Page:The Rise and Fall on the Paris Commune in 1871.djvu/173

 a revival of commerce should enable them to earn their own living.

The firing was continued on the morning of the 20th on every side, especially between Mont Valérien and Porte Maillot, the insurgents at the latter position sticking to their guns with a daring worthy a better cause. The fire of Valérien was extremely correct, hardly ever missing its object, and probably during the entire bombardment not over fifty shells thrown from that fort passed one hundred feet beyond the gate. The batteries of Courbevoie, the Park of Neuilly, and bridge of Neuilly, were those that did all the damage to the western part of the city. Their guns being directed at the Porte des Ternes or Porte Maillot, and being nearly level with those points, if the shells passed the gates they fell in the vicinity of the Arc de Triomphe or Champs Elysées. Many and loud were the curses during these days from the partisans of law and order in the city at the careless firing from these points; but the firing was not so bad as it seemed to be. When standing at the Arc de Triomphe and looking at the Porte Maillot, it seemed as if the descent to that point was very great, at least ten degrees. This is an optical delusion, for standing at the Porte Maillot, and looking at the Arc, they appear to be on a dead level.

A rather sharp engagement took place during the morning near the bridge of Clichy. A strong reconnaissance of troops from Gennevilliers had advanced to the insurgents' outposts, when the latter commenced firing, and brought on themselves a general discharge which killed some of their men. The insurgents then fell back on their reinforcements, which had arrived on hearing the musketry. The troops continued the fire for about an hour, when they spread out as skirmishers, and retired with some loss. The regulars also made an unsuccessful attempt to seize the bridge of Asnières, and open communi