. Soon after taking command, De Wimpffen, -riding out of the Fond de Givonne, came plump upon -Napoleon as he watched the fight near Balan. “All goes -well, Sire,” said the General; “we are gaining ground;” -and when His Majesty remarked that the left, meaning -the front towards St. Menges, was threatened, the General -replied, “We shall first pitch the Bavarians into the Meuse, -and then, with all our forces, fall upon the new foe.” They -parted, the Emperor returning to Sedan, whence he did -not emerge again that day, and the General careering -towards the fight. Then followed a sharp dispute between -De Wimpffen and Ducrot, in the presence of Lebrun, ending -in the order to stop the so-called retreat which had -scarcely begun. It is impossible to reconcile the conflicting -accounts of these officers; but De Wimpffen’s own words -show that, at the time, he did not attach great importance -to the attack on Douay, for to that General he wrote, “I -believe in a demonstration upon your Corps, especially -designed to hinder you from sending help to the 1st and -12th Corps,” and he asked him to aid Lebrun. Then he -went himself to the position held by Douay, in order to -expedite the despatch of reinforcements. “Come and see for -yourself,” said Douay, on reaching the heights. “I saw -quite a hostile Army extending afar,” writes De Wimpffen, -“and a formidable artillery—the big batteries of the -5th and 11th Corps—firing with a precision which, under -other circumstances,” he adds, “I should have been the first -to admire.” Prince Bibesco says that De Wimpffen promised -to send troops from the 1st Corps to occupy the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_312" id="Page_312">[p 312]</a></span> -Calvaire d’Illy, and then went away. As he was riding -back, in that state of emotion which the French describe -by the phrase, “le cœur navré,” he encountered Ducrot. -“The events which I predicted,” said the latter, “have -happened sooner than I expected. The enemy is attacking -the Calvaire d’Illy. Douay is greatly shaken. Moments -are precious. Hurry up reinforcements if you would keep -that position.” “Well,” retorted De Wimpffen, still -believing that he had only Bavarians to deal with, “look -after that yourself. Collect what troops you can and hold -the ground while I attend to the 12th Corps.” Thereupon -Ducrot ordered up guns and infantry; while then, or -shortly afterwards, De Wimpffen called for troops from -Douay, who, believing the Calvaire was or would be -occupied by Ducrot’s people, sent off three brigades, and -put his last division in front line. Apparently the cross -currents of wandering battalions met in the wood of -Garenne; and it is not easy to see how any advantages -were obtained by the shifting to and fro which went on. -Ducrot was anxious to defend the Illy plateau; De Wimpffen -desired to break out towards Carignan. He fondled the -idea at one o’clock, when neither object could possibly -be attained; but if there had been a chance left, the conflict -between the two Generals would have sufficed to -destroy it.</p> - -<p>That “Army” which De Wimpffen saw from the north-western -heights came on in irresistible waves. The French -infantry could not endure the thick and ceaseless hail of -shells from the terrible batteries. The French artillery, -brave and devoted, vainly went into action, for the converging -fire from the hostile hills blew up the tumbrils, -sometimes two at once, killed and wounded the gunners, -and swept away the horses. Ducrot’s reinforcements, -despite his forward bearing and animated language, melted -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_313" id="Page_313">[p 313]</a></span> -away into the woods, and the last battalions and the last -two batteries led up by Douay were speedily forced to -retire. The Germans, already in the village of Illy, advanced -to the Calvaire, while the troops of the 11th Corps -sallied out of Floing, deployed on both sides, and soon the -interval between the two villages was full of hostile troops. -General Ducrot pictures himself, and doubtless truly, as -using every effort by word and example to rally and hold -fast the foot; but they could not be held; they slipped off -and vanished under the trees. At this time the only strong -body of French was Liébert’s division above the terraced -hill which leads up to Cazal, and the cavalry of Margueritte -and Bonnemains lurking in the hollows and under the -cover of trees. To these men Ducrot appealed, and his -appeal was nobly answered.</p> - -<h3>The French Cavalry Charge.</h3> - -<p>General Margueritte commanded five regiments of horse, -principally Chasseurs d’Afrique. At the request of Ducrot -he promptly moved out from cover, and prepared to charge; -but wishing to reconnoitre the ground, he rode in advance, -and was hit in the head by a bullet which traversed his -face. Mortally wounded, he gave the command to De -Galliffet, and rode off, supported by two men, and grasping -the saddle with both hands, “the star of his arm,” as -Colonel Bonie poetically calls him. Then De Galliffet -performed his task, and rode straight into the intrusive -enemy. For half an hour, on the hill sides south of Floing, -and even the lowlands bordering the Meuse, the dashing -French horsemen dauntlessly struck at their foes. The -German infantry scattered in lines of skirmishers, were just -attaining the crest of the eminence, when the cavalry -dashed upon them. They broke through the skirmishers, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_314" id="Page_314">[p 314]</a></span> -but fell in heaps under the fire of the compact bodies of -supports. Failing to crush a front, they essayed the flanks -and even the rear, and nothing dismayed, sought again and -again to ride over the stubborn adversary, who, relying on -his rifle, would not budge. The more distant infantry and -the guns, when occasion served, smote these devoted -cavaliers. Sometimes the Germans met them in line, at -others they formed groups, or squares as the French call -them, and occasionally they fought back to back. One -body of horse rode into a battery, and was only repelled -by the fire of a company of infantry. Another dashed -through a village on the banks of the river, and although -they were harried by infantry, and turned aside and -followed by some Prussian hussars, several rode far down -the river, and created some disorder in the German trains. -There were many charges, all driven home as far at least -as the infantry fire would permit, more than one carrying -the furious riders up to the outskirts of Floing. But, -in the end, the unequal contests everywhere had the same -result—bloody defeat for the horseman, who matched himself, -his lance or sword and steed against the breech-loader -held by steady hands in front of keen eyes. Yet it is not -surprising that these daring charges excited the ungrudging -admiration and deep sympathy of friend and foe. They -did not arrest the march of the German infantry, or turn -the tide of battle, or even infuse new courage into the -French soldiers, who were exposed to trials which few, if -any, troops could bear. But they showed, plainly enough, -that the “furia francese” survived in the cavalry of France, -and that, if the mounted men refused or disdained to -perform more useful work by scouting afar and covering -the front of armies, they could still charge with unabated -heroism on the field of battle. They were dispersed, and -they left behind heaps of dead and dying—one-half their -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_315" id="Page_315">[p 315]</a></span> -strength resting on the scene of their daring. Three -Generals, Margueritte, Girard and Tilliard, were killed, -and Salignac-Fenelon was wounded. The Germans say -that their own losses were small, but that among the Jägers -a comparatively large number of men were wounded by the -sword. These notable exploits were done about two o’clock -or a little later; and, with slight exceptions, they mark the -end of desperately offensive resistance on the part of the -French.</p> - -<p>During the next hour the Germans pressed their adversaries -close up to Sedan. “When the cavalry had been -driven back in disorder,” says Ducrot in his sweeping -style, “the last bodies of infantry which had stood firm -broke and fled. Then on the right and left, with loud -hurrahs, which mingled with the roar of cannon and -musketry, the Prussian lines advanced.” The statement is -too superlative. The cavalry in squads, wandered, no -doubt, from ravine to ravine, seeking an asylum, or tried -to enter the fortress. The remains of several brigades -were piled up in the wood of Garenne, and exposed to an -incessant shell fire. But Liébert’s division stoutly defended -Cazal, and gave back, foot by foot, until they also were -under the ramparts. Towards four o’clock the converging -German columns, despite frantic onsets from bands of -French infantry, especially on the Givonne front, had -thrust these over the deep hollow way, and the victors -were only halted when they came within range of the -garrison guns.</p> - -<h3>General de Wimpffen’s Counterstroke.</h3> - -<p>Throughout the battle General de Wimpffen cherished -the idea that it would be feasible to crush “the Bavarians” -and retreat on Carignan. At one o’clock he sent -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_316" id="Page_316">[p 316]</a></span> -a despatch to General Douay, telling the General to cover -his retreat in that direction. Douay received it an hour -afterwards, and he then replied that “with only three -brigades, without artillery, and almost without munitions,” -the utmost he could do would be to retreat in order from -the field. That was near the moment when Liébert began -to fall back, fighting stiffly, from Cazal. At a quarter past -one De Wimpffen wrote a letter to the Emperor saying -that “rather than be made prisoner in Sedan,” he would -force the line in his front. “Let your Majesty,” he said, -“place himself in the midst of his troops; they will hold -themselves bound in honour to fray out a passage.” His -Majesty took no notice of this appeal, and De Wimpffen -waited in vain for a reply; but he spent the time in an endeavour -to dash in the barrier in his front, direct an attack on -the Givonne, which failed; and to organize an onset on Balan, -which partly succeeded. He went into Sedan and brought -out troops, and gathered up all he could from the errant fragments -of a broken Army. With these he fell fiercely and unexpectedly -upon the Bavarians in Balan; refused to suspend -the fight when ordered by the Emperor to open negotiations -with the enemy; and by degrees became master of all the village -except one house. But he could not emerge and continue -his onslaught, for the hostile artillery began to play on the -village; reinforcements were brought up, arrangements -were made to frustrate the ulterior aim of the French and -recover the lost ground. Against a resolute advance the infantry -led by De Wimpffen could not stand, and possession -of the village was regained just as the white flag went up -over the nearest gate of Sedan. Suddenly the firing ceased -on both sides. Although respectfully described by the -Germans, General de Wimpffen’s last charge is scoffed at -by Ducrot and Lebrun, whom he had enraged by declaring -both guilty of disobedience. Lebrun, who was an -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_317" id="Page_317">[p 317]</a></span> -eye-witness as well as a gallant actor in the forlorn hope, says -that they had not gone a quarter of a mile before the -column broke and took refuge in the nearest houses. -Looking back, De Wimpffen is reported by his comrade to -have said, “I see we are not followed and that there is -nothing more to do. Order the troops to retreat on Sedan.” -The battle had, at length, come to an end. The German -infantry, both near Cazal and Balan were within a short -distance of the fortifications; in the centre they stood -south of the Warren Wood; to the eastward long lines of -guns crowned the heights on both banks of the Givonne; -on the south, the gate of Torcy was beset, and behind all -the foremost lines were ample reserves, horse as well as -foot, which had never fired a shot. The number of -batteries had increased during the afternoon, for the -Würtemberg artillery was called over the Meuse and set in -array at the bend of the river above Donchery. Even the -high-tempered, if imperious, De Wimpffen was obliged to -admit that through this dread circle, neither for him nor -any other, was there an outlet. The agony had been -prolonged, but enough had been done to satisfy the -“honour” of the most obstinate and punctilious of -generals. The wearied, wasted, famished, and unnerved -French troops were thankful for the impressive stillness -and unwonted rest which came abruptly with the declining -sun, even though it set the seal on a horrible disaster.</p> - -<h3>The Emperor and his Generals.</h3> - -<p>Had Napoleon III. retained that Imperial authority -which he had been supposed to possess, the slaughter -might have been stayed some hours before. For early in -the afternoon he became convinced that the Army could -not be extricated, and that the time had come when it -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_318" id="Page_318">[p 318]</a></span> -would be well to treat. His experiences, as a superfluous -attendant on the battle-field, were dolorous. The first -object which met his gaze was the wounded Marshal. The -depressing incident may have called up visions of Italian -triumphs; and, reflecting on the painful contrast, he may -have remembered what he said after returning from the -sanguinary victory of Solferino—that no more would he -willingly lead great Armies to war; for the sight of its -horrors had touched the chord of sympathy with human -suffering which had always readily vibrated in his heart. -During several hours he watched the tempest lower and -break in fury; he saw and felt its effects, for two officers -were shot at his side; wherever he looked the clouds of -encircling battle smoke rose in the clear sunshine; and -when he rode back into Sedan the terrible shells were -bursting in the ditches, and even on the bridge which he -traversed to gain his quarters. As the day wore on his -gloomy meditations took a more definite shape; he wished -to stop the conflict, and he seems to have thought first that -an armistice might be obtained, and then that the King of -Prussia, if personally besought, would grant the Army easy -terms; for the idea of a capitulation had grown up and -hardened in his mind.</p> - -<p>At his instigation, no officer has come forward to claim -the honour, some one hoisted a white flag. As soon as he -heard of it, General Faure, Marshal MacMahon’s Chief of -the Staff, ascended the citadel and cut down a signal so -irritating to his feelings; but no one told the Emperor that -his solitary, independent, and Imperial action, since he -joined the Army of Chalons as a fugitive, had been thus -irreverently contemned. “Why does this useless struggle -still go on?” he said to General Lebrun, who entered his -presence some time before three o’clock. “Too much blood -has been shed. An hour ago I directed the white flag to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_319" id="Page_319">[p 319]</a></span> -be hoisted in order to demand an armistice.” The General -politely explained that other forms were necessary—the -Commander-in-Chief must sign a letter and send a proper -officer, a trumpeter, and a man bearing a white flag, to the -chief of the enemy. Lebrun drew out such a form, and -started forth. Faure, who had just pulled down the white -flag, would not look at it; De Wimpffen, seeing Lebrun -ride up followed by a horseman who carried a rag on a -pole, shouted out, “I will not have a capitulation; drop -that flag; I shall go on fighting;” and then ensued their -adventures about Balan, which have been described. When -Lebrun had gone, Ducrot, and subsequently Douay, visited -the Emperor. Ducrot found the interior of the fortress in -a state which he qualifies as “indescribable.” “The streets, -the squares, the gates were choked up with carts, carriages, -guns, the impedimenta and debris of a routed Army. -Bands of soldiers, without arms or knapsacks, streamed in -every moment, and hurried into the houses and churches. -At the gates many were trodden to death.” Those who -preserved some remains of vigour exhaled their wrath in -curses, and shouted “We have been betrayed, sold by -traitors and cowards.” The Emperor still wondered why -the action went on, and rejected Ducrot’s suggestion of a -sortie at night as futile. He wished to stop the slaughter; -but he could not prevail on Ducrot to sign any letter. -Douay at first appeared disposed to accept the burden, but -De Failly or Lebrun induced him to revoke his consent by -remarking that it entailed the duty of fixing his name to -a capitulation. General de Wimpffen sent in his resignation, -which, as the Emperor could not induce one of the -other generals to take his place, was absolutely refused. -The shells were bursting in the garden of the Sub-Prefecture, -in the hospitals, the streets, and among the houses, -some of which were set on fire. In these dire straits the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_320" id="Page_320">[p 320]</a></span> -Emperor at length resolved that the white flag should be -again unfurled, and should, this time, remain aloft in the -sunshine. Meantime, as evident signs indicating a desire -to negotiate had appeared at various points, and as the -white flag surmounted the citadel, the King directed -Colonel Bronsart von Schellendorf and Captain von Winterfeld -to summon the place to capitulate. When Bronsart -intimated to the Commandant of Torcy that he bore a -summons to the Commander-in-Chief, he was conducted -to the Sub-Prefecture, “where,” says the official narrative, -“he found himself face to face with the Emperor Napoleon, -whose presence in Sedan until that moment had -been unknown at the German head-quarters.” The arrival -of the Prussian officer seems to have occurred just as the -Emperor finished writing a letter to the King destined to -become famous. But he answered Bronsart’s request that -an officer fully empowered to treat should be sent to the -German head-quarters, by remarking that General de -Wimpffen commanded the Army. Thereupon, Colonel -Bronsart departed, bearing a weighty piece of intelligence -indeed, but no effective reply; and soon afterwards General -Reille, intrusted with the Imperial letter, rode out of the -gate of Torcy and ascended the hill whence the King had -witnessed the battle.</p> - -<h3>King William and his Warriors.</h3> - -<p>An eminence, selected by the Staff because it commanded -an extensive view, rises a little south of Frenois—the site -has been marked on the map with a small pyramid—and -upon this, about seven o’clock, just as the fog was lifting, -King William took his stand. When the mists vanished, -the sun poured his dazzling splendour over the landscape, -and the air was so lucid that everything could be seen -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_321" id="Page_321">[p 321]</a></span> -distinctly through a powerful field-glass. “The sun shone -out in full power,” says Prince Bibesco. “The sun was -exceedingly powerful,” writes Dr. Russell. “The day had -become so clear”—he is writing of the same period as the -Prince—“that through a good glass the movements of individual -men were plainly discernible.” And, a little -earlier, he says, “on the hills, through wood and garden,” -he was looking towards the Givonne, “and in the valleys, -bayonets glistened, and arms twinkled and flashed like -a streamlet in moonlight.” And so it continued to the -end. “The hills of the battlefield,” writes Dr. Moritz -Busch, “the gorge in its midst, the villages, the houses -and the towers of the fortress, the suburb of Torcy, the -ruined [railway] bridge to the left in the distance, shone -bright in the evening glow, and their details became clearer -every minute, as if one were looking through stronger and -stronger spectacles.” Through such a rich and transparent -atmosphere the King gazed from his height upon the city -wherein Turenne was born, in September, 1611, and on the -battle which has made the little town on the Meuse, which -Vauban fortified, still more memorable. A glimpse of the -group on the hill is fortunately afforded by Dr. Russell, -whose keen eyes on a battlefield seem to overlook nothing. -“Of the King, who was dressed in his ordinary uniform, -tightly buttoned and strapped,” it is noted that he “spoke -but little, pulled his moustache frequently, and addressed -a word to Von Moltke, Roon, or Podbielski,” who looked -frequently through a large telescope mounted on a tripod. -“Moltke,” he goes on, and the touch is characteristic, -“when not looking through the glass or at the map, stood -in a curious musing attitude, with his right hand to the -side of his face, the elbow resting on the left hand crossed -towards his hip.” A picture of Von Moltke, which, taken -with what another observer calls his “refined and wrinkled -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_322" id="Page_322">[p 322]</a></span> -face,” deserves to live in the memory. Count Bismarck, -we are told, “in his white cuirassier flat cap with the -yellow band and uniform, stood rather apart, smoking a -good deal, and chatting occasionally with a short, thick-set, -soldierly-looking man in the undress uniform of a United -States’ Lieutenant-General.” It was Sheridan. And near -these were many less famous personages, but representative -of “all Germany,” as one writer puts it. On another -hill a little further west, whither Dr. Russell transferred -himself, was a second and notable group, which he sketches. -“The Crown Prince with his arms folded, and his flat cap, -uniform frock, and jack boots; Blumenthal so spruce and -trim; half-a-dozen princes and many aides-de-camp” were -all sharply and well-defined on the sky-line. Thus these -two groups, “from morn to dewy eve,” looked down, on, -and into a scene which nature and man had combined to -make at once beautiful and sublime.</p> - -<p>It was towards the King’s hill that General Reille turned -when he rode out of the Torcy gate. Walking his horse up -the steep, he dismounted, and taking off his cap, presented -a letter to his Majesty. King William, breaking the Imperial -seal, read these phrases, which, if somewhat dramatic, -are striking in their brevity:—<a name="FNanchor_1" - id="FNanchor_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a></p> - -<p class="skip3">Monsieur mon Frère,</p> - -<p class="indent2">N’ayant pu mourir au milieu de mes troupes, il -ne me reste qu’ à remettre mon epée entre les mains de -Votre Majesté.</p> - -<p class="indent2">Je suis de Votre Majesté,</p> - -<p class="center">le bon Frère,</p> - -<p class="right">N<span class="smaller">APOLÉON</span>.</p> - -<p class="skip2 noindent">Sédan, le 1<sup>er</sup> Septembre, 1870.<br /> -</p> - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_323" id="Page_323">[p 323]</a></span></p> - -<p>Only one half hour earlier had Colonel Bronsart brought -the startling information that the Emperor was in Sedan! -The King conferred with his son, who had been hastily -summoned, and with others of his trusty servants, all -deeply moved by complex emotions at the grandeur of their -victory. What should be done? The Emperor spoke for -himself only, and his surrender would not settle the great -issue. It was necessary to obtain something definite, and -the result of a short conference was that Count Hatzfeldt, -instructed by the Chancellor, retired to draft a reply. -“After some minutes he brought it,” writes Dr. Busch, -“and the King wrote it out, sitting on one chair, while the -seat of a second was held up by Major von Alten, who -knelt on one knee and supported the chair on the other.” -The King’s letter, brief and business-like, began and -ended with the customary royal forms, and ran as follows:</p> - -<p>“Regretting the circumstances in which we meet, I -accept your Majesty’s sword, and beg that you will be -good enough to name an officer furnished with full powers -to treat for the capitulation of the Army which has fought -so bravely under your orders. On my side I have designated -General von Moltke for that purpose.”</p> - -<p>General Reille returned to his master, and as he rode -down the hill the astounding purport of his visit flew from -lip to lip through the exulting Army which now hoped -that, after this colossal success, the days of ceaseless marching -and fighting would soon end. As a contrast to this -natural outburst of joy and hope we may note the provident -Moltke, who was always resolved to “mak siker.” -His general order, issued at once, suspending hostilities -during the night, declared that they would begin again in -the morning should the negotiations produce no result. -In that case, he said, the signal for battle would be the reopening -of fire by the batteries on the heights east of -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_324" id="Page_324">[p 324]</a></span> -Frénois. The return of peace, so fervently desired by the -Army, was still far off in the distance when the tired -victors bivouacked in quiet, and dreamed of home through -the short summer night.</p> - -<div class="footnote"> -<p class="noindent" ><a name="Footnote_1" id="Footnote_1"></a><a -href="#FNanchor_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> -“Not having been able to die in the midst of my troops, nothing remains -for me but to place my sword in the hands of your Majesty.”</p> -</div> - -<h3>How the Generals Rated each other.</h3> - -<p>While General Reille, who performed his part with so -much modesty and dignity, rode back over the Meuse, the -Emperor still awaited, in the Sub-Prefecture, the advent -of General de Wimpffen, who was fretting and fuming at -the Golden Cross within the walls. According to his own -confession he had become convinced that the refusal of his -sovereign to head a sally from Balan had delivered over -the Army to the mercy of the Germans, and violent despair -had taken possession of his soul. For had not the Comte -de Palikao sent him to overbear Napoleon III. and the set -who surrounded him, and had he not failed to bend the -monarch to his will? Twice, he repeats, with pride, “I -obstinately refused to obey” the Emperor’s invitation to -treat with the enemy; and because Napoleon III. had -authoritatively interfered with his command he sent in -that letter of resignation which the Emperor refused to -accept. At first he seemed inclined to resist as well as -resent the conduct of his master, who had presumed to -consult others and, by hoisting the white flag, to take, as -the General haughtily says, “a decision contrary to my -will.” Let the Emperor sign the capitulation. Such were -the first thoughts of a man whose temper was imperious, -but whose better nature was not insensible to reason. He -quelled his wrath and threw off his despair, moved, as he -says, by the feeling that in defending the interests of the -Army he would be rendering a last service to his brave -companions in arms, and to his country. So he went from -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_325" id="Page_325">[p 325]</a></span> -the Golden Cross to the Sub-Prefecture. Still angry, he -loudly asserted as soon as he entered the room that he had -been vanquished in battle because, addressing the Emperor, -“your Generals refused to obey me.” Thereupon Ducrot -started up, exclaiming, “Do you mean me? Your orders -were only too well obeyed, and your mad presumption has -brought on this frightful disaster.” “If I am incapable,” -retorted De Wimpffen, “all the more reason why I should -not retain the command.” “You took it this morning,” -shouted Ducrot, also a violent man, “when you thought it -would bring honour and profit. You cannot lay it down -now. You alone must bear (endosser) the shame of the -capitulation.” “Le General Ducrot était très exalté,” he -says in his narrative, and he calls on his brother officers -who were present to testify that he used these brave words, -which, in substance, appear in De Wimpffen’s account; -but the latter adds that he threw back the accusation, saying, -“I took the command to evade a defeat which your -movement would have precipitated;” and that he requested -General Ducrot to leave the room, as he had not come to -confer with him! What the quiet and well-mannered -Emperor thought of his two fiery and blustering Generals -is nowhere stated. The calm language in the pamphlet -attributed to Napoleon III., which shows, nevertheless, -how deeply he was vexed by De Wimpffen’s selfish wish to -shirk his responsibilities at such a moment, takes no note -of the quarrel, and simply tells us how “the General understood -that, having commanded during the battle, his duty -obliged him not to desert his post in circumstances so -critical.” Thus, when General Reille returned with King -William’s letter, he found De Wimpffen in a reasonable -frame of mind and ready to perform, with courage and -address, the hard task of obtaining the best terms he could -for the French Army from the placidly stern Von Moltke, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_326" id="Page_326">[p 326]</a></span> -in whose heart there were no soft places when business -had to be done.</p> - -<h3>The Generals Meet at Donchery.</h3> - -<p>Late on the evening of September 1st a momentous -session was held in Donchery, the little town which commands -a bridge over the Meuse below Sedan. On one -side of a square table covered with red baize sat General -von Moltke, having on his right hand the Quartermaster-General -von Podbielski, according to one account, and Von -Blumenthal according to another, and behind them several -officers, while Count von Nostitz stood near the hearth to -take notes. Opposite to Von Moltke sat De Wimpffen -alone; while in rear, “almost in the shade,” were General -Faure, Count Castelnau, and other Frenchmen, among -whom was a Cuirassier Captain d’Orcet, who had observant -eyes and a retentive memory. Then there ensued a brief -silence, for Von Moltke looked straight before him and -said nothing, while De Wimpffen, oppressed by the number -present, hesitated to engage in a debate “with the two men -admitted to be the most capable of our age, each in his -kind.” But he soon plucked up courage, and frankly -accepted the conditions of the combat. What terms, he -asked, would the King of Prussia grant to a valiant Army -which, could he have had his will, would have continued to -fight? “They are very simple,” answered Von Moltke. -“The entire Army, with arms and baggage, must surrender -as prisoners of war.” “Very hard,” replied the Frenchman. -“We merit better treatment. Could you not be -satisfied with the fortress and the artillery, and allow the -Army to retire with arms, flags and baggage, on condition -of serving no more against Germany during the war?” -No. “Moltke,” said Bismarck recounting the interview, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_327" id="Page_327">[p 327]</a></span> -“coldly persisted in his demand,” or as the attentive -D’Orcet puts it, “Von Moltke was pitiless.” Then De -Wimpffen tried to soften his grim adversary by painting -his own position. He had just come from the depths of -the African desert; he had an irreproachable military reputation; -he had taken command in the midst of a battle, -and found himself obliged to set his name to a disastrous -capitulation. “Can you not,” he said, “sympathize with -an officer in such a plight, and soften, for me, the bitterness -of my situation by granting more honourable conditions?” -He painted in moving terms his own sad case, -and described what he might have done; but seeing that -his personal pleadings were unheeded, he took a tone of -defiance, less likely to prevail. “If you will not give -better terms,” he went on, “I shall appeal to the honour of -the Army, and break out, or, at least, defend Sedan.” -Then the German General struck in with emphasis, “I -regret that I cannot do what you ask,” he said; “but as -to making a sortie, that is just as impossible as the defence -of Sedan. You have some excellent troops, but the greater -part of your infantry is demoralized. To-day, during the -battle, we captured more than twenty thousand unwounded -prisoners. You have only eighty thousand men left. My -troops and guns around the town would smash yours before -they could make a movement; and as to defending -Sedan, you have not provisions for eight-and-forty hours, -nor ammunition which would suffice for that period.” -Then, says De Wimpffen, he entered into details respecting -our situation, which, “unfortunately, were too true,” and -he offered to permit an officer to verify his statements, an -offer which the Frenchman did not then accept.</p> - -<p>Beaten off the military ground, De Wimpffen sought refuge -in politics. “It is your interest, from a political standpoint, -to grant us honourable conditions,” he said. “France -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_328" id="Page_328">[p 328]</a></span> -is generous and chivalric, responsive to generosity, and grateful -for consideration. A peace, based on conditions which -would flatter the amour-propre of the Army, and diminish -the bitterness of defeat, would be durable; whereas rigorous -measures would awaken bad passions, and, perhaps, bring -on an endless war between France and Prussia.” The new -ground broken called up Bismarck, “because the matter -seemed to belong to my province,” he observed when telling -the story; and he was very outspoken as usual. “I -said to him that we might build on the gratitude of a -prince, but certainly not on the gratitude of a people—least -of all on the gratitude of the French. That in France -neither institutions nor circumstances were enduring; that -governments and dynasties were constantly changing, and -the one need not carry out what the other had bound itself -to do. That if the Emperor had been firm on his throne, -his gratitude for our granting good conditions might have -been counted upon; but that as things stood it would be -folly if we did not make full use of our success. That -the French were a nation full of envy and jealousy, that -they had been much mortified by our success at Königgratz, -and could not forgive it, though it in nowise damaged them. -How, then, should any magnanimity on our side move -them not to bear us a grudge for Sedan.” This Wimpffen -would not admit. “France,” he said, “had much changed -latterly; it had learned under the Empire to think more -of the interests of peace than of the glory of war. France -was ready to proclaim the fraternity of nations; and more -of the same kind.” Captain d’Orcet reports that, in -addition, Bismarck denied that France had changed, and -that to curb her mania for glory, to punish her pride, her -aggressive and ambitious character, it was imperative that -there should be a glacis between France and Germany. -“We must have territory, fortresses and frontiers which -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_329" id="Page_329">[p 329]</a></span> -will shelter us for ever from an attack on her part.” -Further remonstrances from De Wimpffen only drew down -fresh showers of rough speech very trying to bear, and -when Bismarck said “We cannot change our conditions,” -De Wimpffen exclaimed, “Very well; it is equally impossible -for me to sign such a capitulation, and we shall renew -the battle.”</p> - -<p>Here Count Castelnau interposed meekly to say, on -behalf of the Emperor, that he had surrendered, personally, -in the hope that his self-sacrifice would induce the King to -grant the Army honourable terms. “Is that all?” Bismarck -inquired. “Yes,” said the Frenchman. “But what -is the sword surrendered,” asked the Chancellor; “is it his -own sword, or the sword of France?” “It is only the -sword of the Emperor,” was Castelnau’s reply. “Well, -there is no use talking about other conditions,” said Von -Moltke, sharply, while a look of contentment and gratification -passed over his face, according to Bismarck; one -“almost joyful,” writes the keen Captain d’Orcet. “After -the last words of Von Moltke,” he continues, “De Wimpffen -exclaimed, ‘We shall renew the battle.’ ‘The truce,’ retorted -the German General, ‘expires to-morrow morning at -four o’clock. At four, precisely, I shall open fire.’ We -were all standing. After Von Moltke’s words no one spoke -a syllable. The silence was icy.” But then Bismarck intervened -to sooth excited feelings, and called on his soldier -comrade to show, once more, how impossible resistance had -become. The group sat down again at the red baize-covered -table, and Von Moltke began his demonstration -afresh. “Ah,” said De Wimpffen, “your positions are not -so strong as you would have us believe them to be.” “You -do not know the topography of the country about Sedan,” -was Von Moltke’s true and crushing answer. “Here is a -bizarre detail which illustrates the presumptuous and -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_330" id="Page_330">[p 330]</a></span> -inconsequent character of your people,” he went on, now -thoroughly aroused. “When the war began you supplied -your officers with maps of Germany at a time when they -could not study the geography of their own country for -want of French maps. I tell you that our positions are -not only very strong, they are inexpugnable.” It was then -that De Wimpffen, unable to reply, wished to accept the -offer made, but not accepted at an earlier period, and to -send an officer to verify these assertions. “You will send -nobody,” exclaimed the iron General. “It is useless, and -you can believe my word. Besides, you have not long to -reflect. It is now midnight; the truce ends at four o’clock, -and I will grant no delay.” Driven to his last ditch, De -Wimpffen pleaded that he must consult his fellow-Generals, -and he could not obtain their opinions by four o’clock. Once -more the diplomatic peacemaker intervened, and Von Moltke -agreed to fix the final limit at nine. “He gave way at last,” -says Bismarck, “when I showed him that it could do no -harm.” The conference so dramatic broke up, and each -one went his way; but, says the German official narrative, -“as it was not doubtful that the hostile Army, completely -beaten and nearly surrounded, would be obliged to submit -to the clauses already indicated, the Great Head-quarter -Staff was occupied, that very night, in drawing up the text -of the capitulation” a significant and practical comment, -showing what stuff there was behind the severe language -which, at the midnight meeting, fell from the Chief of that -able and sleepless body of chosen men.</p> - -<h3>Napoleon III. Surrenders.</h3> - -<p>General de Wimpffen went straight from the military -conference to the wearied Emperor who had gone to bed. -But he received his visitor, who told him that the proposed -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_331" id="Page_331">[p 331]</a></span> -conditions were hard, and that the sole chance of mitigation -lay in the efforts of His Majesty. “General,” said -the Emperor, “I shall start at five o’clock for the German -head-quarters, and I shall see whether the King will be -more favourable;” for he seems to have become possessed -of an idea that King William would personally treat with -him. The Emperor kept his word. Believing that he -would be permitted to return to Sedan, he drove forth -without bidding farewell to any of his troops; but, as the -drawbridge of Torcy was lowered and he passed over, the -Zouaves on duty shouted “Vive l’Empereur!” This cry -was “the last adieu which fell on his ears” as we read in -the narrative given to the world on his behalf. He drove -in a droshki towards Donchery, preceded by General Reille -who, before six o’clock, awoke Count Bismarck from his -slumbers, and warned him that the Emperor desired to -speak with him. “I went with him directly,” said Bismarck, -in a conversation reported by Busch; “and got on -my horse, all dusty and dirty as I was, in an old cap and -my great waterproof boots, to ride to Sedan where I supposed -him to be.” But he met him on the high road near -Frénois, “sitting in a two-horse carriage.” Beside him -was the Prince de la Moskowa, and on horseback Castlenau -and Reille. “I gave the military salute,” says Bismarck. -“He took his cap off and the officers did the same; whereupon -I took off mine, although it was contrary to rule. He -said, ‘Couvrez-vous, donc.’ I behaved to him just as if in -St. Cloud, and asked his commands.” Naturally, he -wanted to see the King, but that could not be allowed. -Then Bismarck placed his quarters in Donchery at the -Emperor’s disposal, but he, thinking, as we know, that he -would return to the Sub-Prefecture, declined the courtesy, -and preferred to rest in a house by the wayside. The -cottage of a Belgian weaver unexpectedly became famous; -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_332" id="Page_332">[p 332]</a></span> -a one-storied house, painted yellow, with white shutters and -venetian blinds. He and the Chancellor entered the house, -and went up to the first floor where there was “a little -room with one window. It was the best in the house, but -had only one deal table and two rush-bottomed chairs,” -In that lowly abode they talked together of many things -for three-quarters of an hour, among others about the -origin of the war which, it seems, neither desired, the -Emperor asserting, Bismarck reports that “he had been -driven into it by the pressure of public opinion,” a very -inadequate representation of the curious incidents which -preceded the fatal decision. But when the Emperor began -to ask for more favourable terms, he was told that, on a -military question, Von Moltke alone could speak. On the -other hand Bismarck’s request to know who now had -authority to make peace was met by a reference to “the -Government in Paris;” so that no progress was made. -Then “we must stand to our demands with regard to the -Army of Sedan,” said Bismarck. General von Moltke was -summoned, and “Napoleon III. demanded that nothing -should be decided before he had seen the King, for he -hoped to obtained from His Majesty some favourable concessions -for the Army.” The German official narrative of -the war states that the Emperor expressed a wish that the -Army might be permitted to enter Belgium, but that, of -course, the Chief of the Staff could not accept the proposal. -General von Moltke forthwith set out for Vendresse where -the King was, to report progress. He met His Majesty on -the road, and there “the King fully approved the proposed -conditions of capitulation, and declared that he would not -see the Emperor until the terms prescribed had been accepted;” -a decision which gratified the Chancellor as well -as the Chief of the Staff. “I did not wish them to come -together,” observed the Count, “until we had settled the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_333" id="Page_333">[p 333]</a></span> -matter of the capitulation;” sparing the feelings of both -and leaving the business to the hard military men.</p> - -<p>The Emperor lingered about in the garden of the weaver’s -cottage; he seems to have desired fresh air after his unpleasant -talk with the Chancellor. Dr. Moritz Busch, who -had hurried to the spot, has left a characteristic description -of the Emperor. He saw there “a little thick-set man,” -wearing jauntily a red cap with a gold border, a black -paletôt lined with red, red trousers, and white kid gloves, -“The look in his light grey eyes was somewhat soft and -dreamy, like that of people who have lived hard. His -whole appearance,” says the irreverent Busch, “was a little -unsoldierlike. The man looked too soft, I might say too -shabby, for the uniform he wore,” phrases which suggest a -lack of sympathy with adversity, and severe physical as -well as mental suffering. But imagination can realize a -picture of the fallen potentate, whose dynasty, crashing -down, drew so much with it, as he was seen by the cynical -German, talking to his officers, or to the burly Chancellor, -or walking alone up and down a potato field in flower, -with his white-gloved hands behind his back, smoking a -cigarette; “betrayed by fortune” or fate, as he believed, -but pursued, as others might say, by the natural consequences -of his marvellous adventures, and of a strange -neglect of the one source of strength on which he relied, -the Army. He had failed in the business upon the conduct -of which he prided himself; he was a bankrupt Emperor.</p> - -<h3>The French Generals Submit.</h3> - -<p>While one scene in the stupendous drama was performed -at the weaver’s cottage, another was acted or endured in -Sedan, where De Wimpffen had summoned the generals to -consider the dreadful terms of capitulation. He has given -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_334" id="Page_334">[p 334]</a></span> -his own account of the incident; but the fullest report is -supplied by Lebrun. There were present at this council of -war more than thirty generals. With tearful eyes and a -voice broken by sobs, the unhappy and most ill-starred De -Wimpffen described his interview and conflict with Von -Moltke and Bismarck, and its dire result—the Army to surrender -as prisoners of war, the officers alone to retain their -arms, and by way of mitigating the rigour of these conditions, -full permission to return home would be given to -any officer, provided he would engage in writing and on -honour not to serve again during the war. The generals, -save one or two, and these finally acquiesced, felt that the -conditions could not be refused; but they were indignant -at the clause suggesting that the officers might escape the -captivity which would befall their soldiers, provided they -would engage to become mere spectators of the invasion of -their country. In the midst of these mournful deliberations -Captain von Zingler, a messenger from Von Moltke, entered, -and the scene became still more exciting. “I am instructed,” -he said, “to remind you how urgent it is that -you should come to a decision. At ten o’clock, precisely, if -you have not come to a resolution, the German batteries -will fire on Sedan. It is now nine, and I shall have barely -time to carry your answer to head-quarters.” To this sharp -summons De Wimpffen answered that he could not decide -until he knew the result of the interview between the -Emperor and the King. “That interview,” said the stern -Captain, “will not in any way affect the military operations, -which can only be determined by the generals who have full -power to resume or stop the strife.” It was, indeed, as -Lebrun remarked, useless to argue with a Captain, charged -to state a fact; and at the General’s suggestion De Wimpffen -agreed to accompany Captain von Zingler to the German -head-quarters.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_335" id="Page_335">[p 335]</a></span></p> - -<p>These were, for the occasion, the Château de Bellevue, -where the Emperor himself had been induced to take up -his abode, and about eleven o’clock, in a room under the -Imperial chamber, De Wimpffen put his name at the foot of -the document drawn up, during the night, by the German -Staff. Then he sought out the Emperor, and, greatly -moved, told him that “all was finished.” His Majesty, he -writes, “with tears in his eyes, approached me, pressed my -hand, and embraced me;” and “my sad and painful duty -having been accomplished, I remounted my horse and rode -back to Sedan, ‘la mort dans l’âme.’”</p> - -<p>So soon as the convention was signed, the King arrived, -accompanied by the Crown Prince. Three years before, as -the Emperor reminds us in the writing attributed to him, -the King had been his guest in Paris, where all the sovereigns -of Europe had come to behold the marvels of the -famous Exhibition. “Now,” so runs the lamentation, -“betrayed by fortune, Napoleon III. had lost all, and had -placed in the hands of his conqueror the sole thing left -him—his liberty.” And he goes on to say, in general -terms, that the King deeply sympathized with his misfortunes, -but nevertheless could not grant better conditions -to the Army. “He told the Emperor that the castle of -Wilhelmshöhe had been selected as his residence; the Crown -Prince then entered and cordially shook hands with -Napoleon; and at the end of a quarter of an hour the King -withdrew. The Emperor was permitted to send a telegram -in cipher to the Empress, to tell her what had happened, -and urge her to negotiate a peace.” Such is the bald -record of this impressive event. The telegram, which -reached the Empress at four o’clock on the afternoon of the -3rd, was in these words: “The Army is defeated and -captive; I myself am a prisoner.”</p> - -<p>For one day more the fallen sovereign rested at Bellevue -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_336" id="Page_336">[p 336]</a></span> -to meditate on the caprices of fortune or the decrees of -fate. But that day, at the head of a splendid company of -princes and generals, King William, crossing the bridge of -Donchery, rode throughout the whole vast extent of the -German lines, to greet his hardy warriors and be greeted -by them on the very scene of their victories. And well -they deserved regal gratitude, for together with their comrades -who surrounded Metz, by dint of long swift marches -and steadfast valour, they had overcome two great Armies -in thirty days.</p> - -<p>During the battle of Sedan, the Germans lost in killed -and wounded 8,924 officers and men. On the other hand, -the French lost 3,000 killed, 14,000 wounded, and 21,000 -captured in the battle. The number of prisoners by -capitulation was 83,000, while 3,000 were disarmed in -Belgium, and a few hundreds, more or less, made their way -by devious routes near and over the frontier, to Mézières, -Rocroi, and other places in France. In addition, were taken -one eagle and two flags, 419 field guns and mitrailleuses, -139 garrison guns, many wagons, muskets, and horses. -On the day after the surrender, the French soldiers, having -stacked their arms in Sedan, marched into the peninsula -formed by the deep loop of the Meuse—“le Camp de -Misère” as they called it—and were sent thence in successive -batches, numbered by thousands, to Germany. Such -was the astonishing end of the Army of Chalons, which -had been impelled to its woful doom by the Comte de -Palikao and the Paris politicians. Directed by General -Vinoy, who was an able soldier, the troops brought to -Mézières, escaped by rapid and clever marches from the -German cavalry and the 6th Corps, and formed the -nucleus of the improvised Army which afterwards defended -the capital.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_337" id="Page_337">[p 337]</a></span></p> - -<h3>The End.</h3> - -<p>On the 3rd of September the Emperor Napoleon III. -departed from Bellevue on his journey to the Castle of -Wilhelmshöhe, near Cassel. The morning was wet and -gloomy, and a thunderstorm was gathering among the -hills of the Ardennes. The Imperial baggage-train had -been permitted to leave Sedan, and was drawn up on the -road ready to start. Columns of prisoners also were -moving out of the fortress and marching towards the -peninsula formed by the Meuse. It was a lugubrious -scene, and the superstitious might remark that as the sun -shone resplendently on the German victory, so his light -was obscured when the captive Emperor drove through the -muddy streets of Donchery and thence to the northward, -wrapped in the sombre mist and thickly falling rain. And -as he journeyed, disconsolately, in the forenoon, upon the -road to Bouillon, orders went forth from the German head-quarters, -where time was never lost, directing the conquering -generals to leave the 11th and one Bavarian Corps -on guard over Sedan and the thousands of unhappy -prisoners, and resume, with all the rest, that march on the -capital of France which had been so abruptly interrupted -only eight days before. So the victors and the vanquished -went their different ways.</p> - -<p>The Emperor travelled without haste, and on the evening -of the 4th he slept at Verviers. The next morning he -learned, in common with all Europe, indeed all the civilized -world, that the fires which seethe under the bright surface -of society in Paris had once more burst through the thin -crust of use and wont, and that the dynasty of the -Bonapartes had been utterly overthrown at a blow to make -way for the Republic. Like intelligence reached the King -of Prussia, also, at his head-quarters, which, on the 5th, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_338" id="Page_338">[p 338]</a></span> -were already in Reims. The contrast is painful. The -King saw his hopes of an early peace destroyed; but his -was a solidly planted throne and he was the leader of -irresistible armies. The Emperor knew that his fond -dream of founding an Imperial House had been dispelled -in an hour by a blast of national wrath; and, being a -kindly man, his agony was the keener because, as he -pathetically says, “he was separated from his son, and -knew not what fate had befallen the Empress.” Racked -by such sad reflections, at the very time when his wife was -escaping to England, Louis Napoleon Bonaparte went, by -railway, from Verviers to Wilhelmshöhe. There, during a -luxurious captivity of six months, he had ample leisure to -meditate on the causes which led to the catastrophe of -Sedan and the surrender of Metz; and to ascertain, if he -could, why, after a second trial, ending in the third entry -of hostile troops into Paris, the French nation had lost its -belief in the saving qualities of a family bearing a name -which, if associated with undying “glory,” has also become -indissolubly linked with bitter memories of lost provinces -and gigantic military disasters.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_339" id="Page_339">[p 339]</a></span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="pagenba" id="APPENDICES">APPENDICES.</h2> -</div> - -<p class="appno" id="boga">I.</p> - -<p class="appname">THE GERMAN FIELD ARMIES.</p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER-IN-</span>C<span class="smaller">HIEF</span>, - K<span class="smaller">ING</span> - W<span class="smaller">ILLIAM OF</span> - P<span class="smaller">RUSSIA</span>; -Chief of the Staff, General Baron von Moltke; Quartermaster, General -Podbielski; Inspector-General of Artillery, General von Hindersin.</p> - -<p>Present with the Great Head Quarters were the Minister -of War, General von Roon; and the Federal Chancellor -and Minister President, General Count von Bismarck-Schönhausen.</p> - -<p class="obarmy">F<span class="smaller">IRST</span> - A<span class="smaller">RMY.</span></p> -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER-IN-</span>C<span class="smaller">HIEF</span>, -General von Steinmetz; Chief of the Staff, Gen. von Sperling; Chief -Quartermaster, Col. Count von Wartensleben.</p> - -<p class="obcorps">First Corps.<a name="FNanchor_2" -id="FNanchor_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a></p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER-IN-</span>C<span class="smaller">HIEF</span>, -General Baron von Manteuffel; Chief of the Staff, Lieut.-Col. von der -Burg. 1st Div., Lieut.-Gen. von Bentheim; 1st Brig., Major-Gen. von -Gayl; 2nd Brig., Major-Gen. Baron von Falkenstein. 2nd -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_340" id="Page_340">[p 340]</a></span> -Div., Major-Gen. von Pritzelwitz; 3rd Brig., Major-Gen. -von Memerty; 4th Brig., Major-Gen. von Zglintski; -Commander of Artillery, Major-Gen. von Bergemann.</p> - -<p>Strength of Corps: 25 battalions, 25,000 men; 8 -squadrons, 1,200 horses; 14 batteries, 84 guns; 3 companies -of Pioneers.</p> - -<div class="footnote"> - <p class="noindent"><a name="Footnote_2" id="Footnote_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> This Corps did not arrive until August 5.</p> -</div> - -<p class="obcorps">Seventh Corps.</p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER-IN-</span>C<span class="smaller">HIEF</span>, -General von Zastrow; Chief of the Staff, Col. von Unger. 13th Div., -Lieut.-Gen. von Glümer; 25th Brig., Major-Gen. Baron von Osten-Sacken; -26th Brig., Major-Gen. Baron von Golz. 14th Div., Lieut.-General von -Kameke; 27th Brig., Major-Gen. von François; 28th Brig., Major-Gen. von -Woyna; Commander of Artillery, Major-Gen. von Zimmermann.</p> - -<p>Strength of Corps: 25 battalions, 25,000 men; 8 -squadrons, 1,200 horses; 14 batteries, 84 guns; and 3 -companies of Pioneers.</p> - -<p class="obcorps">Eighth Corps.</p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER-IN-</span>C<span class="smaller">HIEF</span>, -General von Goeben; Chief of the Staff, Col. von Witzendorff. 15th -Div., Lieut.-Gen. von Weltzien; 29th Brig., Major-Gen. von Wedell; 30th -Brig., Major-Gen. von Strubberg. 16th Div., Lieut.-Gen. Barnekow; 31st, -Major-Gen. Count Neidhard von Gneisenau; 32nd, Col von Rex; Commander -of Artillery, Colonel von Kameke.</p> - -<p>Strength of Corps: 25 battalions, 25,000 men; 8 -squadrons, 1,200 horses; 15 batteries, 90 guns; and 3 -companies of Pioneers.</p> - - -<p class="obcorps">First Cavalry Division.</p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER</span>, Lieut.-General von Hartmann. Brigadiers: -1st Brig., Major-Gen. von Lüderitz; 2nd Brig., Major-Gen. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_341" id="Page_341">[p 341]</a></span> -von Baumgarth (each was composed of one Cuirassier -and two Uhlan regiments, and accompanied by a Horse -Artillery Battery).</p> - -<p>Strength: 24 squadrons, 3,600 horses, and 6 guns.</p> - -<p class="obcorps">Third Cavalry Division.</p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER</span>, Lieut.-Gen. Count von der Gröben. Brigadiers: -6th Brig., Major-Gen. von Mirus (one Cuirassier -and one Uhlan regiment); 7th Brig., Major-Gen. Count -von Dohna (two Uhlan regiments).</p> - -<p>Strength: 16 squadrons, 2,400 horses, 1 Horse Artillery -battery, 6 guns.</p> - -<p class="obcorps">Strength of First Army.</p> - -<table class="army" summary=""> - <tbody> - <tr> - <th></th> - <th>Battalions.</th> - <th>Squadrons.</th> - <th>Batteries.</th> - <th>Guns.</th> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">1st Corps</td> - <td>25</td> <td> 8</td> <td>14</td> <td>84</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">7th Corps</td> - <td>25</td> <td> 8</td> <td>15</td> <td>90</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">8th Corps</td> - <td>25</td> <td> 8</td> <td>14</td> <td>84</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">1st Cav. Div.</td> - <td></td> <td>24</td> <td> 1</td> <td> 6</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">3rd Cav. Div.</td> - <td></td> <td>16</td> <td> 1</td> <td> 6</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td></td> - <td>––</td> <td>––</td> <td>––</td> <td>–––</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Total</td> - <td>75</td> <td>64</td> <td>45</td> <td>270</td> - </tr> - </tbody> -</table> - -<p class="obarmy">T<span class="smaller">HE</span> - S<span class="smaller">ECOND</span> - A<span class="smaller">RMY.</span></p> - - <p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER-IN-</span>C<span class="smaller">HIEF</span>, - H.R.H. Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia; Chief of Staff, - Major-Gen. von Stiehle; Chief Quartermaster, Colonel von Hertzberg; - Commander of Artillery, Lieut.-Gen. von Colomier.</p> - - -<p class="obcorps">The Guard Corps.</p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER-IN-</span>C<span -class="smaller">HIEF</span>, Prince Augustus of Würtemberg; Chief of -the Staff, Major-Gen. von Dannenberg. <span class="pagenum"><a -name="Page_342" id="Page_342">[p 342]</a></span> 1st Div., Major-Gen. -von Pape; 1st Brig., Major-Gen. von Kessel; 2nd Brig., Major-Gen. Baron -von Medem. 2nd Div., Lieut.-Gen. von Budritzki; 3rd Brig., Colonel -Knappe von Knappstädt; 4th Brig., Major-Gen. von Berger; Commander of -Artillery, Major-Gen. Kraft, Prince of Hohenlohe Ingelfingen.</p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">AVALRY</span> D<span -class="smaller">IVISION</span>:—Commander, Major-Gen. Count von der -Golz; 1st Brig., Major-Gen. Count von Brandenburg I. (Life Guards and -Cuirassiers); 2nd Brig., Lieut.-Gen. Prince Albert of Prussia (two -Uhlan regiments); 3rd Brig., Lieut.-Gen. Count von Brandenburg II. (two -Dragoon regiments).</p> - -<p>Strength of Corps: 29 battalions, 29,000 men; 32 squadrons, 4,800 -horses; 15 batteries, 90 guns; and 3 companies of Pioneers.</p> - -<p class="obcorps">Second Corps.<a name="FNanchor_3" -id="FNanchor_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a></p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER-IN-</span>C<span class="smaller">HIEF</span>, -General von Fransecky; Chief of the Staff, Colonel von Wichmann; -Commander of Artillery, Major-Gen. von Kleist. 3rd Div., Major-Gen. -von Hartmann; 5th Brig., Major-Gen. von Koblinski; 6th Brig., Colonel -von der Decken. 4th Div., Lieut.-Gen. Hann von Weihern; 7th Brig., -Major-Gen. du Trossel; 8th Brig., Major-Gen. von Kettler.</p> - -<p>Strength of Corps: 25 battalions, 25,000 men; 8 -squadrons, 1,200 horses; 14 batteries, 84 guns; and 3 -companies of Artillery.</p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p class="noindent"><a name="Footnote_3" id="Footnote_3"></a><a -href="#FNanchor_3"><span class="label">[3]</span></a>Came up to the -front at the battle of Gravelotte.</p></div> - - -<p class="obcorps">Third Corps.</p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER-IN-</span>C<span -class="smaller">HIEF</span>, Lieut.-Gen. von Alvensleben II.; Chief of -the Staff, Colonel von Voigts-Rhetz; Commander <span class="pagenum"><a -name="Page_343" id="Page_343">[p 343]</a></span> of Artillery, -Major-Gen. von Bülow. 5th Div., Lieut.-Gen. von Stülpnagel; 9th Brig., -Major-Gen. von Döring; 10th Brig., Major-Gen. von Schwerin. 6th Div., -Lieut.-Gen. Baron von Buddenbrock; 11th Brig., Major-Gen. von -Rothmaler; 12th Brig., Colonel von Bismarck.</p> - -<p>Strength of Corps: 25 battalions, 25,000 men; 8 -squadrons, 1,200 horses; 14 batteries, 84 guns; and 3 -companies of Pioneers.</p> - - -<p class="obcorps">Fourth Corps.</p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER-IN-</span>C<span class="smaller">HIEF</span>, -General von Alvensleben I.; -Chief of the Staff, Colonel von Thile; Commander of -Artillery, Major-Gen. von Scherbening. 7th Div., Lieut.-Gen. -von Schwarzhoff; 13th Brig., Major-Gen. von -Worries; 14th Brig., Major-Gen. von Zychlinski. 8th -Div., Lieut.-Gen. von Schöler; 15th Brig., Major-Gen. -von Kessler; 16th Brig., Colonel von Scheffler.</p> - -<p>Strength of Corps: 25 battalions, 25,000 men; 8 -squadrons, 1,200 horses; 14 batteries, 84 guns; and 3 -companies of Pioneers.</p> - - -<p class="obcorps">Ninth Corps.</p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER-IN-</span>C<span class="smaller">HIEF</span>, -General von Manstein; Chief of -the Staff, Major Bronsart von Schellendorf; Commander -of Artillery, Major-Gen. von Puttkammer. 18th Div., -Lieut.-Gen. Baron von Wrangel; 35th Brig., Major-Gen. -von Blumenthal; 36th Brig., Major-Gen. von Below. The -Hessian Division (25th): Commander, Lieut.-Gen. H.R.H. -Prince Louis of Hesse; 49th Brig., Major-Gen. von -Wittich; 50th Brig., Colonel von Lyncker.</p> - -<p>Strength of Corps: 23 battalions, 23,000 men; 12 -squadrons, 1,800 horses; 15 batteries, 90 guns; 3 companies -of Pioneers.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_344" id="Page_344">[p 344]</a></span></p> - - -<p class="obcorps">Tenth Corps.</p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER-IN-</span>C<span class="smaller">HIEF</span>, -General von Voigts-Rhetz; Chief of the Staff, Lieut.-Col. von Caprivi; -Commander of Artillery, Colonel Baron von der Becke. 19th Div., -Lieut.-Gen. von Schwarzkoppen; 37th Brig., Colonel von Lehmann; 38th -Brig., Major-Gen. von Wedell. 20th Div., Major-Gen. Kraatz Koschlau; -39th Brig., Major-Gen. von Woyna; 40th Brig., Major-Gen. von -Diringshofen.</p> - -<p>Strength of Corps: 25 battalions, 25,000 men; 8 -squadrons, 1,200 horses; 14 batteries, 84 guns; 3 companies -of Pioneers.</p> - - -<p class="obcorps">Twelfth (Royal Saxon) Corps.</p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER-IN-</span>C<span class="smaller">HIEF</span>, -General H.R.H. the Crown Prince of Saxony; Chief of the Staff, Colonel -von Zezschwitz; Commander of Artillery, Major-Gen. Köhler. 1st Div., -Prince George of Saxony; 1st Brig., Major-Gen. von Craushaar; 2nd -Brig., Colonel von Montbé. 2nd Div., Major-Gen. Nehrhoff von -Holderberg; 3rd Brig., Major-Gen. von Leonhardi; 4th Brig., Colonel -von Schulz. [N.B. The Infantry Divisions were also numbered 23 and -24, and the brigades 45, 46, 47, and 48, to fit them into the general -system.]</p> - -<p>Strength of Corps: 29 battalions, 29,000 men; 24 -squadrons, 3,600 horses; 16 batteries, 96 guns; 3 companies -of Pioneers. [The Cavalry formed the 12th Division, -commanded by the Count of Lippe; Brigadiers, Major-Gen. -Krug von Nidda and Major-Gen. Seufft von Pilsach.]</p> - -<p class="obcorps">The Fifth Cavalry Division.</p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER</span>, Lieut.-Gen. Baron von -Rheinbaben; 11th Brig., Major-Gen. von Barby (a Cuirassier, a Uhlan, -and a <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_345" id="Page_345">[p -345]</a></span> Dragoon regiment); 12th Brig., Major-Gen. von Bredow -(similarly formed); 13th Brig., Major-Gen. von Redern (three Hussar -regiments).</p> - -<p>Strength of Division: 36 squadrons, 5,400 horses; 2 -batteries, 12 guns, Horse Artillery.</p> - -<p class="obcorps">The Sixth Cavalry Division.</p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER</span>, Duke William of Mecklenburg-Schwerin; -14th Brig., Major-Gen. Baron von Diepenbroick-Grüter (a -Cuirassier and two Uhlan regiments); 15th Brig., Major-Gen. -von Rauch (two Hussar regiments).</p> - -<p>Strength of Division: 20 squadrons, 3,000 horses; and -1 Horse Artillery battery, 6 guns.</p> - -<p class="obcorps">Strength of Second Army.</p> - -<table class="army" summary=""> - <tbody> - <tr> - <th></th> - <th>Battalions.</th> - <th>Squadrons.</th> - <th>Batteries.</th> - <th>Guns.</th> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Guard</td> - <td>29</td> <td>32</td> <td>15</td> <td>90</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">2nd Corps</td> - <td>25</td> <td> 8</td> <td>14</td> <td>84</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">4th Corps</td> - <td>25</td> <td> 8</td> <td>14</td> <td>84</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">9th Corps</td> - <td>23</td> <td>12</td> <td>15</td> <td>90</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">10th Corps</td> - <td>25</td> <td> 8</td> <td>14</td> <td>84</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">12th Corps</td> - <td>29</td> <td>24</td> <td>16</td> <td>96</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">5th Cav. Div.</td> - <td></td> <td>36</td> <td> 2</td> <td>12</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">6th Cav. Div.</td> - <td></td> <td>20</td> <td> 1</td> <td> 6</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td></td> - <td>–––</td> <td>–––</td> <td>–––</td> <td>–––</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Total</td> - <td>181</td> <td>156</td> <td>105</td> <td>630</td> - </tr> - </tbody> -</table> - -<p class="obarmy">T<span class="smaller">HE</span> - T<span class="smaller">HIRD</span> - A<span class="smaller">RMY.</span></p> - - <p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER-IN-</span>C<span class="smaller">HIEF</span>, - H.R.H. the Crown Prince of Prussia; Chief of the Staff, - Lieut.-Gen. von Blumenthal; Chief Quartermaster, Colonel von - Gottberg; Commander of Artillery, Lieut.-Gen. Herkt.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_346" id="Page_346">[p 346]</a></span></p> - -<p class="obcorps">Fifth Corps.</p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER-IN-</span>C<span class="smaller">HIEF</span>, -Lieut.-Gen. von Kirchbach; Chief -of the Staff, Colonel von der Esch; Commander of the -Artillery, Colonel Gaede. 9th Div., Major-Gen. von -Sandrart; 17th Brig., Colonel von Bothmer; 18th Brig., -Major-Gen. von Voigts-Rhetz. 10th Div., Lieut.-Gen. von -Schmidt; 19th Brig., Colonel von Henning auf Schönhoff; -20th Brig., Major-Gen. Walther von Montbary.</p> - -<p>Strength of Corps; 25 battalions, 25,000 men; 8 squadrons, -1,200 horses; 14 batteries, 84 guns; 3 companies of -Pioneers.</p> - -<p class="obcorps">Sixth Corps.<a name="FNanchor_4" -id="FNanchor_4"></a><a href="#Footnote_4" class="fnanchor">[4]</a></p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER-IN-</span>C<span class="smaller">HIEF</span>, -General von Tümpling; Chief of the Staff, Colonel von Salviati; -Commander of Artillery, Colonel von Ramm. 11th Div., Lieut.-Gen. von -Gordon; 21st Brig., Major-Gen. von Malachowski; 22nd Brig., -Major-Gen. von Eckartsberg. 12th Div., Lieut.-Gen. von Hoffmann; 23rd -Brig., Major-Gen. Gündel; 24th Brig., Major-Gen. von Fabeck.</p> - -<p>Strength of Corps: 25 battalions, 25,000 men; 8 squadrons, -1,200 horses, 14 batteries, 84 guns; 3 companies of -Pioneers.</p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p class="noindent"><a name="Footnote_4" id="Footnote_4"></a><a -href="#FNanchor_4"><span class="label">[4]</span></a>This Corps did -not cross the frontier until the 6th of August.</p></div> - -<p class="obcorps">Eleventh Corps.</p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER-IN-</span>C<span class="smaller">HIEF</span>, -Lieut.-Gen. von Bose; Chief of the Staff, Major-Gen. Stein von -Kaminski; Commander of Artillery, Major-Gen. Hausmann. 21st Div., -Lieut.-Gen. von Schachtmeyer; 41st Brig., Colonel von Koblinski; 42nd -Brig., Major-Gen. von Thile. 22nd Div., Lieut.-Gen. von Gersdorff; -43rd Brig., Colonel von Konski; 44th Brig., Major-Gen. von -Schkopp.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_347" id="Page_347">[p 347]</a></span></p> - -<p>Strength of Corps: 25 battalions, 25,000 men; 8 squadrons, -1,200 horses; 14 batteries, 84 guns; 3 companies of -Pioneers.</p> - -<p class="obcorps">First Bavarian Corps.</p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER-IN-</span>C<span class="smaller">HIEF</span>, -General von der Tann-Rathsamhausen; Chief of the Staff, -Lieut.-Col. von Heinleth; Commander of Artillery, Major-Gen. von -Malaisé. 1st Div., Lieut.-Gen von Stephan; 1st Brig., -Major-Gen. Dietl; 2nd Brig., Major-Gen. von Orff. 2nd Div., Major-Gen. -Schumaker; 3rd Brig., Colonel Heyle; 4th Brig., Major-Gen. Baron von -der Tann.</p> - -<p>Strength of Corps: 25 battalions, 25,000 men; 20 squadrons, -3,000 horses (Cuirassiers and Light Horse); 16 -batteries, 96 guns; 3 companies of Pioneers.</p> - -<p class="obcorps">Second Bavarian Corps.</p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER-IN-</span>C<span class="smaller">HIEF</span>, -General Ritter von Hartmann; Chief of the Staff, Colonel Baron von -Horn; Commander of Artillery, Major-Gen. Lutz. 3rd Div., -Lieut.-Gen. von Walther; 5th Brig., Major-Gen. von Schleich; 6th -Brig., Colonel Borries von Wissel. 4th Div., Lieut.-Gen. Count von -Bothmer; 7th Brig., Major-Gen. von Thiereck; 8th Brig., -Major-Gen. Maillinger.</p> - -<p>Strength of Corps: 25 battalions, 25,000 men; 20 squadrons, -3,000 horses (Cuirassier, Uhlan, Light Horse); 16 -batteries, 96 guns; 3 companies of Pioneers.</p> - - -<p class="obcorps">The Würtemberg Division.</p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER-IN-</span>C<span -class="smaller">HIEF</span>, Lieut.-Gen. von Obernitz; Chief of the -Staff, Colonel von Bock; Commander of Artillery, Colonel von Sick; 1st -Brig., Major-Gen. von Reitstenstein; -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_348" id="Page_348">[p 348]</a></span> -2nd Brig., Major-Gen. von Starkloff; 3rd Brig., Major-Gen. -Baron von Hügel.</p> - -<p>Strength of Division: 15 battalions, 15,000 men; 10 -squadrons, 1,500 horses; 9 batteries, 54 guns; 2 companies -of Pioneers.</p> - -<p class="obcorps">Baden Division.</p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER-IN-</span>C<span -class="smaller">HIEF</span>, Lieut.-Gen. von Beyer; Chief of the Staff, -Lieut.-Col. von Leszczynski; Commander of Artillery, Colonel von -Freydorf; 1st Brig., Lieut.-Gen. du Jarrhs, Baron von la Roche; 2nd -Brig., Major-Gen. Keller.</p> - -<p>Strength of Division: 13 battalions, 13,000 men; 12 -squadrons, 1,800 horses; 9 batteries, 54 guns; 1 Pioneer -company.</p> - -<p class="obcorps">Second Cavalry Division.<a name="FNanchor_5" -id="FNanchor_5"></a><a href="#Footnote_5" class="fnanchor">[5]</a></p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER</span>, Lieut.-Gen. Count Stolberg-Wernigerode; -3rd Brig., Major-Gen. von Colomb (two regiments, -Cuirassier and Uhlan); 4th Brig., Major-Gen. Baron von -Barnekow (two regiments of Hussars); 5th Brig., Major-Gen. -von Baumbach (two regiments of Hussars).</p> - -<p>Strength: 24 squadrons, 3,600 horses; 2 Horse Artillery -batteries, 12 guns.</p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p class="noindent"><a name="Footnote_5" id="Footnote_5"></a><a -href="#FNanchor_5"><span class="label">[5]</span></a> This Division -came up after the 4th of August.</p></div> - -<p class="obcorps">Fourth Cavalry Division.</p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER</span>, General H.R.H. Prince Albrecht of Prussia, -senior; 8th Brig., Major-Gen. von Hontheim (two regiments, -Cuirassier and Uhlan); 9th Brig., Major-Gen. von Bernhardi -(two Uhlan regiments); 10th Brig., Major-Gen. von -Krosigk (two regiments, Hussar and Dragoon).</p> - -<p>Strength: 24 squadrons, 3,600 horses; 2 Horse Artillery -batteries, 12 guns.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_349" id="Page_349">[p 349]</a></span></p> - -<p class="obarmy">S<span class="smaller">TRENGTH OF</span> - T<span class="smaller">HIRD</span> - A<span class="smaller">RMY.</span></p> - -<table class="army" summary=""> - <tbody> - <tr> - <th></th> - <th>Battalions.</th> - <th>Squadrons.</th> - <th>Batteries.</th> - <th>Guns.</th> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">5th Corps</td> - <td>25</td> <td> 8</td> <td>14</td> <td>84</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">6th Corps</td> - <td>25</td> <td> 8</td> <td>14</td> <td>84</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">11th Corps</td> - <td>23</td> <td>12</td> <td>15</td> <td>90</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">1st Bavarian</td> - <td>25</td> <td>20</td> <td>16</td> <td>96</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">2nd Bavarian</td> - <td>25</td> <td>20</td> <td>16</td> <td>96</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Würtemberg Div.</td> - <td>15</td> <td>10</td> <td> 9</td> <td>54</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Baden Div.</td> - <td>13</td> <td>12</td> <td> 9</td> <td>54</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">2nd Cav. Div.</td> - <td></td> <td>24</td> <td> 2</td> <td>12</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">4th Cav. Div.</td> - <td></td> <td>24</td> <td> 2</td> <td>12</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td></td> - <td>–––</td> <td>–––</td> <td>––</td> <td>–––</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Total</td> - <td>153</td> <td>134</td> <td>96</td> <td>576</td> - </tr> - </tbody> -</table> - - -<p class="obarmy">T<span class="smaller">OTAL OF THE </span> - T<span class="smaller">HREE</span> - A<span class="smaller">RMIES.</span> -</p> - -<table class="army" summary=""> - <tbody> - <tr> - <th></th> - <th>Battalions.</th> - <th>Squadrons.</th> - <th>Batteries.</th> - <th>Guns.</th> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">First Army</td> - <td> 75</td> <td> 64</td> <td> 45</td> <td> 270</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Second Army</td> - <td>181</td> <td>156</td> <td>105</td> <td> 630</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Third Army</td> - <td>153</td> <td>134</td> <td> 96</td> <td> 576</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td></td> - <td>–––</td> <td>–––</td> <td>–––</td> <td>––––</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Grand Total</td> - <td>409</td> <td>354</td> <td>246</td> <td>1,476</td> - </tr> - </tbody> -</table> - -<p>By the end of August the 17th Division of Infantry and -the 2nd Division of Landwehr, under the Grand Duke of -Mecklenburg-Schwerin, in addition to the 3rd Reserve -Division already on the spot under General Kunsmor, were -brought up to take part in the investment of Metz. The -troops sent forward to reinforce the Baden Division before -Strasburg were the Landwehr Division of the Guard, the -1st Reserve Division, and the 1st brigade of reserve cavalry. -During August, counting all ranks, sick or well, and including -every species of non-combatant, the mean strength -of the Armies in the field was 780,723 men, and 213,159 -horses.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_350" id="Page_350">[p 350]</a></span></p> - -<p class="appno">II.</p> - -<p class="appname" id="obfa">THE FRENCH ARMY.</p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER-IN-</span>C<span class="smaller">HIEF</span>, - T<span class="smaller">HE</span> - E<span class="smaller">MPEROR</span> - N<span class="smaller">APOLEON</span> III.; -“Major-General” or Chief of the Staff, Marshal Lebœuf, -assisted by General Lebrun and General Jarras; Commander -of Artillery, General Soleille; of Engineers, General -Coffinières de Nordeck.</p> - - -<p class="obarmy">I<span class="smaller">MPERIAL</span> - G<span class="smaller">UARD.</span></p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER-IN-</span>C<span class="smaller">HIEF</span>, -General Bourbaki; Chief of the Staff, General d’Auvergne; Commander of -Artillery, General Pé d’Arros; Divisional Commanders: 1st Div. -(Voltigeurs), General Deligny; Brigadiers: 1st Brig., General -Brincourt; 2nd Brig., General Garnier. 2nd Div. (Grenadiers), General -Picard; Brigadiers: 1st Brig., General Jeanningros; 2nd Brig., General -le Poitevin de Lacroix.</p> - -<p>Strength of Corps: 24 battalions; 24 squadrons—(Desvaux’s -Div. of three brigades, commanded by Halna -du Fretay, De France, and Du Preuil, consisting of Guides, -Chasseurs, Lancers, Dragoons, Cuirassiers, and Carbineers)—60 -guns, and 12 mitrailleuses; 2 companies of Engineers.</p> - - -<p class="obcorps">First Corps.</p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER-IN-</span>C<span -class="smaller">HIEF</span>, Marshal MacMahon, Duke of Magenta; Chief -of the Staff, Gen. Colson; Commander of Artillery, Gen. Forgeot. -Divisional Commanders: 1st Div., Gen. Ducrot; 1st Brig., Gen. Wolff; -2nd Brig., Gen. de Postis du Houlbec. 2nd Div., Gen. Abel Douay; -1st<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_351" id="Page_351">[p -351]</a></span> Brig., Gen. Pelletier de Montmarie; 2nd Brig., Gen. -Pellé. 3rd Div., Gen. Raoult; 1st Brig., Gen. l’Hériller; 2nd Brig., -Gen. Lefebvre. 4th Div., Gen. Lartigue; 1st Brig., Lieut.-Gen. -Fraboulet de Kerléadec; 2nd Brig., Gen. Lacretelle.</p> - -<p>Strength of Corps: 52 battalions—45 deducting the -regiments left in Strasburg; 28 squadrons—Duhesme’s -brigade of Cuirassiers, Hussars, Chasseurs, Lancers, and -Dragoons—96 guns and 24 mitrailleuses; 5½ companies of -Engineers.</p> - - -<p class="obcorps">Second Corps.</p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER-IN-</span>C<span class="smaller">HIEF</span>, - -General Frossard; Chief of the Staff, Gen. Saget; Commander of -Artillery, Gen. Gagneur, 1st Div., Gen. Vergé; 1st Brig., -Gen. Letellier Valazé; 2nd Brig., Gen. Jolivet. 2nd Div., -Gen. Bataille; 1st Brig., Gen. Pouget; 2nd Brig., -Gen. Fauvart-Bastoul. 3rd Div., Gen. de Laveaucoupet; 1st Brig., -Gen. Doëns; 2nd Brig., Gen. Micheler.</p> - -<p>Strength of Corps: 39 battalions; 16 squadrons—(Valabrègue’s -Division, 4 regiments of Chasseurs and Dragoons)—72 guns, -18 mitrailleuses; 5 companies of Engineers.</p> - - -<p class="obcorps">Third Corps.</p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER-IN-</span>C<span class="smaller">HIEF</span>, - -Marshal Bazaine; Chief of the Staff, Gen. Manèque; Commander of -Artillery, Gen. de Rochebouët. 1st Div., Gen. Montaudon; 1st Brig., -Gen. Baron Aymard; 2nd Brig., Gen. Clinchant. 2nd Div., Gen. de -Castagny; 1st Brig., Gen. Nayral; 2nd Brig., Gen. Duplessis. 3rd Div., -Gen. Metman; 1st Brig., Gen. de Potier; 2nd Brig., -Gen. Arnaudeau. 4th Div., Gen. Decaen; 1st Brig., Gen. de Brauer; 2nd -Brig., Gen. Sanglé-Ferrière.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_352" id="Page_352">[p 352]</a></span></p> - -<p>Strength of Corps: 52 battalions; 28 squadrons—(De -Clérambault’s Div., 3 regiments of Chasseurs, 4 of Dragoons, -organized in 3 brigades)—96 guns, 24 mitrailleuses and -5½ companies of Engineers.</p> - -<p class="obcorps">Fourth Corps.</p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER-IN-</span>C<span class="smaller">HIEF</span>, - -General de Ladmirault; Chief of the Staff, Gen. Osmont: Commander of -Artillery, Gen. Lafaille. 1st Div., Gen. Courtot de Cissey; 1st -Brig., Gen. Count Brayer; 2nd Brig., Gen. de Golberg. 2nd Div., -Gen. Grenier; 1st Brig., Gen. Bellecourt; 2nd Brig., Gen. Pradier; -3rd Div., Gen. Count de Lorencez; 1st Brig., Gen. Count Pajol; 2nd -Brig., Gen. Berger.</p> - -<p>Strength of Corps: 39 battalions; 16 squadrons—(Legrand’s -Div., 1 brigade of Hussars and 1 of Dragoons)—72 -guns, 18 mitrailleuses; 4 companies of Engineers.</p> - - -<p class="obcorps">Fifth Corps.</p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER-IN-</span>C<span class="smaller">HIEF</span>, - -General de Failly; Chief of the Staff, Gen. Besson; Commander of -Artillery, Gen. Liédot. 1st Div., Gen. Goze; 1st Brig., Gen. Sauron; -2nd Brig., Gen. Nicolas-Nicolas. 2nd Div., Gen. de l’Abadie d’Aydrein; -1st Brig., Gen. Lapasset; 2nd Brig., Gen. de Maussion. 3rd Div., -Gen. Guyot de Lespart; 1st Brig., Gen. Abbatucci; 2nd Brig., Gen. de -Fontanges.</p> - -<p>Strength of Corps: 39 battalions; 16 squadrons—(Brahaut’s -Div., brigade of Hussars and Chasseurs, and -one of Lancers)—72 guns, 18 mitrailleuses; 4 companies -of Engineers.</p> - - -<p class="obcorps">Sixth Corps.</p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER-IN-</span>C<span class="smaller">HIEF</span>, - -Marshal Canrobert; Chief of the Staff, Gen. Henri; Commander of -Artillery, Gen. Labastie. 1st Div., Gen. Tixier; 1st Brig., -Gen. Péchot; 2nd Brig., -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_353" id="Page_353">[p 353]</a></span> -Gen. Le Roy de Dais. 2nd Div., Gen. Bisson; 1st Brig., Gen. Archinard; -2nd Brig., Gen. Maurice. 3rd Div., Gen. Lafont de Villers; 1st Brig., -Gen. Becquet de Sonnay; 2nd Brig., Gen. Colin. 4th Div., -Gen. Levassor-Sorval; 1st Brig., Gen. de Marguenat; 2nd Brig., -Gen. Comte de Chanaleilles.</p> - -<p>Strength of Corps: 49 battalions; 24 squadrons—(Div. -of Salignac-Fénelon, three brigades Lancers, Hussars, -Chasseurs, and Cuirassiers)—114 guns, 6 mitrailleuses, -and 5 companies of Engineers. [Only 40 battalions and -36 guns were able to reach Metz.]</p> - - -<p class="obcorps">Seventh Corps.</p> - -<p>C<span class="smaller">OMMANDER-IN-</span>C<span class="smaller">HIEF</span>, - -General Félix Douay; Chief of the Staff, Gen. Renson; Commander of -Artillery, Gen. de Liégeard. 1st Div., Gen. Conseil Dumesnil; 1st -Brig., Gen. Nicolaï; 2nd Brig., Gen. Maire. 2nd Div., Gen. Liébert; -1st Brig., Gen. Guiomar; 2nd Brig., Gen. de la Bastide. 3rd Div., -Gen. Dumont; 1st Brig., Gen. Bordas; 2nd Brig., Gen. Bittard des -Portes.</p> - -<p>Strength of Corps: 38 battalions; 20 squadrons—(Amiel’s -Div., five regiments, in two brigades, Lancers, -Hussars, and Dragoons)—72 guns, 18 mitrailleuses, and 4 -companies of Engineers. [One cavalry brigade of two -regiments never joined the 7th Corps.]</p> - - -<p class="obcorps">Reserve Cavalry.</p> - -<p>1st Div., Gen. du Barail; 1st Brig., Gen. Margueritte; -2nd Brig., Gen. de Lajaille; 16 squadrons, Chasseurs -d’Afrique, and 12 guns. [Three regiments reached Metz -on the 10th of August, and the 4th at Mouzon on the -Meuse.]</p> - -<p>2nd Div., Gen. Viscomte de Bonnemains; 1st Brig., Gen. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_354" id="Page_354">[p 354]</a></span> -Girard; 2nd Brig., Gen. de Brauer; 16 squadrons, all -Cuirassiers.</p> - -<p>3rd Div., Gen. de Forton; 1st Brig., Gen. Prince Murat; -2nd Brig., Gen. de Gramont; 16 squadrons—(one brigade -of Dragoons, the other Cuirassiers)—and 12 guns.</p> - -<p>Artillery Reserve: Gen. Canu, 126 guns, 6 mitrailleuses, -and 3 companies of Engineers.</p> - - -<p class="obarmy">S<span class="smaller">TRENGTH OF</span> - A<span class="smaller">RMY.</span></p> - -<table class="army" summary="Strength of French Army"> - <tbody> - <tr> - <th></th> - <th>Battalions.</th> - <th>Squadrons.</th> - <th>Batteries.</th> - <th>Guns.</th> - <th>Mitrailleuses.</th> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Guard</td> - <td>24</td> <td>24</td> <td>12</td> <td> 60</td> <td> 12</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">1st Corps</td> - <td>52</td> <td>28</td> <td>20</td> <td> 96</td> <td> 24</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">2nd Corps</td> - <td>39</td> <td>16</td> <td>15</td> <td> 73</td> <td> 18</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">3rd Corps</td> - <td>52</td> <td>28</td> <td>20</td> <td> 96</td> <td> 24</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">4th Corps</td> - <td>39</td> <td>16</td> <td>15</td> <td> 72</td> <td> 18</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">5th Corps</td> - <td>39</td> <td>16</td> <td>15</td> <td> 72</td> <td> 18</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">6th Corps</td> - <td>49</td> <td>24</td> <td>20</td> <td>114</td> <td> 6</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">7th Corps</td> - <td>38</td> <td>20</td> <td>15</td> <td> 72</td> <td> 18</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Reserve Cav.</td> - <td></td> <td>48</td> <td> 6</td> <td> 30</td> <td> 6</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Reserve Art.</td> - <td></td> <td></td> <td>16</td> <td> 96</td> <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td></td> - <td>–––</td> <td>–––</td> <td>–––</td> <td>–––</td> <td>–––</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td></td> - <td>332</td> <td>220</td> <td>154</td> <td>780</td> <td>144</td> - </tr> - </tbody> -</table> - -<p>It is not possible to do more than guess at the numerical -strength of the French Corps, and consequently of the -French Army; so great is the variation in the strength of -battalions and squadrons. The infantry of the several -Corps was continually augmented by the arrival of reserves, -so that, the losses at Spicheren notwithstanding, the 2nd -Corps was stronger by more than 2,000 men, five days after -the battle, than it was on the morning of the 6th; Marshal -Lebœuf told the Parliamentary Commission that, on the -1st of August, according to the “states” sent in to the -head-quarters, the effective of the Army of the Rhine, including -all the Corps in the field, was 243,171 men. But -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_355" id="Page_355">[p 355]</a></span> -“the real effective,” he adds, “was greatly superior.” For -by the 1st of August, no fewer than “278,882 men had -been sent to the Army of the Rhine,” and subsequently, -until the 14th, “numerous detachments.” It is plain that -no precise information can be obtained, but it seems -probable that the strength was always greater than that -reported at the time. Similar uncertainty prevails respecting -the effective strength of the “Army of Chalons.” -The only authentic figures extant are those supplied by the -German account of the capitulation, from which the original -strength, increased by additions on the line of march, may -be inferred.</p> - - -<p class="appno">III.</p> - -<p class="appname" id="protocol">THE PROTOCOL OF CAPITULATION.</p> - -<p>Between the undersigned, the Chief of the Staff of His -Majesty the King of Prussia, commanding in chief the -German Army, and the General, commanding in chief the -French Army, each having received full powers from their -Majesties, King William and the Emperor Napoleon, the -following Convention has been concluded:</p> - -<p><i>Article</i> 1.—The French Army, placed under the orders -of General de Wimpffen, finding itself actually surrounded -in Sedan by superior forces, is prisoner of war.</p> - -<p><i>Article</i> 2.—Having regard to the brave defence of this -Army, an exception is made for all the generals and officers, -as well as for the functionaries, having the rank of officer, -who shall give their word of honour, in writing, not to bear -arms against Germany, and not to act in any other manner -against her interests until the end of the present war. The -officers and functionaries who may accept these conditions, -shall preserve their arms and personal property.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_356" id="Page_356">[p 356]</a></span></p> - -<p><i>Article</i> 3.—All other arms, as well as the <i>matériel</i> of the -Army, consisting of flags (eagles and standards), cannons, -horses, military chests, army equipages, munitions, etc., -shall be surrendered at Sedan to a Military Commission, -appointed by the French Commander-in-Chief, to be given -over immediately to the German Commissioner.</p> - -<p><i>Article</i> 4.—The fortress of Sedan shall be immediately -placed in its actual state, and, at the latest, by the evening -of September 2, at the disposal of His Majesty the King of -Prussia.</p> - -<p><i>Article</i> 5.—The officers who shall not have subscribed -the engagement mentioned in Article 2, and the men, -after having been disarmed, shall be ranked in regiments -and conducted in good order into the peninsula formed by -the Meuse near Iges. The groups thus constituted shall -be handed over to the German Commissioners by the -officers, who will immediately give over the command to -the sous-officers. This arrangement will begin on the 2nd -of September and should be finished on the 3rd.</p> - -<p><i>Article</i> 6.—The military medical men, without exception, -will remain behind to take care of the wounded.</p> - -<p>Done at Frénois, September 2, 1870.</p> - -<p class="right"> - (Signed) V<span class="smaller">ON</span> - M<span class="smaller">OLTKE.</span><br /> - D<span class="smaller">E</span> - W<span class="smaller">IMPFFEN.</span> -</p> - -<p class="appno">IV.</p> - -<p class="appname" id="bibly">A LIST OF THE PRINCIPAL WORKS CONSULTED<br /> -FOR THE CAMPAIGN OF SEDAN.</p> - - -<div id="bibliography"> -<p class="bib">Der Deutsch-Französische Krieg, 1870–71. Redigirt von -der Kriegsgeschichtlichen Abtheilung des Grossen Generalstabes.</p> - -<p class="bib">The German Artillery. Captain Hoffbauer.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_357" id="Page_357">[p 357]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bib">Operations of the First Army. Major A. von Schell.</p> - -<p class="bib">Operations of the Bavarian Army. Captain H. Helvig.</p> - -<p class="bib">Tactical Deductions from the War 1870–71. Captain A. -von Boguslawski.</p> - -<p class="bib">Our Chancellor; Sketches for a Historical Picture. By -Moritz Busch.</p> - -<p class="bib">Bismarck and the Franco-German War, 1870–71. By -Dr. Moritz Busch.</p> - -<p class="bib">My Diary during the last Great War. By W. H. Russell.</p> - -<p class="bib">L’Armée du Rhin. Par le Maréchal Bazaine.</p> - -<p class="bib">Episodes de la Guerre de 1870 et le Blocus de Metz. -Par l’Ex-Maréchal Bazaine.</p> - -<p class="bib">Affaire de la Capitulation de Metz. Procès Bazaine.</p> - -<p class="bib">Metz, Campagne et Négociations. Par un Officier supérieur -de l’Armée du Rhin.</p> - -<p class="bib">Journal d’un Officier de l’Armée du Rhin. Par Ch. -Fay.</p> - -<p class="bib">Œuvres Posthumes autographes inédits de Napoleon III. -Collected and published by the Comte de la Chapelle.</p> - -<p class="bib">Sedan. Par le Général de Wimpffen.</p> - -<p class="bib">La Journée de Sedan. Par le Général Ducrot.</p> - -<p class="bib">Guerre de 1870. Bazeilles-Sedan. Par le Général -Lebrun.</p> - -<p class="bib">Campagne de 1870. Belfort, Reims, Sedan, Le 7<sup>e</sup> -Corps de l’Armée du Rhin. Par le Prince Georges Bibesco.</p> - -<p class="bib">Journal d’un Officier d’Ordonnance, Juillet 1870—Février -1871. Par le Comte d’Hérisson.</p> - -<p class="bib">Campagne de 1870. La Cavalerie Française. Par le -Lieut.-Col. Bonie.</p> - -<p class="bib">Campagne de 1870–71. Siége de Paris. Operations du -13<sup>e</sup> Corps et de la Troisième Armée. Par le Général -Vinoy.</p> - -<p class="bib">Documents Relatifs au Siége de Strasbourg. Publiés -par le Général Uhrich.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_358" id="Page_358">[p 358]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bib">Un Ministère de la Guerre de vingt quatre jours. Par -le Général Cousin de Montauban Comte de Palikao.</p> - -<p class="bib">Enquête Parlementaire sur les Acts du Gouvernement -de la Défense Nationale.</p> - -<p class="bib">Papiers et Correspondances de la Famille Impériale.</p> - -<p class="bib">Ma Mission en Prusse. Par le Comte Benedetti.</p> - -<p class="bib">France et la Prusse avant la Guerre. Par le Duc de -Gramont.</p> - -<p class="bib"><i>The Times</i>, October 25, 1871. Translation of Prince -Bismarck’s Reply to Count Benedetti’s “Mission en -Prusse.”</p> - -<p class="bib">La Politique Française en 1866. Par G. Rothan.</p> - -<p class="bib">L’Affaire du Luxembourg: le prélude de la Guerre de -1870. Par G. Rothan.</p> - -<p class="bib">Les Coulisses de la Diplomatie. Quinze Ans à l’Etranger. -1864–1879. Par Jules Hansen.</p> - -<p class="bib">Revue des Deux Mondes. Avril, 1878; and 1886–7.</p> - -<p class="bib1">Papers presented to Parliament Respecting the War -between France and Germany, 1870.</p> -</div> - -<hr class="matter" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="pagenba" id="index">INDEX.</h2> -</div> - -<ul class="idxnone"> -<li class="idx0"> -Abbatucci’s brigade at Woerth, <a href="#Page_115">115</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Abzac, Colonel d’, <a href="#Page_252">252</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Aillicourt, <a href="#Page_293">293</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Aire, river, <a href="#Page_248">248</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Aisne, river, <a href="#Page_232">232</a>, <a href="#Page_242">242</a>, <a href="#Page_248">248</a>, <a href="#Page_249">249</a>, <a href="#Page_264">264</a>, <a href="#Page_277">277</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">the Guard on the, at Triaucourt, <a href="#Page_232">232</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">canal, Meuse and, <a href="#Page_251">251</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Albrecht, Archduke of Austria, <a href="#Page_34">34</a>, <a href="#Page_64">64</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Albrecht of Prussia, Prince, <a href="#Page_115">115</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Albrechtshaüser, farm (Woerth), <a href="#Page_107">107</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Algeria, regiments from, <a href="#Page_68">68</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Algerians, native, <a href="#Page_84">84</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Alsace, <a href="#Page_68">68</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">small German party enters, <a href="#Page_70">70</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"> -<a href="#Page_84">84</a>, <a href="#Page_90">90</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">and Lorraine, <a href="#Page_96">96</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">effect of blows struck in, <a href="#Page_232">232</a>.</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_235">235</a>;</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Alten, Major von, <a href="#Page_323">323</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Alvensleben I., General von, <a href="#Page_267">267</a>, <a href="#Page_268">268</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Alvensleben II., Lieut.-General von, at Spicheren, <a href="#Page_121">121</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">“the fiery” directs attack (Vionville), <a href="#Page_172">172</a>, - <a href="#Page_176">176</a>–178, <a href="#Page_186">186</a>, <a href="#Page_187">187</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Amanvillers (Gravelotte battle), French position, <a href="#Page_193">193</a>, <a href="#Page_195">195</a>, <a href="#Page_196">196</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"> <a href="#Page_198">198</a>, -<a href="#Page_199">199</a>, <a href="#Page_201">201</a>, <a href="#Page_207">207</a>, <a href="#Page_208">208</a>, <a href="#Page_218">218</a>, <a href="#Page_220">220</a>–225, <a href="#Page_228">228</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">gallant charge of 3rd Brigade at, <a href="#Page_220">220</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">railway from, to Habonville, <a href="#Page_202">202</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Amagne, <a href="#Page_293">293</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Amiel’s, General, Cavalry at Sedan, <a href="#Page_296">296</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Andigné, Colonel d’, <a href="#Page_304">304</a>, <a href="#Page_305">305</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Ardennes, the German Armies in the, <a href="#Page_265">265</a>–273.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Argancy and Antilly, German reinforcements at, <a href="#Page_281">281</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Argonne, the, <a href="#Page_245">245</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Army of Chalons, the, composition of, <a href="#Page_235">235</a>, <a href="#Page_236">236</a>, <a href="#Page_241">241</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">position of, <a href="#Page_276">276</a>, <a href="#Page_285">285</a>, <a href="#Page_290">290</a>, <a href="#Page_307">307</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">its end, <a href="#Page_336">336</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Army, French, condition of, at beginning of war, <a href="#Page_59">59</a>, <a href="#Page_60">60</a>, <a href="#Page_61">61</a>, <a href="#Page_62">62</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">after Saarbrück, <a href="#Page_76">76</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">movements towards the Meuse, <a href="#Page_257">257</a>–261;</li> -<li class="idx1">returns to Metz camps, losses at Noisseville, <a href="#Page_281">281</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">disorder in retreat on Sedan, <a href="#Page_273">273</a>–274, <a href="#Page_286">286</a>–287;</li> -<li class="idx1">position of, in Sedan, <a href="#Page_296">296</a>, <a href="#Page_297">297</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">confused accounts of retreat, <a href="#Page_302">302</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">three Commanders of, in three hours, <a href="#Page_303">303</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">condition of, <a href="#Page_310">310</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">surrenders, <a href="#Page_336">336</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Army, German, turned north-west, <a href="#Page_245">245</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">facing north, <a href="#Page_264">264</a>, <a href="#Page_267">267</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">pursues in running fight, <a href="#Page_273">273</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Army, German, First, as pivot, <a href="#Page_138">138</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">also, <a href="#Page_142">142</a>, <a href="#Page_144">144</a>, <a href="#Page_165">165</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Army, German, Second, and First, all available men in motion, <a href="#Page_190">190</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Army, German, Third, Bavarians of, at Triaucourt, <a href="#Page_254">254</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">movements of, <a href="#Page_255">255</a>, <a href="#Page_256">256</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Army, MacMahon’s, between Rhetel and Vouziers, <a href="#Page_243">243</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Army of the Meuse (German), composition of, <a href="#Page_230">230</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">moving, <a href="#Page_232">232</a>, <a href="#Page_233">233</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">movements of, <a href="#Page_254">254</a>, <a href="#Page_255">255</a>, <a href="#Page_256">256</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">positions and losses, <a href="#Page_274">274</a>, <a href="#Page_275">275</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Army, Prussian, reform, <a href="#Page_4">4</a>, <a href="#Page_5">5</a>, <a href="#Page_6">6</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Army of the Rhine (French), positions at Spicheren, <a href="#Page_117">117</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">retired westward of Metz, <a href="#Page_188">188</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">facing Paris, <a href="#Page_193">193</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">retires to Metz, <a href="#Page_226">226</a>, <a href="#Page_228">228</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">reasons for defeat of, <a href="#Page_229">229</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">in Metz, <a href="#Page_285">285</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Arndt, the spirit of, <a href="#Page_2">2</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Arry, village, <a href="#Page_165">165</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Ars, village on the Moselle, <a href="#Page_177">177</a>, <a href="#Page_191">191</a>, <a href="#Page_193">193</a>, <a href="#Page_215">215</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">road from, to Jussy, troops on, <a href="#Page_211">211</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Ars-Laquenexy, village, <a href="#Page_151">151</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Artillery, duel at Beaumont, <a href="#Page_270">270</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">clever withdrawal of Failly’s, <a href="#Page_270">270</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">French and German, <a href="#Page_312">312</a>, <a href="#Page_313">313</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">German, at Noisseville, <a href="#Page_281">281</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">effect of, <a href="#Page_299">299</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">German, grand but disastrous conduct of, <a href="#Page_201">201</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Steinmetz’s attack with, <a href="#Page_212">212</a>, <a href="#Page_213">213</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Attigny on the Aisne, <a href="#Page_234">234</a>, <a href="#Page_249">249</a>, <a href="#Page_251">251</a>, <a href="#Page_293">293</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Aube, river, <a href="#Page_247">247</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Auboué, <a href="#Page_208">208</a>, <a href="#Page_210">210</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Auerswald, Colonel von, <a href="#Page_182">182</a>, <a href="#Page_183">183</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Austria, and the Italian question, <a href="#Page_12">12</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">refuses Conference, <a href="#Page_12">12</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">crushed by Prussia, excluded from Germany, <a href="#Page_13">13</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">irritated as well as humbled, <a href="#Page_16">16</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">requests Diet to call out Federal Corps, <a href="#Page_12">12</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Austrian Emperor, Francis Joseph, and Schleswig-Holstein, <a href="#Page_6">6</a>, <a href="#Page_7">7</a>, <a href="#Page_9">9</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">meets Napoleon III. at Salzburg, <a href="#Page_33">33</a>, <a href="#Page_34">34</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Napoleon III. appeals to, <a href="#Page_160">160</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Aymard, General, <a href="#Page_280">280</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Aymard’s division of Decaen’s Corps at Colombey, <a href="#Page_156">156</a>, <a href="#Page_161">161</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Vionville, <a href="#Page_180">180</a>.</li> - -<li class="idxs"> -Balan, <a href="#Page_298">298</a>, <a href="#Page_305">305</a>, <a href="#Page_306">306</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">and Bazeilles, Germans hold, <a href="#Page_310">310</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">the Emperor watching fight near, <a href="#Page_311">311</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Wimpffen’s effort at, <a href="#Page_316">316</a>, <a href="#Page_317">317</a>, <a href="#Page_324">324</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Ban St. Martin (Metz), Bazaine’s fatal despatch from, <a href="#Page_241">241</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Banthéville, <a href="#Page_257">257</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Guards at, <a href="#Page_259">259</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bar le Duc, King at, 25th Aug., <a href="#Page_233">233</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">German head-quarters, <a href="#Page_243">243</a>, <a href="#Page_247">247</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">council at, <a href="#Page_254">254</a>, <a href="#Page_255">255</a>, <a href="#Page_256">256</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Baraque Mouton, farmstead, Germans take, <a href="#Page_126">126</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Barby, General von, <a href="#Page_163">163</a>, <a href="#Page_164">164</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Mars la Tour, <a href="#Page_180">180</a>, <a href="#Page_183">183</a>, <a href="#Page_184">184</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Barail, Du, at Conflans, <a href="#Page_164">164</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Mars la Tour, <a href="#Page_183">183</a>, <a href="#Page_184">184</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Barnekow, General von, <a href="#Page_121">121</a>, <a href="#Page_185">185</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Basle, <a href="#Page_70">70</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bataille, General, at Spicheren, <a href="#Page_120">120</a>, <a href="#Page_123">123</a>, <a href="#Page_126">126</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Vionville, <a href="#Page_171">171</a>, <a href="#Page_173">173</a>, <a href="#Page_174">174</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bavarians in Bazeilles, <a href="#Page_298">298</a>, <a href="#Page_299">299</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bayon on the Upper Moselle, <a href="#Page_163">163</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bayonville, <a href="#Page_259">259</a>, <a href="#Page_264">264</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bazaine, Marshal, ordered to occupy Saarbrück, <a -href="#Page_72">72</a>, <a href="#Page_73">73</a>, <a -href="#Page_74">74</a>, <a href="#Page_92">92</a>, <a -href="#Page_93">93</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Spicheren, <a href="#Page_116">116</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">fears being turned, <a href="#Page_118">118</a>, <a href="#Page_124">124</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">has three divisions within nine miles, <a href="#Page_129">129</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">to protect Frossard, <a href="#Page_134">134</a>, <a href="#Page_138">138</a>, <a href="#Page_140">140</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">promoted over six Marshals, <a href="#Page_145">145</a>, <a href="#Page_146">146</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">takes command, <a href="#Page_147">147</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">head-quarters at Borny, <a href="#Page_148">148</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">unable to retreat over Moselle, protects retreat, <a href="#Page_149">149</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">slightly hurt at Colombey-Nouilly, <a href="#Page_157">157</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">retreat of Army, <a href="#Page_159">159</a>–168;</li> -<li class="idx1">roused by cannonade, <a href="#Page_171">171</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Vionville, <a href="#Page_175">175</a>, <a href="#Page_176">176</a>, <a href="#Page_177">177</a>, <a href="#Page_180">180</a>, <a href="#Page_185">185</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Gravelotte, <a href="#Page_188">188</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">motives examined, <a href="#Page_192">192</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">military theory, <a href="#Page_193">193</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">retires to strong position, <a href="#Page_193">193</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">misjudgment of, <a href="#Page_196">196</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">battle of Gravelotte and retreat on Metz, <a href="#Page_199">199</a>–227;</li> -<li class="idx1">incapable of retrieving previous errors, <a href="#Page_228">228</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">suspicions against, not justified, <a href="#Page_229">229</a>, <a href="#Page_230">230</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">leaves MacMahon free to act, <a href="#Page_239">239</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">anxiety to relieve, <a href="#Page_240">240</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">his fatal despatch, <a href="#Page_241">241</a>, <a href="#Page_242">242</a>, <a href="#Page_252">252</a>, <a href="#Page_253">253</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">in Metz, <a href="#Page_276">276</a>–278, <a href="#Page_281">281</a>, <a href="#Page_282">282</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bazeilles, village, <a href="#Page_287">287</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">terrible combats in, <a href="#Page_293">293</a>–306.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Beaumont, <a href="#Page_251">251</a>, <a href="#Page_257">257</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">5th Corps at, <a href="#Page_261">261</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Failly reaches, <a href="#Page_263">263</a>–266;</li> -<li class="idx1">Failly surprised at, <a href="#Page_267">267</a>–271;</li> -<li class="idx1">retreat with running fight, <a href="#Page_273">273</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Germans in front of, <a href="#Page_274">274</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Beauclair, village, <a href="#Page_258">258</a>, <a href="#Page_262">262</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Beaufort, <a href="#Page_262">262</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Belgian frontier, the, <a href="#Page_245">245</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">French Army pressed against, <a href="#Page_285">285</a>, <a href="#Page_292">292</a>, <a href="#Page_295">295</a>, <a href="#Page_296">296</a>, <a href="#Page_297">297</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Belgium, French, and Prussian proposals, <a href="#Page_22">22</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">French to be followed into, if not disarmed, <a href="#Page_286">286</a>, <a href="#Page_297">297</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Belfort, <a href="#Page_62">62</a>, <a href="#Page_64">64</a>, <a href="#Page_84">84</a>, <a href="#Page_93">93</a>, <a href="#Page_235">235</a>, <a href="#Page_236">236</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">fortress untaken, Sept. 1st, <a href="#Page_283">283</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bellecroix, <a href="#Page_141">141</a>, <a href="#Page_152">152</a>, <a href="#Page_160">160</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Belval, <a href="#Page_261">261</a>, <a href="#Page_262">262</a>, <a href="#Page_267">267</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Benedetti, M. de, French Ambassador, and Bismarck, <a href="#Page_10">10</a>, <a href="#Page_12">12</a>, <a href="#Page_19">19</a>, <a href="#Page_20">20</a>, <a href="#Page_21">21</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">goes to Ems, <a href="#Page_42">42</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">interviews with King, <a href="#Page_44">44</a>–48.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bennigsen, Herr von, asks question about Luxemburg, <a href="#Page_26">26</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Berlin, <a href="#Page_1">1</a>, <a href="#Page_2">2</a>, <a href="#Page_3">3</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">political conflict in, <a href="#Page_6">6</a>, <a href="#Page_8">8</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Council in, <a href="#Page_9">9</a>, <a href="#Page_12">12</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">King and Bismarck return to, <a href="#Page_13">13</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">King reaches, <a href="#Page_52">52</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">head-quarters still at, <a href="#Page_69">69</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bernecourt, <a href="#Page_189">189</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Beust, Count von, Saxon Minister, makes proposals, <a href="#Page_11">11</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">as Austrian Chancellor, <a href="#Page_33">33</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bibesco, Prince Georges, cited, <a href="#Page_62">62</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">about Douay, <a href="#Page_258">258</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Cuirassiers on flooded bridge, <a href="#Page_274">274</a>, <a href="#Page_311">311</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">description of Sedan, <a href="#Page_321">321</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bismarck, Count Otto von, chosen to advise the King, <a href="#Page_3">3</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">experience at St. Petersburg, <a href="#Page_4">4</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">dealings with Prussian Parliament, <a href="#Page_4">4</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">and Polish Insurrection, 1864, <a href="#Page_8">8</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Convention of Gastein, <a href="#Page_8">8</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">and Parliament, <a href="#Page_8">8</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">and Austrian protection, <a href="#Page_9">9</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">and Benedetti, <a href="#Page_10">10</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Nikolsburg, secret military treaties with S. German States, <a href="#Page_14">14</a>, <a href="#Page_15">15</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">foundation of German Unity, <a href="#Page_16">16</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">view of Napoleon III., <a href="#Page_17">17</a>, <a href="#Page_18">18</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">and Benedetti’s demand for left bank of Rhine, <a href="#Page_20">20</a>, <a href="#Page_21">21</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">and Belgium, <a href="#Page_22">22</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">and Luxemburg, <a href="#Page_25">25</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">prints Bavarian secret treaty, <a href="#Page_25">25</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">answers Bennigsen, <a href="#Page_26">26</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">retrospect on Luxemburg question, <a href="#Page_29">29</a>, <a href="#Page_30">30</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">with Moltke in Paris, 1867, <a href="#Page_32">32</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">utilizes Salzburg meeting to rouse German feeling, <a href="#Page_34">34</a>, <a href="#Page_35">35</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">desires to avoid war, <a href="#Page_37">37</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">publishes account of Ems meeting, <a href="#Page_47">47</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">meets King William at railway, <a href="#Page_52">52</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">saying to Benedetti on Napoleon’s dynasty, <a href="#Page_134">134</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">on King’s staff at Malmaison, <a href="#Page_214">214</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">seen by Dr. Russell at Bar le Duc, <a href="#Page_255">255</a>, <a href="#Page_256">256</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">former hunting in Ardennes, <a href="#Page_266">266</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">sends to German Minister at Brussels, <a href="#Page_285">285</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">described by Russell, <a href="#Page_322">322</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">influence on terms of settlement, <a href="#Page_327">327</a>–330;</li> -<li class="idx1">meeting with Emperor, <a href="#Page_331">331</a>, <a href="#Page_332">332</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bismarck, Counts Herbert and William, <a href="#Page_183">183</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bitsche, fortress, commanding pass in the Vosges, <a href="#Page_67">67</a>, <a href="#Page_70">70</a>, <a href="#Page_76">76</a>, <a href="#Page_93">93</a>, <a href="#Page_96">96</a>,</li> -<li class="idx2">97, <a href="#Page_99">99</a>, <a href="#Page_114">114</a>, <a href="#Page_115">115</a>, <a href="#Page_116">116</a>, <a href="#Page_143">143</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">still untaken Sept. 1st, <a href="#Page_283">283</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Blumenthal, General von, at Woerth battle, <a href="#Page_115">115</a>, <a href="#Page_234">234</a>, <a href="#Page_248">248</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">carries Chantrenne farm, <a href="#Page_200">200</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Bar le Duc, in favour of northern march, <a href="#Page_254">254</a>, <a href="#Page_255">255</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">forecasts French fate, <a href="#Page_255">255</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at conference of Chémery, <a href="#Page_295">295</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">with Crown Prince at Sedan, <a href="#Page_322">322</a>, <a href="#Page_326">326</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bois Chevalier, <a href="#Page_300">300</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bois les Dames, De Failly goes to, <a href="#Page_259">259</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bois de la Cusse, <a href="#Page_195">195</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Hessians attack through, <a href="#Page_202">202</a>, <a href="#Page_206">206</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">fighting in, <a href="#Page_219">219</a>, <a href="#Page_221">221</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bois de la Garenne, <a href="#Page_295">295</a>, <a href="#Page_306">306</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">wandering battalions in, <a href="#Page_312">312</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bois de Genivaux, French in, <a href="#Page_194">194</a>, <a href="#Page_196">196</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">German attack on, <a href="#Page_205">205</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">French in, <a href="#Page_206">206</a>, <a href="#Page_207">207</a>, <a href="#Page_211">211</a>, <a href="#Page_214">214</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bois des Ognons (Vionville), <a href="#Page_177">177</a>, <a href="#Page_185">185</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bois de Vaux, <a href="#Page_193">193</a>, <a href="#Page_194">194</a>, <a href="#Page_204">204</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">attack from feared, <a href="#Page_211">211</a>, <a href="#Page_218">218</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">and forest of Jaumont, tract between, <a href="#Page_228">228</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bois de Vionville, <a href="#Page_169">169</a>, <a href="#Page_171">171</a>, <a href="#Page_173">173</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bois St. Arnould, <a href="#Page_169">169</a>, <a href="#Page_171">171</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bonie, Colonel, <a href="#Page_313">313</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bonnemain’s, General de, cavalry charge at Woerth, <a href="#Page_112">112</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">cavalry at Sedan, <a href="#Page_296">296</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">appeal to, by Ducrot, <a href="#Page_313">313</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bonnemain’s brigade to Les Grands Armoises, <a href="#Page_258">258</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">to Raucourt, <a href="#Page_261">261</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bonnemain’s division, <a href="#Page_249">249</a>, <a href="#Page_251">251</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Cuirassiers crossing Meuse, <a href="#Page_274">274</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bordas, General, <a href="#Page_249">249</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bordes, Fort des (Metz), <a href="#Page_150">150</a>; <a href="#Page_152">152</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Borny, <a href="#Page_148">148</a>, <a href="#Page_149">149</a>, <a href="#Page_150">150</a>, <a href="#Page_152">152</a>, <a href="#Page_153">153</a>, <a href="#Page_155">155</a>, <a href="#Page_158">158</a>, <a href="#Page_160">160</a>, <a href="#Page_191">191</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bose, General von, <a href="#Page_104">104</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Woerth, <a href="#Page_110">110</a>, <a href="#Page_111">111</a>, <a href="#Page_113">113</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Boucheporn, <a href="#Page_79">79</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Boulay, <a href="#Page_139">139</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Boult-aux-Bois, <a href="#Page_258">258</a>, <a href="#Page_259">259</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bouillon, road to, northern exit from Sedan, <a href="#Page_296">296</a>, <a href="#Page_306">306</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bourbaki, General de, at Vionville, <a href="#Page_185">185</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Gravelotte, <a href="#Page_214">214</a>, <a href="#Page_221">221</a>, <a href="#Page_223">223</a>, <a href="#Page_224">224</a>, <a href="#Page_225">225</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bouzonville, <a href="#Page_79">79</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Brahaut’s, General de, Cavalry, <a href="#Page_234">234</a>, <a href="#Page_256">256</a>, <a href="#Page_262">262</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Brandenburg, Infantry at Vionville, <a href="#Page_174">174</a>, <a href="#Page_179">179</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bredow, General von, <a href="#Page_163">163</a>, <a href="#Page_164">164</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Vionville, his brilliant Cavalry charge, <a href="#Page_178">178</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">his brigade, <a href="#Page_180">180</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Brême d’or, farmhouse, Germans take, <a href="#Page_126">126</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Brieulles sur Bar, <a href="#Page_251">251</a>, <a href="#Page_256">256</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Briey, <a href="#Page_166">166</a>, <a href="#Page_187">187</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">road to, <a href="#Page_195">195</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Germans on roads by, <a href="#Page_240">240</a>, <a href="#Page_246">246</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Brincourt, General, brigade of Guards at Colombey, <a href="#Page_153">153</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">brigade, <a href="#Page_215">215</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bruch-Mühle, <a href="#Page_101">101</a>, <a href="#Page_102">102</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bruville, <a href="#Page_184">184</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">French position after Vionville, <a href="#Page_186">186</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">outposts, <a href="#Page_190">190</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Buchy, <a href="#Page_143">143</a>, <a href="#Page_155">155</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Buddenbrock, General von, captures Vionville, <a href="#Page_173">173</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Budritzky’s troops, <a href="#Page_221">221</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Bülow, General von, with batteries at Vionville, <a href="#Page_172">172</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Buzancy, <a href="#Page_245">245</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">French in, <a href="#Page_248">248</a>, <a href="#Page_249">249</a>, <a href="#Page_250">250</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">German and French Cavalry skirmish, <a href="#Page_256">256</a>, <a href="#Page_257">257</a>, <a href="#Page_259">259</a>, <a href="#Page_260">260</a>, <a href="#Page_264">264</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">King William and staff watch Beaumont fight from, <a href="#Page_269">269</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">German head-quarters, <a href="#Page_291">291</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Busch, Dr. Moritz, cited, on Sedan, <a href="#Page_321">321</a>, <a href="#Page_323">323</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">on Bismarck and the Emperor, <a href="#Page_331">331</a>, <a href="#Page_333">333</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Buxières, village, <a href="#Page_171">171</a>, <a href="#Page_173">173</a>.</li> -<li class="idxs"> -Cadenbronn, <a href="#Page_117">117</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Cambriels, infantry commander at Beaumont, ordered back by MacMahon, <a href="#Page_270">270</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Camp de Misère, le, in the loop of Meuse, <a href="#Page_336">336</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Canrobert, Marshal, <a href="#Page_68">68</a>, <a href="#Page_93">93</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Chalons, <a href="#Page_134">134</a>, <a href="#Page_135">135</a>, <a href="#Page_145">145</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">on the Moselle, <a href="#Page_148">148</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">over Moselle, <a href="#Page_149">149</a>, <a href="#Page_153">153</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">halted at Rezonville, <a href="#Page_161">161</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">position before Vionville, <a href="#Page_169">169</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">his brigade recedes, <a href="#Page_174">174</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">recapture of Vionville and Flavigny, <a href="#Page_177">177</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">intrenching tools left at Chalons, <a href="#Page_196">196</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">evidence on patrols, Bazaine trial, <a href="#Page_199">199</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">his phrase about German “<i>tirailleurs d’artillerie</i>,” <a href="#Page_201">201</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">his cannon and infantry, <a href="#Page_203">203</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">extreme French right, <a href="#Page_207">207</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">outposts discovered, <a href="#Page_210">210</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">borrows from Ladmirault, <a href="#Page_215">215</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">looks for help from Bazaine, <a href="#Page_223">223</a>, <a href="#Page_224">224</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">retreat, <a href="#Page_225">225</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">to Metz, <a href="#Page_226">226</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">commands <i>Mobiles</i>, <a href="#Page_236">236</a>, <a href="#Page_237">237</a>, <a href="#Page_278">278</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Noisseville, <a href="#Page_280">280</a>, <a href="#Page_281">281</a>, <a href="#Page_300">300</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Canrobert’s Corps, <a href="#Page_141">141</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Vionville, <a href="#Page_180">180</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">6th Corps, <a href="#Page_195">195</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Cavalry, <a href="#Page_233">233</a>, <a href="#Page_235">235</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Capitulation of Sedan, the text drawn up by Head-Quarter Staff (German),</li> -<li class="idx2">330.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Carignan, road to, eastern way out of Sedan, <a href="#Page_296">296</a>, <a href="#Page_297">297</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Emperor vanishes from, <a href="#Page_287">287</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Guard cavalry take, <a href="#Page_291">291</a>, <a href="#Page_301">301</a>, <a href="#Page_303">303</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Wimpffen proposes to retreat on, <a href="#Page_315">315</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Carling, Steinmetz at, <a href="#Page_139">139</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Castagny, General de, misled (Spicheren), <a href="#Page_129">129</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">did his best but was too late, <a href="#Page_130">130</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">slightly hurt at Colombey-Nouilly, <a href="#Page_157">157</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Vernéville, <a href="#Page_161">161</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Castelnau, Count, at Donchery, <a href="#Page_326">326</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">interposes, <a href="#Page_329">329</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">with Emperor, <a href="#Page_331">331</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Causes of the war, summary of, <a href="#Page_52">52</a>, <a href="#Page_53">53</a>, <a href="#Page_54">54</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Cavalry combat at Mars la Tour, <a href="#Page_183">183</a>, <a href="#Page_184">184</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Cavalry, French, its traditions, charge at Woerth, <a href="#Page_108">108</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">movements of, <a href="#Page_249">249</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">positions at Sedan, <a href="#Page_296">296</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">charge at Sedan, <a href="#Page_313">313</a>, <a href="#Page_314">314</a>, <a href="#Page_315">315</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Cavalry, German, over the Saar, <a href="#Page_118">118</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at work, <a href="#Page_139">139</a>, <a href="#Page_140">140</a>, <a href="#Page_141">141</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">watchfulness of, <a href="#Page_150">150</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">activity beyond Moselle, <a href="#Page_163">163</a>, <a href="#Page_164">164</a>, <a href="#Page_165">165</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">movements, <a href="#Page_247">247</a>, <a href="#Page_248">248</a>, <a href="#Page_250">250</a>, <a href="#Page_256">256</a>, <a href="#Page_257">257</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">value of cavalry, <a href="#Page_259">259</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">close on French rear, <a href="#Page_263">263</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">operations of, <a href="#Page_233">233</a>, <a href="#Page_234">234</a>, <a href="#Page_291">291</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Cazal, <a href="#Page_310">310</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">defended by Liébert, <a href="#Page_315">315</a>, <a href="#Page_316">316</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Germans in, <a href="#Page_317">317</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Cerçay, M. Router’s château of, papers found in, <a href="#Page_21">21</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Chagny, <a href="#Page_251">251</a>, <a href="#Page_257">257</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Chalons, reserve at, <a href="#Page_64">64</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Canrobert still at, <a href="#Page_93">93</a>, <a href="#Page_134">134</a>, <a href="#Page_135">135</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">MacMahon and subordinates retire on, <a href="#Page_136">136</a>, <a href="#Page_141">141</a>, <a href="#Page_143">143</a>, <a href="#Page_144">144</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">railway to, <a href="#Page_189">189</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">roads towards, <a href="#Page_192">192</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">French Army driven to, <a href="#Page_230">230</a>, <a href="#Page_232">232</a>, <a href="#Page_233">233</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">camp at, <a href="#Page_234">234</a>, <a href="#Page_235">235</a>, <a href="#Page_236">236</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">new army, dangers of, <a href="#Page_240">240</a>, <a href="#Page_244">244</a>, <a href="#Page_245">245</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">camp, <a href="#Page_247">247</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">army of, <a href="#Page_264">264</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Chamber, the French, sanctions war, <a href="#Page_15">15</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">speeches in, <a href="#Page_246">246</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Chambière, Isle, <a href="#Page_160">160</a>, <a href="#Page_278">278</a>, <a href="#Page_279">279</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Champenois, farm, garrisoned, <a href="#Page_200">200</a>, <a href="#Page_202">202</a>, <a href="#Page_207">207</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">stormed and taken, <a href="#Page_211">211</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Changarnier, General, remarks on Bazaine’s reported words, <a href="#Page_228">228</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Chantrenne, farm, musketry from, carried, <a href="#Page_200">200</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Germans in, <a href="#Page_202">202</a>, <a href="#Page_205">205</a>, <a href="#Page_207">207</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Charles, Prince Frederick, of Prussia, commanding Second Army, <a href="#Page_69">69</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">change of orders, <a href="#Page_70">70</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">on the march, <a href="#Page_78">78</a>, <a href="#Page_79">79</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_158">158</a>, <a href="#Page_165">165</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Vionville, <a href="#Page_170">170</a>, <a href="#Page_171">171</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">arrives from Pont à Mousson, <a href="#Page_179">179</a>, <a href="#Page_180">180</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">and Voigts-Rhetz at Flavigny, <a href="#Page_182">182</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_188">188</a>, <a href="#Page_190">190</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">general order issued to, <a href="#Page_197">197</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">instructs Manstein, <a href="#Page_198">198</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">rides to sound of battle at Gravelotte, <a href="#Page_202">202</a>, <a href="#Page_203">203</a>, <a href="#Page_207">207</a>, <a href="#Page_219">219</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">in command of investing Army, <a href="#Page_231">231</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">intercepts letter, <a href="#Page_244">244</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_278">278</a>, <a href="#Page_281">281</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Charles of Lorraine, Prince, in Prague, <a href="#Page_229">229</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Charmes, <a href="#Page_233">233</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Chassepot rifle, effect at Mentana, <a href="#Page_36">36</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Château d’Aubigny, <a href="#Page_151">151</a>, <a href="#Page_152">152</a>, <a href="#Page_280">280</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Château de Bellevue, German head-quarters, Emperor at,</li> -<li class="idx2">Capitulation signed at, <a href="#Page_335">335</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Château Salins, <a href="#Page_140">140</a>, <a href="#Page_143">143</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Châtel St. Germain, <a href="#Page_161">161</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">deep defile, <a href="#Page_195">195</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Guard at, <a href="#Page_207">207</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Chaumont, <a href="#Page_233">233</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">railway station books, <a href="#Page_234">234</a>, <a href="#Page_236">236</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Chémery, village, <a href="#Page_143">143</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">conference of Moltke and Generals, <a href="#Page_295">295</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Chevreau, M. de, Minister of Interior, <a href="#Page_233">233</a>, <a href="#Page_238">238</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Chieulles and Vany, <a href="#Page_280">280</a>, <a href="#Page_281">281</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Chiers, the, <a href="#Page_275">275</a>, <a href="#Page_287">287</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">bridges on, <a href="#Page_292">292</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">passage over, <a href="#Page_294">294</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Cissey, General de, at Colombey, <a href="#Page_153">153</a>, <a href="#Page_155">155</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Vionville, <a href="#Page_181">181</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">brigades, <a href="#Page_182">182</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Gravelotte, <a href="#Page_220">220</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Clérambault, General de, at Vionville, <a href="#Page_184">184</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Clermont in Argonne, <a href="#Page_232">232</a>, <a href="#Page_254">254</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Cochery, M., <a href="#Page_43">43</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Coffinières, General, Governor of Metz, <a href="#Page_147">147</a>, <a href="#Page_148">148</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Cologne Gazette, Ems telegram published in, <a href="#Page_47">47</a>, <a href="#Page_48">48</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Colombey, village, <a href="#Page_150">150</a>–157, <a href="#Page_278">278</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Colombey-Nouilly, battle of, <a href="#Page_150">150</a>, <a href="#Page_152">152</a>–159;</li> -<li class="idx1">with Vionville, and Gravelotte, battles, consequences of, <a href="#Page_229">229</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Commercy, <a href="#Page_232">232</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">important French despatches captured, <a href="#Page_233">233</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Conference project, Napoleon’s, <a href="#Page_11">11</a>, <a href="#Page_12">12</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Conflans, <a href="#Page_159">159</a>, <a href="#Page_164">164</a>, <a href="#Page_166">166</a>, <a href="#Page_191">191</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Conseil-Dumesnil, General, at Woerth, <a href="#Page_99">99</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">his men, <a href="#Page_106">106</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">his division, <a href="#Page_266">266</a>, <a href="#Page_271">271</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Contenson, Colonel, killed in charge at Mouzon, <a href="#Page_273">273</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Convention of Gastein, defined by Bismarck, <a href="#Page_8">8</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Courcelles, <a href="#Page_117">117</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Chaussy, <a href="#Page_162">162</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Sur Nied, <a href="#Page_162">162</a>, <a href="#Page_165">165</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Craushaar’s brigade, <a href="#Page_211">211</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Crimean War, effect on relations of Russia and Prussia, <a href="#Page_2">2</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Crown Prince of Prussia, Frederick William, commands Third Army, <a href="#Page_69">69</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Spires, <a href="#Page_70">70</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">leads advance, <a href="#Page_76">76</a>, <a href="#Page_77">77</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at the Klingbach, <a href="#Page_79">79</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">on the Lauter, <a href="#Page_84">84</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">attacks Wissembourg, <a href="#Page_86">86</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">checks pursuit, <a href="#Page_89">89</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">position after, <a href="#Page_91">91</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">before Woerth, <a href="#Page_96">96</a>, <a href="#Page_99">99</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">August 6th, <a href="#Page_103">103</a>, <a href="#Page_104">104</a>, <a href="#Page_115">115</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"> <a href="#Page_139">139</a>, <a href="#Page_159">159</a>, -<a href="#Page_232">232</a>, <a href="#Page_241">241</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">his Cavalry near the Aube, <a href="#Page_247">247</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Bar le Duc, <a href="#Page_254">254</a>, <a href="#Page_255">255</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">to Ste. Menehould, <a href="#Page_259">259</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">ordered to attack at Sedan, <a href="#Page_285">285</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">his operations, <a href="#Page_292">292</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Chémery, <a href="#Page_294">294</a>, <a href="#Page_295">295</a>, <a href="#Page_297">297</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">directs troops to Mézières road, <a href="#Page_307">307</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">his officers described by Russell, <a href="#Page_322">322</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">conference with King, <a href="#Page_323">323</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Custines, village, <a href="#Page_158">158</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Czar of Russia, the, more than friendly, <a href="#Page_16">16</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">his Eastern designs, <a href="#Page_17">17</a>. -</li> - -<li class="idxs"> -Daigny, bridge at, over Givonne, <a href="#Page_293">293</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Germans fall back at, <a href="#Page_304">304</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">succeed at, <a href="#Page_305">305</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Damvillers, <a href="#Page_246">246</a>, <a href="#Page_256">256</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">plan of abandoned, <a href="#Page_257">257</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -David, M. Jérôme, <a href="#Page_49">49</a>, <a href="#Page_81">81</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Decaen, General, commanding 3rd Corps, <a href="#Page_136">136</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at French Centre, 148–151;</li> -<li class="idx1">his four divisions at Colombey, <a href="#Page_153">153</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">mortally wounded, <a href="#Page_157">157</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Declaration of War, <a href="#Page_1">1</a>, <a href="#Page_52">52</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Delme, <a href="#Page_143">143</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Despatches, important French, captured, <a href="#Page_233">233</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Diet of Frankfort, <a href="#Page_12">12</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Dieulouard, <a href="#Page_141">141</a>, <a href="#Page_142">142</a>, <a href="#Page_143">143</a>, <a href="#Page_158">158</a>, <a href="#Page_163">163</a>, <a href="#Page_164">164</a>, <a href="#Page_189">189</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Doering, Major-General von, at Spicheren, <a href="#Page_121">121</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">killed at Vionville, <a href="#Page_173">173</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Dombasle, <a href="#Page_232">232</a>, <a href="#Page_254">254</a>, <a href="#Page_256">256</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Dom le Mesnil, <a href="#Page_295">295</a>, <a href="#Page_307">307</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Donchery, failure to blow up bridge at, <a href="#Page_289">289</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Germans prepare to pass Meuse at, <a href="#Page_290">290</a>, <a href="#Page_293">293</a>, <a href="#Page_295">295</a>, <a href="#Page_300">300</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">bridge, <a href="#Page_307">307</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">meeting of generals at, scene, <a href="#Page_326">326</a>, <a href="#Page_327">327</a>–330, <a href="#Page_331">331</a>, <a href="#Page_336">336</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Doncourt, <a href="#Page_177">177</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">hills, <a href="#Page_180">180</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Douay, General Abel, divisional commander, <a href="#Page_84">84</a>, <a href="#Page_85">85</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">killed at Wissembourg, <a href="#Page_86">86</a>, <a href="#Page_87">87</a>, <a href="#Page_88">88</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Douay, General Félix, Chief of 7th Corps, <a href="#Page_68">68</a>, <a href="#Page_131">131</a>, <a href="#Page_144">144</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">movements of, <a href="#Page_249">249</a>, <a href="#Page_250">250</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">ordered to move on the Meuse, <a href="#Page_258">258</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">to cross it, “<i>coúte que coúte</i>,” <a href="#Page_271">271</a>, <a href="#Page_274">274</a>, <a href="#Page_276">276</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">occupies Floing and Illy, <a href="#Page_290">290</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">shelled, <a href="#Page_308">308</a>, <a href="#Page_309">309</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Wimpffen and, <a href="#Page_311">311</a>, <a href="#Page_312">312</a>, <a href="#Page_313">313</a>, <a href="#Page_316">316</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">and the Capitulation, <a href="#Page_319">319</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Douzy, village, Ducrot’s corps at, <a href="#Page_286">286</a>, <a href="#Page_287">287</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Saxons pass, <a href="#Page_291">291</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">and hold bridge, <a href="#Page_292">292</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Drouyn de Lhuys, M., Foreign Minister, <a href="#Page_16">16</a>‒20.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Ducrot, General, divisional commander, <a href="#Page_84">84</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Woerth, <a href="#Page_98">98</a>, <a href="#Page_99">99</a>, <a href="#Page_106">106</a>, <a href="#Page_110">110</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">begins to retire, <a href="#Page_113">113</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">complains of scarcity, <a href="#Page_243">243</a>; <a href="#Page_276">276</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Emperor in camp of, <a href="#Page_286">286</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">urges Emperor to go to Sedan, <a href="#Page_287">287</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">fired into, <a href="#Page_291">291</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">holds the Givonne, <a href="#Page_296">296</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">takes command of Army, <a href="#Page_300">300</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">superseded by</li> -<li class="idx1">Wimpffen, <a href="#Page_301">301</a>, <a href="#Page_302">302</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">operations, <a href="#Page_303">303</a>, <a href="#Page_304">304</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">disputes, <a href="#Page_311">311</a>, <a href="#Page_312">312</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">appeal to cavalry, <a href="#Page_313">313</a>, <a href="#Page_315">315</a>, <a href="#Page_316">316</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">his description of interior of Sedan, <a href="#Page_319">319</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">altercation with Wimpffen, <a href="#Page_316">316</a>, <a href="#Page_317">317</a>, <a href="#Page_325">325</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Dumont, General, division commander of Douay’s corps, <a href="#Page_144">144</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">sent after Bordas, <a href="#Page_250">250</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Beaumont, <a href="#Page_271">271</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Dun, on the Meuse, <a href="#Page_247">247</a>, <a href="#Page_257">257</a>, <a href="#Page_259">259</a>, <a href="#Page_262">262</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Dürrenbach, <a href="#Page_107">107</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Duvernois, Clement, <a href="#Page_49">49</a>, <a href="#Page_81">81</a>. - -Eberbach, village, <a href="#Page_98">98</a>, <a href="#Page_106">106</a>, <a href="#Page_107">107</a>, <a href="#Page_108">108</a>, <a href="#Page_109">109</a>, <a href="#Page_110">110</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">stream, <a href="#Page_107">107</a>; <a href="#Page_110">110</a>.</li> - -<li class="idxs"> -Elbe Duchies, the, taken from the Dane, <a href="#Page_7">7</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Elsasshausen, French right, <a href="#Page_98">98</a>, <a href="#Page_106">106</a>, <a href="#Page_107">107</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">German attack on, <a href="#Page_110">110</a>, <a href="#Page_111">111</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">set on fire, <a href="#Page_112">112</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Emperor. <i>See</i> Napoleon.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Empress of the French, Eugénie, fatal conduct in politics, <a href="#Page_81">81</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">made Regent, <a href="#Page_137">137</a>, <a href="#Page_235">235</a>–239;</li> -<li class="idx1">Napoleon’s telegram, <a href="#Page_335">335</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -England, irritated by Mexican adventure, <a href="#Page_32">32</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Epinal, <a href="#Page_131">131</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Erize la Petite, <a href="#Page_254">254</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Etain, <a href="#Page_165">165</a>, <a href="#Page_246">246</a>.</li> - -<li class="idxs"> -Failly, de, General, commander of 5th Corps, <a href="#Page_61">61</a>, <a href="#Page_73">73</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Saarbrück, <a href="#Page_74">74</a>, <a href="#Page_92">92</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">fluctuating, <a href="#Page_96">96</a>, <a href="#Page_97">97</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">joins MacMahon after Woerth, <a href="#Page_116">116</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Spicheren, <a href="#Page_117">117</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">halts, <a href="#Page_131">131</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">to Nancy, <a href="#Page_134">134</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">counter-ordered, <a href="#Page_135">135</a>, <a href="#Page_138">138</a>, <a href="#Page_144">144</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">troops, <a href="#Page_233">233</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">in twenty trains, <a href="#Page_234">234</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">movements, <a href="#Page_256">256</a>, <a href="#Page_258">258</a>, <a href="#Page_259">259</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">MacMahon’s despatches to, captured, <a href="#Page_260">260</a>, <a href="#Page_261">261</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">action at Nouart, <a href="#Page_262">262</a>, <a href="#Page_263">263</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">in the Ardennes, <a href="#Page_266">266</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">camp at Beaumont attacked, <a href="#Page_268">268</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">repels attack and retires, <a href="#Page_269">269</a>, <a href="#Page_270">270</a>, <a href="#Page_273">273</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_285">285</a>, <a href="#Page_288">288</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Failly, village, <a href="#Page_278">278</a>, <a href="#Page_279">279</a>, <a href="#Page_280">280</a>, <a href="#Page_281">281</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Faulquemont, <a href="#Page_139">139</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Emperor visited by Bazaine at, <a href="#Page_140">140</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Faure, General, <a href="#Page_252">252</a>, <a href="#Page_319">319</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Donchery, <a href="#Page_326">326</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Favre, M. Jules, <a href="#Page_52">52</a>, <a href="#Page_81">81</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Fenestrange, <a href="#Page_144">144</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Flanville, <a href="#Page_280">280</a>, <a href="#Page_281">281</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Flavigny (Vionville), <a href="#Page_171">171</a>, <a href="#Page_173">173</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">taken by Germans, <a href="#Page_174">174</a>, <a href="#Page_176">176</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Fleigneux, <a href="#Page_306">306</a>, <a href="#Page_307">307</a>, <a href="#Page_309">309</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Flize, Würtembergers engage Vinoy’s outposts at, <a href="#Page_293">293</a>, <a href="#Page_295">295</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Floing, north-west face of French position, at Sedan, <a href="#Page_290">290</a>, <a href="#Page_296">296</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Germans in, <a href="#Page_308">308</a>, <a href="#Page_309">309</a>, <a href="#Page_313">313</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Forbach, <a href="#Page_79">79</a>, <a href="#Page_94">94</a>, <a href="#Page_117">117</a>, <a href="#Page_118">118</a>, <a href="#Page_119">119</a>, <a href="#Page_122">122</a>, <a href="#Page_123">123</a>; <a href="#Page_128">128</a>, <a href="#Page_129">129</a>, <a href="#Page_130">130</a>, <a href="#Page_137">137</a>, <a href="#Page_138">138</a>, <a href="#Page_139">139</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Forbacherberg, <a href="#Page_126">126</a>, <a href="#Page_127">127</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Forton, General de, <a href="#Page_163">163</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">falls back on Vionville, <a href="#Page_164">164</a>, <a href="#Page_168">168</a>, <a href="#Page_169">169</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">want of patrols, <a href="#Page_171">171</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">returns cavalry charge, <a href="#Page_178">178</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -France, General de, <a href="#Page_166">166</a>, <a href="#Page_183">183</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -François, General von, at Spicheren, <a href="#Page_122">122</a>, <a href="#Page_124">124</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Fransecky, General von, at Gravelotte, <a href="#Page_204">204</a>, <a href="#Page_217">217</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Francheval, <a href="#Page_287">287</a>, <a href="#Page_291">291</a>, <a href="#Page_300">300</a>, <a href="#Page_306">306</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Frederick II., the Great, his Manstein, <a href="#Page_199">199</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">compared, <a href="#Page_229">229</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Frederick William IV., <a href="#Page_2">2</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -French Court, the, projects of, <a href="#Page_21">21</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -French, the, propose to move, <a href="#Page_147">147</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">unable to cross Moselle, <a href="#Page_148">148</a>, <a href="#Page_149">149</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">retreat after Colombey, <a href="#Page_159">159</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">surprised by artillery (Vionville), <a href="#Page_170">170</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">advance, <a href="#Page_214">214</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">counter-stroke at Floing, <a href="#Page_310">310</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -French prisoners sent to Germany, <a href="#Page_336">336</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -French Generals, examples of two fatal errors, <a href="#Page_147">147</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">meeting to consider Capitulation, <a href="#Page_324">324</a>, <a href="#Page_325">325</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Frénois, German battery in, fires on Vinoy, <a href="#Page_289">289</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">batteries at, alarm French railway officials, <a href="#Page_292">292</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">batteries on, to give signal to renew, <a href="#Page_323">323</a>, <a href="#Page_324">324</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Fresne, <a href="#Page_165">165</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Froeschwiller, MacMahon’s position, <a href="#Page_98">98</a>, <a href="#Page_102">102</a>, <a href="#Page_106">106</a>, <a href="#Page_107">107</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">road to, <a href="#Page_110">110</a>; <a href="#Page_112">112</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Raoult wounded at, <a href="#Page_113">113</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">captured, <a href="#Page_114">114</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Frossard, General, at Saarbrück, <a href="#Page_73">73</a>, <a href="#Page_74">74</a>, <a href="#Page_75">75</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">takes position at Forbach, <a href="#Page_93">93</a>, <a href="#Page_94">94</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">on the Saar, <a href="#Page_116">116</a>–118;</li> -<li class="idx1">disposition of troops, <a href="#Page_120">120</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">impressed, <a href="#Page_123">123</a>, <a href="#Page_126">126</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">retires, <a href="#Page_128">128</a>, <a href="#Page_129">129</a>, <a href="#Page_130">130</a>, <a href="#Page_131">131</a>, <a href="#Page_134">134</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">crosses Moselle, <a href="#Page_148">148</a>, <a href="#Page_149">149</a>, <a href="#Page_153">153</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Rezonville, <a href="#Page_161">161</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">failure of patrols, <a href="#Page_168">168</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Vionville, <a href="#Page_169">169</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">retreat, <a href="#Page_175">175</a>, <a href="#Page_176">176</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">field-works, <a href="#Page_192">192</a>, <a href="#Page_195">195</a>, <a href="#Page_196">196</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">outposts begin, Gravelotte, <a href="#Page_197">197</a>, <a href="#Page_200">200</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">strong position, <a href="#Page_206">206</a>–217;</li> -<li class="idx1">reserves, <a href="#Page_226">226</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Noisseville, <a href="#Page_279">279</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Frossard’s Corps, <a href="#Page_159">159</a>, <a href="#Page_170">170</a>, <a href="#Page_171">171</a>, <a href="#Page_185">185</a>, <a href="#Page_194">194</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Furia Francese, <a href="#Page_314">314</a>.</li> -<li class="idxs"> -Galgenberg, the (Spicheren), <a href="#Page_120">120</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Galliffet, General de, charges at St. Menges, <a href="#Page_308">308</a>, <a href="#Page_309">309</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">charges with Chasseurs d’Afrique, <a href="#Page_313">313</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Gambetta, M., speaks against war, <a href="#Page_51">51</a>, <a href="#Page_81">81</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Garenne, the, <a href="#Page_315">315</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Gayl, General von, turns Aymard out of Servigny, <a href="#Page_280">280</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -German military system considered—its risks, <a href="#Page_97">97</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">mobilization—Prussian, <a href="#Page_56">56</a>, <a href="#Page_57">57</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">S. German, <a href="#Page_58">58</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Germans, movements of about Sedan, <a href="#Page_290">290</a>–295, <a href="#Page_310">310</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -German unity, foundation of, <a href="#Page_14">14</a>, <a href="#Page_16">16</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -General Staff, the Prussian, brain of the Army, <a href="#Page_5">5</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Germonville, <a href="#Page_256">256</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Gersdorf, Lieut.-Gen. von, <a href="#Page_307">307</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -George of Saxony, Prince, sent down the Orne, <a href="#Page_208">208</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">ordered to sweep round French right, <a href="#Page_211">211</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Giffert Wald, the (Spicheren), <a href="#Page_123">123</a>–129.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Girard, General, killed in cavalry charge, <a href="#Page_315">315</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Girardin, M. St. Marc, estimate of Napoleon, <a href="#Page_18">18</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Givodeau, Wood of, <a href="#Page_270">270</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Givonne, the stream, <a href="#Page_287">287</a>, <a href="#Page_293">293</a>, <a href="#Page_295">295</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">held by Lebrun’s and Ducrot’s corps, <a href="#Page_296">296</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">battle on the, <a href="#Page_298">298</a>–304;</li> -<li class="idx1">in German hands, <a href="#Page_310">310</a>, <a href="#Page_315">315</a>–317.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Givonne, Fond de, and village, <a href="#Page_295">295</a>, <a href="#Page_306">306</a>–311.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Glablenz, Austrian Field-Marshal in Holstein, <a href="#Page_12">12</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Glümer, Lieut.-General von, at Colombey, <a href="#Page_153">153</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Gneisenau, Major-Gen. von, <a href="#Page_74">74</a>, <a href="#Page_75">75</a>, <a href="#Page_76">76</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">his brigade failed to surprise Thionville, <a href="#Page_158">158</a>, <a href="#Page_159">159</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">his brigade sent on by Goeben, <a href="#Page_212">212</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Gnügge, Captain, his battery at St. Hubert, <a href="#Page_213">213</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Goeben, General von, at Spicheren, supports Kameke, <a href="#Page_121">121</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">takes command, sends in reserves, <a href="#Page_125">125</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Gravelotte, attacks to employ French left, <a href="#Page_205">205</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Steinmetz talks to, <a href="#Page_212">212</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Goersdorf, <a href="#Page_104">104</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Golz, Major-General Baron von, <a href="#Page_129">129</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">attacks French retreat, and begins Colombey-Nouilly battle, <a href="#Page_150">150</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">without orders, <a href="#Page_152">152</a>, <a href="#Page_154">154</a>, <a href="#Page_155">155</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_215">215</a>, <a href="#Page_218">218</a>, <a href="#Page_278">278</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Gondrecourt, General, <a href="#Page_184">184</a>, <a href="#Page_225">225</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">village, <a href="#Page_232">232</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Gortschakoff, Prince, and the Treaty of Paris, <a href="#Page_36">36</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Gorze, village, <a href="#Page_169">169</a>, <a href="#Page_171">171</a>, <a href="#Page_177">177</a>, <a href="#Page_179">179</a>, <a href="#Page_185">185</a>, <a href="#Page_190">190</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Gothard, St., railway, a menace to France, <a href="#Page_40">40</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Govone, General, Italian envoy to Berlin, <a href="#Page_10">10</a>, <a href="#Page_11">11</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Goze, General, <a href="#Page_91">91</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Gramont, Duc de, Minister for Foreign Affairs, sends Benedetti to Ems, <a href="#Page_42">42</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">speech in Chamber, <a href="#Page_43">43</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">presses demands, <a href="#Page_45">45</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_46">46</a>, <a href="#Page_53">53</a>, <a href="#Page_54">54</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Gramont, General de, <a href="#Page_170">170</a>, <a href="#Page_178">178</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Grand Pré, village, <a href="#Page_243">243</a>, <a href="#Page_247">247</a>, <a href="#Page_248">248</a>, <a href="#Page_249">249</a>, <a href="#Page_250">250</a>, <a href="#Page_256">256</a>, <a href="#Page_264">264</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Granville, Lord, attempts at compromise, <a href="#Page_47">47</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Gravelotte, French Army directed towards, <a href="#Page_159">159</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_169">169</a>, <a href="#Page_171">171</a>, <a href="#Page_177">177</a>, <a href="#Page_191">191</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">battle-field described, <a href="#Page_193">193</a>, <a href="#Page_194">194</a>, <a href="#Page_195">195</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">French position, <a href="#Page_196">196</a>, <a href="#Page_199">199</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_204">204</a>, <a href="#Page_206">206</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">German position, <a href="#Page_206">206</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Goeben and Steinmetz at, <a href="#Page_212">212</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">darkness ends fight at St. Hubert, <a href="#Page_217">217</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">course of battle, <a href="#Page_218">218</a>–223;</li> -<li class="idx1">numbers and losses on both sides, <a href="#Page_226">226</a>, <a href="#Page_227">227</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_229">229</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Gravelotte, Bazaine’s account of, <a href="#Page_241">241</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Gravelotte, defile, road across, <a href="#Page_212">212</a>, <a href="#Page_213">213</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Gravelotte, road from, to Verdun, <a href="#Page_168">168</a>, <a href="#Page_169">169</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">road out of Metz, <a href="#Page_159">159</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Gravelotte battle, various names for, <a href="#Page_228">228</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Great Staff, German, leaves Berlin with King, <a href="#Page_70">70</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Mainz, <a href="#Page_77">77</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_142">142</a>, <a href="#Page_188">188</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">surprised at MacMahon’s eastward march, <a href="#Page_244">244</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Grenier, General, his division, <a href="#Page_149">149</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Colombey, <a href="#Page_153">153</a>, <a href="#Page_154">154</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Vionville, <a href="#Page_180">180</a>, <a href="#Page_181">181</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Greyère, farm, <a href="#Page_181">181</a>, <a href="#Page_185">185</a>, <a href="#Page_186">186</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Grigy, <a href="#Page_155">155</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Grimont, farm, <a href="#Page_151">151</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Bazaine consults generals at, <a href="#Page_277">277</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Grimont, Bois de, <a href="#Page_279">279</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Grouchy, Le Capitaine Marquis de, despatches captured, <a href="#Page_260">260</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Grossbliedersdorf, <a href="#Page_79">79</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Guard, French, <a href="#Page_215">215</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Guard, Prussian, and Saxon at Gravelotte, <a href="#Page_209">209</a>–227.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Guard, losses at St. Privat, <a href="#Page_227">227</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Gueblange, <a href="#Page_139">139</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Gunstett, Uhlans cross Sauer at, <a href="#Page_91">91</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">(Woerth), <a href="#Page_100">100</a>, <a href="#Page_103">103</a>, <a href="#Page_106">106</a>, <a href="#Page_107">107</a>, <a href="#Page_109">109</a>. -</li> - -<li class="idxs"> -Habonville, <a href="#Page_195">195</a>, <a href="#Page_202">202</a>, <a href="#Page_203">203</a>, <a href="#Page_206">206</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Guard at, <a href="#Page_208">208</a>, <a href="#Page_210">210</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Hagenau, <a href="#Page_84">84</a>, <a href="#Page_85">85</a>, <a href="#Page_89">89</a>, <a href="#Page_100">100</a>, <a href="#Page_115">115</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Ham, <a href="#Page_79">79</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Hanover, King of, with Austria and the Bund, <a href="#Page_9">9</a>, <a href="#Page_13">13</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Han sur Nied, <a href="#Page_163">163</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Hapsburg-Lorraine, House of, <a href="#Page_161">161</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Harricourt, <a href="#Page_258">258</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Harskirchen, <a href="#Page_139">139</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Hartmann, General Ritter von, at Woerth, <a href="#Page_100">100</a>, <a href="#Page_102">102</a>, <a href="#Page_105">105</a>, <a href="#Page_106">106</a>, <a href="#Page_112">112</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">cavalry, <a href="#Page_212">212</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Hasse, Captain, Battery at St Hubert, <a href="#Page_213">213</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Hatzfeldt, Count, <a href="#Page_323">323</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Heiltz l’Evêque, <a href="#Page_232">232</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Hellimer, <a href="#Page_139">139</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Helmuth, Captain, <a href="#Page_272">272</a>, <a href="#Page_273">273</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Helvig, Captain Hugo, on French position, <a href="#Page_99">99</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Henry, Prince, Governor of Luxemburg, <a href="#Page_24">24</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Herny, <a href="#Page_143">143</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">King and Staff at, <a href="#Page_162">162</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Hesse Darmstadt, included in the Prussian military system, <a href="#Page_14">14</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Hesse, Prince Louis of, Lieut.-General commanding Hessian division, <a href="#Page_72">72</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Vionville, <a href="#Page_186">186</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">holds Bois de la Cusse, <a href="#Page_202">202</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Noisseville, <a href="#Page_280">280</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Hesse, Grand Duke of, <a href="#Page_72">72</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Hessians at Amanvillers, <a href="#Page_220">220</a>, <a href="#Page_221">221</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Hochwald, <a href="#Page_100">100</a>, <a href="#Page_113">113</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Hohenzollern, Candidature of Prince Leopold of,</li> -<li class="idx2">for the crown of Spain, <a href="#Page_41">41</a>, <a href="#Page_42">42</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">withdrawn, <a href="#Page_45">45</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Holland, King of, discloses the designs on Luxemburg, <a href="#Page_25">25</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Holstein-Schleswig, <a href="#Page_7">7</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Hungary and Austria, <a href="#Page_10">10</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -House of Belgian weaver, meeting of Napoleon and Bismarck, <a href="#Page_332">332</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -House of Commons, English, averse to war, <a href="#Page_7">7</a>.</li> - -<li class="idxs"> -Iges, peninsula on the Meuse, <a href="#Page_295">295</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Illy, village, <a href="#Page_287">287</a>, <a href="#Page_308">308</a>, <a href="#Page_312">312</a>, <a href="#Page_313">313</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Illy, Calvaire d’, <a href="#Page_290">290</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">French position, <a href="#Page_295">295</a>, <a href="#Page_296">296</a>, <a href="#Page_306">306</a>, <a href="#Page_308">308</a>, <a href="#Page_310">310</a>, <a href="#Page_312">312</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Germans reach, <a href="#Page_313">313</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Ingweiler, <a href="#Page_115">115</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Investment of Bazaine, troops for, <a href="#Page_230">230</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Iron Cross, The Order of the, restored, <a href="#Page_70">70</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Isle Chambière, Ladmirault crossing at, <a href="#Page_160">160</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Italian Kingdom created, <a href="#Page_6">6</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Italy, Victor Emmanuel, King of, Napoleon appeals to, <a href="#Page_160">160</a>.</li> - -<li class="idxs"> -Jägers save railway viaduct, <a href="#Page_294">294</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Jarny and Conflans, sounds of battle, <a href="#Page_171">171</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">road to, <a href="#Page_197">197</a>, <a href="#Page_207">207</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Jaumont, Péchot retires to forest of, <a href="#Page_224">224</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Jerusalem, farm, <a href="#Page_208">208</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Joinville, <a href="#Page_236">236</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Jolivet’s brigade, <a href="#Page_120">120</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Spicheren, <a href="#Page_122">122</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Vionville, <a href="#Page_172">172</a>, <a href="#Page_176">176</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Juniville, <a href="#Page_243">243</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Jurée, brook, <a href="#Page_169">169</a>, <a href="#Page_177">177</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Jussy, village on Moselle, <a href="#Page_195">195</a>.</li> - -<li class="idxs"> -Kaiserslautern, <a href="#Page_68">68</a>, <a href="#Page_76">76</a>, <a href="#Page_77">77</a>, <a href="#Page_79">79</a>, <a href="#Page_95">95</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Kameke, Lieut.-General von, at Spicheren, <a href="#Page_121">121</a>, <a href="#Page_122">122</a>, <a href="#Page_124">124</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">with Steinmetz, <a href="#Page_191">191</a>, <a href="#Page_192">192</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Kedange, <a href="#Page_277">277</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Kehl, bridge of, broken, <a href="#Page_70">70</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Kirchbach, General von, <a href="#Page_104">104</a>, <a href="#Page_105">105</a>, <a href="#Page_106">106</a>, <a href="#Page_113">113</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Sedan, <a href="#Page_307">307</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Kinglake, Mr., character of Napoleon, <a href="#Page_133">133</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Kraatz, General von, at Vionville, <a href="#Page_180">180</a>, <a href="#Page_181">181</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Kummer, General von, Landwehr reserve, <a href="#Page_158">158</a>, <a href="#Page_230">230</a>.</li> - -<li class="idxs"> -La Besace, village, <a href="#Page_258">258</a>, <a href="#Page_261">261</a>, <a href="#Page_271">271</a>, <a href="#Page_274">274</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Ladmirault, General de, <a href="#Page_93">93</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Spicheren, <a href="#Page_116">116</a>–118, <a href="#Page_134">134</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Colombey, <a href="#Page_148">148</a>–162;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Vionville, <a href="#Page_180">180</a>, <a href="#Page_181">181</a>, <a href="#Page_184">184</a>, <a href="#Page_185">185</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Gravelotte, <a href="#Page_194">194</a>, <a href="#Page_215">215</a>, <a href="#Page_223">223</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Noisseville, <a href="#Page_278">278</a>, <a href="#Page_279">279</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Ladmirault’s Corps, <a href="#Page_140">140</a>, <a href="#Page_177">177</a>, <a href="#Page_183">183</a>, <a href="#Page_199">199</a>, <a href="#Page_225">225</a>, <a href="#Page_226">226</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -La Folie, farm, <a href="#Page_194">194</a>, <a href="#Page_198">198</a>, <a href="#Page_200">200</a>, <a href="#Page_202">202</a>, <a href="#Page_207">207</a>, <a href="#Page_217">217</a>, <a href="#Page_225">225</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Lafont de Villiers, General, <a href="#Page_173">173</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Laheycourt, <a href="#Page_232">232</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Landstuhl, <a href="#Page_95">95</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Langensalza, Battle of, <a href="#Page_13">13</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -La Moncelle, Saxons seize, <a href="#Page_299">299</a>, <a href="#Page_300">300</a>, <a href="#Page_302">302</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">brilliant French attack, <a href="#Page_305">305</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Emperor near, <a href="#Page_311">311</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Lapasset, General, at Saarguemines, <a href="#Page_91">91</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">brigade at Vionville, <a href="#Page_171">171</a>, <a href="#Page_177">177</a>, <a href="#Page_185">185</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at St. Ruffine, <a href="#Page_195">195</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">contest with Golz, <a href="#Page_215">215</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -La Planchette, farm, <a href="#Page_152">152</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Laquenexy, <a href="#Page_281">281</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Lartigue, General, <a href="#Page_84">84</a>, <a href="#Page_99">99</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Woerth, <a href="#Page_105">105</a>–113;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Sedan, <a href="#Page_304">304</a>, <a href="#Page_305">305</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -La Thibaudine, farm, <a href="#Page_271">271</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Lauter, and Lauterbourg, lines of, <a href="#Page_76">76</a>, <a href="#Page_77">77</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_86">86</a>, <a href="#Page_87">87</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Lauvalliers, <a href="#Page_151">151</a>, <a href="#Page_152">152</a>, <a href="#Page_154">154</a>, <a href="#Page_156">156</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Lavalette, Napoleon’s letter to, <a href="#Page_20">20</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -La Vallières, stream, <a href="#Page_151">151</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Laveaucoupet, General, at Spicheren, <a href="#Page_120">120</a>, <a href="#Page_122">122</a>, <a href="#Page_128">128</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">to be placed in Metz and Verdun, <a href="#Page_137">137</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -La Viré farm, Prince Augustus at, <a href="#Page_306">306</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Lebach, <a href="#Page_73">73</a>, <a href="#Page_75">75</a>, <a href="#Page_79">79</a>, <a href="#Page_95">95</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Lebœuf, Marshal, Chief of the Staff, <a href="#Page_49">49</a>–50, <a href="#Page_59">59</a>–62;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Metz, <a href="#Page_92">92</a>, <a href="#Page_116">116</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">unfitness for command, <a href="#Page_117">117</a>, <a href="#Page_136">136</a>, <a href="#Page_145">145</a>, <a href="#Page_161">161</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Vionville, <a href="#Page_169">169</a>, <a href="#Page_171">171</a>, <a href="#Page_177">177</a>, <a href="#Page_180">180</a>, <a href="#Page_181">181</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Gravelotte, <a href="#Page_205">205</a>, <a href="#Page_211">211</a>, <a href="#Page_215">215</a>, <a href="#Page_217">217</a>, <a href="#Page_225">225</a>, <a href="#Page_226">226</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_228">228</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">withdrawn from Noisseville, <a href="#Page_279">279</a>, <a href="#Page_281">281</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Lebœuf’s Corps, <a href="#Page_185">185</a>, <a href="#Page_194">194</a>, <a href="#Page_196">196</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Lebrun, General, <a href="#Page_235">235</a>, <a href="#Page_243">243</a>, <a href="#Page_261">261</a>, <a href="#Page_270">270</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">retreat on Sedan, <a href="#Page_286">286</a>, <a href="#Page_287">287</a>, <a href="#Page_288">288</a>–294;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Bazeilles, <a href="#Page_296">296</a>–299, <a href="#Page_301">301</a>, <a href="#Page_302">302</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Givonne, <a href="#Page_304">304</a>, <a href="#Page_311">311</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">condemns Wimpffen’s efforts, <a href="#Page_316">316</a>, <a href="#Page_317">317</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">arrangements for Capitulation, <a href="#Page_318">318</a>, <a href="#Page_319">319</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Lebrun’s Corps, <a href="#Page_291">291</a>, <a href="#Page_293">293</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Le Chesne-Populeux, <a href="#Page_243">243</a>, <a href="#Page_249">249</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">MacMahon, head-quarters, <a href="#Page_251">251</a>, <a href="#Page_257">257</a>, <a href="#Page_258">258</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_263">263</a>, <a href="#Page_266">266</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Lee, General Robert, his saying on war, <a href="#Page_223">223</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Legrand, General, at Mars la Tour, <a href="#Page_183">183</a>, <a href="#Page_184">184</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Lehmann, Colonel, at Tronville, <a href="#Page_176">176</a>, <a href="#Page_177">177</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Leipzig, farm, <a href="#Page_194">194</a>, <a href="#Page_196">196</a>, <a href="#Page_207">207</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Lémoncourt, <a href="#Page_143">143</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Le Mont de Brune, <a href="#Page_272">272</a>, <a href="#Page_273">273</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -L’Envie, farm, <a href="#Page_202">202</a>, <a href="#Page_207">207</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Lespart, General Guyot de, <a href="#Page_91">91</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Woerth, <a href="#Page_141">141</a>, <a href="#Page_262">262</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Les Etangs, <a href="#Page_140">140</a>, <a href="#Page_142">142</a>, <a href="#Page_149">149</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Lessy, cross roads by, <a href="#Page_159">159</a>, <a href="#Page_161">161</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Létanne, bridge constructed at, <a href="#Page_291">291</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -“Le Temps,” paragraph in, <a href="#Page_246">246</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -L’Hériller and Pellé’s Division, <a href="#Page_302">302</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Liébert, General, <a href="#Page_313">313</a>, <a href="#Page_315">315</a>, <a href="#Page_316">316</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Ligny, <a href="#Page_232">232</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Great Staff and Crown Prince at, <a href="#Page_245">245</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Loftus, Lord Augustus, <a href="#Page_46">46</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Longeville, <a href="#Page_241">241</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">camp, <a href="#Page_161">161</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Longuyon, <a href="#Page_230">230</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Longstreet, General (United States), <a href="#Page_255">255</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Lorencez, General de, at Colombey-Nouilly, <a href="#Page_153">153</a>, <a href="#Page_155">155</a>, <a href="#Page_157">157</a>, <a href="#Page_162">162</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Lunéville, <a href="#Page_144">144</a>, <a href="#Page_159">159</a>, <a href="#Page_162">162</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Luxemburg, negotiations, and question, <a href="#Page_24">24</a>, <a href="#Page_25">25</a>, <a href="#Page_26">26</a>, <a href="#Page_27">27</a>, <a href="#Page_28">28</a>.</li> -<li class="idxs"> -Mack, General, at Ulm, <a href="#Page_229">229</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -MacMahon, Marshal, assembling 1st Corps near Strasburg, <a href="#Page_68">68</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">scattered condition of command, <a href="#Page_84">84</a>, <a href="#Page_85">85</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Reichshofen, <a href="#Page_89">89</a>–99;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Woerth, <a href="#Page_109">109</a>, <a href="#Page_112">112</a>, <a href="#Page_114">114</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">back on Sarrebourg, <a href="#Page_116">116</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">ordered to Chalons, <a href="#Page_134">134</a>, <a href="#Page_135">135</a>, <a href="#Page_138">138</a>, <a href="#Page_144">144</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">still at large, <a href="#Page_231">231</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Rhetel, <a href="#Page_234">234</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Chalons, <a href="#Page_236">236</a>, <a href="#Page_237">237</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">receives command of army, <a href="#Page_238">238</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">moves army to Reims, <a href="#Page_240">240</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">on the Aisne, <a href="#Page_248">248</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">turns from Stenay to Mouzon, <a href="#Page_259">259</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">will pass the Meuse, <a href="#Page_265">265</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">near Beaumont, <a href="#Page_270">270</a>, <a href="#Page_271">271</a>, <a href="#Page_276">276</a>, <a href="#Page_284">284</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_285">285</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">directs retreat on Sedan, <a href="#Page_286">286</a>, <a href="#Page_287">287</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">relations to the Emperor, <a href="#Page_288">288</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">account of conduct, <a href="#Page_297">297</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">wounded, gives up command, <a href="#Page_300">300</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">wound a great misfortune, <a href="#Page_303">303</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Magdeburg and Altmark regiments, losses, <a href="#Page_178">178</a>, <a href="#Page_179">179</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Mainz, <a href="#Page_65">65</a>, <a href="#Page_67">67</a>, <a href="#Page_69">69</a>, <a href="#Page_72">72</a>, <a href="#Page_77">77</a>, <a href="#Page_92">92</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Malancourt, <a href="#Page_223">223</a>, <a href="#Page_281">281</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Malmaison, <a href="#Page_177">177</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Malroy on Moselle, <a href="#Page_278">278</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Manèque, General, mortally wounded at Noisseville, <a href="#Page_281">281</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Mance, brook, <a href="#Page_177">177</a>, <a href="#Page_191">191</a>, <a href="#Page_193">193</a>, <a href="#Page_194">194</a>, <a href="#Page_195">195</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">gully, <a href="#Page_205">205</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">eastern, <a href="#Page_207">207</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">ravine, <a href="#Page_214">214</a>, <a href="#Page_216">216</a>, <a href="#Page_217">217</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Manstein, General von, at Gravelotte, <a href="#Page_198">198</a>–204, <a href="#Page_219">219</a>, <a href="#Page_220">220</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">crosses Moselle, <a href="#Page_280">280</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Manteuffel, General Baron von, at Berlin Council, <a href="#Page_10">10</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">makes Austrians retreat beyond Elbe, <a href="#Page_12">12</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">precaution, <a href="#Page_150">150</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">joins in at Colombey-Nouilly, <a href="#Page_153">153</a>, <a href="#Page_155">155</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Noisseville, <a href="#Page_278">278</a>, <a href="#Page_280">280</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Marbache, <a href="#Page_158">158</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">-Custines, <a href="#Page_163">163</a>, <a href="#Page_189">189</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Margueritte, General, <a href="#Page_141">141</a>, <a href="#Page_235">235</a>, <a href="#Page_243">243</a>, <a href="#Page_249">249</a>, <a href="#Page_251">251</a>, <a href="#Page_258">258</a>, <a href="#Page_260">260</a>, <a href="#Page_261">261</a>, <a href="#Page_275">275</a>, <a href="#Page_287">287</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">his cavalry, <a href="#Page_296">296</a>, <a href="#Page_300">300</a>, <a href="#Page_307">307</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">on the Calvaire d’Illy, <a href="#Page_308">308</a>, <a href="#Page_309">309</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">mortally wounded, <a href="#Page_313">313</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Marines, French, in Bazeilles, <a href="#Page_298">298</a>, <a href="#Page_305">305</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Marsal, <a href="#Page_148">148</a>, <a href="#Page_232">232</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Marshals of France, three caged in Metz, <a href="#Page_231">231</a>.</li> -<li class="idx1"><i>See</i> Bazaine, Canrobert, Lebœuf.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Mars la Tour, French Army directed on, <a href="#Page_159">159</a>, <a href="#Page_163">163</a>, <a href="#Page_164">164</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">road from Gravelotte to Verdun passes, <a href="#Page_168">168</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">battle of Vionville, <a href="#Page_170">170</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">ravine, <a href="#Page_181">181</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">German Cavalry at, <a href="#Page_183">183</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">German guns hold on near, <a href="#Page_183">183</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">cavalry at, <a href="#Page_186">186</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Germans occupy, <a href="#Page_191">191</a>, <a href="#Page_197">197</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Mattstal, <a href="#Page_98">98</a>, <a href="#Page_100">100</a>, <a href="#Page_102">102</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Maxau on the Rhine, <a href="#Page_64">64</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Ménil sur Saulx, letters seized by German cavalry at, <a href="#Page_233">233</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Mensdorff, Count, Austrian Foreign Minister, <a href="#Page_9">9</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Mercy le Haut, or Mercy les Metz, <a href="#Page_151">151</a>, <a href="#Page_278">278</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Metman, General, at Spicheren, <a href="#Page_129">129</a>, <a href="#Page_130">130</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_60">60</a>, <a href="#Page_161">161</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Vionville, <a href="#Page_177">177</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">leaves Rezonville, <a href="#Page_191">191</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Metz, <a href="#Page_68">68</a>, <a href="#Page_76">76</a>, <a href="#Page_79">79</a>, <a href="#Page_82">82</a>, <a href="#Page_92">92</a>, <a href="#Page_93">93</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">defences incomplete, <a href="#Page_94">94</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">disorder and consternation in, <a href="#Page_131">131</a>–135;</li> -<li class="idx1">entire army moves back on, <a href="#Page_136">136</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">(Colombey battle), <a href="#Page_151">151</a>, <a href="#Page_152">152</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">excitement in, <a href="#Page_159">159</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Bazaine’s army moves nearer to, <a href="#Page_188">188</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">shutting up in, not thought of, <a href="#Page_190">190</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Bazaine’s theory about, <a href="#Page_192">192</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">French Army by, <a href="#Page_193">193</a>, <a href="#Page_195">195</a>, <a href="#Page_197">197</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Steinmetz’s mistaken hope of driving French into, <a href="#Page_212">212</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">magnetism of stronghold like, <a href="#Page_229">229</a>, <a href="#Page_230">230</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">blockade of, <a href="#Page_231">231</a>, <a href="#Page_239">239</a>, <a href="#Page_241">241</a>, <a href="#Page_242">242</a>, <a href="#Page_244">244</a>–246;</li> -<li class="idx1">two corps sent back to, <a href="#Page_257">257</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">army, <a href="#Page_277">277</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">military situation about, <a href="#Page_282">282</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">fortress, <a href="#Page_283">283</a>, <a href="#Page_336">336</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Metz, road from, to Strasburg, <a href="#Page_67">67</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">from Mainz to, <a href="#Page_67">67</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">road at Spicheren, <a href="#Page_128">128</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">railway, <a href="#Page_129">129</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">roads out of, <a href="#Page_159">159</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">road to, <a href="#Page_194">194</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">and Montmédy road closed, <a href="#Page_292">292</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Meurthe, valley of the, <a href="#Page_144">144</a>, <a href="#Page_158">158</a>, <a href="#Page_232">232</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Meuse, the, <a href="#Page_134">134</a>, <a href="#Page_136">136</a>, <a href="#Page_171">171</a>, <a href="#Page_189">189</a>, <a href="#Page_232">232</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">MacMahon near, <a href="#Page_234">234</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">crossing at Stenay, <a href="#Page_242">242</a>, <a href="#Page_246">246</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Verdun, <a href="#Page_248">248</a>, <a href="#Page_249">249</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">MacMahon’s army ordered to, <a href="#Page_253">253</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Germans on, <a href="#Page_256">256</a>, <a href="#Page_257">257</a>, <a href="#Page_260">260</a>, <a href="#Page_262">262</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">French Corps on left bank, <a href="#Page_263">263</a>, <a href="#Page_270">270</a>, <a href="#Page_271">271</a>, <a href="#Page_273">273</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">dammed to fill Sedan ditches, <a href="#Page_274">274</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_280">280</a>, <a href="#Page_285">285</a>, <a href="#Page_286">286</a>, <a href="#Page_289">289</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">passage at Mouzon held by Saxon Crown Prince, <a href="#Page_292">292</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">pontoon over, <a href="#Page_294">294</a>; <a href="#Page_295">295</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">loop of, <a href="#Page_296">296</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">roads near, <a href="#Page_307">307</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Mexico expedition, <a href="#Page_7">7</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Mey, village (Colombey-Nouilly), <a href="#Page_151">151</a>–156.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Mézières, route for Chalons, <a href="#Page_242">242</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">MacMahon to retreat on, <a href="#Page_251">251</a>–253, <a href="#Page_255">255</a>, <a href="#Page_257">257</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">French to be cut off from, <a href="#Page_286">286</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">retreat to, given up, <a href="#Page_290">290</a>, <a href="#Page_295">295</a>, <a href="#Page_297">297</a>, <a href="#Page_301">301</a>, <a href="#Page_303">303</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">road, <a href="#Page_307">307</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Michel, General, unique telegram, <a href="#Page_62">62</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Woerth, <a href="#Page_107">107</a>, <a href="#Page_108">108</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">charges of his Cuirassiers, <a href="#Page_109">109</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">cavalry, <a href="#Page_296">296</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Mitchell, M. Robert, <a href="#Page_48">48</a>, <a href="#Page_50">50</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -<i>Mobiles</i>, unfurnished with munitions, <a href="#Page_132">132</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">bad behaviour of, returned to Paris, <a href="#Page_236">236</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">reasons for, <a href="#Page_238">238</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Mobilization, French, <a href="#Page_59">59</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">defects and difficulties, <a href="#Page_60">60</a>–63.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Mobilization, German, <a href="#Page_2">2</a>, <a href="#Page_3">3</a>, <a href="#Page_57">57</a>, <a href="#Page_58">58</a>, <a href="#Page_59">59</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Moltke, General Baron von, Chief of the Staff, <a href="#Page_3">3</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">his work, <a href="#Page_5">5</a>, <a href="#Page_6">6</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Berlin Council, <a href="#Page_10">10</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">in 1868 frames plan of campaign in France, <a href="#Page_37">37</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">remark on declaration of war, <a href="#Page_52">52</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">plans, <a href="#Page_65">65</a>, <a href="#Page_66">66</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">disposition after Saarbrück, <a href="#Page_76">76</a>–78;</li> -<li class="idx1">intentions before Woerth,96;</li> -<li class="idx1">caution, <a href="#Page_138">138</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_142">142</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">prepared for French on right bank, <a href="#Page_158">158</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">directs Second Army on Moselle, <a href="#Page_162">162</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">memorable instructions, <a href="#Page_165">165</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">judgment confirmed, <a href="#Page_189">189</a>, <a href="#Page_190">190</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Flavigny, <a href="#Page_191">191</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">orders on 17th, <a href="#Page_197">197</a>, <a href="#Page_198">198</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">keeps back Steinmetz at Gravelotte, <a href="#Page_204">204</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_207">207</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">his main object, <a href="#Page_216">216</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">himself directs attack, <a href="#Page_217">217</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">original design of battle, <a href="#Page_218">218</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">estimate of Bazaine, <a href="#Page_218">218</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">starts for Paris, <a href="#Page_232">232</a>, <a href="#Page_234">234</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Bazaine’s despatch, <a href="#Page_242">242</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">arrangements to meet French move, <a href="#Page_244">244</a>–246, <a href="#Page_254">254</a>, <a href="#Page_256">256</a>, <a href="#Page_257">257</a>,</li> -<li class="idx3"><a href="#Page_259">259</a>, <a href="#Page_260">260</a>, <a href="#Page_264">264</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">sanctions bombardment of Strasburg, <a href="#Page_283">283</a>, <a href="#Page_284">284</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_294">294</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Conference of Chémery, <a href="#Page_295">295</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">quickens operations, <a href="#Page_297">297</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_302">302</a>, <a href="#Page_307">307</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">with the King, looking on Sedan, described by Russell, <a href="#Page_321">321</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">designated by King, suspends hostilities, <a href="#Page_323">323</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">meets the French Generals at Donchery, <a href="#Page_325">325</a>–330;</li> -<li class="idx1">goes to King at Vendresse, <a href="#Page_332">332</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Montaigu, General, wounded and prisoner, <a href="#Page_184">184</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Montauban, General. <i>See</i> Palikao, Comte de.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Montaudon, General, <a href="#Page_94">94</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Spicheren, <a href="#Page_117">117</a>, <a href="#Page_129">129</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_137">137</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Colombey, <a href="#Page_153">153</a>, <a href="#Page_155">155</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Vionville, <a href="#Page_177">177</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">near Rezonville, <a href="#Page_185">185</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Montfaucon, <a href="#Page_256">256</a>, <a href="#Page_257">257</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Monthois, <a href="#Page_264">264</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Montigny la Grange, <a href="#Page_195">195</a>, <a href="#Page_198">198</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">held by French, <a href="#Page_225">225</a>, <a href="#Page_226">226</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Montimont, <a href="#Page_307">307</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Montluisant, Colonel, <a href="#Page_224">224</a>, <a href="#Page_225">225</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Montmédy, <a href="#Page_242">242</a>, <a href="#Page_246">246</a>, <a href="#Page_276">276</a>, <a href="#Page_277">277</a>, <a href="#Page_286">286</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Montois, <a href="#Page_223">223</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Montoy, <a href="#Page_151">151</a>, <a href="#Page_152">152</a>, <a href="#Page_154">154</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Montpayroux, M. Guyot de, illustrates French feeling, <a href="#Page_51">51</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Monvillers Park, Bazeilles, <a href="#Page_298">298</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">combats in, <a href="#Page_299">299</a>, <a href="#Page_305">305</a>, <a href="#Page_306">306</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Morsbronn, <a href="#Page_106">106</a>, <a href="#Page_107">107</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Moscow, farm, French position, <a href="#Page_194">194</a>, <a href="#Page_205">205</a>, <a href="#Page_206">206</a>, <a href="#Page_207">207</a>, <a href="#Page_213">213</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">every attempt on, repulsed, <a href="#Page_214">214</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Lebœuf in, <a href="#Page_217">217</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Moselle, river, <a href="#Page_92">92</a>, <a href="#Page_134">134</a>, <a href="#Page_135">135</a>, <a href="#Page_136">136</a>, <a href="#Page_139">139</a>, <a href="#Page_141">141</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">German advance on, <a href="#Page_142">142</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Borny on, <a href="#Page_143">143</a>, <a href="#Page_144">144</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">French get over, <a href="#Page_146">146</a>, <a href="#Page_147">147</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">in flood, <a href="#Page_148">148</a>, <a href="#Page_149">149</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Colombey, <a href="#Page_150">150</a>, <a href="#Page_151">151</a>, <a href="#Page_153">153</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">possible French advance up right bank, <a href="#Page_158">158</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">retreat on, <a href="#Page_159">159</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">fog on, <a href="#Page_161">161</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Second Army sent over, <a href="#Page_162">162</a>, <a href="#Page_163">163</a>, <a href="#Page_169">169</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">valley, <a href="#Page_179">179</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">crossed at Marbache, <a href="#Page_189">189</a>, <a href="#Page_190">190</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">near Ars, <a href="#Page_193">193</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">below Metz, <a href="#Page_194">194</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">crossed at Borny, <a href="#Page_204">204</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Germans on left bank of, <a href="#Page_230">230</a>, <a href="#Page_231">231</a>, <a href="#Page_278">278</a>, <a href="#Page_280">280</a>, <a href="#Page_281">281</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Mouzon, <a href="#Page_260">260</a>, <a href="#Page_261">261</a>, <a href="#Page_263">263</a>, <a href="#Page_269">269</a>, <a href="#Page_270">270</a>, <a href="#Page_272">272</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Cuirassiers charge at, <a href="#Page_273">273</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Germans at, <a href="#Page_274">274</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">MacMahon at, <a href="#Page_286">286</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">rout at, described to Emperor, <a href="#Page_287">287</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Germans take, <a href="#Page_291">291</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Moyœuvre, forest of, <a href="#Page_218">218</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Murat, Prince, followed by Redern, <a href="#Page_164">164</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">his dragoons bolt, <a href="#Page_170">170</a>.</li> - -<li class="idxs"> -Nancy, <a href="#Page_134">134</a>, <a href="#Page_139">139</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Uhlans ride into, <a href="#Page_141">141</a>, <a href="#Page_144">144</a>, <a href="#Page_159">159</a>, <a href="#Page_163">163</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Napoleon I., the Great, cavalry traditions of, <a href="#Page_165">165</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">his genius required, <a href="#Page_193">193</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">on competence of captains for large command, <a href="#Page_229">229</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Napoleon III., Louis, declares war on Prussia, <a href="#Page_1">1</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">his policy and position in Europe previous to the war, <a href="#Page_2">2</a>–20;</li> -<li class="idx1">attempt on Luxemburg, <a href="#Page_22">22</a>, <a href="#Page_23">23</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Russian alliance, Paris exhibition, <a href="#Page_31">31</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">death of Maximilian, <a href="#Page_32">32</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Salzburg, <a href="#Page_33">33</a>, <a href="#Page_34">34</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">suspects military treaties, <a href="#Page_35">35</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">seeks allies, <a href="#Page_36">36</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">fears for the dynasty, <a href="#Page_49">49</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">resolves on war, <a href="#Page_50">50</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">declares war, <a href="#Page_52">52</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">head-quarters at Metz, <a href="#Page_64">64</a>, <a href="#Page_72">72</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">takes command, <a href="#Page_73">73</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Saarbrück, <a href="#Page_74">74</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">incapacity at Metz, <a href="#Page_82">82</a>, <a href="#Page_92">92</a>, <a href="#Page_93">93</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Spicheren, <a href="#Page_116">116</a>, <a href="#Page_117">117</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">confusion, <a href="#Page_132">132</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">character unaltered from 1836, <a href="#Page_133">133</a>, <a href="#Page_134">134</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">despatch to Paris, <a href="#Page_135">135</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">resigns command, <a href="#Page_136">136</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_138">138</a>, <a href="#Page_140">140</a>, <a href="#Page_145">145</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">fails to press retreat over Moselle, <a href="#Page_146">146</a>, <a href="#Page_147">147</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Longeville, <a href="#Page_159">159</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">appeal to Austria and Italy, <a href="#Page_160">160</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at and after Gravelotte, <a href="#Page_161">161</a>, <a href="#Page_162">162</a>, <a href="#Page_166">166</a>, <a href="#Page_167">167</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">and Lebœuf, <a href="#Page_228">228</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_229">229</a>, <a href="#Page_231">231</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Chalons and Reims, <a href="#Page_235">235</a>–242;</li> -<li class="idx1">interview with MacMahon, <a href="#Page_251">251</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">military judgment correct, <a href="#Page_253">253</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">in Ducrot’s camp, <a href="#Page_286">286</a>, <a href="#Page_287">287</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">refuses to retire to Sedan, yet goes, <a href="#Page_287">287</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">enters Sedan, <a href="#Page_288">288</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">refuses to leave, <a href="#Page_289">289</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">and Des Sesmaisons, <a href="#Page_290">290</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">notices retreat, <a href="#Page_301">301</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">rides out early to see battle, sees MacMahon and goes under fire, <a href="#Page_311">311</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">and Wimpffen, <a href="#Page_316">316</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">and his generals, <a href="#Page_317">317</a>, <a href="#Page_318">318</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">hopes to appeal to the King, <a href="#Page_318">318</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Capitulation arranged with generals, <a href="#Page_319">319</a>, <a href="#Page_320">320</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">letter to King, <a href="#Page_322">322</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">awaiting reply, <a href="#Page_324">324</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Wimpffen quarrels before him, <a href="#Page_325">325</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">he surrenders, leaves Sedan, meets Bismarck, <a href="#Page_331">331</a>–333;</li> -<li class="idx1">meets King and Crown Prince, telegraphs to Empress, <a href="#Page_335">335</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">departs for Wilhelmshöhe, hears of Paris Revolution, <a href="#Page_337">337</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">reflections, <a href="#Page_338">338</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Napoleon, Louis, Prince Imperial, baptism of fire, <a href="#Page_73">73</a>, <a href="#Page_74">74</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">with Emperor, <a href="#Page_161">161</a>, <a href="#Page_166">166</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Chalons, <a href="#Page_237">237</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">sent off, <a href="#Page_239">239</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Napoleon, Prince Jérôme, <a href="#Page_41">41</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">with Emperor at Chalons, <a href="#Page_236">236</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">supports Trochu, suggests abdication, <a href="#Page_237">237</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Needle gun, the, <a href="#Page_7">7</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Neehwiller, <a href="#Page_98">98</a>, <a href="#Page_113">113</a>, <a href="#Page_114">114</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Nehrdorff, General, withdraws Saxons, <a href="#Page_210">210</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Neufchâteau, <a href="#Page_233">233</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Neunkirchen, <a href="#Page_79">79</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Nice and Savoy ceded to France, <a href="#Page_6">6</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Nied, the French, <a href="#Page_135">135</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">German, <a href="#Page_136">136</a>, <a href="#Page_140">140</a>, <a href="#Page_142">142</a>, <a href="#Page_143">143</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Niederbronn, <a href="#Page_70">70</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">(Woerth), <a href="#Page_113">113</a>, <a href="#Page_114">114</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Niederwald, the, <a href="#Page_107">107</a>, <a href="#Page_108">108</a>, <a href="#Page_109">109</a>, <a href="#Page_111">111</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Nikolsburg, Treaty of, <a href="#Page_13">13</a>, <a href="#Page_14">14</a>, <a href="#Page_16">16</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Noisseville, <a href="#Page_154">154</a>, <a href="#Page_155">155</a>, <a href="#Page_156">156</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">battle of, <a href="#Page_277">277</a>–279;</li> -<li class="idx1">Manteuffel attacks, <a href="#Page_280">280</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">contest for, <a href="#Page_281">281</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Nomény, <a href="#Page_140">140</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Nostitz, Count, at Donchery meeting, <a href="#Page_326">326</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Nouart, <a href="#Page_256">256</a>, <a href="#Page_258">258</a>–264, <a href="#Page_267">267</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Nouilly, <a href="#Page_148">148</a>, <a href="#Page_151">151</a>, <a href="#Page_156">156</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Novéant, <a href="#Page_163">163</a>, <a href="#Page_177">177</a>.</li> -<li class="idxs"> -Oches, <a href="#Page_249">249</a>, <a href="#Page_260">260</a>, <a href="#Page_261">261</a>, <a href="#Page_263">263</a>, <a href="#Page_265">265</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">MacMahon at, <a href="#Page_266">266</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Crown Prince at, <a href="#Page_269">269</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Ollivier, M. Emile, pacific remarks, <a href="#Page_43">43</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">thinks quarrel ended, <a href="#Page_48">48</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">political position, prophetic words, <a href="#Page_50">50</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">goes to war “<i>à cœur leger</i>,” <a href="#Page_51">51</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_81">81</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Ministry turned out, <a href="#Page_137">137</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Olly, Germans occupy, <a href="#Page_309">309</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Olozaga, Spanish Ambassador, <a href="#Page_45">45</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Orcet, Captain d’, and Donchery meeting, <a href="#Page_326">326</a>, <a href="#Page_327">327</a>, <a href="#Page_328">328</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Ornain, the river, <a href="#Page_232">232</a>; <a href="#Page_284">284</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Orne, the river, <a href="#Page_193">193</a>, <a href="#Page_195">195</a>, <a href="#Page_208">208</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">cantonments on, <a href="#Page_246">246</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Operations, German and French, August 29th, <a href="#Page_259">259</a>, <a href="#Page_260">260</a>, <a href="#Page_261">261</a>.</li> - -<li class="idxs"> -Palatinate, the, possible irruption into, <a href="#Page_70">70</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Pagny, <a href="#Page_163">163</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Palikao, Comte de, General, Montauban, <a href="#Page_81">81</a>; <a href="#Page_137">137</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">made by Empress Minister of War, <a href="#Page_235">235</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">collects new army, <a href="#Page_235">235</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">telegram to, from Emperor, <a href="#Page_239">239</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">views, <a href="#Page_240">240</a>, <a href="#Page_242">242</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">responsible for disaster, <a href="#Page_251">251</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">insists on help for Bazaine, <a href="#Page_252">252</a>, <a href="#Page_253">253</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">utter ignorance of situation, <a href="#Page_254">254</a>, <a href="#Page_276">276</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">and Wimpffen, <a href="#Page_288">288</a>, <a href="#Page_324">324</a>, <a href="#Page_336">336</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Pallières, General Martin des, <a href="#Page_298">298</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Pange, French position, <a href="#Page_136">136</a>, <a href="#Page_140">140</a>, <a href="#Page_142">142</a>, <a href="#Page_143">143</a>, <a href="#Page_149">149</a>, <a href="#Page_152">152</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Pape, Major-General von, <a href="#Page_203">203</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Guard prepared to attack St. Marie, <a href="#Page_208">208</a>, <a href="#Page_209">209</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at St. Marie, <a href="#Page_219">219</a>, <a href="#Page_220">220</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">his Guards’ attack on St. Privat, <a href="#Page_222">222</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Paradol, Prévost, view of the war, and suicide, <a href="#Page_54">54</a>, <a href="#Page_55">55</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Paris, remonstrances from, <a href="#Page_135">135</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">and Parisians, <a href="#Page_146">146</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">army of the Rhine facing, <a href="#Page_193">193</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">placed in state of defence, <a href="#Page_233">233</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">fears of uncovering, <a href="#Page_240">240</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">newspaper informs Moltke, <a href="#Page_245">245</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">road to, <a href="#Page_246">246</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">orders from, to MacMahon, <a href="#Page_252">252</a>, <a href="#Page_253">253</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">ready for revolution, <a href="#Page_285">285</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Wimpffen at, <a href="#Page_287">287</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Parliament, Prussian, opposition to army reform, <a href="#Page_4">4</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Péchot, General, falls on Saxons, <a href="#Page_210">210</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">“valiant officer” attempts to stop enemy, <a href="#Page_224">224</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Pellé, General, takes command on Douay’s death, <a href="#Page_88">88</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Woerth, <a href="#Page_99">99</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Pestel, Colonel von, at Saarbrück, <a href="#Page_73">73</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Pfaffenwald, the, <a href="#Page_125">125</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Pfordten, von der, Bavarian Minister, signs secret treaty, <a href="#Page_14">14</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Phalsbourg, <a href="#Page_115">115</a>, <a href="#Page_143">143</a>, <a href="#Page_144">144</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">French fortress untaken, <a href="#Page_283">283</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Pietri, M., telegraphs to Empress, <a href="#Page_238">238</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Pirmasens, <a href="#Page_69">69</a>, <a href="#Page_77">77</a>, <a href="#Page_86">86</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Plappeville, fort, <a href="#Page_194">194</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Guard at, <a href="#Page_195">195</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">guns not heard at, <a href="#Page_214">214</a>, <a href="#Page_215">215</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Podbielski, General von, <a href="#Page_245">245</a>, <a href="#Page_246">246</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at conference of Cheméry, <a href="#Page_295">295</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">with King William, <a href="#Page_321">321</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Donchery meeting, <a href="#Page_326">326</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Point du Jour farm, <a href="#Page_191">191</a>, <a href="#Page_194">194</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">quarries below, <a href="#Page_205">205</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">burnt, <a href="#Page_206">206</a>, <a href="#Page_207">207</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Steinmetz hopes to capture, <a href="#Page_212">212</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">repulses attack, <a href="#Page_214">214</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">attempts to storm, <a href="#Page_217">217</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Poix, <a href="#Page_156">156</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">German guns at, <a href="#Page_279">279</a>, <a href="#Page_293">293</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Pommérieux, <a href="#Page_165">165</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Pont à Mousson, <a href="#Page_141">141</a>, <a href="#Page_142">142</a>, <a href="#Page_143">143</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Prince Frederick Charles at, <a href="#Page_158">158</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_163">163</a>, <a href="#Page_171">171</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Royal head-quarters, <a href="#Page_189">189</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Moltke starts for, <a href="#Page_197">197</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Moltke at, <a href="#Page_283">283</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Porru au Bois, Prussian Guard in, <a href="#Page_292">292</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Possesse, <a href="#Page_232">232</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Pouilly, Germans at, <a href="#Page_275">275</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">bridge constructed, <a href="#Page_291">291</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Preuil, General du, at Vionville, <a href="#Page_175">175</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Preuschdorf, <a href="#Page_104">104</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Provisions, French scarcity of, <a href="#Page_243">243</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Prussia, King of. <i>See</i> William I.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Prussian Army, now German, characteristics of, <a href="#Page_5">5</a>, <a href="#Page_6">6</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">victories in Denmark with needle-gun, <a href="#Page_7">7</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">augmented, <a href="#Page_8">8</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">mobilizing, <a href="#Page_11">11</a>, <a href="#Page_12">12</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">enters Austria, fights Sadowa, <a href="#Page_13">13</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Prusso-Italian Alliance, <a href="#Page_10">10</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Puttelange, Castagny marches to, <a href="#Page_129">129</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">French generals assemble at, <a href="#Page_130">130</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Puxieux, <a href="#Page_163">163</a>, <a href="#Page_164">164</a>.</li> - -<li class="idxs"> -Quarries of Amanvillers and St. Hubert, <a href="#Page_192">192</a>, <a href="#Page_205">205</a>, <a href="#Page_217">217</a>, <a href="#Page_218">218</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Quatre Champs, <a href="#Page_258">258</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Queleu, Fort, Metz, <a href="#Page_141">141</a>, <a href="#Page_148">148</a>.</li> - -<li class="idxs"> -Railway, questions of control, Belgian, Luxemburg,</li> -<li class="idx2">and St. Gothard, <a href="#Page_39">39</a>, <a href="#Page_40">40</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Rastadt, <a href="#Page_65">65</a>, <a href="#Page_92">92</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Rations, in Sedan, sent away by mistake, <a href="#Page_289">289</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Rauch, Colonel von, at Flavigny, Hussars capture battery</li> -<li class="idx1">and surround Bazaine, <a href="#Page_175">175</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Raucourt, <a href="#Page_271">271</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Douay retires on, <a href="#Page_265">265</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">attacked, <a href="#Page_274">274</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_293">293</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Raoult, General, <a href="#Page_99">99</a>, <a href="#Page_106">106</a>, <a href="#Page_110">110</a>, <a href="#Page_113">113</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Reconnaisances, French, inadequate, <a href="#Page_167">167</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Redern, General von, before Metz, <a href="#Page_163">163</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">follows Murat, <a href="#Page_164">164</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Flavigny, <a href="#Page_178">178</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Red Hill, Rotheberg, or Spur at Spicheren, <a href="#Page_119">119</a>, <a href="#Page_120">120</a>, <a href="#Page_122">122</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">storming of, <a href="#Page_124">124</a>, <a href="#Page_125">125</a>, <a href="#Page_126">126</a>, <a href="#Page_127">127</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Spicheren road up, <a href="#Page_128">128</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Reichshofen, <a href="#Page_84">84</a>, <a href="#Page_96">96</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">and Niederbronn, <a href="#Page_100">100</a>, <a href="#Page_109">109</a>, <a href="#Page_112">112</a>, <a href="#Page_113">113</a>, <a href="#Page_114">114</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Reille, General, <a href="#Page_320">320</a>, <a href="#Page_325">325</a>, <a href="#Page_331">331</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Reims, <a href="#Page_234">234</a>, <a href="#Page_242">242</a>, <a href="#Page_244">244</a>, <a href="#Page_245">245</a>, <a href="#Page_246">246</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">3rd Army Cavalry in sight of, <a href="#Page_247">247</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_249">249</a>, <a href="#Page_251">251</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Remilly, <a href="#Page_231">231</a>, <a href="#Page_260">260</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">disordered French retreat to, <a href="#Page_272">272</a>, <a href="#Page_273">273</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_293">293</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Remonville, <a href="#Page_264">264</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Reppertsberg, Spicheren, <a href="#Page_120">120</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Revigny les Vaches, Crown Prince’s head-quarters, <a href="#Page_255">255</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Rex, Colonel von, at Spicheren, <a href="#Page_121">121</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">in Bois des Ognons, <a href="#Page_185">185</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Rezonville, <a href="#Page_164">164</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">road from Gravelotte to Verdun through, <a href="#Page_168">168</a>, <a href="#Page_169">169</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">(Vionville battle), <a href="#Page_170">170</a>, <a href="#Page_171">171</a>, <a href="#Page_177">177</a>, <a href="#Page_179">179</a>, <a href="#Page_186">186</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_188">188</a>, <a href="#Page_190">190</a>, <a href="#Page_191">191</a>, <a href="#Page_197">197</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">2nd Corps at, <a href="#Page_215">215</a>, <a href="#Page_242">242</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Rheinbaben, Lieut.-General Baron von, at Spicheren, <a href="#Page_119">119</a>, <a href="#Page_120">120</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">effective operations on Verdun road, <a href="#Page_163">163</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Vionville, <a href="#Page_170">170</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">begins battle with battery, <a href="#Page_171">171</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">his work done, <a href="#Page_172">172</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Retonfay, <a href="#Page_279">279</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Rhetel, MacMahon’s army at, <a href="#Page_243">243</a>, <a href="#Page_249">249</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Rhine, the, and Moselle, <a href="#Page_65">65</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">bridges and ferries destroyed, <a href="#Page_70">70</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_76">76</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Roman road, Vionville, <a href="#Page_169">169</a>, <a href="#Page_171">171</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Roncourt, high ground, French position, <a href="#Page_194">194</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">open descent to, <a href="#Page_195">195</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">limit of French right, <a href="#Page_207">207</a>, <a href="#Page_208">208</a>, <a href="#Page_210">210</a>, <a href="#Page_211">211</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Saxons at, <a href="#Page_222">222</a>, <a href="#Page_223">223</a>, <a href="#Page_224">224</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Roon, General von, made War Minister, <a href="#Page_3">3</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">administrative measures, <a href="#Page_5">5</a>, <a href="#Page_6">6</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">causes King to retire out of fire, <a href="#Page_216">216</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">with King, <a href="#Page_321">321</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Rosseln, Von Golz marches from, <a href="#Page_129">129</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Rouher, M., <a href="#Page_38">38</a>, <a href="#Page_49">49</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">goes to Emperor at Chalons, <a href="#Page_240">240</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">suggests proclamation, <a href="#Page_241">241</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Rozérieulles village, <a href="#Page_160">160</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">French reserves in, <a href="#Page_194">194</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Rupigny, <a href="#Page_281">281</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Russell, Dr. William, diary cited, description of Bismarck at</li> -<li class="idx2">Bar le Duc, <a href="#Page_255">255</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">of Sedan and the King, <a href="#Page_321">321</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">of Crown Prince, <a href="#Page_322">322</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Russell, Lord, Danish question, <a href="#Page_7">7</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Russia, <a href="#Page_2">2</a>, <a href="#Page_4">4</a>, <a href="#Page_8">8</a>, <a href="#Page_11">11</a>, <a href="#Page_16">16</a>.</li> - -<li class="idxs"> -Saar, <a href="#Page_76">76</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">French positions on, <a href="#Page_92">92</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">German, <a href="#Page_95">95</a>, <a href="#Page_118">118</a>, <a href="#Page_119">119</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">French, <a href="#Page_136">136</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_138">138</a>, <a href="#Page_139">139</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">upper, <a href="#Page_143">143</a>, <a href="#Page_144">144</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Saarbourg, <a href="#Page_116">116</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Saarbrück, <a href="#Page_70">70</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">affair at, <a href="#Page_73">73</a>, <a href="#Page_77">77</a>, <a href="#Page_118">118</a>, <a href="#Page_119">119</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">road, <a href="#Page_152">152</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Saarlouis, <a href="#Page_77">77</a>, <a href="#Page_136">136</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">road from, <a href="#Page_152">152</a>, <a href="#Page_158">158</a>, <a href="#Page_230">230</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Sachy, guard at, <a href="#Page_292">292</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Sadowa, battle of, <a href="#Page_13">13</a>, <a href="#Page_14">14</a>, <a href="#Page_16">16</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -St. Ail, <a href="#Page_195">195</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">German batteries at, <a href="#Page_203">203</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_209">209</a>, <a href="#Page_210">210</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">and St. Marie, Prussian Infantry Guard, <a href="#Page_219">219</a>, <a href="#Page_221">221</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -St. Avold, <a href="#Page_79">79</a>, <a href="#Page_94">94</a>, <a href="#Page_117">117</a>, <a href="#Page_120">120</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Bazaine at, <a href="#Page_124">124</a>, <a href="#Page_129">129</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Castagny called to, <a href="#Page_130">130</a>; <a href="#Page_138">138</a>; <a href="#Page_140">140</a>; <a href="#Page_143">143</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -St. Barbe, village and church tower, <a href="#Page_151">151</a>, <a href="#Page_152">152</a>, <a href="#Page_153">153</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">ravine, <a href="#Page_154">154</a>, <a href="#Page_156">156</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_277">277</a>, <a href="#Page_278">278</a>, <a href="#Page_279">279</a>, <a href="#Page_280">280</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -St. Dizier, <a href="#Page_234">234</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -St. Germain, ravine, <a href="#Page_214">214</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -St. Hilaire, <a href="#Page_170">170</a>, <a href="#Page_182">182</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -St. Hubert, farm, above Gravelotte, narrow causeway by, <a href="#Page_194">194</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">strong, <a href="#Page_196">196</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">contest at, <a href="#Page_205">205</a>, <a href="#Page_206">206</a>, <a href="#Page_207">207</a>, <a href="#Page_212">212</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">slopes near, <a href="#Page_213">213</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Germans hold, <a href="#Page_214">214</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">last fights, <a href="#Page_215">215</a>, <a href="#Page_216">216</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">in twilight, <a href="#Page_217">217</a>, <a href="#Page_218">218</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -St. Julien, fort, <a href="#Page_148">148</a>, <a href="#Page_278">278</a>, <a href="#Page_279">279</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -St. Marcel, <a href="#Page_169">169</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -St. Marie aux Chênes, Canrobert occupies, <a href="#Page_195">195</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">German Guard advance on, <a href="#Page_198">198</a>, <a href="#Page_202">202</a>, <a href="#Page_203">203</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">held by French, <a href="#Page_206">206</a>, <a href="#Page_207">207</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">described, <a href="#Page_208">208</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">attack on road through, <a href="#Page_209">209</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">abandoned, <a href="#Page_209">209</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Saxon guns north of, <a href="#Page_219">219</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">high road to, <a href="#Page_221">221</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">General Pape at, sends out Guard, <a href="#Page_222">222</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -St. Menehould, <a href="#Page_232">232</a>, <a href="#Page_242">242</a>, <a href="#Page_251">251</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -St. Menges, <a href="#Page_296">296</a>, <a href="#Page_301">301</a>, <a href="#Page_306">306</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Germans occupy, <a href="#Page_307">307</a>, <a href="#Page_308">308</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">and push on, <a href="#Page_309">309</a>, <a href="#Page_310">310</a>, <a href="#Page_311">311</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -St. Mihiel, <a href="#Page_240">240</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -St. Privat la Montagne, <i>see</i> Gravelotte, <a href="#Page_194">194</a>–225.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -St. Quentin, Mount, fort, <a href="#Page_160">160</a>, <a href="#Page_161">161</a>, <a href="#Page_194">194</a>, <a href="#Page_195">195</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">highest point of position, <a href="#Page_196">196</a>, <a href="#Page_214">214</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -St. Ruffine, <a href="#Page_211">211</a>, <a href="#Page_215">215</a>, <a href="#Page_218">218</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Salignac-Fenelon, General, <a href="#Page_315">315</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Salzburg, meeting of Austrian and French Emperors at, <a href="#Page_33">33</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Sansonnet, <a href="#Page_161">161</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Sarreguemines, Montaudon at, <a href="#Page_117">117</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_118">118</a>, <a href="#Page_119">119</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">retreat on, <a href="#Page_128">128</a>, <a href="#Page_129">129</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_137">137</a>, <a href="#Page_138">138</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Sauer, stream, and Sulz, <a href="#Page_100">100</a>, <a href="#Page_107">107</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Saulny, <a href="#Page_223">223</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">wood of, <a href="#Page_224">224</a>, <a href="#Page_226">226</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Saverne, <a href="#Page_99">99</a>, <a href="#Page_112">112</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">retreat on, <a href="#Page_114">114</a>, <a href="#Page_115">115</a>, <a href="#Page_116">116</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">railway tunnels west of, <a href="#Page_144">144</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Saxon 12th Corps, <a href="#Page_267">267</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Beaumont fight, <a href="#Page_269">269</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Saxon horse cut off Lebrun’s baggage, <a href="#Page_287">287</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Saxon infantry at St. Marie, <a href="#Page_210">210</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Saxons in Daigny, <a href="#Page_304">304</a>, <a href="#Page_305">305</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Saxony, King of, in Pirna, cited, <a href="#Page_229">229</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Saxony, Prince Royal of (Crown Prince), at Gravelotte, <a href="#Page_198">198</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Auboué, <a href="#Page_207">207</a>, <a href="#Page_210">210</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">in command of Army of the Meuse, <a href="#Page_230">230</a>, <a href="#Page_241">241</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_244">244</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Clermont in Argonne, <a href="#Page_254">254</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">to cross Meuse, <a href="#Page_260">260</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">early march to Beaumont, <a href="#Page_264">264</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">to attack, <a href="#Page_285">285</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">anticipates orders, <a href="#Page_291">291</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">secures Chiers bridges, <a href="#Page_292">292</a>, <a href="#Page_297">297</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Saxony, Prince George of, <a href="#Page_207">207</a>, <a href="#Page_208">208</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">holds French, <a href="#Page_263">263</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Schellendorf, Colonel Bronsart von, <a href="#Page_320">320</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Schlotheim, General von, <a href="#Page_248">248</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Schmidt, Captain, artillery feat, <a href="#Page_127">127</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Schultz, General, engineer, <a href="#Page_284">284</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Schwarzkoppen, General von, <a href="#Page_181">181</a>, <a href="#Page_182">182</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Schwerin, General von, <a href="#Page_121">121</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Sedan, <a href="#Page_146">146</a>, <a href="#Page_234">234</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Bazaine suggests retreat on, <a href="#Page_242">242</a>, <a href="#Page_249">249</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_256">256</a>, <a href="#Page_266">266</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">occupation of, <a href="#Page_272">272</a>, <a href="#Page_274">274</a>–276;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_281">281</a>, <a href="#Page_286">286</a>–289, <a href="#Page_294">294</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">battle-field described, <a href="#Page_295">295</a>, <a href="#Page_297">297</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">battle of, <a href="#Page_298">298</a>, <a href="#Page_299">299</a>, <a href="#Page_300">300</a>, <a href="#Page_301">301</a>, <a href="#Page_302">302</a>, <a href="#Page_303">303</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Emperor returns to, <a href="#Page_311">311</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">final efforts, <a href="#Page_316">316</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">end of battle, <a href="#Page_317">317</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">condition of interior, <a href="#Page_319">319</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">losses on both sides, <a href="#Page_336">336</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Seille, river, reached by patrols, <a href="#Page_140">140</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_142">142</a>, <a href="#Page_148">148</a>, <a href="#Page_151">151</a>, <a href="#Page_158">158</a>, <a href="#Page_189">189</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Selz, <a href="#Page_85">85</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Semuy, <a href="#Page_249">249</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Senuc, <a href="#Page_250">250</a>; <a href="#Page_264">264</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Sermaize, <a href="#Page_232">232</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Servigny, <a href="#Page_148">148</a>, <a href="#Page_155">155</a>, <a href="#Page_279">279</a>, <a href="#Page_280">280</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Sesmaisons, Captain, <a href="#Page_289">289</a>, <a href="#Page_290">290</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Seton, Captain, remarks on Steinmetz, <a href="#Page_212">212</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Sheridan, General, U.S., <a href="#Page_322">322</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Sierck, <a href="#Page_70">70</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Solferino, effect of French success, <a href="#Page_6">6</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Napoleon’s saying after, <a href="#Page_318">318</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Sommauthe, Bavarians in, <a href="#Page_274">274</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Sommerance, <a href="#Page_264">264</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Sourd, M. le, presents Declaration of War, <a href="#Page_1">1</a>, <a href="#Page_52">52</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Spachbach, <a href="#Page_103">103</a>, <a href="#Page_107">107</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Spicheren, Frossard takes post at, <a href="#Page_94">94</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_117">117</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">French position, <a href="#Page_116">116</a>, <a href="#Page_117">117</a>, <a href="#Page_118">118</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">battle-field, <a href="#Page_119">119</a>, <a href="#Page_120">120</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">battle, <a href="#Page_121">121</a>–130, <a href="#Page_137">137</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">temerity of German advance guard, <a href="#Page_158">158</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Spires, <a href="#Page_70">70</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Steinmetz, General von, commanding First Army, <a href="#Page_68">68</a>, <a href="#Page_76">76</a>–78, <a href="#Page_95">95</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">characteristic speech of, <a href="#Page_121">121</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">begins Spicheren battle, <a href="#Page_122">122</a>, <a href="#Page_139">139</a>, <a href="#Page_142">142</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">advances, <a href="#Page_149">149</a>, <a href="#Page_157">157</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">instructions from Moltke, <a href="#Page_165">165</a>, <a href="#Page_191">191</a>, <a href="#Page_192">192</a>, <a href="#Page_197">197</a>, <a href="#Page_198">198</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Gravelotte, <a href="#Page_204">204</a>; <a href="#Page_211">211</a>–217, <a href="#Page_278">278</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Steinburg, Woerth, <a href="#Page_115">115</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Stenay, on the Meuse, MacMahon hopes to cross at, <a href="#Page_242">242</a>, <a href="#Page_243">243</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_247">247</a>, <a href="#Page_256">256</a>, <a href="#Page_264">264</a>, <a href="#Page_268">268</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Stephan, General von, <a href="#Page_294">294</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Stiring-Wendel, village (Spicheren), <a href="#Page_120">120</a>–124, <a href="#Page_127">127</a>–129.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Stoffel, Colonel, <a href="#Page_251">251</a>, <a href="#Page_252">252</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Stonne, Emperor at, <a href="#Page_253">253</a>, <a href="#Page_262">262</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">defiles leading to, <a href="#Page_266">266</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Germans in, <a href="#Page_274">274</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Strasburg, <a href="#Page_66">66</a>, <a href="#Page_67">67</a>, <a href="#Page_131">131</a>, <a href="#Page_132">132</a>, <a href="#Page_143">143</a>, <a href="#Page_283">283</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">bombardment, <a href="#Page_284">284</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">siege, <a href="#Page_285">285</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Stülpnagel, General von, at Spicheren, <a href="#Page_121">121</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Vionville, <a href="#Page_172">172</a>, <a href="#Page_173">173</a>, <a href="#Page_174">174</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Suippe, river, <a href="#Page_243">243</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Sulz and Sauer, <a href="#Page_96">96</a>, <a href="#Page_98">98</a>.</li> -<li class="idxs"> -Tann-Rathsamhausen, General von der, his Bavarian troops, <a href="#Page_91">91</a>, <a href="#Page_100">100</a>, <a href="#Page_104">104</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Beaumont fight, <a href="#Page_267">267</a>, <a href="#Page_269">269</a>, <a href="#Page_271">271</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">fires on Bazeilles, <a href="#Page_293">293</a>, <a href="#Page_294">294</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_297">297</a>–299.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Teterchen, <a href="#Page_139">139</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Thiaucourt, <a href="#Page_163">163</a>, <a href="#Page_164">164</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">cannonade heard at, <a href="#Page_181">181</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Thiers, M., speech against war, <a href="#Page_51">51</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Thionville, <a href="#Page_131">131</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">German cuirassiers at, <a href="#Page_141">141</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_230">230</a>, <a href="#Page_231">231</a>, <a href="#Page_245">245</a>, <a href="#Page_276">276</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Tholey, <a href="#Page_75">75</a>, <a href="#Page_76">76</a>, <a href="#Page_79">79</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Tilliard, General, <a href="#Page_315">315</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -<i>Tirailleurs d’artillerie</i>, <a href="#Page_174">174</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Canrobert’s phrase, <a href="#Page_201">201</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Tixier’s, General, division, Vionville, <a href="#Page_180">180</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Torcy, <a href="#Page_272">272</a>, <a href="#Page_274">274</a>, <a href="#Page_296">296</a>, <a href="#Page_317">317</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Toul, town and fortress, <a href="#Page_135">135</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">governor of, summoned by Uhlans, <a href="#Page_164">164</a>, <a href="#Page_189">189</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">siege of, <a href="#Page_232">232</a>, <a href="#Page_283">283</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Tourteron, <a href="#Page_249">249</a>, <a href="#Page_293">293</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Turenne, Vicomte de, born at Sedan, <a href="#Page_321">321</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Turnier, Colonel, <a href="#Page_276">276</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Treves, <a href="#Page_65">65</a>, <a href="#Page_76">76</a>, <a href="#Page_93">93</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Triaucourt, <a href="#Page_232">232</a>, <a href="#Page_254">254</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Trochu, General, proposition to Emperor, <a href="#Page_237">237</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">governor of Paris, <a href="#Page_238">238</a>, <a href="#Page_239">239</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Tronville, village and woods, <a href="#Page_169">169</a>, <a href="#Page_171">171</a>, <a href="#Page_173">173</a>, <a href="#Page_176">176</a>, <a href="#Page_177">177</a>, <a href="#Page_180">180</a>–185.</li> - -<li class="idxs"> -Uhrich, General, governor of Strasburg, <a href="#Page_283">283</a>, <a href="#Page_284">284</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Uhlans, <a href="#Page_140">140</a>, <a href="#Page_141">141</a>, <a href="#Page_213">213</a>, <a href="#Page_232">232</a>.</li> - -<li class="idxs"> -Valabrègue, General, <a href="#Page_169">169</a>, <a href="#Page_178">178</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Valazé, General, at Spicheren, <a href="#Page_120">120</a>, <a href="#Page_123">123</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Vionville, <a href="#Page_172">172</a>, <a href="#Page_174">174</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Vallières, brook, <a href="#Page_278">278</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Valmy, battle-field, <a href="#Page_239">239</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Varennes, <a href="#Page_247">247</a>, <a href="#Page_254">254</a>, <a href="#Page_257">257</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Varize, <a href="#Page_149">149</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Vassy, <a href="#Page_233">233</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Vassoigne, General, <a href="#Page_298">298</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Vauban, fortified Sedan, <a href="#Page_321">321</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Vaudemont, <a href="#Page_233">233</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Vautoux, <a href="#Page_156">156</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Verdun, <a href="#Page_131">131</a>, <a href="#Page_159">159</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">road, <a href="#Page_164">164</a>, <a href="#Page_165">165</a>, <a href="#Page_170">170</a>, <a href="#Page_176">176</a>, <a href="#Page_188">188</a>–199, <a href="#Page_193">193</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Germans moving towards, <a href="#Page_232">232</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_240">240</a>, <a href="#Page_241">241</a>, <a href="#Page_242">242</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Napoleon’s despatch from, <a href="#Page_276">276</a>, <a href="#Page_277">277</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">fortress untaken, <a href="#Page_283">283</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Vergé, General, holds Stiring, <a href="#Page_126">126</a>, <a href="#Page_129">129</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Vionville, <a href="#Page_171">171</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Vernéville, <a href="#Page_161">161</a>, <a href="#Page_169">169</a>, <a href="#Page_177">177</a>, <a href="#Page_188">188</a>, <a href="#Page_199">199</a>–208.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Verrières, Würtembergers at, <a href="#Page_274">274</a>, <a href="#Page_293">293</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Verviers, Emperor at, <a href="#Page_337">337</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Victor Emmanuel. <i>See</i> Italy, King of.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Vienne le Château, <a href="#Page_257">257</a>, <a href="#Page_264">264</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Villette, <a href="#Page_310">310</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Villemontrey, <a href="#Page_270">270</a>, <a href="#Page_273">273</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Villeneuve, General, <a href="#Page_270">270</a>, <a href="#Page_272">272</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Villers au Bois, <a href="#Page_169">169</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Villers-Cernay, <a href="#Page_287">287</a>, <a href="#Page_300">300</a>, <a href="#Page_306">306</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Villers below Mouzon, <a href="#Page_266">266</a>, <a href="#Page_271">271</a>, <a href="#Page_273">273</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Villers l’Orme, <a href="#Page_156">156</a>, <a href="#Page_280">280</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Ville sur Yron, <a href="#Page_183">183</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Vinoy, General, <a href="#Page_253">253</a>, <a href="#Page_289">289</a>, <a href="#Page_290">290</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">and troops escape, <a href="#Page_293">293</a>; <a href="#Page_336">336</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Vionville, <a href="#Page_164">164</a>; <a href="#Page_166">166</a>; -Mars la Tour battle, <a href="#Page_167">167</a>–187;</li> -<li class="idx1">road towards, after battle, <a href="#Page_190">190</a>, <a href="#Page_229">229</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Vitry, <a href="#Page_232">232</a>, <a href="#Page_233">233</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">cavalry capture stray French, <a href="#Page_234">234</a>, <a href="#Page_241">241</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Void, <a href="#Page_232">232</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Voigts-Rhetz, General von, commander of 10th Corps,</li> -<li class="idx1">comes up at Mars la Tour, <a href="#Page_170">170</a>, <a href="#Page_182">182</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Völkingen, outposts in contact, <a href="#Page_78">78</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Voncq, Germans take prisoners at, <a href="#Page_263">263</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Vosges, mountains, <a href="#Page_66">66</a>, <a href="#Page_67">67</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">defiles of, open, <a href="#Page_115">115</a>, <a href="#Page_116">116</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_131">131</a>, <a href="#Page_143">143</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Vouziers, MacMahon’s army at, <a href="#Page_234">234</a>, <a href="#Page_243">243</a>, <a href="#Page_245">245</a>, <a href="#Page_248">248</a>, <a href="#Page_250">250</a>, <a href="#Page_257">257</a>, <a href="#Page_259">259</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Vrémy, <a href="#Page_148">148</a>, <a href="#Page_279">279</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Vrigne au Bois, <a href="#Page_307">307</a>.</li> - -<li class="idxs"> -Wadern, remarkable march from, <a href="#Page_127">127</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Wadelincourt, <a href="#Page_310">310</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Walther, General von, begins attack at Woerth, <a href="#Page_101">101</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Warniforêt, hamlet, <a href="#Page_271">271</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Warren Wood, or Bois de la Garenne, <a href="#Page_317">317</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Wedell, General von, at Vionville, <a href="#Page_182">182</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Weise, Colonel von, <a href="#Page_184">184</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Werder, General von, at Woerth, <a href="#Page_100">100</a>, <a href="#Page_104">104</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">bombards Strasburg, <a href="#Page_283">283</a>, <a href="#Page_284">284</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -William I., King of Prussia, Regent in 1858, work and plans, <a href="#Page_2">2</a>, <a href="#Page_3">3</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">military reform, <a href="#Page_3">3</a>, <a href="#Page_4">4</a>, <a href="#Page_5">5</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">council in Berlin, <a href="#Page_9">9</a>, <a href="#Page_10">10</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Hohenzollern candidature, Benedetti at Ems, <a href="#Page_42">42</a>–45;</li> -<li class="idx1">leaves Ems, <a href="#Page_46">46</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">mobilization, <a href="#Page_52">52</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">restores Order of Iron Cross, <a href="#Page_70">70</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">characteristic journey to Mainz, <a href="#Page_72">72</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">headquarters at Herny, <a href="#Page_158">158</a>, <a href="#Page_165">165</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Pont à Mousson, <a href="#Page_189">189</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">joins Prince Frederick Charles, <a href="#Page_190">190</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">his armies facing the Rhine, <a href="#Page_193">193</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">on Flavigny heights, <a href="#Page_197">197</a>, <a href="#Page_204">204</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">watches fight from Malmaison, <a href="#Page_214">214</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">sanctions advance on Frossard, <a href="#Page_215">215</a>, <a href="#Page_216">216</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">starts for Paris, <a href="#Page_231">231</a>, <a href="#Page_232">232</a>, <a href="#Page_234">234</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_242">242</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">consulted, issues orders for grand right wheel, <a href="#Page_246">246</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Bar le Duc, <a href="#Page_254">254</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Clermont, <a href="#Page_255">255</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Varennes, <a href="#Page_259">259</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">Grand Pré, <a href="#Page_264">264</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">and staff on hill near Buzancy, <a href="#Page_269">269</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1"><a href="#Page_284">284</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">orders to Crown Prince and Saxon Crown Prince, <a href="#Page_285">285</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Sedan, <a href="#Page_320">320</a>, <a href="#Page_321">321</a>, <a href="#Page_322">322</a>, <a href="#Page_323">323</a>, <a href="#Page_332">332</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">meets Napoleon, <a href="#Page_335">335</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">greets troops, <a href="#Page_336">336</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">hears of Paris Revolution, <a href="#Page_338">338</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Winterfeld, Captain von, <a href="#Page_320">320</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Wimpffen, General de, <a href="#Page_1">1</a>, <a href="#Page_52">52</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">arrives at Sedan, <a href="#Page_288">288</a>, -<a href="#Page_296">296</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">takes command, <a href="#Page_301">301</a>, <a href="#Page_302">302</a>, <a href="#Page_303">303</a>, <a href="#Page_307">307</a>, <a href="#Page_311">311</a>, <a href="#Page_312">312</a>, <a href="#Page_315">315</a>–317;</li> -<li class="idx1">conduct during negotiations and Capitulation, <a href="#Page_319">319</a>, <a href="#Page_325">325</a>–335.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Wiseppe, stream, <a href="#Page_262">262</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Wissembourg, <a href="#Page_84">84</a>, <a href="#Page_85">85</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">battle, <a href="#Page_86">86</a>–90; <a href="#Page_167">167</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">road from Landau to, by Pirmasens, <a href="#Page_67">67</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Woerth, bridge broken, <a href="#Page_91">91</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">French position, <a href="#Page_96">96</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">battle, <a href="#Page_101">101</a>–114;</li> -<li class="idx1">consequences, <a href="#Page_115">115</a>, <a href="#Page_116">116</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Woippy, road out of Metz to, <a href="#Page_159">159</a>, <a href="#Page_223">223</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Woyna, General von, at Spicheren, <a href="#Page_123">123</a>, <a href="#Page_126">126</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Colombey, <a href="#Page_153">153</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Würtemberg, Prince Augustus of, at Gravelotte, <a href="#Page_199">199</a>, <a href="#Page_203">203</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">sends in Guard, <a href="#Page_219">219</a>, <a href="#Page_220">220</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Givonne, <a href="#Page_306">306</a>, <a href="#Page_308">308</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Würtemberg joins Prussian military system, <a href="#Page_14">14</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Würtembergers, <a href="#Page_254">254</a>, <a href="#Page_264">264</a>.</li> - -<li class="idxs"> -Xonville, <a href="#Page_163">163</a>.</li> - -<li class="idxs"> -Yron, river, <a href="#Page_183">183</a>, <a href="#Page_186">186</a>.</li> - -<li class="idx0"> -Yoncq, <a href="#Page_271">271</a>, <a href="#Page_272">272</a>.</li> - -<li class="idxs"> -Zastrow, General von, at Spicheren, <a href="#Page_121">121</a>, <a href="#Page_125">125</a>;</li> -<li class="idx1">at Colombey, <a href="#Page_153">153</a>, <a href="#Page_155">155</a>, <a href="#Page_157">157</a>, <a href="#Page_191">191</a>, <a href="#Page_192">192</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Zieten hussars, <a href="#Page_261">261</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Zingler, Captain von, <a href="#Page_334">334</a>.</li> -<li class="idx0"> -Zouaves escaped to Paris, <a href="#Page_304">304</a>.</li> -</ul> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img class="noborder" alt="Publisher's second logo" - src="images/logo2.jpg" /> -</div> - -<p class="press2"> -CHISWICK PRESS: CHARLES WHITTINGHAM AND CO.<br /> -TOOKS COURT, CHANCERY LANE, LONDON.<br /> -</p> - -<hr class="matter" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="center pagenba">AN</p> -</div> - -<p class="alpha">ALPHABETICAL LIST</p> - -<p class="contained">OF BOOKS CONTAINED IN</p> - -<p class="bohn">BOHN’S LIBRARIES.</p> - -<hr class="small" /> - -<p class="cat1"> -Detailed Catalogue, arranged according to the various<br /> -Libraries, will be sent on application. -</p> - -<hr class="small" /> - -<div id="adverts1"> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>ADDISON’S Works.</b> With the -Notes of Bishop Hurd, Portrait, -and 8 Plates of Medals and Coins. -Edited by H. G. Bohn. 6 vols. -3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> each.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>ÆSCHYLUS, The Dramas of.</b> -Translated into English Verse by -Anna Swanwick. 4th Edition, -revised. 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― The Tragedies of.</b> Newly -translated from a revised text by -Walter Headlam, Litt.D., and -C. E. S. Headlam, M.A. 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― The Tragedies of.</b> Translated -into Prose by T. A. Buckley, -B.A. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>ALLEN’S (Joseph, R. N.) Battles -of the British Navy.</b> Revised -Edition, with 57 Steel Engravings. -2 vols. 5<i>s.</i> each.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>AMMIANUS MARCELLINUS. -History of Rome</b> during the -Reigns of Constantius, Julian, -Jovianus, Valentinian and Valens. -Translated by Prof. C. D. Yonge, -M.A. 7<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>ANDERSEN’S Danish Legends -and Fairy Tales.</b> Translated -by Caroline Peachey. With 120 -Wood Engravings. 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>ANTONINUS (M. Aurelius), The -Thoughts of.</b> Trans. literally, -with Notes and Introduction by -George Long, M.A. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>APOLLONIUS RHODIUS. -‘The Argonautica.’</b> Translated -by E. P. Coleridge, B.A. 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>APPIAN’S Roman History.</b> -Translated by Horace White, -M.A., LL.D. With Maps and -Illustrations. 2 vols. 6<i>s.</i> each.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>APULEIUS, The Works of.</b> -Comprising the Golden Ass, God -of Socrates, Florida, and Discourse -of Magic. 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>ARIOSTO’S Orlando Furioso.</b> -Translated into English Verse by -W. S. Rose. With Portrait, and 24 -Steel Engravings. 2 vols. 5<i>s.</i> each.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>ARISTOPHANES’ Comedies.</b> -Translated by W. J. 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Smith, M.A. -5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>GREGORY’S Letters on the -Evidences, Doctrines, & Duties -of the Christian Religion.</b> By -Dr. Olinthus Gregory. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>GREENE, MARLOWE, and -BEN JONSON.</b> Poems of. -Edited by Robert Bell. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>GRIMM’S TALES.</b> With the -Notes of the Original. Translated -by Mrs. A. Hunt. With Introduction -by Andrew Lang, M.A. -2 vols. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> each.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― Gammer Grethel</b>; or, German -Fairy Tales and Popular -Stories. Containing 42 Fairy -Tales. Trans. by Edgar Taylor. -With numerous Woodcuts after -George Cruikshank and Ludwig -Grimm. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>GROSSI’S Marco Visconti.</b> -Translated by A. F. D. The -Ballads rendered into English -Verse by C. M. 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Mendel. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>HAWTHORNE’S Tales.</b> 4 vols. -3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> each.</p> -<table class="avols" summary=""> -<tbody> -<tr> -<td class="right">I.</td> -<td class="vtitle">—Twice-told Tales, and the -Snow Image.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="right">II.</td> -<td class="vtitle">—Scarlet Letter, and the House -with the Seven Gables.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="right">III.</td> -<td class="vtitle">—Transformation [The Marble -Faun], and Blithedale Romance.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="right">IV.</td> -<td class="vtitle">—Mosses from an Old Manse.</td> -</tr> -</tbody> -</table> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>HAZLITT’S Table-talk.</b> Essays -on Men and Manners. By W. -Hazlitt. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>HAZLITT’S Lectures on the -Literature of the Age of Elizabeth</b> -and on Characters of Shakespeare’s -Plays. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― Lectures on the English -Poets</b>, and on the English Comic -Writers. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― The Plain Speaker.</b> Opinions -on Books, Men, and Things. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― Round Table.</b> 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― Sketches and Essays.</b> -3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― The Spirit of the Age</b>; or, -Contemporary Portraits. Edited -by W. Carew Hazlitt. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― View of the English Stage.</b> -Edited by W. Spencer Jackson. -3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>HEATON’S Concise History of -Painting.</b> New Edition, revised -by Cosmo Monkhouse. 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>HEGEL’S Lectures on the Philosophy -of History.</b> Translated by -J. Sibree, M.A.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>HEINE’S Poems, Complete.</b> -Translated by Edgar A. Bowring, -C.B. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― Travel-Pictures</b>, including the -Tour in the Harz, Norderney, and -Book of Ideas, together with the -Romantic School. Translated by -Francis Storr. A New Edition, -revised throughout. With Appendices -and Maps. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>HELIODORUS. Theagenes and -Chariclea.</b>—<i>See</i> - G<span class="smaller">REEK</span> - R<span class="smaller">OMANCES</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>HELPS’ Life of Christopher -Columbus</b>, the Discoverer of -America. By Sir Arthur Helps, -K.C.B. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― Life of Hernando Cortes</b>, -and the Conquest of Mexico. 2 -vols. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> each.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― Life of Pizarro.</b> 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― Life of Las Casas</b> the Apostle -of the Indies. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>HENDERSON (E.) Select Historical -Documents of the Middle -Ages</b>, including the most famous -Charters relating to England, the -Empire, the Church, &c., from -the 6th to the 14th Centuries. -Translated from the Latin and -edited by Ernest F. Henderson, -A.B., A.M., Ph.D. 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>HENFREY’S Guide to English -Coins</b>, from the Conquest to the -present time. New and revised -Edition by C. F. Keary, M.A., -F.S.A. 6<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>HENRY OF HUNTINGDON’S -History of the English.</b> Translated -by T. Forester, M.A. 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>HENRY’S (Matthew) Exposition -of the Book of the Psalms.</b> 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>HERODOTUS.</b> Translated by the -Rev. Henry Cary, M.A. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― Analysis and Summary of</b> -By J. T. Wheeler. 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>HESIOD, CALLIMACHUS, and -THEOGNIS.</b> Translated by the -Rev. J. Banks, M.A. 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>HOFFMANN’S (E. T. W.) The -Serapion Brethren.</b> Translated -from the German by Lt.-Col. Alex. -Ewing. 2 vols. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> each.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>HOLBEIN’S Dance of Death -and Bible Cuts.</b> Upwards of 150 -Subjects, engraved in facsimile, -with Introduction and Descriptions -by Francis Douce and Dr. -Thomas Frognall Dibden. 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>HOMER’S Iliad.</b> A new translation -by E. H. Blakeney, M.A. -Vol. I. containing Books I.–XII. -5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>――</b> Translated into English Prose -by T. A. Buckley, B.A. 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>HOMER’S Odyssey.</b> Hymns, -Epigrams, and Battle of the Frogs -and Mice. Translated into English -Prose by T. A. Buckley, B.A. -5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>――</b> <i>See also</i> - P<span class="smaller">OPE</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>HOOPER’S (G.) Waterloo: The -Downfall of the First Napoleon</b>: -a History of the Campaign -of 1815. By George Hooper. -With Maps and Plans. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― The Campaign of Sedan</b>: -The Downfall of the Second Empire, -August-September, 1870. -With General Map and Six Plans -of Battle. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>HORACE.</b> A new literal Prose -translation, by A. Hamilton Bryce, -LL.D. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>HUGO’S (Victor) Dramatic -Works.</b> Hernani—Ruy Blas—The -King’s Diversion. Translated -by Mrs. Newton Crosland and -F. L. Slous. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>――</b> Poems, chiefly Lyrical. Translated -by various Writers, now first -collected by J. H. L. Williams. -3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>HUMBOLDT’S Cosmos.</b> Translated -by E. C. Otté, B. H. Paul, -and W. S. Dallas, F.L.S. 5 vols. -3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> each, excepting Vol. V. 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― Personal Narrative</b> of his -Travels to the Equinoctial Regions -of America during the years -1799–1804. Translated by T. -Ross. 3 vols. 5<i>s.</i> each.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― Views of Nature.</b> Translated -by E. C. Otté and H. G. Bohn. -5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>HUMPHREYS’ Coin Collector’s -Manual.</b> By H. N. Humphreys, -with upwards of 140 Illustrations -on Wood and Steel. 2 vols. 5<i>s.</i> -each.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>HUNGARY</b>: its History and Revolution, -together with a copious -Memoir of Kossuth. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>HUTCHINSON (Colonel). Memoirs -of the Life of.</b> By his -Widow, Lucy: together with her -Autobiography, and an Account -of the Siege of Lathom House. -3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>HUNT’S Poetry of Science.</b> By -Richard Hunt. 3rd Edition, revised -and enlarged. 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>INGULPH’S Chronicles of the -Abbey of Croyland</b>, with the -C<span class="smaller">ONTINUATION</span> by Peter of Blois -and other Writers. Translated by -H. T. Riley, M.A. 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>IRVING’S (Washington) Complete -Works.</b> 15 vols. With Portraits, -&c. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> each.</p> - -<table class="avols" summary=""> -<tbody> -<tr> -<td class="right">I.</td> -<td class="vtitle">—Salmagundi, Knickerbocker’s History of New -York.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="right">II.</td> -<td class="vtitle">—The Sketch-Book, and the -Life of Oliver Goldsmith.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="right">III.</td> -<td class="vtitle">—Bracebridge Hall, Abbotsford -and Newstead Abbey.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="right">IV.</td> -<td class="vtitle">—The Alhambra, Tales of a -Traveller.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="right">V.</td> -<td class="vtitle">—Chronicle of the Conquest of -Granada, Legends of the Conquest of Spain.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="right">VI.</td> -<td class="vtitle">& VII.—Life and Voyages of -Columbus, together with the Voyages of his Companions.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="right">VIII.</td> -<td class="vtitle">—Astoria, A Tour on the -Prairies.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="right">IX.</td> -<td class="vtitle">—Life of Mahomet, Lives of the -Successors of Mahomet.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="right">X.</td> -<td class="vtitle">—Adventures of Captain -Bonneville, U.S.A., Wolfert’s Roost.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="right">XI.</td> -<td class="vtitle">—Biographies and Miscellaneous -Papers.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="right">XII.</td> -<td class="vtitle">–XV.—Life of George Washington. -4 vols.</td> -</tr> -</tbody> -</table> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>IRVING’S (Washington) Life -and Letters.</b> By his Nephew, -Pierre E. Irving. 2 vols. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> -each.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>ISOCRATES, The Orations of.</b> -Translated by J. H. Freese, M.A. -Vol. I. 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>JAMES’S (G. P. R.) Life of -Richard Cœur de Lion.</b> 2 vols. -3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> each.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>JAMESON’S (Mrs.) Shakespeare’s -Heroines.</b> Characteristics -of Women: Moral, Poetical, -and Historical. By Mrs. Jameson. -3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>JESSE’S (E.) Anecdotes of Dogs.</b> -With 40 Woodcuts and 34 Steel -Engravings. 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>JESSE’S (J. H.) Memoirs of the -Court of England during the -Reign of the Stuarts</b>, including -the Protectorate. 3 vols. 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W. -King, M.A. 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>JUNIUS’S Letters.</b> With all the -Notes of Woodfall’s Edition, and -important Additions. 2 vols. -3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> each.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>JUSTIN, CORNELIUS NEPOS, -and EUTROPIUS.</b> Translated -by the Rev. J. S. Watson, M.A. -5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>JUVENAL, PERSIUS. SULPICIA -and LUCILIUS.</b> Translated -by L. Evans, M.A. 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>KANT’S Critique of Pure Reason.</b> -Translated by J. M. D. Meiklejohn. -5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― Prolegomena and Metaphysical -Foundations of Natural -Science.</b> Translated by E. Belfort -Bax. 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>KEIGHTLEY’S (Thomas) Mythology -of Ancient Greece and -Italy.</b> 4th Edition, revised by -Leonard Schmitz, Ph.D., LL.D. -With 12 Plates from the Antique. -5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>KEIGHTLEY’S Fairy Mythology</b>, -illustrative of the Romance -and Superstition of Various Countries. -Revised Edition, with -Frontispiece by Cruikshank. 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>LA FONTAINE’S Fables.</b> Translated -into English Verse by Elizur -Wright. New Edition, with Notes -by J. W. M. Gibbs. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>LAMARTINE’S History of the -Girondists.</b> Translated by H. T. -Ryde. 3 vols. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> each.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― History of the Restoration -of Monarchy in France</b> (a Sequel -to the History of the Girondists). -4 vols. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> each.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― History of the French Revolution -of 1848.</b> 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>LAMB’S (Charles) Essays of Elia -and Eliana.</b> Complete Edition. -3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>LAMB’S (Charles) Specimens of -English Dramatic Poets of the -Time of Elizabeth.</b> 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― Memorials and Letters of -Charles Lamb.</b> By Serjeant -Talfourd. New Edition, revised, -by W. Carew Hazlitt. 2 vols. -3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> each.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― Tales from Shakespeare.</b> -With Illustrations by Byam Shaw. -3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>LANE’S Arabian Nights’ Entertainments.</b> -Edited by Stanley -Lane-Poole, M.A., Litt.D. 4 -vols. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> each.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>LAPPENBERG’S History of -England under the Anglo-Saxon -Kings.</b> Translated by -B. Thorpe, F.S.A. New edition, -revised by E. C. Otté. 2 vols. -3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> each.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>LEONARDO DA VINCI’S -Treatise on Painting.</b> Translated -by J. F. Rigaud, R.A., -With a Life of Leonardo by John -William Brown. With numerous -Plates. 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>LEPSIUS’S Letters from Egypt, -Ethiopia, and the Peninsula of -Sinai.</b> Translated by L. and -J. B. Horner. With Maps. 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>LESSING’S Dramatic Works</b>, -Complete. Edited by Ernest Bell, -M.A. With Memoir of Lessing -by Helen Zimmern. 2 vols. -3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> each.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― Laokoon, Dramatic Notes, -and the Representation of -Death by the Ancients.</b> Translated -by E. C. Beasley and Helen -Zimmern. Edited by Edward -Bell, M.A. With a Frontispiece -of the Laokoon group. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>LILLY’S Introduction to Astrology.</b> -With a G<span class="smaller">RAMMAR OF</span> -A<span class="smaller">STROLOGY</span> and Tables for Calculating -Nativities, by Zadkiel. 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>LIVY’S History of Rome.</b> Translated -by Dr. Spillan, C. Edmonds, -and others. 4 vols. 5<i>s.</i> each.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>LOCKE’S Philosophical Works.</b> -Edited by J. A. St. John. 2 vols. -3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> each.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>LOCKHART (J. G.)</b>—<i>See</i> - B<span class="smaller">URNS</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>LODGE’S Portraits of Illustrious -Personages of Great Britain</b>, -with Biographical and Historical -Memoirs. 240 Portraits engraved -on Steel, with the respective Biographies -unabridged. 8 vols. 5<i>s.</i> -each.</p> - -<p class="aright"> -[<i>Vols. IV. and VII. out of print.</i><br /> -</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>LOUDON’S (Mrs.) Natural -History.</b> Revised edition, by -W. S. Dallas, F.L.S. With -numerous Woodcut Illus. 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>LOWNDES’ Bibliographer’s -Manual of English Literature. -Enlarged Edition.</b> By H. G. -Bohn. 6 vols. cloth, 5<i>s.</i> each. -Or 4 vols. half morocco, 2<i>l.</i> 2<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>LONGUS. Daphnis and Chloe.</b>—<i>See</i> -G<span class="smaller">REEK</span> R<span class="smaller">OMANCES</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>LUCAN’S Pharsalia.</b> Translated -by H. T. Riley, M.A. 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>LUCIAN’S Dialogues of the -Gods, of the Sea Gods, and -of the Dead.</b> Translated by -Howard Williams, M.A. 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>LUCRETIUS. A Prose Translation.</b> -By H. A. J. Munro. -Reprinted from the Final (4th) -Edition. With an Introduction -by J. D. Duff, M.A. 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>LUTHER’S Table-Talk.</b> Translated -and Edited by William -Hazlitt. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― Autobiography.</b>—<i>See</i> - M<span class="smaller">ICHELET</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>MACHIAVELLI’S History of -Florence</b>, together with the -Prince, Savonarola, various Historical -Tracts, and a Memoir of -Machiavelli. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>MALLET’S Northern Antiquities</b>, -or an Historical Account of -the Manners, Customs, Religions -and Laws, Maritime Expeditions -and Discoveries, Language and -Literature, of the Ancient Scandinavians. -Translated by Bishop -Percy. Revised and Enlarged -Edition, with a Translation of the -P<span class="smaller">ROSE</span> E<span class="smaller">DDA</span>, -by J. A. Blackwell. 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>MANZONI. The Betrothed</b>: -being a Translation of ‘I Promessi -Sposi.’ By Alessandro -Manzoni. With numerous Woodcuts. -5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>MARCO POLO’S Travels</b>; the -Translation of Marsden revised -by T. Wright, M.A., F.S.A. 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>MARRYAT’S (Capt. R.N.) -Masterman Ready.</b> With 93 -Woodcuts. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― Mission</b>; or, Scenes in Africa. -Illustrated by Gilbert and Dalziel. -3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― Pirate and Three Cutters.</b> -With 8 Steel Engravings, from -Drawings by Clarkson Stanfield, -R.A. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― Privateersman.</b> 8 Engravings -on Steel. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― Settlers in Canada.</b> 10 Engravings -by Gilbert and Dalziel. -3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― Poor Jack.</b> With 16 Illustrations -after Clarkson Stanfield, -R.A. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― Peter Simple.</b> With 8 full-page -Illustrations. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>MARTIAL’S Epigrams</b>, complete. -Translated into Prose, each accompanied -by one or more Verse -Translations selected from the -Works of English Poets, and -other sources. 7<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>MARTINEAU’S (Harriet) History -of England</b>, from 1800–1815. -3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― History of the Thirty Years’ -Peace</b>, <span class="smaller">A.D.</span> 1815–46. 4 vols. -3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> each.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>――</b> <i>See Comte’s Positive Philosophy.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER’S -Flowers of History</b>, -from the beginning of the World -to <span class="smaller">A.D.</span> 1307. Translated by C. D. -Yonge, M.A. 2 vols. 5<i>s.</i> each.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>MAXWELL’S Victories of Wellington -and the British Armies.</b> -Frontispiece and 5 Portraits. 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>MENZEL’S History of Germany</b>, -from the Earliest Period to 1842. -3 vols. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> each.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>MICHAEL ANGELO AND -RAPHAEL, their Lives and -Works.</b> By Duppa and Quatremere -de Quincy. With Portraits, -and Engravings on Steel. 5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>MICHELET’S Luther’s Autobiography.</b> -Trans. by William -Hazlitt. With an Appendix (110 -pages) of Notes. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― History of the French Revolution</b> -from its earliest indications -to the flight of the King in 1791. -3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>MIGNET’S History of the French -Revolution</b>, from 1789 to 1814. -3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> New edition reset.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>MILL (J. S.). Early Essays by -John Stuart Mill.</b> Collected from -various sources by J. W. M. Gibbs. -3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>MILLER (Professor). History -Philosophically Illustrated</b>, from -the Fall of the Roman Empire to -the French Revolution. 4 vols. -3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> each.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>MILTON’S Prose Works.</b> Edited -by J. A. St. John. 5 vols. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> -each.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>―― Poetical Works</b>, with a Memoir -and Critical Remarks by -James Montgomery, an Index to -Paradise Lost, Todd’s Verbal Index -to all the Poems, and a Selection -of Explanatory Notes by Henry -G. Bohn. Illustrated with 120 -Wood Engravings from Drawings -by W. Harvey. 2 vols. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> -each.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>MITFORD’S (Miss) Our Village</b> -Sketches of Rural Character and -Scenery. With 2 Engravings on -Steel. 2 vols. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> each.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>MOLIÈRE’S Dramatic Works.</b> -A new Translation in English -Prose, by C. H. Wall. 3 vols. -3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> each.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>MONTAGU. The Letters and -Works of Lady Mary Wortley -Montagu.</b> Edited by her great-grandson, -Lord Wharncliffe’s Edition, -and revised by W. Moy -Thomas. New Edition, revised, -with 5 Portraits. 2 vols. 5<i>s.</i> each.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>MONTAIGNE’S Essays.</b> Cotton’s -Translation, revised by W. C. -Hazlitt. New Edition. 3 vols. -3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> each.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>MONTESQUIEU’S Spirit of -Laws.</b> New Edition, revised and -corrected. By J. V. Pritchard, -A.M. 2 vols. 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> each.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>MORE’S Utopia.</b> Robinson’s -translation, with Roper’s ‘Life -of Sir Thomas More,’ and More’s -Letters to Margaret Roper and -others. 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S<span class="smaller">TEVENSON</span>. -3rd Edition.<br /> - -WATTEAU.  By E<span class="smaller">DGCUMBE</span> S<span -class="smaller">TALEY</span>, B.A.<br /> - -WILKIE.  By Lord R<span class="smaller">ONALD</span> S<span -class="smaller">UTHERLAND</span> G<span class="smaller">OWER</span>, -M.A., F.S.A.</p> - -</div> - -<p class="center italic">Write for Illustrated Prospectus.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="center pagebb">New Editions, fcap. 8vo. 2<i>s.</i> -6<i>d.</i> each net.</p> - -<p class="ald1">THE ALDINE EDITION</p> - -<p class="aldof">OF THE</p> - -<p class="ald1">BRITISH POETS.</p> - -<p class="skip4">‘This excellent edition of the English classics, with their complete -texts and scholarly introductions, are something very different -from the cheap volumes of extracts which are just now so much too -common.’—<i>St. James’s Gazette.</i></p> - -<p class = "skip3">‘An excellent series. Small, handy, and -complete.’—<i>Saturday Review.</i></p> - -<hr class="small" /> - -<div id="adverts5"> - -<p class="ahang1">Blake.  Edited by W. M. Rossetti.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Burns.  Edited by G. A. Aitken. -3 vols.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Butler.  Edited by R. B. Johnson. -2 vols.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Campbell.  Edited by His Son-in-law, -the Rev. A. W. Hill. With -Memoir by W. Allingham.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Chatterton.  Edited by the Rev. -W. W. Skeat, M.A. 2 vols.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Chaucer.  Edited by Dr. R. Morris, -with Memoir by Sir H. Nicolas. 6 vols.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Churchill.  Edited by Jas. Hannay. -2 vols.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Coleridge.  Edited by T. Ashe, -B.A. 2 vols.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Collins.  Edited by W. Moy -Thomas.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Cowper.  Edited by John Bruce, -F.S.A. 3 vols.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Dryden.  Edited by the Rev. R. -Hooper, M.A. 5 vols.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Goldsmith.  Revised Edition by -Austin Dobson. With Portrait.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Gray.  Edited by J. Bradshaw, -LL.D.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Herbert.  Edited by the Rev. A. B. -Grosart.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Herrick.  Edited by George -Saintsbury. 2 vols.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Keats.  Edited by the late Lord -Houghton.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Kirke White.  Edited, with a -Memoir, by Sir H. Nicolas.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Milton.  Edited by Dr. Bradshaw. -2 vols.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Parnell.  Edited by G. A. Aitken.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Pope.  Edited by G. E. Dennis. -With Memoir by John Dennis. 3 vols.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Prior.  Edited by R. B. Johnson. -2 vols.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Raleigh and Wotton.  With Selections from the -Writings of other COURTLY POETS from 1540 to 1650. Edited by Ven. -Archdeacon Hannah, D.C.L.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Rogers.  Edited by Edward Bell, -M.A.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Scott.  Edited by John Dennis. -5 vols.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Shakespeare’s Poems.  Edited by -Rev. A. Dyce.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Shelley.  Edited by H. Buxton -Forman. 5 vols.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Spenser.  Edited by J. Payne Collier. -5 vols.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Surrey.  Edited by J. Yeowell.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Swift.  Edited by the Rev. J. -Mitford. 3 vols.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Thomson.  Edited by the Rev. D. -C. Tovey. 2 vols.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Vaughan.  Sacred Poems and -Pious Ejaculations.  Edited by the -Rev. H. Lyte.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Wordsworth.  Edited by Prof. -Dowden. 7 vols.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Wyatt.  Edited by J. Yeowell.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">Young. 2 vols.  Edited by the -Rev. J. Mitford.</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="aes1 pagebb">THE ALL-ENGLAND SERIES.</p> - -<p class="center">HANDBOOKS OF ATHLETIC GAMES.</p> - -<p class="aesoxf">‘The best instruction on games and sports by the best -authorities, at the lowest prices.’—<i>Oxford Magazine.</i></p> - -<p class="aesprices">Small 8vo. cloth, Illustrated.  Price 1<i>s.</i> each.</p> - -<div id="adverts6"> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Cricket.</b>  By F<span class="smaller">RED</span> -C. H<span class="smaller">OLLAND</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Cricket.</b>  By the Hon. and Rev. -E. L<span class="smaller">YTTELTON</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Croquet.</b>  By Lieut.-Col. the Hon. -H. C. N<span class="smaller">EEDHAM</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Lawn Tennis.</b>  By H. W. W. -W<span class="smaller">ILBERFORCE</span>. With a Chapter for -Ladies, by Mrs. H<span class="smaller">ILLYARD</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Squash Tennis.</b>  By E<span -class="smaller">USTACE</span> H. M<span class="smaller">ILES</span>. -Double vol. 2<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Tennis and Rackets and Fives.</b>  By J<span -class="smaller">ULIAN</span> M<span class="smaller">ARSHALL</span>, -Major J. S<span class="smaller">PENS</span>, and Rev. J. A. A<span -class="smaller">RNAN</span> T<span class="smaller">AIT</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Golf.</b>  By H. S. C. E<span -class="smaller">VERARD</span>. Double vol. 2<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Rowing and Sculling.</b>  By Guy -R<span class="smaller">IXON</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Rowing and Sculling.</b>  By W. B. -W<span class="smaller">OODGATE</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Sailing.</b>  By E. F. K<span -class="smaller">NIGHT</span>, dbl. vol. 2<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Swimming.</b>  By M<span -class="smaller">ARTIN</span> and J. R<span -class="smaller">ACSTER</span> C<span class="smaller">OBBETT</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Camping out.</b>  By A. A. M<span -class="smaller">AC</span>D<span class="smaller">ONELL</span>. Double -vol. 2<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Canoeing.</b>  By Dr. J. D. H<span -class="smaller">AYWARD</span>. Double vol. 2<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Mountaineering.</b>  By Dr. C<span -class="smaller">LAUDE</span> W<span class="smaller">ILSON</span>. -Double vol. 2<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Athletics.</b>  By H. H. G<span -class="smaller">RIFFIN</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Riding.</b>  By W. A. K<span -class="smaller">ERR</span>, V.C. Double vol. 2<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Ladies’ Riding.</b>  By W. A. K<span -class="smaller">ERR</span>, V.C.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Boxing.</b>  By R. G. A<span -class="smaller">LLANSON</span>-W<span class="smaller">INN</span>. With -Prefatory Note by Bat Mullins.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Fencing.</b>  By H. A. C<span -class="smaller">OLMORE</span> D<span class="smaller">UNN</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Cycling.</b>  By H. H. G<span -class="smaller">RIFFIN</span>, L.A.C., N.C.U., O.T.C. With a Chapter -for Ladies, by Miss A<span class="smaller">GNES</span> W<span -class="smaller">OOD</span>. Double vol. 2<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Wrestling.</b>  By W<span -class="smaller">ALTER</span> A<span class="smaller">RMSTRONG</span>. -New Edition.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Broadsword and Singlestick.</b>  By R. G. -A<span class="smaller">LLANSON</span>-W<span class="smaller">INN</span> -and C. P<span class="smaller">HILLIPPS</span>-W<span -class="smaller">OLLEY</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Gymnastics.</b>  By A. F. J<span -class="smaller">ENKIN</span>. Double vol. 2<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Gymnastic Competition and Display -Exercises.</b>  Compiled by -F. G<span class="smaller">RAF</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Indian Clubs.</b>  By G. T. B. C<span -class="smaller">OBBETT</span> and A. F. J<span -class="smaller">ENKIN</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Dumb-bells.</b>  By F. G<span -class="smaller">RAF</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Football—Rugby Game.</b>  By H<span -class="smaller">ARRY</span> V<span class="smaller">ASSALL</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Football—Association Game.</b>  By -C. W. A<span class="smaller">LCOCK</span>. Revised Edition.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Hockey.</b>  By F. S. C<span -class="smaller">RESWELL</span>. New Edition.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Skating.</b>  By D<span -class="smaller">OUGLAS</span> A<span class="smaller">DAMS</span>. With -a Chapter for Ladies, by Miss L. C<span class="smaller">HEETHAM</span>, -and a Chapter on Speed Skating, by a Fen Skater. Dbl. vol. -2<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Baseball.</b>  By N<span -class="smaller">EWTON</span> C<span class="smaller">RANE</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Rounders, Fieldball, Bowls, Quoits, Curling, -Skittles, &c.</b>  By J. M. W<span -class="smaller">ALKER</span> and C. C. M<span -class="smaller">OTT</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Dancing.</b>  By E<span -class="smaller">DWARD</span> S<span class="smaller">COTT</span>. Double -vol. 2<i>s.</i></p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ctg1 pagebb">THE CLUB SERIES OF CARD AND TABLE GAMES.</p> - -<p class="ctggl">‘No well-regulated club or country house should be -without this useful series of books.—<i>Globe.</i></p> - -<p class="ctgprices">Small 8vo. cloth, Illustrated. Price 1<i>s.</i> each.</p> - -<div id="adverts7"> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Bridge.</b>  By ‘T<span class="smaller">EMPLAR</span>.’</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Whist.</b>  By Dr. W<span class="smaller">M</span>. P<span -class="smaller">OLE</span>, F.R.S.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Solo Whist.</b>  By R<span class="smaller">OBERT</span> F. -G<span class="smaller">REEN</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Billiards.</b>  By Major-Gen. A. W. -D<span class="smaller">RAYSON</span>, F.R.A.S. With a Preface -by W. J. Peall.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Hints on Billiards.</b>  By J. P. -B<span class="smaller">UCHANAN</span>. Double vol. 2<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Chess.</b>  By R<span class="smaller">OBERT</span> F. G<span -class="smaller">REEN</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>The Two-Move Chess Problem.</b>  -By B. G. L<span class="smaller">AWS</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Chess Openings.</b> By I. G<span class="smaller">UNSBERG</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Draughts and Backgammon.</b> -By ‘B<span class="smaller">ERKELEY</span>.’</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Reversi and Go Bang.</b> -By ‘B<span class="smaller">ERKELEY</span>.’</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Dominoes and Solitaire.</b> -By ‘B<span class="smaller">ERKELEY</span>.’</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Bézique and Cribbage.</b> -By ‘B<span class="smaller">ERKELEY</span>.’</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Écarté and Euchre.</b> -By ‘B<span class="smaller">ERKELEY</span>.’</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Piquet and Rubicon Piquet.</b> -By ‘B<span class="smaller">ERKELEY</span>.’</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Skat.</b> By L<span class="smaller">OUIS</span> D<span -class="smaller">IEHL</span>. ⁂ A Skat Scoring-book. 1<i>s.</i></p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Round Games, including Poker, -Napoleon, Loo, Vingt-et-un, &c.</b> By -B<span class="smaller">AXTER</span>-W<span class="smaller">RAY</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1"><b>Parlour and Playground Games.</b> By Mrs. L<span -class="smaller">AURENCE</span> G<span class="smaller">OMME</span>.</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="bcath1 pagebb">BELL’S CATHEDRAL SERIES.</p> - -<p class="bcathsub">Profusely Illustrated, cloth, crown 8vo. 1s. 6d. net each.</p> - -<p class="hang1">ENGLISH CATHEDRALS. An Itinerary and Description. Compiled by -James G. G<span class="smaller">ILCHRIST</span>, A.M., M.D. Revised and edited with -an Introduction on Cathedral Architecture by the Rev. T. -P<span class="smaller">ERKINS</span>, M.A., F.R.A.S.</p> - -<div id="adverts8"> - -<p class="ahang1">BANGOR. By P. B. I<span class="smaller">RONSIDE</span> B<span -class="smaller">AX</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">BRISTOL. By H. J. L. J. M<span class="smaller">ASSÉ</span>, -M.A.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">CANTERBURY. By H<span class="smaller">ARTLEY</span> W<span -class="smaller">ITHERS</span>. 5th Edition.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">CARLISLE. By C. K<span class="smaller">ING</span> E<span -class="smaller">LEY</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">CHESTER. By C<span class="smaller">HARLES</span> H<span -class="smaller">IATT</span>. 3rd Edition.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">CHICHESTER. By H. C. C<span class="smaller">ORLETTE</span>. -A.R.I.B.A. 2nd Edition.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">DURHAM. By J. E. B<span class="smaller">YGATE</span>, A.R.C.A. -3rd Edition.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">ELY. By Rev. W. D. S<span class="smaller">WEETING</span>, -M.A. 2nd Edition.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">EXETER. By P<span class="smaller">ERCY</span> A<span -class="smaller">DDLESHAW</span>, B.A. 2nd Edition, revised.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">GLOUCESTER. By H. J. L. J. M<span class="smaller">ASSÉ</span>, -M.A. 3rd Edition.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">HEREFORD. By A. H<span class="smaller">UGH</span> F<span -class="smaller">ISHER</span>, A.R.E. 2nd Edition, revised.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">LICHFIELD. By A. B. C<span class="smaller">LIFTON</span>. 2nd -Edition.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">LINCOLN. By A. F. K<span class="smaller">ENDRICK</span>, -B.A. 3rd Edition.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">LLANDAFF. By E. C. M<span class="smaller">ORGAN</span> W<span -class="smaller">ILLMOTT</span>, A.R.I.B.A.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">MANCHESTER. By Rev. T. P<span class="smaller">ERKINS</span>, -M.A.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">NORWICH. By C. H. B. Q<span class="smaller">UENNELL</span>. -2nd Edition.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">OXFORD. By Rev. P<span class="smaller">ERCY</span> D<span -class="smaller">EARMER</span>, M.A. 2nd Edition, revised.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">PETERBOROUGH. By Rev. W. D. S<span class="smaller">WEETING</span>. -2nd Edition, revised.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">RIPON. By C<span class="smaller">ECIL</span> H<span -class="smaller">ALLETT</span>, B.A.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">ROCHESTER. By G. H. P<span class="smaller">ALMER</span>, B.A. 2nd -Edition, revised.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">ST. ALBANS. By Rev. T. P<span class="smaller">ERKINS</span>, M.A.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">ST. ASAPH. By P. B. I<span class="smaller">RONSIDE</span> B<span -class="smaller">AX</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">ST. DAVID’S. By P<span class="smaller">HILIP</span> R<span -class="smaller">OBSON</span>, A.R.I.B.A.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">ST. PATRICK’S, DUBLIN. By Rev. J. H. B<span -class="smaller">ERNARD</span>, M.A., D.D. 2nd Edition.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">ST. PAUL’S. By Rev. A<span class="smaller">RTHUR</span> D<span -class="smaller">IMOCK</span>, M.A. 3rd Edition, revised.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">ST. SAVIOUR’S, SOUTHWARK. By G<span class="smaller">EORGE</span> -W<span class="smaller">ORLEY</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">SALISBURY. By G<span class="smaller">LEESON</span> W<span -class="smaller">HITE</span>. 3rd Edition, revised.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">SOUTHWELL. By Rev. A<span class="smaller">RTHUR</span> D<span -class="smaller">IMOCK</span>, M.A. 2nd Edition, revised.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">WELLS. By Rev. P<span class="smaller">ERCY</span> D<span -class="smaller">EARMER</span>, M.A. 3rd Edition.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">WINCHESTER. By P. W. S<span class="smaller">ERGEANT</span>. -3rd Edition.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">WORCESTER. By E. F. S<span class="smaller">TRANGE</span>. -2nd Edition.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">YORK. By A. C<span class="smaller">LUTTON</span>-B<span -class="smaller">ROCK</span>, M.A. 3rd Edition.</p> - -</div> - -<p class="bcath2">Uniform with above Series. Now ready, 1s. 6d. net each.</p> - -<div id="adverts9"> - -<p class="ahang1">ST. MARTIN’S CHURCH, CANTERBURY. By the Rev. Canon -R<span class="smaller">OUTLEDGE</span>, M.A., F.S.A.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">BEVERLEY MINSTER. By C<span class="smaller">HARLES</span> H<span -class="smaller">IATT</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">WIMBORNE MINSTER and CHRISTCHURCH PRIORY. By the Rev. T. -P<span class="smaller">ERKINS</span>, M.A.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">TEWKESBURY ABBEY AND DEERHURST PRIORY. By H. J. L. J. -M<span class="smaller">ASSÉ</span>, M.A.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">BATH ABBEY, MALMESBURY ABBEY, and BRADFORD-ON-AVON CHURCH. -By Rev. T. P<span class="smaller">ERKINS</span>, M.A.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">WESTMINSTER ABBEY. By C<span class="smaller">HARLES</span> H<span -class="smaller">IATT</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">THE TEMPLE CHURCH. By G<span class="smaller">EORGE</span> W<span -class="smaller">ORLEY</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">ST. BARTHOLOMEW’S, SMITHFIELD. By G<span -class="smaller">EORGE</span> W<span class="smaller">ORLEY</span>.</p> - -<p class="ahang1">STRATFORD-ON-AVON CHURCH. By H<span class="smaller">AROLD</span> -B<span class="smaller">AKER</span>.</p> - -</div> - -<p class="bcont">BELL’S HANDBOOKS TO CONTINENTAL CHURCHES.</p> - -<p class="bcontsub">Profusely Illustrated. Crown 8vo, cloth, 2s. 6d. net each.</p> - -<div id="adverts10"> - -<p>AMIENS. By the Rev. T. P<span class="smaller">ERKINS</span>, M.A.</p> - -<p>BAYEUX. By the Rev. R. S. M<span class="smaller">YLNE</span>.</p> - -<p>CHARTRES: The Cathedral and Other Churches. -By H. J. L. J. M<span class="smaller">ASSÉ</span>, M.A.</p> - -<p>MONT ST. MICHEL. By H. J. L. J. M<span class="smaller">ASSÉ</span>, M.A.</p> - -<p>PARIS (NOTRE-DAME). By C<span class="smaller">HARLES</span> H<span -class="smaller">IATT</span>.</p> - -<p>ROUEN: The Cathedral and Other Churches. -By the Rev. T. P<span class="smaller">ERKINS</span>, M.A.</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="web1 pagebb">The Best Practical Working Dictionary of the<br /> -English Language.</p> - -<p class="web2">WEBSTER’S<br /> -INTERNATIONAL<br /> -DICTIONARY.</p> - -<p class="web3"> -<span class="uline">2348 PAGES.</span>   - <span class="uline">5000 ILLUSTRATIONS.</span> -</p> - -<p class="web1">NEW EDITION, REVISED THROUGHOUT WITH A<br /> -NEW SUPPLEMENT OF 25,000 ADDITIONAL<br /> -WORDS AND PHRASES. -</p> - -<hr class="small" /> - -<p>The Appendices comprise a Pronouncing Gazetteer of the World, -Vocabularies of Scripture, Greek, Latin, and English Proper Names, a -Dictionary of the Noted Names of Fiction, a Brief History of the -English Language, a Dictionary of Foreign Quotations, Words, Phrases, -Proverbs, &c., a Biographical Dictionary with 10,000 names, -&c., &c.</p> - -<hr class="small" /> - -<p class="web4"><b>Dr. MURRAY</b>, <i>Editor of the ‘Oxford English -Dictionary,’</i> says:—‘In this its latest form, and with its -large Supplement and numerous appendices, it is a wonderful -volume, which well maintains its ground against all rivals -on its own lines. 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