Page:The Rise and Fall on the Paris Commune in 1871.djvu/431



Government circular—Capture of the Butte-aux-Cailles—The Gobelins taken, but in flames—Fall of the forts Bicêtre and Ivry—Massacre of Dominicans—Death of Millière—Of Vallés—General de Cissey—His brilliant career—Capture of the Hotel de Ville—The building in ruins—Advance on the Place de la Bastille—Attack on the Austerlitz bridge—The Mazas prisoners released—Their death—Citizen Vincent—The Grenier d'Abondance in flames—Despatch of Ferré to Delescluze—The Chateau d'Eau—Artifices of the Commune—The Boulevard Magenta—Capture of the Chateau d'Eau—Death of Delescluze—Papers found on his person—Large number of prisoners taken—Preparations for blowing up the neighborhood—Place du Trône—More victims at La Roquette—The remaining prisoners erect barricades within the building—Some of them leave the prison and are murdered—Announcement made by the Minister of War in the National Assembly—Circular of M. Jules Favre to French Representatives at Foreign Courts—Answer to the Belgian and Spanish Governments—Protest of M. Victor Hugo—He is ejected from Belgium—Conflagration of the docks of La Villette—Offers of firemen made by the English and Belgian Governments.

The terrible cannonade kept up during the night obliged the insurgents to evacuate the central portion of the city, and take refuge in the northwestern quarter, leaving only near the Halles and the Palais Royal a few battalions sacrificed in advance. Protected by their sharpshooters, and by the conflagrations they had lighted, they hoped sufficiently to cover their retreat.

It is thought that they intended, under the protection of the cannon of the Buttes Chaumont, to retake the exterior boulevards, and thus cut off the French army; but they were then too utterly demoralized to attempt anything of the sort. Fleeing in disorder, and thrown back upon their last entrenchments, what could they do? Sally out by the northeast and abandon the place? It