SORTIE OF THE THIRD APRIL--THE PARISIANS ARE REPULSED
EVERYWHERE--FLOURENS AND DUVAL ARE KILLED--THE VERSAILLESE
MASSACRE SOME PRISONERS.
That very day, the 2nd April, at one o'clock, without warning, without
summons, the Versaillese opened fire and threw their shells into Paris.
For several days their cavalry had exchanged shots with our advanced
posts at Chatillon and Putteaux. We occupied Courbevoie, that commands
the route to Versailles, which made the rurals very anxious. On the 2nd,
at ten o'clock in the morning, three brigades of the best Versailles
troops, 10,000 strong, arrived at the cross-roads of Bergeres. Six or
seven hundred cavalry of the brigade Gallifet supported this movement,
while we had only three federal battalions at Courbevoie, in all five or
six hundred men, defended by a half-finished barricade on the road of
St. Germain. Their watch, however, was well kept; their vedettes had
killed the head-surgeon of the Versaillese army, whom they had mistaken
for a colonel of gendarmerie.
At mid-day the Versaillese, having cannonaded the barracks of Courbevoie
and the barricade, launched themselves to the assault. At the first
shots from our men they scampered off, abandoning on the road cannon and
officers. Vinoy was obliged to come himself and rally the runagates.
Meanwhile the 113th of the line outflanked Courbevoie on the right, and
the infantry of marines turned the left, marching through Putteaux. Too
inferior in number and fearing to be cut off from Paris, the Federals
evacuated Courbevoie, and, pursued by shells, fell back on the Avenue de
Neuilly, leaving twelve dead and some prisoners. The gendarmes had
taken five, one of whom was a child of fifteen, beating them
unmercifully, and shot them at the foot of Mont-Valerien. This
expedition concluded, the army regained its cantonment.
At the report of the cannon all Paris started. No one believed in an
attack, so completely did all, since the 28th, live in an atmosphere of
confidence. It was no doubt an anniversary, a misunderstanding at the
utmost. When the news, the ambulance-carriages, arrived; when the word
was spoken, "The siege is recommencing!" an explosion of horror shook
all the quarters. An affrighted hive, such was Paris. The barricades
were again thrown up, the call to arms beaten everywhere, and the cannon
drawn to the ramparts of the Porte-Maillot and of the Ternes. At three
o'clock 80,000 men were on their legs crying, "To Versailles!" The women
excited the battalions, and spoke of marching in the vanguard.
The Executive Commission met and placarded a proclamation: "The royalist
conspirators have attacked; despite the moderation of our attitude, they
have attacked. Our duty is to defend the great city against these
culpable aggressions." In the Commission, the generals Duval, Bergeret,
and Eudes declared for an attack. "The enthusiasm," they said, "is
irresistible, unique. What can Versailles do against 100,000 men? We
must sally out." Their colleagues resisted, especially Felix Pyat,
confronted with his rant and vapourings of the morning. His poltroonery
stood him in the stead of a life-preserver. "One does not start," said
he, "at random, without cannon, without _cadres_, and without chiefs;"
and he demanded the return of the strength of the troops. Duval, who
since the 19th March had been strongly bent upon a sortie, violently
apostrophised him: "Why, then, for three days have you shouted, 'To
Versailles?'" The most energetic opponent of the sortie was Lefrancais.
Finally, the four civil members--that is, the majority--decided that the
generals should present a detailed statement as to their forces in men,
artillery, munitions, and transports. The same evening the Commission
named Cluseret delegate at War jointly with Eudes, who, being a member
of the so-called party of action, owed this post only to the patronage
of his old cronies.
In spite of the majority of the Commission, the generals set out. They
had, besides, received no formal order to the contrary. Felix Pyat had
even concluded by saying, "After all, if you think you are ready...."
They saw Flourens always ready for a _coup-de-main_, other colleagues
equally adventurous, and, on their own authority, certain of being
followed by the National Guard. They sent to the _chefs-de-legion_ the
order to form columns. The battalions of the right bank were to
concentrate at the Place Vendome and Place Wagram; those of the left
bank, at the Place d'Italie and Champ-de-Mars.
These movements, without staff officers to guide them, were very badly
executed. Many men marched hither and thither, grew tired. Yet at
midnight there were still about 20,000 men on the right bank of the
Seine and about 17,000 on the left.
From eight o'clock to midnight the Council was sitting. The inexorable
Felix Pyat, always pertinent, demanded the abolition of the budget of
public worship. The majority immediately satisfied him. He might just as
well have decreed the abolition of the Versaillese army. Of the sortie,
of the military preparations deafening Paris, no one breathed a word in
the Council--no one disputed the field with the generals.
The plan of the latter, which they communicated to Cluseret, was to make
a strong demonstration in the direction of Rueil, while two columns were
to march on Versailles by Meudon and the plateau of Chatillon. Bergeret,
assisted by Flourens, was to operate on the right; Eudes and Duval were
to command the columns of the centre and the left. A simple idea, and
easy of execution with experienced officers and solid heads of columns.
But most of the battalions had been without chiefs since the 18th March,
the National Guards without _cadres_, and the generals who assumed the
responsibility of leading 40,000 men had never conducted a single
battalion into the field. They neglected even the most elementary
precautions, knew not how to collect artillery, ammunition-waggons, or
ambulances, forgot to make an order of the day, and left the men for
several hours without food in a penetrating fog. Every Federal chose the
chief he liked best. Many had no cartridges, and believed the sortie to
be a simple demonstration. The Executive Commission had just placarded a
despatch from the Place Vendome, headquarters of the National Guard:
"Soldiers of the line are all coming to us, and declare that, save the
superior officers, no one wants to fight."
At three o'clock in the morning Bergeret's column, about 10,000 men
strong and with only eight ordnance pieces, arrived at the bridge of
Neuilly. It was necessary to give the men, who had taken nothing since
the evening before, time to recover themselves. At dawn they moved in
the direction of Rueil. The battalions marched by sections in line in
the middle of the road, without scouts, and cheerfully climbed the
Plateau des Bergeres, when suddenly a shell burst into their ranks,
followed by a second. Mont-Valerien had opened fire.
A terrible panic broke the battalions, amidst thousandfold cries of
"Treason!" the whole National Guard believing that we occupied
Mont-Valerien. Many members of the Commune, of the Central Committee, at
the Place Vendome, knew the contrary, and very foolishly concealed it,
living in the hope that the fortress would not fire. It possessed, it is
true, only two or three badly appointed guns, the range of which the
Guards might have escaped by one quick movement; but, surprised when in
a state of blind confidence, they fancied themselves betrayed, and fled
on all sides. Bergeret exhausted every means to stay them. A shell cut
in two the brother of the chief of his staff, an officer of the regular
army gone over to the Commune. The greater part of the Federals
dispersed in the fields and regained Paris. The 91st only and a few
others, 1,200 men in all, remained with Bergeret, and, dividing into
small groups, reached Rueil. Shortly after, Flourens arrived by the road
of Asnieres, bringing hardly a thousand men.[111] The rest had lagged
behind in Paris or on the way. Flourens, all the same, pressing forward,
arrived at the Malmaison, put Gallifet's chasseurs to flight, and the
Parisian vanguard pushed as far as Bougival.
The Versaillese, surprised by this sortie, only drew up very late,
towards ten o'clock. Ten thousand men were launched against Bougival,
and the batteries placed on the hill of La Jonchere cannonaded Rueil.
Two brigades of cavalry on the right and that of Gallifet on the left
defended the wings. The Parisian vanguard--a mere handful of
men--offered a determined resistance, in order to give Bergeret time to
operate his retreat, which commenced towards one o'clock, on Neuilly,
where they fortified the bridge-head. Some valiant men, who had
obstinately held out in Rueil, with great difficulty gained the bridge
of Asnieres, whither they were pursued by the cavalry, who took some
prisoners.
Flourens was surprised at Rueil, and the house which he occupied with
some officers surrounded by gendarmes. While preparing to defend
himself, the officer of the detachment, Captain Desmarets, cleft his
head with so furious a blow of the sabre that the brains gushed out. The
body was thrown into a dust-cart and taken to Versailles, where the fine
ladies gathered to enjoy the spectacle. Thus ended the large-hearted
man, loved of the Revolution.
At the extreme left Duval had passed the night with six or seven
thousand men on the plateau of Chatillon. Towards seven o'clock he
formed a column of picked men, advanced to Petit-Bicetre, dispersed the
outpost of General du Barail, and sent an officer to reconnoitre
Villecoublay, that commanded the route. The officer announced that the
roads were free, and the Federals advanced without fear. When near the
hamlet firing commenced. The men deployed as skirmishers, and Duval,
uncovered, in the middle of the road, set them the example. They held
out for several hours. A few shells would have sufficed to dislodge the
enemy; but Duval had no artillery. Even cartridges were already
wanting, and he had to send to Chatillon for more.
The bulk of the Federals who occupied the redoubt, confounded in an
inextricable disorder, already believed themselves surrounded on all
sides. The messengers of Duval on their arrival begged, menaced, but
could not obtain either reinforcements or munitions. An officer even
ordered a retreat. The unfortunate Duval, totally abandoned, was
assailed by the Derroja brigade and the whole Pelle division, 8,000 men.
He retired with his troops to the plateau of Chatillon.
Our efforts in the centre were not more fortunate. Ten thousand men had
left the Champ-de-Mars at three o'clock in the morning with Ranvier and
Avrial. General Eudes as his whole battle array had ordered the troops
to move on. At six o'clock the 61st reached the Moulineaux, defended by
gendarmes; these were soon forced to retreat to Meudon, strongly
occupied by a Versaillese brigade entrenched in the villas and provided
with mitrailleuses. The Federals had only eight pieces, while Paris
possessed hundreds, and each of these had only eight rounds. At six
o'clock, weary of shooting at walls, they retreated to Moulineaux.
Ranvier went in search of cannon, and mounted them in the fort of Issy,
thus preventing the Versaillese from taking the offensive.
We were beaten at all points, and the Communalist papers shouted
"Victory!" Led astray by staffs which did not even know the names of the
generals, the Executive Commission announced the junction of Flourens
and Duval at Courbevoie. Felix Pyat, again become bellicose, six times
cried in his _Vengeur_, "To Versailles!"[112] Despite the runaways of
the morning, the popular enthusiasm did not flag. A battalion of 300
women marched up the Champs-Elysees, the red flag at their head,
demanding to sally forth against the enemy. The journals of the evening
announced the arrival of Flourens at Versailles.
At the ramparts the sad truth was discovered. Long files of guards
re-entered by all the gates, and at six o'clock the only army outside
Paris was the guards on the plateau de Chatillon. A few shells falling
in their midst completed the disorder. Some of the men threatened Duval,
who was making desperate efforts to keep them together. He remained,
surrounded only by a handful of men, but always equally resolute. The
whole night he, usually so taciturn, did not cease repeating, "I will
not retreat."
The next day at eight o'clock the plateau and the neighbouring villages
were surrounded by the brigade Derroja and the division Pelle.
"Surrender and your lives will be spared," General Pelle had told them.
The Parisians surrendered. The Versaillese at once seized the soldiers
fighting in the ranks of the Federals and shot them. The prisoners,
between two lines of chasseurs, were sent on to Versailles, while their
officers, bare-headed, their _galons_ torn off, were put at the head of
the convoy.
At Petit-Bicetre they met the general-in-chief, Vinoy. He commanded the
officers to be shot, but the chief of the escort reminding him of
General Pelle's promise, Vinoy said, "Is there a chief?" "Myself," said
Duval, darting from the ranks. Another advanced: "I am the chief of
Duval's staff." Then the commander of the volunteers of Montrouge placed
himself by their side. "You are awful scoundrels," said Vinoy; and,
turning to his officers, "Shoot them." Duval and his comrades disdained
to reply, cleared a ditch, and leant against a wall on which were
inscribed the words, "Duval, horticulturist." They undressed, and,
crying "Vive la Commune," died for it. A horseman tore off Duval's boots
and carried them about as a trophy,[113] and an editor of the _Figaro_
took possession of his blood-stained collar.
Thus the army of order inaugurated the civil war by the massacre of the
prisoners. It had begun on the 2nd; on the 3rd, at Chatou, General
Gallifet had three Federals shot who were surprised in an inn taking
their meal, and then he published a ferocious proclamation: "War has
been declared by the bandits of Paris. They have assassinated my
soldiers. It is a merciless war which I declare against these assassins.
I had to make an example."
The general who called the combatants of Paris "bandits" and these
assassinations "an example" was a scamp of high life, first ruined, then
kept by actresses. Famous for his brigandage in Mexico, he had in a few
years obtained a generalship of brigade by the charms of his wife,
prominent in the orgies of the Imperial court. Nothing is more edifying
in this civil war than the standard-bearers of the "honest people."
Their band in full strength hastened to the Paris Avenue at Versailles
to receive the prisoners of Chatillon. The whole Parisian emigration,
functionaries, elegants, women of the world and of the streets, all came
with the rage of hyenas to strike the Federals with closed hands, with
canes and parasols, pushing off their kepis and cloaks, crying, "Down
with the assassins! To the guillotine!" Amongst these "assassins" was
the geographer Elisee Reclus, taken with Duval. In order to give them
time to glut their fury, the escort made several halts before conducting
their prisoners to the barracks of the gendarmes. They were then thrown
into the docks of Satory, and thence carried to Brest in cattle-trucks.
Picard wanted to associate all the honest people of the provinces in
this baiting. "Never," telegraphed this Falstaff of pustulous aspect,
"have baser countenances of a base demagogy met the afflicted gaze of
honest men."
Already, the evening before, after the assassinations of Mont-Valerien
and of Chatou, M. Thiers had written to his prefects, "The moral effect
is excellent." Odious repetition of those words, "Order reigns in
Warsaw," and "The chassepot has done wonders." Ah! it is well known that
it was not the French bourgeoisie, but a daughter of the people who
spoke those great words, "I have never seen French blood shed without my
hair standing on end."
FOOTNOTES:
[111] MacMahon, with his _coup-d'oeil_ of Reischoffen and Sedan, saw
there 17,000 men. _Enquete sur le 18 Mars_, vol. ii. p. 22.
[112] "To Versailles, if we don't want again to resort to balloons! To
Versailles, if we don't want to fall back upon pigeons! To Versailles,
if we don't want to be reduced to bran bread," &c., &c.--_Le Vengeur_,
3rd April.
[113] These details, related in part by the journals of the time, have
been completed by numerous comrades of Duval whom we have questioned. In
his mutilated, lying, naively cynical book, Vinoy dared to say: "The
insurgents threw down their arms an surrendered _at discretion_: the man
called Duval was _killed in the affray_."