Page:The Rise and Fall on the Paris Commune in 1871.djvu/234

 The Commune, in its proclamations, boasted of having retaken the redoubt with great dash. They certainly made it untenable, as also the Clamart station, the scene of the other surprise and slaughter. The shells from Fort Vanves inflicted great injury on the regular troops, and Chateau Issy suffered greatly from the splendid firing of the insurgents at the Point-du-Jour. The insurgents about this time seemed to be inflicting as much damage on the regulars as they themselves were suffering.

Colonel Rossel, Delegate of War, in his military report, stated that during the night of the 3d, detachments of Versailles troops presented themselves at Moulin-Saquet as a patrol, and were admitted after giving the correct parole. They then charged the garrison, taking them by surprise, and driving them from the redoubt. The enemy carried off six guns with teams, which had been kept in readiness.

The result of an inquiry was that the commander, Gallien, was accused of having sold the countersign to the enemy, or, at all events, of having publicly divulged it in a café. The redoubt was almost immediately retaken by the 133d battalion.

The insurgents notified the inhabitants of St. Ouen, Clichy, and Levallois, that they must evacuate their homes, as some operations were about to take place.

The official journal of the Commune contains the subjoined report of the last sitting of that body:

"In reply to a demand of M. Courbet, that M. Paschal Grousset, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, should address a manifesto to the European Governments asking for the recognition of the Commune as a belligerent power, M. Paschal Grousset said:

"'The delegation for Foreign Affairs feels that there would be something offensive in having to make