Napoleon III Looses Battle of Sedan

Today’s installment concludes Battle of Sedan,
by finishing the selection from von Moltke’s history and then with Bismarck’s letter to his wife, captured by the French and published in the Paris press.

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Previously in Battle of Sedan.

Time: 1870
Place: Sedan, France

By General von Moltke
Meanwhile long columns of French could be seen pouring down on Sedan from all the neighboring hills. Irregular bands of troops were massed in and around the walls of fortress, and shells from the German batteries on both sides of the Meuse were continually exploding among them. Columns of fire soon began to rise from the city, and the Bavarians, who had gone round to Torcy, were about to climb the palisades at the gate, when, at about half-past four, flags of truce were hoisted on the towers. The Emperor Napoleon had refused to join with General von Wimpffen in his attempt to break through the German lines; he had, on the contrary, desired him to parley with the enemy. On the order being renewed, the French suddenly ceased firing.

General Reille now made his appearance in the presence of King William, who had watched the action all day from the hill south of Frénois. He was the bearer of an autograph letter from the Emperor, whose presence in Sedan had till now been un known. He placed his sword in the hands of the King, but as this was only an act of personal submission, the answer given to his letter demanded that an officer should be dispatched thither, fully empowered to treat with General von Moltke as to the sur render of the French army. This sorrowful duty was imposed on General von Wimpffen, who was in no way responsible for the desperate straits into which the army had been brought.

The negotiations were held at Donchery during the night be tween September 1st and 2nd. The Germans were forced to consider that they must not forego the advantage gained over so powerful an enemy as France. When it was remembered that the French had regarded the victory of German arms over other nationalities in the light of an insult, any act of untimely generosity might lead them to forget their own defeat. The only course to pursue was to insist upon the disarmament and detention of the entire army, but officers were to be free on parole.

General von Wimpffen declared it impossible to accept such hard conditions, the negotiations were broken off, and the French officers returned to Sedan at one o’clock. Before their departure they were given to understand that unless these terms were agreed to by nine o’clock next morning, the bombardment would be renewed. The capitulation was signed by General von Wimpffen on the morning of the 2d, further resistance being obviously impossible.

It is difficult to understand why the Germans celebrate September 2nd when nothing at all remarkable happened but that which was the result of the previous day’s work; the day the army really crowned itself with glory was September 1st. This splendid victory had cost the Germans 460 officers and 8500 men. The French losses were far greater: 17,000 were killed or wounded -— the work principally of the strong force of German artillery—and 21,000 were taken prisoners in the course of the action, and 83,000 surrendered. Three thousand men had been disarmed on Belgian territory.

The trophies at Sedan consisted of 3 standards, 419 field pieces, and 139 guns; 66,000 stands of arms; more than 1000 baggage- and other wagons, and 6,000 horses fit for service.

Otto von Bismarck

Otto von Bismark (1815-1898) was the Chancellor (equivalent to a Prime Minister) of the northern German Confederation who accompanied the army.

Vendresse, September 3 [1870].

My Dear Heart:

I left my present quarters before early dawn the day before yesterday, came back to-day, and have in the meantime witnessed the great battle of Sedan, in which we made about thirty thousand prisoners, and threw the remainder of the French army, which we have been pursuing since we were at Bar-le-Duc, into the fortress, where they had to surrender themselves, along with the Emperor, prisoners of war. Yesterday morning at five o’clock, after I had been negotiating until 1 A.M. with Moltke and the French generals about the capitulation to be concluded, I was awakened by General Reille, with whom I am acquainted, to tell me that Napoleon wished to speak with me.

Unwashed and unbreakfasted, I rode toward Sedan, found the Emperor in an open carriage, with three aides-de-camp and three in attendance on horseback, halted on the road before Se dan. I dismounted, saluted him just as politely as at the Tuileries, and asked for his commands. He wished to see the King; I told him, as the truth was, that his Majesty had his quarters fifteen miles away, at the spot where I am now writing. In answer to Napoleon’s questions where he should go to, I offered him, as I was not acquainted with the country, my own quarters at Donchery, a small place in the neighborhood, close by Sedan. He accepted, and drove, accompanied by his six Frenchmen, by me and by Carl (who in the meantime had ridden after me), through the lonely morning toward our lines.

Before coming to the spot, he began to hesitate on account of the possible crowd, and asked me if he could alight in a lonely cottage by the wayside. I had it inspected by Carl, who brought word that it was mean and dirty. “N’importe,” said Napoleon, and I ascended with him a rickety narrow staircase. In an apartment of ten feet square, with a deal table and two rush bottomed chairs, we sat for an hour; the others were below—a powerful contrast with our last meeting in the Tuileries in 1867. Our conversation was a difficult thing, if I wished to avoid touching on topics which could not but affect painfully the man whom God’s mighty hand had cast down.

I had sent Carl to fetch officers from the town and to beg Moltke to come. We then sent one of the former to reconnoiter, and discovered, twenty-one and a half miles distant, in Frénois, a chateau situated in a park. Thither I accompanied him with an escort of the Cuirassier Regiment of Life-Guards, which had meantime been -brought up, and there we concluded with the French General-in-Chief, Wimpffen, the capitulation, by virtue of which from forty thousand to sixty thousand French men—I do not know, accurately, at present—with all they possess, became our prisoners. Yesterday and the day before cost France one hundred thousand men and an emperor. This morn ing the latter, with all his suite, horses and carriages, started for Wilhelmshohe, near Cassel.

It is an event of great weight in the world’s history, a victory for which we shall humbly thank the Almighty, and which decides the war, even if we have to carry it on against France shorn of her Emperor.

I must conclude. With heartfelt joy I learned from your and Maria’s letters that Herbert has arrived among you. Bill I spoke to yesterday, as already telegraphed, and embraced him from horseback in his Majesty’s presence, while he stood motionless in the ranks. He is very healthy and happy. I saw Hans and Fritz Carl, both Buelows, in the Second Dragoon Guards, well and cheerful.

Good-by, my heart; love to the children.

Your V. B.

This ends our selections on Battle of Sedan by two of the most important authorities of this topic:

• The Franco-German War of 1870-1871 by Helmuth von Moltke published in 1893.
• letter to wife by Otto von Bismark published in 1870.

Helmuth von Moltke began here.

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