CHRONOLOGY OF THE PARISIAN INSURRECTION,
FROM THE 18th OF MARCH TO THE 29th MAY, 1871.
The dash (—) in each day after the commencement of military operations
divides the civil from the military.
_Saturday, 18th March_: Early in the morning troops take possession of
the Buttes Montmartre and Belleville. The soldiers charged with the
recovery of the pieces of artillery fraternise with the people and the
National Guard. Arrest of Generals Lecomte and Clement Thomas: they are
shot at Montmartre without trial. National Guards take possession of
the Hôtel de Ville, the Prefecture of Police is invaded by Raoul
Rigault, Duval, and others.
_Sunday, 19th March_: The Central Committee of the National Guard take
possession of the offices of the _Journal Officiel_. Arrest of General
Chanzy. Gustave Flourens, imprisoned at Mazas, is set at liberty by the
new masters of Paris. M. Thiers addresses a circular to the country
enjoining obedience to the only authority, that of the Assembly.
_Tuesday, 21st March_: Manifestation of the “Friends of Order.”
Procession for public demonstration. Sitting of the Assembly at
Versailles. M. Jules Favre advises prompt measures. Appeal to the
people and army.
_Wednesday, 22nd March_: Friends of Order shot in the Rue de la Paix.
Lullier arrested by order of the Central Committee.
_Thursday, 23rd March_: Vice-Admiral Saisset is appointed by the
Assembly Commander-in-Chief of the National Guard.
_Friday, 24th March_: The delegates Brunel, Eudes, Duval, are promoted
to the rank of generals by the Central Committee. Vice-Admiral
Saisset’s proclamation.
_Saturday, 29th March_: Occupation of the Mairie of the 1st
Arrondissement by the Federals. First placard of the Committee of
Conciliation. Rumour of the arrest of Lullier reproached for
moderation. Vice-Admiral Saisset retires to Versailles. _Sunday, 26th
March_: Municipal elections to constitute the Commune of Paris.
_Tuesday, 28th March_: 4 p. m., names of the elect proclaimed at the
Hôtel de Ville. Arrival of General Chanzy at Versailles.
_Wednesday, 29th March_: Conscription abolished—all citizens to be
National Guards. Pawnbroking decree. Organisation of commissions:
executive, financial, military, etc. Ministers to be called delegates.
_Saturday, 1st April_: The Executive Committee issues a decree to
suppress the rank and functions of General-in-Chief. General Eudes
appointed Delegate of War; Bergeret to the staff of the National Guard,
in place of Brunel; Duval to the military command of the ex-Prefecture
of Police, where Raoul Rigault was civil delegate.
_Sunday, 2nd April_: Military operations commence 9 a.m. Action at
Courbevoie. Flourens marches his troops to Versailles, _viâ_ Rueil.
_Monday, 3rd April_: The corps d’armée of General Bergeret at the Rond
Point near Neuilly, is stopped by the artillery of Mont Valérien.
Exchange of shot between Fort Issy and Fort Vanves, occupied by
insurgents, and Meudon.—The separation of Church and State decreed.
_Tuesday, 4th April_: General Duval made prisoner in the engagement at
Châtillon and shot. Death of Flourens at Rueil.—Delescluze, Cournet,
and Vermorel succeed Generals Bergeret, Eudes, and Duval on the
Executive Commission. Cluseret Delegate of War, and Bergeret commandant
of Paris forces.
_Wednesday, 6th April_: General Cluseret commences active operations.
Military service compulsory for all citizens under forty. Abbé
Deguerry, and Archbishop of Paris arrested.
_Thursday, 6th April_: Extension of action to Neuilly and Courbevoie.
Versailles army decreed by executive authority. Obsequies of Flourens
at Versailles.—Decree concerning the complicity with Versailles, and
arrest of hostages. The rank of general suppressed by the Commune.
Dombrowski succeeds Bergeret as Commandant of Paris.
_Friday, 7th April_: Decree for disarming the Réfractaires. The
guillotine is burnt on the Place Voltaire.
_Saturday, 8th April_: Federals abandon Neuilly.—Commission of
barricades created and presided over by Gaillard Senior. Military
occupation of the railway termini by the insurgents.
_Sunday, 9th April_: Insurgents attempt to retake Châtillon, but are
repulsed. Forts Vanves and Montrouge disabled. Mont Valérien shells the
Avenue des Ternes.—Assy and Bergeret arrested by order of the Commune.
_Tuesday, 11th April_: Marshal MacMahon, Commander-in-Chief,
distributes his forces. Commences the investment of fort Issy.
_Wednesday, 12th April_: Versailles batteries established on Châtillon.
The Orleans railway and telegraph out. Communications of the insurgents
with the south intercepted.—Decree ordering the fall of the Column
Vendôme. Decree concerning the complementary elections.
_Thursday, 13th April:_ Courbet presides at a meeting of artists at the
École de Médecine. Publication of the reports of the sittings of the
Commune.
_Friday, 14th April_: The redoubt of Gennevilliers taken. The troops of
Versailles make advances to the Château de Bécon, a post of
importance.—Lullier takes the command of the flotilla on the Seine.
_Sunday, 16th April_: Complementary elections. Organisation of a
court-martial under the presidence of Rossel, chief officer of the
staff.
_Monday, 11th April_: Capture and fortification of the Château de
Bécon.
_Tuesday, 18th April_: Station and houses at Asnières taken by the army
of Versailles.
_Thursday, 20th April_: The village of Bagneux is occupied by the
Versaillais.—Reorganisation of commissions. Eudes appointed
inspector-general of the southern forts. Transfers his quarters from
Montrouge to the Palace of the Legion of Honour.
_Saturday, 22nd April_: Deputation from the Freemasons to Versailles.
_Monday, 24th April_: Raoul Rigault takes the office of public
prosecutor, resigning the Prefecture of Police to Cournet.
_Tuesday, 25th April_: The Versailles batteries at Breteuil,
Brimborion, Meudon, and Moulin de Pierre trouble the Federal Fort Issy,
and battery between Bagneux and Châtillon shells Fort Vanves. Truce at
Neuilly from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The inhabitants of Neuilly enter Paris by
the Porte des Ternes.
_Wednesday, 26th April_: Capture of Les Moulineaux, outpost of the
insurgents, by the troops, who strongly fortify themselves on the 27th
and 28th.
_Saturday, 29th April_: Cemetery and park of Issy taken by the
Versaillais in the night.—Freemasons make a new attempt at
conciliation. The Commune levies a sum of two millions of francs from
the railway companies.
_Sunday, 30th April_: A flag of truce sent to Fort Issy by the
Versaillais, calling upon the Federals to surrender. General Eudes puts
fresh troops in the fort, and takes the command himself.—Cluseret
imprisoned at Mazas by order of the Commune. Rossel appointed
provisional Delegate of War.
_Monday, 1st May_: The Versaillais take the station of Clamart and the
Château of Issy.—Creation of the Committee of Public Safety. Members:
Antoine Arnauld, Léo Meillet, Ranvier, Félix Pyat, Charles Gérardin.
_Wednesday, 3rd May_: The troops of General Lacretelle carry the
redoubt of Moulin Saquet.
_Friday, 5th May_: Colonel Rossel appointed to the direction of
military affairs. He defines the military quarters: General Dombrowski,
Place Vendôme; General La Cécilia, at the Ecole Militaire; General
Wroblewski, at the Elysée; General Bergeret, at the Corps Législatif;
General Eudes at the Palace of the Legion of Honour. The Central
Committee of the National Guard charged with Administration of War
under the supervision of the military commission. The Chapelle
Expiatoire condemned to destruction—the materials to be sold by
auction.
_Saturday, 6th May_: Concert at the Tuileries in aid of the ambulances.
Suppression of newspapers.
_Monday, 8th May_: Battery of Montretout (70 marine guns) opens fire.
_Tuesday, 9th May_: Morning, insurgents evacuate the Fort Issy.—The
Committee of Public Safety renewed. Members: Ranvier, Antoine Arnauld,
Gambon, Eudes, Delescluze. Rossel resigns; his letter to the Commune.
_Wednesday, 10th May_: Cannon from the Fort Issy taken to
Versailles.—Decree for the demolition of M. Thiers’ house. Delescluze
appointed Delegate of War.
_Friday, 12th May_: Troops take possession of the Couvent des Oiseaux
at Issy, and the Lyceum at Vanves.
_Saturday, 13th May_: Triumphal entry of the troops into Versailles
with flags and cannon taken from the Convent. The evacuation of the
village of Issy completed. Fort Vanves taken by the troops.
_Sunday, 14th May_: Vigorous cannonade from the batteries of
Courbevoie, Bécon, Asnières on Levallois and Clichy: both villages
evacuated. Commencement of the demolition of house of M. Thiers.
_Monday, 15th May_: Report of the rearmament of Montmartre.
_Tuesday, 16th May_: The Column Vendôme falls.
_Wednesday, 11th May_: Powder magazine and cartridge factory near the
Champ de Mars blown up.
_Sunday, 21st May_: 2 p.m. the troops enter Paris.—Rochefort arrives at
Versailles. Raoul Rigault and Régère charged with the hostage decree.
_Monday, 22nd May_: Noon, explosion of the powder magazine of the
Manège d’Etat-Major (staff riding-school). The hostages transferred
from Mazas to La Roquette. Assy arrested in Paris by the Versaillais.
The Assembly votes the re-erection of the Column Vendôme.
_Tuesday, 23rd May_: Montmartre taken. Death of Dombrowski. Morning,
Assy arrives at Versailles. Execution of gendarmes and Gustave Chaudey
at the prison of Sainte-Pélagie. Night, the Tuileries are set on fire.
Delescluze and the Committee of Public Safety hold permanent sittings
at the Hôtel de Ville.
_Wednesday, 24th May_: One p.m., the powder magazine at the Palais du
Luxembourg blown up. The Committee of Public Safety organise
detachments of fusee-bearers. Raoul Rigault shot in the afternoon by
the soldiers. In the evening, execution in the Prison of La Roquette of
the Archbishop, Abbé Deguerry, etc.
_Thursday, 26th May_: The forts Montrouge, Hautes-Bruyères, Bicêtre
evacuated by the insurgents. The death of Delescluze is reported to
have taken place this day. Executions in the Avenue d’Italie of the
Pères Dominicains of Arcueil.
_Friday, 26th May_: Sixteen priests shot in the Cemetery of Père
Lachaise by the insurgents.
_Saturday, 27th May_: The Buttes Chaumont, the heights of Belleville,
and the Cemetery of Père Lachaise carried by the troops. Taking of the
prison La Roquette by the Marines. Deliverance of 169 hostages.
_Sunday, 28th May_: The investment of Belleville complete.
_Monday, 29th May_: Six. p.m., the federal garrison of the fortress of
Vincennes surrendered at discretion.