Page:The Rise and Fall on the Paris Commune in 1871.djvu/315

 *dred prisoners. Advancing along the Avenue de la Grande Armée, he took possession of the barricades, driving the insurgents before him, and thus became master of the Arc de Triomphe, where the tricolor was first displayed inside the walls.

Finally, General de Cissey, commanding the Third Army Corps, entered during the night by the gates of Vaugirard and Montrouge, and thus the whole line of ramparts, from Vaugirard to the Porte Dauphine, was in the power of the Versaillese. General de Cissey proceeded with his troops in the direction of the Champs de Mars, where an energetic resistance was expected; but the whole movement had been so sudden that time was wanted to organize the defence. The Ecole-Militaire was taken possession of without opposition, the staff of the National Guard having quitted the building, in a precipitate if not undignified manner.

In the meantime, an important arrest had taken place. Towards midnight Citizen Assi made his appearance in the neighborhood of the Point-du-Jour. His carriage was escorted by half a dozen cavaliers with red vests and caps.

A sentinel called:

"Who goes there?"

"Staff officer," replied Assi.

"Advance in order."

Assi leaned forward to reply, when seeing the uniform of the sentinel, he threw himself back in the carriage, exclaiming:

"The line! We are lost!"

His escort was already secured, and a quarter of an hour later, Citizen Assi was rolling along the road to Versailles.

Notwithstanding the ringing of the tocsin, and the beating of the générale in the occupied quarters, the entrance of the troops was not known throughout Paris until late on Monday. During the previous evening an im