Mr. Washburne to Mr. Fish
Sir: The day of the 22d of May will become an important era in the history of Paris and of France. It was nine weeks on Saturday last since the insurrection broke out, and those weeks have run wearily on in the expectation that every week would be the last. I returned to my lodgings last night at about 11 o’clock, and had heard nothing, and could see nothing, that showed any change in the situation. But it now appears that, at half-past 3 o’clock yesterday afternoon, the first division of the army of the reserve, commanded by General Vergé, entered the gate of St. Cloud, which is on what is called the “route of Versailles.” A breach had been made at that point, but I am informed that it was not the expectation of the regular troops that they could enter at that time; but they pressed forward, and finding but little opposition, they were soon within the walls. The national guard retired very slowly, and such was the state of things existing, and so loose was the military organization of the commune, that it was not known until into the night that the Versailles troops had passed the enceinte. The commune was reposing in fancied security, and it was not until after midnight that they were advised as to the full extent of what had happened. Then was there “hurrying to and fro,” the tocsin was sounded all over the city, the generale was beaten, orderlies dashed furiously in every direction, but all to no purpose. The national guard, becoming demoralized, began to retreat hastily before the advancing forces. The entrance into the city having been made at the Porte de St. Cloud, the consequence was that the commune troops that had been guarding the enceinte, and all the gates from that of St. Cloud clear round to the Porte des Iernes, found themselves taken in the reverse, and by 4 o’clock this morning they had abandoned all their positions and fled to the interior of the city. The gates of Auteuil, Passy, and La Muette being then left undefended, the troops of the line began pouring in through all of them. It was hot until 6 o’clock this morning that I heard of what had taken place. My servant came to tell me that the troops were in, and that the tricolored flag floated on the top of the Arc de Triomphe. I hurried into the street and saw for myself the flag flying from the scaffolding supporting the machinery which had enabled the insurgents to draw up and plant upon the top of the arch five pieces of cannon. By this time, the head of the [Page 346] column advancing into the city and passing along the right bank of the Seine, by the Corns la Reine, was vigorously attacking the Place de la Concorde. At the same time another column crossing the avenue of the Champes Elysées, near the Arch, was marching in by the Avenue de Freidland and down the Rue Faubourg St. Honoré. At about 9 o’clock the insurgent batteries at Montmartie began shelling the Place d’Etoile, and soon many shells fell in the immediate neighborhood of the legation, but fortunately we received no damage. The fighting has continued all day about the Place de la Concorde, and it does not seem that the Versailles troops have gained much ground. At 3 o’clock this afternoon, accompanied by a friend, I took a ride along all those portions of the ramparts which have been bombarded by Mont Valerien, the great battery at Montretout, and the several breaching batteries. We passed around from the Porte de Dauphine, which is so near my residence to the Porte of St. Cloud. I was at my house for the first time for two weeks, and found it but very little injured. Two pieces of shell had entered, and besides the breaking of considerable glass, there was no material damage. Some houses in the vicinity received many shells, and several of them have been pillaged. My servants who lived in the cellar were enabled to keep out the brigand national guards, although they made one or two serious demonstrations.
In going from the Porte de Dauphine, which had not been very severely bombarded, to the Porte de St. Cloud, (more generally known as the Point du Jour,) we passed the gates of La Muette, Passy, and Anteuil. Breaches had been made at all of them, and the destruction of property inside the enceinte has been immense. Nothing could live under the terrible fire of Mont Valerien and Montretout. An English military man told me he thought the battery of Montretout was the most powerful battery the world had ever seen. Never have I seen such a “wreck of matter;” guns dismounted, their carriages torn to pieces, barricades leveled, and buildings entirely demolished. We saw along the line of the ramparts many dead bodies of the national guard, several of them in a state of decomposition. The firing was so dreadful that it had been impossible to get them away. Returning from the Point du Jours into the city, we saw additional troops coming in, and the streets of Passy were crowded with them. It is estimated that from eighty to one hundred thousand troops of the line will be in the city before to-morrow morning. In all our part of the city they have been received with unbounded joy by the few people remaining. The citizens are congratulating each other that they are at last delivered from the oppression and terror of the last two months.
As I write, at 10 o’clock at night, the fight seems to be going on as furious as ever at the Place de la Concorde. I shall continue this dispatch to-morrow, and shall hope to be able to send it over to London to-morrow night.
Tuesday morning, May 23, 1871.—It seems difficult to get at anything reliable this morning. The fight continues, and always in the same neighborhood. The firing was terrific all last night. Shells from Montmartie were continually falling in our quarter, but it is extraordinary how little the damage has been. We can see from the top of the legation building that the red flag, that hated emblem of assassination and pillage, anarchy, and disorder, still flies from the Tuileries and from the ministry of the marine. The insurgents are evidently making a desperate resistance.
A gentleman has just come to the legation who proposes to leave at noon to-day for London. I therefore close this dispatch suddenly to [Page 347] send by him. I send also a telegraphic dispatch to be transmitted to you from London to-morrow.
I have, &c.,