The Insurrection in Paris | Page 5

Guards attacked it with much dash, and re-took it from the troops of
Versailles. The fact is these troops found the place too hot for them,
and were obliged to abandon it. It is exposed to the fire of Bicêtre, Ivry,
and Hautes Bruyères. Was it worth while for the sake of eight cannon
to commit such a terrific slaughter? Most of the prisoners taken on the
occasion declare that they had been forced to serve, and that they had
been sent to Moulin Saquet as a punishment for their having refused to
march on Neuilly. Among the captives is an interesting looking young
woman, in the uniform of a cantinière. Poor thing, she is wounded and
in hospital. Her story is that some months ago she became the wife of a
young man, who after the breaking out of the Civil War was forced to
serve in the ranks of the Insurgents. For eight days she was without any
tidings of him, and in her despair she adopted the uniform in which she
was wounded and captured, in order that she might visit all the outposts
in search of her husband. She had not succeeded in finding him, and
she does not know whether he is living. Had she been successful she
would have died by his side rather than have been separated from him
again. I am happy to say that the wound of this heroine is only slight,
and that everything is being done to promote her recovery.
If the Insurgents have not actually re-taken the Clamart Station, the
scene of the other slaughter, they have established themselves very
close to it, in a cutting which forms a communication between the
Station and a barricade on the line of railway. As the Station is under
fire from Fort Vanves I have no doubt that the military found it
impossible to hold it, and that if not now in it the Insurgents may

re-occupy it whenever they like. Again, there was much boasting about
the taking of the Château of Issy. We were told that it was an admirable
position, completely screened from the insurgent fire, and affording an
excellent vantage ground for riflemen. I saw it on fire yesterday. The
Insurgents succeeded in making their shells reach it and making it very
much too hot for the Chasseurs. The truth is the Insurgents have been
doing the Versaillais quite as much damage as the latter have been
inflicting on them. The fire from the batteries at and about the Point du
Jour has been excellent. There must be artillerists there quite as good as
any on this side. The manner in which the ruins of Fort Issy have been
defended is surprising. There is not a roof or a window frame in one of
its barracks, but from the embrasures in the earthworks the fire is still
kept up from one or two points. To take it by assault would be a matter
of no difficulty, but General Faron believes that it is mined, and even in
its crippled position he won't venture to attack it at close quarters. With
the exception of bayoneting some 500 poor wretches who could not
defend themselves, taking a few hundred prisoners who are rather an
embarrassment to them, and capturing a few cannon which they don't
themselves want and which the Insurgents can easily replace, the
Government has done nothing this week. In the words of the old
peasant woman, C'est toujours la même répétition.
MAY 7th.
In consequence of a large placard posted over the walls of Paris this
morning I passed through the gate of the private garden of the Tuileries,
and made my way, in company with a crowd of citizens of all classes,
through the apartments occupied but a few months ago by the
ex-Emperor and Empress. The printed invitation announced that we
might see the rooms in which the "tyrant" had lived, for the modest
sum of 50c., but that, should we think proper to take tickets for the
concert, "whereby these saloons might be at length rendered useful to
the people," we should be permitted to enjoy the extra show gratis. I
took a ticket, and joined myself to a thick stream of people who
belonged to every nationality and rank of life, and whose remarks and
criticisms were most edifying. There were shopkeepers and their wives,
only too delighted to take advantage of the mildest dissipation;

gentlemen whose National Guard trousers were rendered respectable by
the gray jacket or blouse of a citizen; humdrum housewives who
approved everything, and gaped their admiration of so much gorgeous
wall-colouring; there were flaunting ladies in bonnets of the latest
fashion and marvellous petticoats, who criticized the curtains and
pointed the parasol of scorn at faded draperies; people who