Page:The Rise and Fall on the Paris Commune in 1871.djvu/264

 Courbevoie, Neuilly Bridge, and Valérien continued to fire into Porte Maillot, des Ternes, and St. Ouen, while the insurgents kept up a continual fire on the villages of Asnières and Gennevilliers.

The fort of Vanves was evacuated on the 10th by the insurgents, and remained for several hours completely abandoned. The bombardment of the past week had reduced the works to almost as critical a situation as those of Fort Issy; the garrison was reduced to about two hundred, and the demands for reinforcements had remained unattended to. The stores of provisions and ammunition had become seriously reduced, and could not be replenished, as the fire of the troops covered the only road that remained open. The men were completely discouraged, and were only retained at their post by the energy of their Commander, Durassier, who gave his orders with his revolver in his hand, and who appeared to have no idea of surrendering the place. The garrison seemed to have at length decided on getting rid of this troublesome officer; and an artilleryman had been designated to shoot him with a pistol, when they were spared the crime by a shell from Chatillon, which wounded the intended victim seriously enough to compel him to give up his command. The garrison then prepared to retreat, but the shells continued to fall so heavily that they feared to venture outside. They then hoisted a white flag, and the fire ceased. An officer, followed by a detachment of troops, came out from the trenches to parley, and the insurgents asked to be allowed to march out unmolested. "No conditions can be granted to insurgents—you must surrender," replied the other.

An insurgent then discharged his musket at the officer, but without hurting him; the soldiers returned the fire, and the first rank of the insurgents fell. A few of them succeeded in escaping by the ditch, others returned to the