personal memoirs-2- 第50部分

extreme　good　luck；　though；　in　being　quartered　with　a　certain

apothecary；　who；　having　lived　for　a　time　in　the　United　States；

claimed　it　as　a　privilege　even　to　lodge　me；　and　certainly　made　me　his

debtor　for　the　most　generous　hospitality。　　It　was　not　so　with　some　of

the　others；　however；　and　Count　Bismarck　was　particularly　unfortunate；

being　billeted　in　a　very　small　and　uncomfortable　house；　where；

visiting　him　to　learn　more　fully　what　was　going　on；　I　found　him；

wrapped　in　a　shabby　old　dressing…gown；　hard　at　work。　　He　was

established　in　a　very　small　room；　whose　only　furnishings　consisted　of

a　tableat　which　he　was　writinga　couple　of　rough　chairs；　and　the

universal　feather…bed；　this　time　made　on　the　floor　in　one　corner　of

the　room。　　On　my　remarking　upon　the　limited　character　of　his

quarters；　the　Count　replied；　with　great　good…humor；　that　they　were

all　right；　and　that　he　should　get　along　well　enough。　　Even　the　tramp

of　his　clerks　in　the　attic；　and　the　clanking　of　his　orderlies'　sabres

below；　did　not　disturb　him　much；　he　said；　in　fact；　that　he　would　have

no　grievance　at　all　were　it　not　for　a　guard　of　Bavarian　soldiers

stationed　about　the　house　for　his　safety；　he　presumed　the　sentinels

from　which　insisted　on　protecting　and　saluting　the　Chancellor　of　the

North　German　Confederation　in　and　out　of　season；　a　proceeding　that

led　to　embarrassment　sometimes；　as　he　was　much　troubled　with　a　severe

dysentery。　　Notwithstanding　his　trials；　however；　and　in　the　midst　of

the　correspondence　on　which　he　was　so　intently　engaged；　he　graciously

took　time　to　explain　that　the　sudden　movement　northward　from　Bar…le…

Duc　was；　as　I　have　previously　recounted；　the　result　of　information

that　Marshal　MacMahon　was　endeavoring　to　relieve　Metz　by　marching

along　the　Belgian　frontier；　〃a　blundering　manoeuvre；〃　remarked　the

Chancellor；　〃which　cannot　be　accounted　for；　unless　it　has　been

brought　about　by　the　political　situation　of　the　French。〃









CHAPTER　XVIII。



AFTER　MacMAHONTHE　BATTLE　AT　BEAUMONTTHE　FRENCH　SURPRISEDTHE

MARCHING　OF　THE　GERMAN　SOLDIERSTHE　BATTLE　OF　SEDANGALLANT　CAVALRY

CHARGESDEFEAT　OF　THE　FRENCHTHE　SURRENDER　OF　NAPOLEONBISMARCK

AND　THE　KINGDECORATING　THE　SOLDIERS。



All　night　long　the　forced　march　of　the　army　went　on　through　Clermont；

and　when　I　turned　out；　just　after　daylight；　the　columns　were　still

pressing　forward；　the　men　looking　tired　and　much　bedraggled；　as

indeed　they　had　reason　to　be；　for　from　recent　rains　the　roads　were

very　sloppy。　　Notwithstanding　this；　however；　the　troops　were　pushed

ahead　with　all　possible　vigor　to　intercept　MacMahon　and　force　a

battle　before　he　could　withdraw　from　his　faulty　movement；　for　which

it　has　since　been　ascertained　he　was　not　at　all　responsible。　　Indeed；

those　at　the　royal　headquarters　seemed　to　think　of　nothing　else　than

to　strike　MacMahon；　for；　feeling　pretty　confident　that　Metz　could　not

be　relieved；　they　manifested　not　the　slightest　anxiety　on　that　score。



By　8　o'clock；　the　skies　having　cleared；　the　headquarters　set　out　for

Grand　Pre'；　which　place　we　reached　early　in　the　afternoon；　and　that

evening　I　again　had　the　pleasure　of　dining　with　the　King。　　The

conversation　at　table　was　almost　wholly　devoted　to　the　situation；　of

course；　everybody　expressing　surprise　at　the　manoeuvre　of　the　French

at　this　time；　their　march　along　the　Belgian　frontier　being　credited

entirely　to　Napoleon。　　Up　to　bed…time　there　was　still　much

uncertainty　as　to　the　exact　positions　of　the　French；　but　next　morning

intelligence　being　received　which　denoted　the　probability　of　a

battle；　we　drove　about　ten　miles；　to　Buzancy；　and　there　mounting　our

horses；　rode　to　the　front。



The　French　were　posted　not　far　from　Buzancy　in　a　strong　position；

their　right　resting　near　Stonne　and　the　left　extending　over　into　the

woods　beyond　Beaumont。　　About　10　o'clock　the　Crown　Prince　of　Saxony

advanced　against　this　line；　and　while　a　part　of　his　army　turned　the

French　right；　compelling　it　to　fall　back　rapidly；　the　German　centre

and　right　attacked　with　great　vigor　and　much　skill；　surprising　one　of

the　divisions　of　General　De　Failly's　corps　while　the　men　were　in　the

act　of　cooking　their　breakfast。



The　French　fled　precipitately；　leaving　behind　their　tents　and　other

camp　equipage；　and　on　inspecting　the　ground　which　they　had　abandoned

so　hastily；　I　noticed　on　all　sides　ample　evidence　that　not　even　the

most　ordinary　precautions　had　been　taken　to　secure　the　division　from

surprise；　The　artillery　horses　had　not　been　harnessed；　and　many　of

them　had　been　shot　down　at　the　picketrope　where　they　had　been

haltered　the　night　before；　while　numbers　of　men　were　lying　dead　with

loaves　of　bread　or　other　food　instead　of　their　muskets　in　their

hands。



Some　three　thousand　prisoners　and　nearly　all　the　artillery　and

mitrailleuses　of　the　divisionwere　captured；　while　the　fugitives

were　pursued　till　they　found　shelter　behindDouay's　corps　and　the

rest　of　De　Failly's　beyond　Beaumont。　　The　same　afternoon　there　were

several　other　severe　combats　along　the　Meuse；　but　I　had　no　chance　of

witnessing　any　of　them；　and　just　before　night…fall　I　started　back　to

Buzancy；　to　which　place　the　King's　headquarters　had　been　brought

during　the　day。



The　morning　of　the　31st　the　King　moved　to　Vendresse。　　First　sending

our　carriage　back　to　Grand　Pre'　for　our　trunks；　Forsyth　and　I　mounted

our　horses　and　rode　to　the　battle…field　accompanied　by　an　English

nobleman；　the　Duke　of　Manchester。　　The　part　of　the　field　we　traversed

was　still　thickly　strewn　with　the　dead　of　both　armies；　though　all　the

wounded　had　been　collected　in　the　hospitals。　　In　the　village　of

Beaumont；　we　stopped　to　take　a　look　at　several　thousand　French

prisoners；　whose　worn　clothing　and　evident　dejection　told　that　they

had　been　doing　a　deal　of　severe　marching　under　great　discouragements。



The　King　reached　the　village　shortly　after；　and　we　all　continued　on

to　Chemery；　just　beyond　where　his　Majesty　alighted　from　his　carriage

to　observe　his　son's　troops　file　past　as　they　came　in　from　the

direction　of　Stonne。　　This　delay　caused　us　to　be　as　late　as　9　o'clock

before　we　got　shelter　that　night；　but　as　it　afforded　me　the　best

opportunity　I　had　yet　had　for　seeing　the　German　soldiers　on　the

march；　I　did　not　begrudge　the　time。　　They　moved　in　a　somewhat　open

and　irregular　column　of　fours；　the　intervals　between　files　being

especially　intended　to　give　room　for　a　peculiar　swinging　gait；　with

which　the　men　seemed　to　urge　themselves　over　the　ground　with　ease　and

rapidity。　　There　was　little　or　no　straggling；　and　being　strong；　lusty

young　fellows；　and　lightly　equippedthey　carried　only　needle…guns；

ammunition；　a　very　small　knapsack；　a　water…bottle；　and　a　haversack…

they　strode　by　with　an　elastic　step；　covering　at　least　three　miles　an

hour。



It　having　been　definitely　ascertained　that　the　demoralized　French

were　retiring　to　Sedan；　on　the　evening　of　August　31　the　German　army

began　the　work　of　hemming　them　in　there；　so　disposing　the　different

corps　as　to　cover　the　ground　from　Donchery　around　by　Raucourt　to

Carignan。　　The　next　morning　this　line　was　to　be　drawn　in　closer　on

Sedan；　and　the　Crown　Prince　of　Saxony　was　therefore　ordered　to　take

up　a　position　to　the　north　of　Bazeilles；　beyond　the　right　bank　of　the

Meuse；　while　the　Crown　Prince　of　Prussia　was　to　cross　his　right　wing

over　the　Meuse　at　Remilly；　to　move　on　Bazeilles；　his　centre　meantime

marching　against　a　number　of　little　hamlets　still　held　by　the　French

between　there　and　Donchery。　　At　this　last…mentioned　place　strong

reserves　were　to　be　held；　and　from　it　the　Eleventh　Corps；　followed　by

the　Fifth　and　a　division　of　cavalry；　was　to　march　on　St。　Menges。



Forsyth　and　I　started　early　next　morning；　September　1；　and　in　a　thick

fog…which；　however；　subsequently　gave　place　to　bright　sunshinewe

drove　to　the　village　of　Chevenges；　where；　mounting　our　horses；　we

rode　in　a　northeasterly　direction　to　the　heights　of　Frenois　and

Wadelincourt；　bordering　the　river　Meuse　on　the　left　bank；　where　from

the　crest　we　had　a　good　view　of　the　town　of　Sedan　with　its　circling

fortifications；　which；　though　extensive；　were　not　so　formidable　as

those　around　Metz。　　The　King　and　his　staff　were　already　established

on　these　heights；　and　at　a　point　so　well　chosen　that　his　Majesty

could　observe　the　movements　of　both　armies　immediately　east　and　south

of　Sedan；　and　also　to　the　northwest　toward　Floing　and　the　Belgian

frontier。



The　battle　was　begun　to　the　east　and　northeast　of　Sedan　as　early　as

half…past　4　o'clock　by　the　German　right　wingthe　fighting　being

desultoryand　near　the　same　hour　the　Bavarians　attacked　Bazeilles。

This　village；　some　two　miles　southeast　of　Sedan；　being　of　importance；

was　defended　with　great　obstinacy；　the　French　contesting　from　street

to　street　and　house　to　house　the　attack　of　the　Bavarians　till　near

10　o'clock；　when；　almost　every　building　being　knocked　to　pieces；　they

were　compelled　to　relinquish　the　place。　　The　possession　of　this

village　gave　the　Germans　to　the　east　of　Sedan　a　continuous　line；

extending　from　the　Meuse　northward　through　La　Moncelle　and　Daigny　to

Givonne；　and　almost　to　the　Belgian　frontier。



While　the　German　centre　and　right　were　thus　engaged；　the　left　had

moved　in　accordance　with　the　prescribed　plan。　　Indeed；　some　of　these

troops　had　crossed　the　Meuse　the　night　before；　and　now；　at　a　little

after　6　o'clock；　their　advance　could　be　seen　just　north　of　the

village　of　Floing。　　Thus　far　these　columns；　under　the　immediate　eye

of　the　Crown　Prince　of　Prussia；　had　met　with　no　opposition　to　their

march；　and　as　soon　as　they　got　to　the　high　ground　above　the　village

they　began　extending　to　the　east；　to　connect　with　the　Army　of　the

Meuse。　　This　juncture　was　effected　at　Illy　without　difficulty；　and

the　French　army　was　now　completely　encompassed。



After　a　severe　fight；　the　Crown　Prince　drove　the　French　through

Floing；　and　as　the　ground　between　this　village　and　Sedan