Washington telegraph., 1852-02-04
THE MASSACRE IN PARIS.

A British military officer writes from
Paris the following particulars of the
Massacre which followed the usurpation
in Paris:
slaughter. [ suppose was never committed.
L do not allude TO the taking Of the bar
ricades, but to the massacre on the boule-
wards, of which there is no meuton in
the Partisan papers. l had fortunate
escape myself. At about three O'Clock |
u,as ia tho Boulevard des Italiens, and
saw an immense fotce-I should think
between 10000 and $4,000 men-pass-
ing along the bouevards. | accompa-
MED them as far as the Rue Vivenna to
see if l could find my American friend
A., whom | think I mentioned in nv last
letter. / Gid not know at the time that
the troops were advancing to attack
a barricade at the Porte St. Denis. Not
being able to find my friend, returned
up the rue Vivienne, intending to go
again on the boulevards. When [ got to
the top Of the street, l found a Gordon of
soldiers across it, who would not allow
any one to come within so yards of them
Just about this time lhalf-past three o.
clock) the firing recommended in the
Boulevards Montmartre and Pcissoniere;
and the sentries at the top Of the rue Vi
vienne fred deliberately down the street
at us. The rush was tremendous; but I
got clear round a corner, and departed for
my hotel as soon as possible. / went
out again afterward, and went to the bot
tom of the boulevards, near the rue du
Helder, to watch the firing. The regi-
ments of the line fred at the windows
of the boulevards for several hours, but |
saw no fire returned from the windows
then went home to dinner. A. had not
arrived; and we were hoping that no.
thing had happened to him, when a wo-
man rushed in, pale aud trembling, and
asked for me. She had brought poor
As card; he was lying wounded in a
porters lodge in the Boulevard Montmar-
ire. Of course | started Immediately for
the spot. | had much difficulty in get
ting there. as the streets were all occn-
pied by solders-but the officers were
generally civil. When l got to the place
the the boulevard yard was a gghastiy sight
There were 20 wounded, but the dead
were lying in dozens, most Of them just
as they tell, and the pavemsnts were
slippery with blood. They were almost
all bOarge0iS, and not ouUracrs. Two or
three women were arranging some Of the
corpses, and placing candles at THEN
heads that their friends might recognize
them. The soldiers were standing al ease
in the centre of the street, very quiet,
but perfectly unconcerned; there was not
a living man to be seen except them. |
found poor A. In good spirits, but badly
wounded. He described The whole thing
as a wanton massacre. He was walk.
ing along the boulevards in the same di
rection as the troops, and when he heard
the firing commence in the Porte ST.
Denis he turned back thinking it was no
place for him. Almost at that instant the
whole of the troops i'll the Boulevard,
Montmartre and Possonniere fred at the
windows and at the people walking in the
streets, who were without arms and
making no resistance. There were
crowds OF people at the windows, but few
We're hurt, as they had time to throw
themselves back when they saw the mus
kets 90 up. But for the promenaders in
the street there was no escape The first
bullet struck A. on the left hand knock
ing off the forefnger; he then went down
Oh one knee, and held up the other hand,
hoping they would spare him. Another
bullet struck him in the centre of the left
shin, smashing the larger bone, and a
dead man fell heavily across him. As he
lay on the ground he saw one or two OFF,
GERS endeavoring to make the men fire at
the windows, but some continued to fire
at those on the ground. He managed to
crawl into a porter lodge, where the
gate was open, and the women assisted
him. He described it as perfect storm
of balls. Another bullet struck SO close to
him on the wall that it spattered and cut
his face like small shot. As he lay lii the
lodge, the women had to leave him aud
get to a safer place, the bullets were
coming in there. The firing was kept up
almost without ceasing for two or three
hours, although there was no resistance
whatever. Inever saw such wanton des-
truction; the fronts of the houses were
perfectly riddled with shot"
Victor Hugo estimates the annual cost
of maintaining the standing armies oi
millions of dol.