personal memoirs-2-第62章

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demonstrating　his　assertion　so　forcibly　that　I　forthwith　set　out　with

Bismarck…Bohlen　to　lay　in　a　supply　for　myself。



I　spent　the　night　in　a　handsome　house；　the　property　of　an

exceptionally　kind　and　polite　gentleman　bearing　the　indisputably

German　name　of　Lager；　but　who　was　nevertheless　French　from　head　to

foot；　if　intense　hatred　of　the　Prussians　be　a　sign　of　Gallic

nationality。　　At　daybreak　on　the　26th　word　came　for　us　to　be　ready　to

move　by　the　Chalons　road　at　7　o'clock；　but　before　we　got　off；　the

order　was　suspended　till　2　in　the　afternoon。　　In　the　interval　General

von　Moltke　arrived　and　held　a　long　conference　with　the　King；　and　when

we　did　pull　out　we　traveled　the　remainder　of　the　afternoon　in　company

with　a　part　of　the　Crown　Prince's　army；　which　after　this　conference

inaugurated　the　series　of　movements　from　Bar…le…Duc　northward；　that

finally　compelled　the　surrender　at　Sedan。　　This　sudden　change　of

direction　I　did　not　at　first　understand；　but　soon　learned　that　it　was

because　of　the　movements　of　Marshal　MacMahon；　who；　having　united　the

French　army　beaten　at　Worth　with　three　fresh　corps　at　Chalons；　was

marching　to　relieve　Metz　in　obedience　to　orders　from　the　Minister　of

War　at　Paris。



As　we　passed　along　the　column；　we　noticed　that　the　Crown　Prince's

troops　were　doing　their　best；　the　officers　urging　the　men　to　their

utmost　exertions；　persuading　weary　laggards　and　driving　up

stragglers。　　As　a　general　thing；　however；　they　marched　in　good　shape；

notwithstanding　the　rapid　gait　and　the　trying　heat；　for　at　the　outset

of　the　campaign　the　Prince　had　divested　them　of　all　impedimenta

except　essentials；　and　they　were　therefore　in　excellent　trim　for　a

forced　march。



The　King　traveled　further　than　usual　that　dayto　Clermontso　we　did

not　get　shelter　till　late；　and　even　then　not　without　some　confusion；

for　the　quartermaster　having　set　out　toward　Chalons　before　the　change

of　programme　was　ordered；　was　not　at　hand　to　provide　for　us。　　I　had

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