Page:The Rise and Fall on the Paris Commune in 1871.djvu/181

 *lected five battalions of his men, and arrived the first at Levallois. The march of the troops was much delayed by the fire of the ramparts, which were armed in this quarter by the largest pieces. The obstinacy was great on both sides. Having placed some flying artillery to counteract the fire from the ramparts, the soldiers of the Assembly, after being shut up in Clichy, attempted twice to pass. They were kept back more by the fire from the bastions than from that of Levallois; but they were obliged to recross the Seine to gain their intrenchments.

This was one of the few operations deliberately sketched for this part of the campaign. It was a plan worthy of success, and did honor to the Versailles generals, as also to Dombrowski, by whose vigilance it was defeated.

The 23d passed without any remarkable engagement, the situation remaining unchanged. Mont Valérien and the batteries of Rond Pont continued to fire on the insurgents' positions at Clichy, Levallois, Porte Maillot, and Ternes. An artillery duel was still kept up between the forts and the Versailles troops at Meudon and Clamart. Soldiers were being moved to different positions round the city, and the general impression was that the decisive moment was approaching.

A proclamation of General Cluseret announced the armistice for the 24th; but the morning dawn left no illusions on that point. Valérien, Courbevoie, and all the Versailles batteries, saluted the rising sun with more than usual noise. Neuilly, the Avenues de l'Impératrice, Friedland, Wagram, and that of the Reine Hortense, were covered with projectiles.

It was supposed that the authorities of Versailles had violated the armistice, or that there was some mistake on their part; it turned out, however, that General Cluseret had only fixed the day without waiting for a reply from the other side.