but the stage-management was very bad, and one could not imagine that
Napoleon's entry into Berlin had in any way resembled it. Nor could it be
said to have equalled the entry of the Allied Sovereigns into Paris in
1814. German princelings in basket-carriages drawn by ponies did not add
to the dignity of the spectacle. Moreover, both the Crown Prince of Saxony
and the Crown Prince of Germany (Emperor Frederick) attended it in
virtually an _incognito_ manner. As for the Emperor William, his
councillors dissuaded him from entering the city for fear lest there
should be trouble there. I believe also that neither Bismarck nor Moltke
attended, though, like the Emperor, they both witnessed the preliminary
review of troops in the Bois de Boulogne. The German occupation was
limited to the Champs Elysées quarter, and on the first day the Parisians
generally abstained from going there; but on the morrow--when news that
the preliminaries of peace had been accepted at Bordeaux had reached the
capital--they flocked to gaze upon _nos amis les ennemis_, and greatly
enjoyed, I believe, the lively music played by the German regimental
bands. "Music hath charms," as we are all aware. The departure of the
German troops on the ensuing evening was of a much more spectacular
character than their entry had been. As with their bands playing, whilst
they themselves sang the "Wacht am Rhein" in chorus, they marched up the
Champs Elysées on their way back to Versailles, those of their comrades
who were still billeted in the houses came to the balconies with as many
lighted candles as they could carry. Bivouac fires, moreover, were burning
brightly here and there, and the whole animated scene, with its play of
light and shade under the dark March sky, was one to be long remembered.
The Franco-German War was over, and a new era had begun for Europe. The
balance of power was largely transferred. France had again ceased to be
the predominant continental state. She had attained to that position for
a time under Louis XIV, and later, more conspicuously, under Napoleon I.
But in both of those instances vaulting ambition had o'er-leapt itself.
The purposes of Napoleon III were less far-reaching. Such ideas of
aggrandisement as he entertained were largely subordinated to his desire
to consolidate the _régime_ he had revived, and to ensure the continuity
of his dynasty. But the very principle of nationality which he more than
once expounded, and which he championed in the case of Italy, brought
about his ruin. He gave Italy Venetia, but refused her Rome, and thereby
alienated her. Further, the consolidation of Germany--from his own
nationalist point of view--became a threat to French interests. Thus he
was hoist chiefly by his own _pétard_, and France paid the penalty for his
errors.
The Franco-German War was over, I have said, but there came a terrible
aftermath--that is, the rising of the Commune, some of the introductory
features of which were described by me in "Republican France." There is
only one fairly good history of that formidable insurrection in the
English language--one written some years ago by Mr. Thomas March. It is,
however, a history from the official standpoint, and is consequently
one-sided as well as inaccurate in certain respects. Again, the English
version of the History of the Commune put together by one of its
partisans, Lissagaray, sins in the other direction. An impartial account
of the rising remains to be written. If I am spared I may, perhaps, be
privileged to contribute to it by preparing a work on much the same lines
as those of this present volume. Not only do I possess the greater part of
the literature on the subject, including many of the newspapers of the
time, but throughout the insurrection I was in Paris or its suburbs.
I sketched the dead bodies of Generals Clément Thomas and Lecomte only a
few hours after their assassination. I saw the Vendôme column fall while
American visitors to Paris were singing, "Hail, Columbia!" in the hotels
of the Rue de la Paix. I was under fire in the same street when a
demonstration was made there. Provided with passports by both sides, I
went in and out of the city and witnessed the fighting at Asnières and
elsewhere. I attended the clubs held in the churches, when women often
perorated from the pulpits. I saw Thiers's house being demolished; and
when the end came and the Versailles troops made their entry into the
city, I was repeatedly in the street-fighting with my good friend, Captain
Bingham. I recollect sketching the attack on the Elysée Palace from a
balcony of our house, and finding that balcony on the pavement a few hours
later when it had been carried away by a shell from a Communard battery at
Montmartre. Finally, I saw Paris burning. I gazed on the sheaves of flames
rising above the Tuileries. I saw the whole front of the Ministry of
Finances fall into the Rue de Rivoli. I saw the now vanished Carrefour de
la Croix Rouge one blaze of fire. I helped to carry water to put out the
conflagration at the Palais de Justice. I was prodded with a bayonet when,
after working in that manner for some hours, I attempted to shirk duty at
another fire which I came upon in the course of my expeditions. All that
period of my life flashes on my mind as vividly as Paris herself flashed
under the wondering stars of those balmy nights in May.
My father and my brother Arthur also had some remarkable adventures.
There was one occasion when they persuaded a venturesome Paris cabman to
drive them from conflagration to conflagration, and this whilst the
street-fighting was still in progress. Every now and then, as they drove
on, men and women ran eagerly out of houses into which wounded combatants
had been taken, imagining that they must belong to the medical profession,
as nobody else was likely to go about Paris in such a fashion at such a
moment. Those good folk forgot the journalists. The service of the Press
carries with it obligations which must not be shirked. Journalism has
become, not merely the chronicle of the day, but the foundation of
history. And now I know not if I should say farewell or _au revoir_ to my
readers. Whether I ever attempt a detailed account of the Commune of Paris
must depend on a variety of circumstances. After three-and-forty years
"at the mill," I am inclined to feel tired, and with me health is not what
it has been. Nevertheless, my plans must depend chiefly on the reception
given to this present volume.
INDEX
Adam, Edmond
Adare, Lord
Albert, Archduke
Albert, Prince (the elder), of Prussia
Alencon taken
Alexander II of Russia
Alexandra, Queen
Allix, Jules
Amazons of Paris
Ambert, General
Ambulances, Anglo-American
at Conlie
at Le Mans
author's impression of
Amiens
Arabs with Chanzy
Arago, Emmanuel
Etienne
Ardenay,
Armistice, conditions for an
concluded
Army, French, under the Empire
of Paris, _see also_ Paris
of Brittany
at the outset of National Defence
of the Vosges, _see also_ Garibaldi
of the East, _see also_ Bourbaki
of the Loire, _see also_ D'Aurelle, Goulmiers,
Chanzy, Le Mans, etc.
of the North, _see_ Faidheibe
at the end of war
_for German army see_ German _and names of commanders_
Arnim, Count von
Artists, French newspaper
Assembly, _see_ National
Aurelle, _see_ D'Aurelle
Auvours plateau (Le Mans)
Balloon service from Paris
Bapauine, battle of
Barry, General
Battues for deserters
Bazaine, Marshal
Beauce country
Beaumont, fight at
Beaune-la-Rolande, battle of
Belfort, siege of
Bellemare, General Carré de
Bellenger, Marguerite
Belly, Félix
Beraud, Colonel
Bernard, Colonel
Berezowski
Beuvron, Abbé de
Billot, General
Bingham, Captain Hon. D.A.
Bismarck, Prince
Blano, Louis
Blanchard, P.
Blanqui, Augusta,
Blewitt, Dr. Byron
Boisdeffre, Captain, later General de
Bonaparte, Lycée, _see_ Lycée
Bonaparte, Prince Pierre, _See also_ Napoleon
Bonnemains, General de
Boots, army
Bordone, General
Borel, General
Boulanger, General, his mistress
Bourbaki, General Charles
Bourbon, Palais, _see_ Legislative Body
Bourdillon, General
Bourges,
Bourget, Le,
Bower, Mr.,
Bowles, T. Gibson,
Brie-Comte-Robert,
Brownings, the,
Bulwer, Sir E.,
Caillaux, E. and J.,
Cambriels, General,
Canrobert, Marshal,
Capitulations, see Amiens, Belfort, Longwy, Metz, Paris, Sedan,
Strasbourg, Toul, etc.
Capoul, Victor,
Caricatures of the period,
Casimir-Perler, J.P.,
Cathelineau, Colonel,
Chabaud-Latour, General,
Challemel-Lacour,
Cham (M. de Noé),
Chambord, Comte de,
Champagné, fighting at,
Champigny, sortie of,
Changé, fighting at,
Chanzy, General Alfred,
his early career and appearance,
his orders and operations with the Loire forces,
Charette, General Baron,
Chartres,
"Chartreuse de Parme, La",
Chassillé, fight at,
Chateaubriand, Count and Countess de
Châteaudun, fight at,
Châtillon, fight at,
Chemin des Boeufs (Le Mans),
"Claque," the,
Claremont, Colonel,
Clocks, German love of,
Clubs, Paris,
social
revolutionary
Colin, General,
Collins, Mortimer,
Colomb, General de,
Colomb, General von,
Commune of Paris,
attempts to set up a
rising of the
Condé, Prince de,
Conlie, camp of,
Connerré,
Corbeil, Germans at,
Correspondents, English, in Paris,
Coulmiers, battle of,
Couriers from Paris,
Cousin-Montauban, see Palikao.
Cowardice and panic, cases of,
Crane, Stephen,
Cremer, General,
Crémieux, Adolphe,
Crouzat, General,
Crown Prince of Prussia (Emperor Frederick),
Curten, General,
Daily News,
Daily Telegraph,
Daumier, Honoré,
D'Aurelle de Paladines, General,
Davenport brothers,
"Débâcle, La," Zola's,
Dejean, General,
Delescluze, Charles,
Denfert-Rochereau, Colonel,
Des Pallières, General Martin,
Devonshire, late Duke of,
Dieppe, Germans reach,
Dijon, fighting at,
Doré, Gustave,
Dorian, Frédéric,
D'Orsay, Count,
Douay,
General Abel;
General Félix,
"Downfall, the," see Débâcle.
Droué, fight at,
Dubost, Antonin,
Ducrot, General,
Duff, Brigadier-General (U.S.A.),
Dumas, Alexandre,
Dunraven, Lord, see Adare.
Duvernois, Clément,
"Echoes of the Clubs"
Edwardes, Mrs. Annie
Elgar, Dr. Francis
Elysée Palace
Emotions in war
Empress, _see_ Eugénie.
English attempts to leave Paris
exodus from
Eugénie, Empress
Faidherbe, General
Failly, General de
Fashions, Paris
Favre, Jules
Feilding, Major-General
Fennell family
Ferry, Jules
Fitz-James, Duc de
Flourens, Gustave
Forbach, battle of
Forbes, Archibald
Forge, Anatole de la
Fourichon, Admiral
Franco-German War
cause and origin of
preparations for
outbreak of
first French armies
departure of Napoleon III for
Germans enter France
first engagements
news of Sedan
troops gathered in Paris
German advance on Paris
Châtillon affair
investment of Paris
French provincial armies
the fighting near Le Mans
the retreat to Laval
armistice and peace negotiations
_See also Paris, and names of battles and commanders_.
Frederick, Emperor, _see_ Crown Prince,
Frederick Charles, Prince, of Prussia
Freyoinet, Charles de Saulces de,
Frossard, General
Galliffet, Mme. de
Gambetta, Léon
Garde, _see_ Imperial, Mobile, _and_ National.
Garibaldi, General
Garibaldi, Riciotti
Garnier-Pagès
Germans
early victories
alleged overthrow at Jaumont
Sedan
advance on Paris
expelled from Paris
love of clocks
Princes
strategy
exactions at Le Mans
officers' manners
entry into Paris
Glais-Bizoin
Godard brothers
Goeben, General von
Gougeard, General
Gramont, Duc Agénor de
Gramont-Cadèrousse, Duc de
Greenwood, Frederick
Guard, _see_ Imperial, Mobile, National.
Halliday, Andrew
Hazen, General W. B. (U.S.A.)
Heiduck, General von
Héricourt, battle of
Home, David Dunglass
Horses in the War
Hozier, Captain, later Colonel, Sir H.
Hugo, Victor
_Illustrated London News_
_Illustrated Times_
Imperial Guard
Imperial Prince
Jarras, General
Jaumont quarries
Jaurégulberry, Admiral
Jaurès, Admiral
Jerrold, Blanchard
Johnson, Captain
Jouffroy, General
Jung, Captain
Kanitz, Colonel von
Kean, Edmund
Kératry, Comte de
Kitchener, Lord
Kraatz-Koschlau, General von
Laboughere, Henry,
Ladmirault, General de
La Ferté-Bernard
Lalande, General
La Malmaison sortie
La Motte-Rouge, General de
Landells
Langres
Laon, capitulation of
Laval, retreat on
adventure at
Leboeuf, Marshal
Lebouëdec, General
Lebrun, General
Lecomte, General
Ledru-Rollin
Le Flô, General
Lefort, General
Legislative Body, French (Palais Bourbon)
Le Mans
Chanzy at
town described
country around
fighting near
decisive fighting begins
retreat from
battle losses at
street fighting at
Germans at
their exactions
Chanzy's statue at
Lermina, Jules
Lewal, Colonel
Lipowski, Commandant
Lobbia, Colonel
Loigny-Poupry, battle
Longwy, capitulation
Lycée Bonaparte, now Condorcet
Lyons, Lord
MacMahon, Marshal
Mme. de
Magnin, M.
Maine country
Malmaison, _see_ La Malmaison
Mans, _see_ Le Mans
Mantes, Germans at
Manteuffel, General von
Marchenoir forest
Mario, Jessie White
Marseillaise, the
Mayhew, brothers
Mazure, General
Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Frederick Francis, Grand Duke of
Metz
Michel, General
Millaud, A., his verses
Middleton, Robert
Mobile Guard,
in Paris
Moltke, Marshal von
Monson, Sir Edmund
Montbard, artist
Mora, Colonel
Morny, Duc de
Motte Rouge, _see_ La Motte-Rouge
Moulin, artist
Nadar, Jules Tournachon, called
Napoleon I
Napoleon III,
Napoleon (Jérôme), Prince
National Assembly elected
National Defence Government
confirmed by a plebiscitum
in the provinces
National Guard (Paris)
of Châteaudun
of Laval
_New York Times_
Niel, Marshal
Noé, Vicomte de, _see_ Cham.
Nogent-le-Rotrou
Noir, Victor, assassinated
Nuits, fighting at
Ollivier, Emile;
Madame
Orleans;
battle of
Paladines, see D'Aurelle
Palikao, General de
_Pall Mall Gazette_
Parigné l'Eveque
Paris,
cafés in;
riots in;
elections in;
early in the war;
defensive preparations;
fugitives and refugees;
wounded soldiers in;
Anglo-American ambulance in;
army and armament of;
Hugo's return to;
German advance on;
last day of liberty in;
live-stock in;
customary meat supply of;
clubs in;
defence of Châtillon;
siege begins;
attempts to leave;
first couriers from;
balloon and pigeon post;
siege jests;
spyophobia and signal craze in;
amazons of;
reconnaissances and sorties from;
news of Metz in;
demonstrations and riots in;
plebiscitum in;
food and rations in;
English people leave;
state of environs of;
steps to relieve;
bombardment of;
health of;
deserters in;
affray in;
capitulation of;
author returns to;
aspect after the armistice;
Germans enter;
rising of the Commune, _See also_ Revolution.
Paris, General
"Partant pour la Syrie"
Peace conditions
"Pekin, Siege of"
Pelcoq, Jules, artist
Pelletan, Eugène
Picard, Ernest
Pietri, Prefect
Pigeon-Post
Piquet, M.
Pius IX
Pollard family
Pontifical Zouaves
Pontlieue (Le Mans)
Pont-Noyelles, battle of
Postal-services, _see_ Balloon, Courier, Pigeon.
Prim, General
Prussians, not Germans
Pyat, Félix
Quatrefages de Bréau
Quinet, Edgar
Rampont, Dr.
"Red Badge of Courage"
Red Cross Society, French
Reed, Sir E. J.
Rennes
Retreat, Chanzy's, on Marchenoir forest;
on Le Mans;
on Laval;
Revolution of September 4.
Reyau, General
Richard, Mayor of Le Mans
Robinson, Sir John
Rochefort, Henri
Rochers, Château des
Rodellee du Ponzic, Lieutenant
Roquebrune, General de
Rothschild, Baron Alphonse de
Rouen, Germans reach
Rouher, Eugène
Rousseau, General
Russell, Sir William Howard
Ryan, Dr. C. E.
Saint Agil
Saint Calais
Saint Cloud château destroyed
Saint Jean-sur-Erve
Saint Malo
Saint Quentin,
defence of;
battle of
Saint Servan
Sainte Suzanne
Sala, G.A.
Sardou, Victorien
Sass, Marie
Saxe-Meiningen, Prince of
Saxony, Crown Prince of
Schmidt, General von
Sedan, news of
Napoleon at
Senate, Imperial
Shackle
Sieges, _see_ Paris _and other places_
Signal craze in Paris
Sillé-le-Guillaume
Simon, Jules
Skinner, Hilary
Sologne region
Songs, some Victorian
Sophia, Queen of Holland
Spuller, Eugène
Spyophobia in Paris
at Laval
Stendhal
Stoffel, Colonel
Strasbourg, siege of
Susbielle, General
Tann, General von der
Tertre Rouge position (Le Mans)
Thackeray, W.M.
Thiers, Adolphe
Thomas, General Clément
Tibaldi
_Times_, the
Tissandier brothers
Toul capitulates
Treaty, _see_ Peace
Trochu, General
Troppmann
Tuilerie position (Le Mans)
Tuileries palace
Uhrich, General
Vaillant, Marshal
Valentin, Edmond
Vendôme column
Versailles during Paris siege
Villemessant, H. de
Villersexel, battle of
Villorceau, fighting at
Vimercati, Count
Vinoy, General
Vizetelly family
Vizetelly, Adrian
------, Arthur
------, Edward Henry
------, Elizabeth Anne
------, Ellen Elizabeth
------, Ernest Alfred, parentage
men he saw in childhood
his passionate temper
at school at Eastbourne
at London sights
sees Garibaldi
and Nadar
goes to France
at the Lycée Bonaparte
his tutor Brassard
sees an attempt on Alexander H.
assists his father
his first article
sees famous Frenchmen
visits the Tuileries
goes to Compiègne
is addressed by Napoleon III
sees Paris riots
visits Prince Pierre's house
is befriended by Captain Bingham
dreams of seeing a war
has a glimpse of its seamy side
sees Napoleon III set out for the war
hears Capoul sing the "Marseillaise"
sees a demonstration
meets English newspaper correspondents
is called a little spy by Gambetta
with the Anglo-American ambulance
witnesses the Revolution
takes a letter to Trochu
sees Victor Hugo's return to Paris
witnesses a great review
describes Parish last day of liberty
sees Captain Johnson arrive
visits balloon factories
ascends in Nadar's captive balloon
sees Gambetta leave in a balloon
learns fencing
goes to a women's club
interviews the Paris Amazons
witnesses the demonstration of October 21
and that of October 31
food arrangements of his father and himself
leaves Paris
at Brie Comte-Robert
at Corbeil
at Champlan
at Versailles
visits Colonel Walker with his father
leaves Versailles
at Mantes
reaches Saint Servan
visits the Camp of Conlie
accompanies Gougeard's division to the front
in the retreat on Le Mans
receives the baptism of fire
has an amusing experience at Rennes
returns to Le Mans
sees and sketches Chanzy
witnesses part of the battle of Le Mans
sees the stampede from the tile-works
and the confusion at Le Mans
his views on German officers
on a soldier's emotions
on ambulances
escapes from Le Mans
at Sillé-le-Guillaume
at the fight of Saint Jean-sur-Erve
follows the retreat
returns to Laval
has a dramatic adventure there
returns to Paris
sees the Germans enter Paris
some of his experiences during the Commune
Vizetelly, Frank
----, Francis (Frank) Horace
----, Frederick Whitehead
----, Henry
----, Henry Richard (author's father)
----, James Thomas George
----, James Henry
----, Montague
Voigts Rhetz, General von
Vosges, _see_ Army of the
Voules, Horace
Walker, Colonel Beauchamp
War, emotions in
war-news in 1870
_See also_ Franco-German War
Washburne, Mr.
Werder, General von
Whitehurst, Felix
William, King of Prussia, later Emperor
Wimpfen, General de
Wittich, General von
Wodehouse, Hon. Mr.
Wolseley, Field-Marshal Lord
Yvré-l'Evéque
Zola, Emile, his "La Débâcle"
THE END
End of Project Gutenberg's My Days of Adventure, by Ernest Alfred Vizetelly