Decisive Battles Since Waterloo/Chapter 19
CHAPTER XIX.
BATTLE AND FALL OF SEDAN—1870.
As soon as possible Marshal MacMahon moved northward from Chalons with the evident intention of relieving Marshal Bazaine, but he was intercepted by the Germans, and after several engagements the French retreated beyond the Meuse, and massed at Sedan to make ready for battle. The emperor had joined MacMahon at Chalons, and accompanied him to Sedan, though he left the command of the army to the marshal. The Germans were between MacMahon and Bazaine, and as Bazaine was securely cooped up in Metz, the army of MacMahon was compelled to rely upon itself. The Germans greatly outnumbered the French, having about 240,000 men, while the latter mustered not much more than 150,000. The German plan was to double up the French line by swinging round upon it "left shoulder forward"; it was arranged at the Crown Prince's head-quarters, and like all other plans of the Germans, was kept a rigid secret until the movement began.
According to the German calculations, it was believed that by making extraordinary efforts in marching, the French designs of relieving Bazaine at Metz might be completely overthrown by a concentration of the 5th and 11th Prussian corps with the Wurtemburgers and Bavarians. It was hardly thought that it would be possible for the 6th corps to swing in its great circle to the westward, and reach the battle-field in time to take any part in the action, but, nevertheless, it would be useful in protecting the German left flank, and serving as a support in case the time of the movement should be protracted.
It was unfortunate for the French that they had no strong corps of observation southward to Vitry. Had they possessed such a corps from 80,000 to 100,000 strong, the German "wheel around" would have been a very risky performance. In place of such a corps there were only a few badly organized bodies of militia, which the Prussians naturally regarded with the greatest contempt. The Crown Prince did not deign to give them the least attention, and so with the 6th corps covering his left, he swung in upon Sedan.
The ground near Sedan which the French occupied and defended is nearly five miles in extent from south to north, and about two miles from east to west, running into a narrow point toward the south. The fortress of Sedan, which has a small citadel on its northeasterly front, is situated in low ground near the Meuse. On the right bank of the river its walls extend to the first slopes of the higher ground where the old entrenched camp was located. Southeast of Sedan, and forming a suburb of it, is the village of Bazeilles. It is on the right bank of the Meuse, and on low ground. After passing Bazeilles to the north and east, we find ourselves on rising ground. The slope is at first gentle, but as we go toward the north it becomes steeper, and thus continues to the summits of the Ardennes, which are covered with wood. The broken ground on the north, where the battle was fought, embraces a deep valley or ravine that has steeply sloping sides, and a general direction from north to south. In this valley are the villages of Moncelle, Givonne, and Daigny. To the northwest this same broken ground is bordered by the valley of the Illy, a small rivulet along whose banks are the villages of Illy and Floing. On the right bank of the Meuse there is a strip of low ground, about 6,000 feet broad, which extends from Bazeilles to Sedan along the river, and on the left bank the high grounds are close to the edge of the Meuse from Vadelincourt to Romilly. The most important feature of the battle-field, so far as its topography is concerned, is the Bois de Garenne, which is about 3,000 yards in length north and south, by 2,000 yards broad. Scattered through the wood are several open spaces. From Sedan to the frontier of Belgium, as the crow flies, is a distance of about seven English miles.
The correspondent of the London Daily News, who accompanied the Germans, thus describes the advance to Sedan:
Hard marching it was, and the day was lovely. The bayonets of the infantry glittered in the sunshine. The valleys full of armed men, the white straight roads with rumbling trains of artillery and great masses of cavalry far to the front, where the first patches of woodland grew indistinct among the red and brown fields. The whole country southward of the road from Beaumont to LaChesse is alive with German troops. The Bavarians are in Beaumont. The 4th Prussian corps is further to the right, and closely round upon the line of the Meuse; the 5th Prussian corps is pushing toward Stonne and Chemery. Suddenly flashes of artillery are seen near Beaumont. Then an active cannonade begins on the distant ridge behind that place. The 1st Bavarian corps has surprised a French division in the little town, capturing a good deal of baggage. White puffs of smoke break out in all directions. The French are replying. There is evidently a sharp struggle on our right front about Beaumont, and Mouzon. It grows fiercer, and the troops bivouacked on the hill near Stonne are eager to be among the combatants; but they cannot get there to-night, but must rest in their position. With that dull rolling and grumbling of the cannonade, this fight was the preparation for the decisive closing in of August 31st.
behind their regiments. They were weary, and hungry, and thirsty, but they pressed on without complaint. They presented a fine appearance, although they were covered with the dust which rose in clouds from the roads along which they travelled. Every man of the infantry, cavalry, and artillery, seemed to understand the necessity of fast marching, and to entertain the hope that a victory in the battle about to come would be the end of the war. The plan had not, of course, been unfolded to the soldiers, or even to any but the highest officers, but somehow it seemed to be understood throughout the entire army, rank and file, that a great and decisive battle was at hand.
It was an enormous half circle closing in to make a complete circle around the doomed city of Sedan. On the hill above Donchery was the Crown Prince, while the 5th and 11th Prussian corps were pressing to the north in order to sweep around to the left. The 6th corps is pressing forward, but too far away on the left rear to come into the battle. The Wurtemburgers who are considerably in advance of the 6th corps also, but holding the left, will have better fortune, if better fortune it may be called, to take part in the battle and suffer severely. The meadows near Sedan have been artificially flooded, but this flooding will be no serious interruption to the movements of the Prussians. The two Bavarian corps are on the right of the hill above Donchery. The 1st corps of the Bavarians is the only one which has to take part in the great battle. Beyond them are the troops commanded by the Crown Prince of Saxony, the 6th Saxon, the 4th Prussian, and the corps of Prussian Guards. The circle is steadily closing around Sedan, and before the battle begins in full vigor, the ring will be complete. As there are two German armies present, the Third Army of the Crown Prince of Prussia, and the "combined army" of the Crown Prince of Saxony, King William takes the supreme command. The king and his staff make their head-quarters on some high ground behind the position of the Bavarians. Count Bismarck and General von Moltke remain with the Prince.
In the battle of September 1st, the position of the French army was peculiar. It was posted so as to nearly surround Sedan at a general distance of about two miles. Sedan was in its centre, and it fronted practically to all the cardinal points of the compass. Unfortunately, the fortress of Sedan was poorly supplied with provisions. The fortress was not properly armed, in fact, no provision had been made for a vigorous defence, and especially for a siege. Besides, the position of the place was an unhappy one. Its fortifications were built long before any one had dreamt of the range of modern artillery, and it was dominated in every direction by high ground, from which a destructive fire could be poured without any possibility of replying to it with effectiveness. It was of no advantage whatever to the French army in any thing like an aggressive movement, and in case of a disaster, it was utterly useless as a rallying point for retreating troops. The position of MacMahon at Sedan was certainly not aggressive, and with any liberal use of the word it could hardly be called defensive. The character of the ground, the position and condition of the town and its fortifications, gave every advantage to the Germans with a total lack of advantage to the French. Every line of retreat had been cut off, and a defeat to the French meant an utterly overwhelming disaster to them.
At the very outset of the battle, Marshal MacMahon was severely wounded by a fragment of a shell which exploded near him, and his wound compelled him to give up the command. For several reasons the wounding of Marshal MacMahon thus early in the day was a terrible misfortune to the French. He was greatly beloved by the soldiers, and their confidence in him was implicit; consequently the information that he was wounded, caused a general despondency. Furthermore, he had not confided his plan of battle to any one; even the orders which he had issued for the movements of the morning did not reveal his plans; consequently, when he was carried back to Sedan, all the high officers were entirely ignorant of his intentions. The marshal gave the command of the army to General Ducrot, who was not the senior general then on the ground. That honor belonged to General De Wimpffen, who had arrived only two days before from Algeria, and was consequently not acquainted with the army and its condition. An eye-witness says:
This arbitrary act of passing over General De Wimpffen was destined to exercise the most baneful influence on the whole course of the action, more as since the strategical views of Ducrot and De Wimpffen, on which the tactical conduct of the battle depended, were altogether at variance.
General Ducrot took command at 7.30 a.m., and immediately ordered the whole army to concentrate at Illy to force its way to Mezieres. While the movement was being executed, General De Wimpffen, acting on his orders from the war ministry, assumed command and ordered the troops back to their old position, which they reached about 10 a.m. The time lost in these movements was admirably utilized by the Germans. They closed up both wings of the French army and removed the last chance of forcing a passage through their lines in any direction whatever. And furthermore, these changes of command and these advance and retrograde movements had a bad effect on the French troops. A feeling of insecurity was engendered, the men lost their courage, and ultimately they refused to obey their commanders and rebelled against any authority whatever.
The first Bavarian corps near Bazeilles was in front of the right wing of the French, which consisted of the 12th corps, ranging along from Bazeilles, Balan, and La Moncelle, with its front toward the south. North of this position, the high ground and also the bottom of the valley at Givonne and Daigny was held by the 1st French corps, who were faced by the 12th Prussian corps and the Prussian Guards. The portion of the line at Illy was held by the 7th corps, who were supported by the 11th and 5th corps. Later in the day, in the centre and rear of the French position, the 5th corps was posted to serve as a reserve that might be moved in any direction. To guard against any attempt of the French to force a way out of Sedan toward the south, the 2d Bavarian corps, which had its own artillery, and that of the 1st corps, stood in the way. The 4th German corps was held in reserve in the early part of the day, but was brought into the battle before it ended. One division of the 4th corps was sent to Bazeilles to support the Bavarians, while the other division stood in reserve at Mairy. Altogether, for attacking the principal points of the French line, the Germans had a much larger number of men than their antagonists.
The battle was opened by the Bavarians. It was intended to begin the fire at daylight, and General Von der Tann, who commanded the 1st Bavarian corps, was all ready for action with the first streak of daylight, but a thick fog hung over the valley of the Meuse and prevented the tactical action which he intended. During the night, General Von der Tann had sent his artillery to the left bank of the Meuse while the principal part of his corps bivouacked between Romilly and Augecourt. He had been instructed to attack Bazeilles, in order to prevent the escape of the French without giving battle, the great fear being that the French, knowing the numerical superiority of their antagonists, would attempt to retire from Sedan before the lines around it could be completed. The Bavarian vanguard advanced at 4 a.m. and thirty minutes later it was in possession of the Romilly station south of Bazeilles. On passing to the village they found that the French held it in force. When the fog that had been hanging over the valley lifted a little about six o'clock, the Bavarians were discovered and the French artillery opened a heavy fire upon them. The fire was rapid and well directed, and it caused much havoc among the Bavarians while they advanced over the cleared ground in front of Bazeilles. Report having been received that a serious engagement was going on at Bazeilles, the emperor and Marshal MacMahon started immediately in the direction of that village. On the way thither the marshal was wounded, as previously stated, and obliged to leave the field. The emperor examined the position at Bazeilles, and being satisfied that his troops could maintain themselves, then proceeded to make a tour of inspection along the whole line, partly for his own information and partly to encourage the soldiers by his personal presence.
The fighting at Bazeilles continued steady from 6 a.m., the German vanguard being reinforced by the main body of the 1st Bavarian division, and afterwards by the 2d division. The French commander held his position gallantly, and was greatly astonished when, about 8 a.m., he received orders from General Ducrot to move his command towards Illy. He protested against the order as most unwise, for the double reason that Bazeilles was an important position, and that a retreat in the middle of a battle would be demoralizing to the troops. General Ducrot explained that it was an imperative necessity, and the march must begin at once with all the forces not actually engaged in defending Bazeilles. The emperor, returning from an examination of the position at Moncelle, met
these very troops that he had seen shortly before strongly posted, and asked General Ducrot what this new movement meant. The latter answered: "The enemy is only amusing us at Bazeilles; the real battle will be fought at Illy." Not wishing to interfere with General Ducrot's plans, the emperor said nothing. It was at this juncture that 
General De Wimpffen assumed command and sent the troops back to their old positions.
The attack on Bazeilles was vigorously pushed and as vigorously defended. Three times the Bavarians stormed it only to be beaten back; the Germans alleged that the inhabitants joined in the fighting, firing out of loopholed houses and from cellars, and perpetrating atrocious barbarities on the wounded Bavarians who were left behind after each repulse. The French denied the German allegations, and accused their opponents of wanton cruelty in mercilessly slaughtering all the inhabitants of the village who fell into their hands. After the war there was much controversy on the subject, the French declaring that of nearly 2,000 inhabitants scarcely 50 remained alive. In July, 1871, General Von der Tann officially declared that the number of deaths had been grossly exaggerated; he denied the cruelties charged against the Germans, and said there had been much provocation on the part of the inhabitants. Probably the truth lies between the extremes; this much is certain,—that Bazeilles was burned, but whether set on fire by shell or torch is not positively known. Driven out by the flames, the French retired from the village, but continued their resistance in the neighboring fields and gardens and on the contiguous hills. By 10 a.m. Bazeilles was destroyed.
The vanguard of the 12th German corps engaged the 12th French corps at La Moncelle, farther on to the right. A little past six o'clock, the principal part of the corps piled its knapsacks on the ground, leaving them in charge of a guard, by whom they were subsequently placed in wagons, and then marched up the high road from Douzay. They left the road, turning at La Rulle to the right, and a little past seven o'clock came in at the position assigned them. The French did not seem to be in force at La Moncelle, and consequently there was not much opposition to the advancing Germans. The latter fortified the village as soon as they took possession, and opened fire with one battery of artillery upon the long lines of the French that were drawn up on the heights to the west. As soon as the fire was opened the French responded with five batteries. In half an hour three other German batteries came up, and the fight became more equal. Immediately following this artillery fight, strong bodies of Zouaves and Turcos from the first French corps attacked the German lines, but were driven back. When the advance of the division L'Artignes were crossing the valley of Daigny, the Saxons were already in possession of the wood. The Saxon supports came up rapidly and gave sufficient strength for an offensive movement. The Saxons steadily pushed on towards the edge of the valley. There was a sharp fight at Daigny, which resulted in the capture of 200 Zouaves, 3 mitrailleuses, and 3 guns. The Saxons halted at Daigny because their ammunition was running low, and the ammunition wagons were too far in the rear to enable them to get a fresh supply immediately. They held on to their position until ten o'clock, when the batteries of the Prussian Guards came up, formed in line with them, and thus gave them relief.
While this was going on, the French were pushing the Bavarians severely, and there was great fear that the French would succeed in breaking through the German lines between Montville and La Moncelle. The Bavarian commander sent a request for the Saxons to come to his aid. The latter complied with the request, and not a moment too soon. Just in time they closed the gap between their own left and the right of the Bavarians. The French made another furious attack, but were repulsed by the artillery and several divisions of infantry that were brought forward by ten o'clock or a little later. The entire valley of the Givonne, the Bazeilles rivulet, and the rivulet between Bazeilles and Daigny, had been given up by the French and occupied by the Saxons and Bavarians. This side of the line was now considered perfectly secure. There was no fear that the French could force a passage, and there was no evidence that they intended to make an attempt farther to the north. The Prussian Guards were steadily forcing back the first corps of the French.
The advance of the two infantry divisions of the Prussian Guards arrived late at night on the 31st August, near Pouru St. Reny and Pouru au Bois, and at the same time the main body of the corps came to a halt northward of Carignan. At five in the morning of September 1st they moved out in two columns, the right advancing on Villers Cernay, and the left on Francheval. At Villers Cernay they encountered the French line, and having brought their artillery into position on the high ground above the Givonne rivulet, they opened fire upon a body of cavalry and a number of trains on the opposite side of the valley. A few shells, not over a dozen probably sufficed to throw both cavalry and trains into a panic. Wagons and horses stampeded in all directions, and the wildest confusion followed.
The other division moved toward the southward, and at nine o'clock went to support the Saxon troops in the vicinity of Daigny. As already stated, another division of the Prussian Guards remained in reserve. It was about 10.30 a.m. when the Saxons and Guards together took possession of Daigny and captured a considerable number of prisoners. About this time the French were making the retrograde movement on Illy, in accordance with General Ducrot's order.
As already mentioned, the confused movements of the French in consequence of the difference of opinion between Ducrot and De Wimpffen proved of great advantage to the Germans. By the time the French returned from the movement upon Illy, the Saxons and Bavarians with the Prussian Guards had obtained firm possession of the valley of the Givonne. The best that the French could then do was to take position on the high ground beyond the west bank of the valley, the artillery in front and the infantry lying down to the rear of the artillery line. The position was a bad one, as it was under the direct fire of the Saxon, Bavarian, and Prussian artillery, whose guns were much more numerous and of greater weight of metal, but it was also enfiladed on the right by several batteries posted on the left bank of the Meuse. The French losses by the artillery fire were very heavy, and increased so rapidly as to threaten a panic among the troops. The Emperor Napoleon rode through the battlefield towards Sedan about ten o'clock, in order to consult with Marshal MacMahon, in case the condition of the marshal's wound would allow a consultation. General De Wimpffen rode out to the front and was soon convinced that the enemy's barrier of artillery was too strong to be broken down or forced. Finding that the 7th corps had lost very heavily, he abandoned the thought of breaking the German line, and sought only to hold his position until nightfall, when fortune might give an opportunity for the retreat of a portion at least of his army.
The 11th corps, forming part of the German left wing, was moving on the evening of August 31st to occupy Donchery. Early on the morning of the next day it was ordered to take up a position that would prevent the possibility of a French retreat upon Mezieres. The movement began a little before six o'clock, and the whole corps was very soon to the north of Donchery, and on the right bank of the Meuse. About nine o'clock it encountered the French pickets which were along the high ground around St. Manges. The pickets were easily driven in and the ground occupied. Then the corps advanced to Floing, through the narrow defile of St. Albert. Floing was already occupied by the 5th corps, and as there was no room for the two to march abreast, the 11th corps halted. The French had a strong position on the Plateau d'Algerie. The wings of the French position touched the villages of Illy and Floing, while the line between them had steep sides to the valley directly in its front. The 7th French corps and two reserve cavalry divisions occupied this plateau.
The Bois de Garenne, which was in the rear of the right wing of this part of the French line, was occupied by a strong force, which was intended to maintain connection with the first corps. The artillery of the 5th and 11th corps opened fire on this wood, which was crowded with French troops, among whom great havoc was caused by the German guns. Several times the French brought batteries to the edge of the wood, and attempted to reply; but every battery that came thus to the front was immediately silenced by the concentrated fire of the German batteries. A French officer who was taken prisoner described the German fire as "five kilometres of artillery." General De Wimpffen's line of battle had now assumed the very rare condition along its east front of being broken into two portions that fronted in nearly opposite directions.
Let us now return to the right wing of the German army, which we left soon after ten o'clock. When the sound of the cannonade in the direction of Illy reached the Prussian Guards, the generals concluded that the turning columns in that direction had closed the line of battle. Prince Augustus, of Würtemberg, who commanded the Prussian Guards, ordered the artillery fire to be opened on the Bois de Garenne, which was vigorously assaulted over nearly its whole extent. All the troops which the French had assembled there were compelled to stay inside the wood. As soon as a column made its appearance anywhere at the edge of the wood it was cut down by the German fire. Then an advance of the Guards was ordered, so that every possibility of an escape of the French in the direction of Belgium was completely cut off. An order was sent for the Bavarians to advance; but in consequence of their terrible losses at Bazeilles they were not in condition for the offensive, and were unable to occupy Daigny. The order was then given to the Saxons, who executed it in fine style, and advanced later on to Fond de Givonne in the rear of the Guards.
The position of the right wing of the French, which was personally commanded by General De Wimpffen, was now perfectly hopeless. As a last resort he sent a request to the emperor to come and lead the troops in person, as they would consider it an honor to cut a way for him through the German lines. The emperor was unwilling to sacrifice the lives of so many soldiers in order to save himself, and therefore he declined the invitation. General De Wimpffen then went over to Balan to find whatever troops there might be remaining from the 12th and 1st corps; but none could be found. He was alone, unaccompanied by a single staff officer, and then rode to the gate of Sedan in the hope of being able to rally some of the disordered troops. General Ducrot proposed to make a last effort to cut through the German lines, and for this purpose ordered a general charge of cavalry.
Margueritte's reserve cavalry division (the 4th) was selected; it advanced by echelons east of Floing and was intended to overthrow everything before it, after which it would fall to the right and double up the enemy's line. The charge was as gallant as that of the French cavalry at Waterloo—and as unfortunate; it swept on like a tornado, but never reached the German lines. The artillery and infantry mowed great swaths in the advancing columns, and covered the ground with the fallen heroes. Three times was the charge made and three times repulsed. The dead and wounded actually lay in heaps in front of the German lines.
Ducrot's effort to save the day was a failure, and the cavalry had been sacrificed. Then he ordered the infantry to make the same dash for liberty, but utterly disheartened and worn out with fatigue, they refused to obey his orders.
It was now three o'clock and a great stream of fugitives had been for some time flowing to the town. General Ducrot rode there too, in order to get a few more troops together, but when he saw the state of things there he abandoned all hope. The streets and squares throughout the town were packed with all kinds of wagons, gun carriages, caissons, etc., and crowded with terror-stricken men who had thrown away their guns and were intent only on finding shelter and food, with safety for their lives. All discipline was gone, and evidently the defeat of the French was complete and crushing.
A French officer who was with the army in Sedan thus describes the state of affairs in the town near the end of the battle:
out at the Port de Balan. The houses of the suburb were already full of Prussians, who fired on the French out of every window. The church especially is thoroughly garrisoned, the heavy doors are closed. The general sent an officer to fetch two pieces of cannon. These soon arrived, and with them the door of the church is blown in. Two hundred Prussians are captured and brought back with the French, who, in spite of all their efforts, are forced to retire again into the town. It was the last incident of the battle—the last struggle.
By four in the afternoon the Germans were masters of the situation and the defeat of the French was absolutely certain. The Germans had contracted their circle close around Sedan, their artillery held possession of all the heights, and it was in their power to destroy the town and the army at pleasure if only their ammunition held out.
The battle of Sedan was chiefly carried on with artillery, in which the Germans were superior in numbers, weight, range, and precision. The field, after the surrender, presented a worse spectacle than any other of the war, owing to the terrible work of the artillery.
The impossibility of further assistance was evident, and the white flag was displayed from the walls of Sedan. Immediately the German fire ceased and the negotiations for surrender began. At first General De Wimpffen refused the terms offered, but on the next day, September 2d, he signed the capitulation of Sedan, and the whole army, including the emperor, who became a prisoner of war. In his interview with the king the emperor was downcast but dignified. From Sedan he was sent to the castle of Wilhelmshohe, near Cassel, and so ended his career as ruler of France. Two days later came the revolution in Paris, the overthrow of the empire, the flight of the empress, and the formation of the republic.
About 25,000 prisoners were taken during the battle of Sedan, and 83,000 surrendered the next day. Among the captured material of war were 400 pieces of field artillery, 150 fortress guns, and 70 mitrailleuses. About 14,000 French wounded were found lying in Sedan and in the neighborhood, and 3,000 French escaped into Belgium, and laid down their arms. The great Army of the North thus passed out of existence.
Amongst the prisoners there were 1 marshal (MacMahon), 40 generals, 230 field-officers, and 2,595 officers of other grades.
The losses of the Germans were:
| 1,310 | killed, | |
| 6,443 | wounded, | |
| 2,107 | missing. | |
| Total | 9,860. |
The losses of the French according to their own statements were, exclusive of prisoners and missing,
| 3,000 | killed, | |
| 10,000 | wounded. | |
| Total | 13,000. |
The strategical feat of the Germans by which an army of more than 200,000 men made a wonderfully accurate "wheel to the right" by means of which the entire force was concentrated after a march of four days on a point upwards of 47 miles from where the left wing previously stood, is probably without a parallel in military history.
The result of the battle of Gravelotte was to imprison Bazaine's army in Metz, where it remained until its surrender. The imprisonment of Bazaine's army made possible the capture of Sedan with the forces under MacMahon, the surrender of the emperor, the fall of the empire, the advance upon the French capital, the siege and capture of Paris, and the great triumph of the German army. At Versailles, on the 1st of January, 1871, King William of Prussia was proclaimed Emperor of Germany amid the roar of the cannon by which haughty Paris was reduced to humiliation. Two months later the war came to an end with the preliminary treaty of peace, and on the 10th of May was signed the definitive treaty by which France surrendered portions of her territory to the conquerors, and paid an indemnity of five milliards of francs for the expenses of the war.
