out notes, affirming that under a strong Government "it is better that individuals should submit to the defined laws of the country, and not be subjected to the action of a tribunal which they look upon as an arbitrary one."

He was sent back to Algeria. As General of a division, under the orders of Marshal Randon, he commanded the second division in the great Kabyl expedition.

Italian

In the Italian campaign, as he possessed War the confidence of the soldiers, he was entrusted with the command of the second corps. He crossed the Ticino, near Turbigo, on the 2nd of June, 1859. The Franco-Sardinian army came into collision somewhat unexpectedly with the Austrian army. The Imperial Guard bore the full brunt of the fight, and offered an heroic resistance. At three o'clock MacMahon had not yet arrived. The anxious Emperor believed the battle to be lost, when MacMahon, having recalled the Espinasse division, and deployed his troops, overturned the right wing of the enemy, saved both the Guard and the Emperor, and decided the victory. He was made Marshal of France and Duke of Magenta on the field. He telegraphed to his wife, and, by a confusion of names such as were habitual with him, wrote: "the Emperor has just made me Duke of Magenta," and signed himself "Malakoff."

After having fulfilled an extraordinary mission on the occasion of the coronation ceremonies of William I, King of Prussia, and having commanded for some time at Lille and Nancy, he returned to Algeria, but this time as Governor-General, on the death of Marshal Pélissier. He worked hard in this

position, incessantly traversing the country, keeping abreast of military and civil business alike, watching everything, dictating his long correspondence without a mistake, devoting his leisure to the examination of military questions, poring over maps, studying the campaigns of Napoleon. He pronounced against imprudent attempts "to assimilate" the Arab element, and had long disputes with Archbishop Lavigerie on this subject. He appeared in the Senate on the 21st of January, 1870, to defend the colony and predict for it a brilliant future. In all this portion of his career he displayed consistency, common sense, a serious and judicious activity.

The Prussian

The war with Prussia broke out. War MacMahon received the command of the first Army Corps. His advance guard was beaten at Wissembourg, and he was himself overwhelmed by numbers at Reichshoffen. He commanded the retreat to Châlons, and saved all that could be saved of his disorganised army. This is the critical point in his fine career.

The Retreat

On the 12th of August, the Emperor on Châlons having withdrawn from the command of the army of the Rhine, had transferred his powers to Marshal Bazaine. The latter commanded the. forces which were in direct obedience to himself, what remained of MacMahon's army, and a new army in course of formation at the camp of Châlons. Were these forces to fight separately? Marshal MacMahon did not think so. Their common efforts were to be combined and directed by the Generalissimo. Between the 14th and 19th of August, Bazaine informed his lieutenant that his intention was to leave Metz

and bear towards Châlons either by way of Verdun or of Montmédy.

However, on the 21st of August, MacMahon, anxious and without news, resumed, in conformity with the designs of the council held on the same day at Courcelles-lès-Reims, his retreat towards Paris. He received on the 22nd fresh instructions from Marshal Bazaine, dated on the 19th, announcing that he "still intends taking the northern direction"; on the other hand, a telegram from the Generalissimo, dated the 20th of August, and manifesting some doubt, did not reach him. Lastly, a telegram, half imperative in its tone, received from the Government, decided him on the 23rd to break off his retreat and to bear towards Montmédy.1

On the 27th of August, at Chêne-Populeux, Marshal MacMahon learned that Marshal Bazaine

was remaining before Metz. Harassed by the enemy on his right flank, paralysed by the bad weather, he felt that, if he went on, he was lost. He issued orders to resume in haste the march towards Paris, and sent word to the Minister of War.

It was then that the latter, depicting to him the situation of the Government in Paris, asked him more imperatively to continue his movement towards Marshal Bazaine; on the following day the orders were yet more formal.

1 See the evidence collected in the Compte-rendu des débats du Procès Bazaine (Paris, A. Ghio, 8°), and especially the written evidence of Marshal MacMahon, p. 195. Cf. General Bonnal's article in the Revue des Idées, Feb. 15, 1904. On the 23rd Marshal Bazaine again wrote to the Emperor that he would give effect to his plan of escaping by the northern route (Procès, pp. 185-86).

March to

MacMahon, for a long time, hesitated, Sedan with death in his soul, foreseeing an almost certain catastrophe. The account of one of his companions-in-arms, who handed him Palikao's telegram, shows us the Marshal aroused in the middle of the night, half out of bed, his legs bare, reflecting. At last he said: "It is an order; we must go." The army halted, and soon resumed the fatal march in the opposite direction, the march to Sedan. When the Marshal was surrounded by his staff, Colonel de Broye said, are on our way to Sadowa." MacMahon heard the remark, although it was pronounced in a low voice. What did you say?" he inquired. "I say that we are going to Sadowa." "Well, well! It is an order ; we must obey." He was a victim, and the country with him, to his rigid military education, and to that high sense of professional duty which at times makes the leaders too submissive, but gives armies their discipline.

"We

At Sedan, the splinter of a shell, which struck him on the thigh, removed him from the fight, withdrew immediate responsibility from him, and spared him the supreme sacrifice. The part played by

the Marshal under these decisive circumstances is but little known. The touching story of an officer who remained at his side allows us to fill this lacuna :

The

At what hour did the Marshal leave Sedan on the Battle of Ist of September?

Sedan

It is very difficult to fix time precisely on the day of a battle. The more deeply the events which a man has witnessed remain engraved on his memory, the more easily do their importance and the rapidity of their progress destroy the idea of time. All that I remember is that dawn had hardly begun. It must have been five o'clock or half past five.

The Marshal, accompanied by his staff, left the town by the

Balan gate. Battle was already engaged. He went to General Lebrun, with whom he remained for some time. Then, in order to form an opinion upon a general view of the operations, he ascended an eminence situated at a short distance from the road between Balan and Bazeilles, which commands the hollow of Givonne.

We had barely arrived there when a first shell fell in front of us, then a second, some yards behind us. Our fairly numerous party, comprising various and brilliant uniforms, served as a target for the German artillery. All the officers instinctively drew near to their chief, with the object of protecting him. Meanwhile, the enemy had rectified their range. A third shell burst in the middle of us. When the cloud of dust in which we were enveloped had dispersed, we saw the Marshal swaying on his horse, which had a broken leg. Two of us rushed to support him and enable him to dismount. He had hardly touched the ground when he fainted. He was carried to a little building of loose stones on the reverse side of the ridge. A surgeon from the Marine Artillery sounded the wound, and diagnosed the presence of the projectile. The chief of the staff, General Faure, undertook to make the event known in the proper quarters. I was instructed to carry the news to the Emperor.

I started at a gallop, following the road, by which we had just come, in the opposite direction. On arriving at the souspréfecture, where the Imperial Staff had spent the night, I was received by the Prince of the Moskowa, aide-de-camp on duty.

I announced the news to him and was preparing to withdraw when he called me back and desired me to enter the Emperor's bedroom with him.

The Emperor was finishing his toilet. "Here," said the Prince, "is an officer who comes to fulfil a sad errand." The Emperor looked at me and waited. I had to make up my mind to speak. "Sire, the Marshal has received a serious wound. He is not in a condition to retain his command."

Napoleon III The Emperor remained silent for a moment. His and Mac- countenance, usually so impassive, became deeply Mahon at pained. His features contracted; great tears flowed Sedan from his eyes. Then his glance fastened upon his two visitors, one of whom was unknown to him, and, seeming in his extreme distress to consult them, he said: "To whom are we going to entrust the command ? "

I had some difficulty in concealing the embarrassment caused by this strange question from the mouth of him who was still