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 de-
