The New York herald., 1871-04-24


ricndcs on the Bridge-Drsndfmi Struggle
Between tho COntending Forces-Heneral
Bess0n Killec-The Bridge and the Entrance
to III Sircwed with Insurgent Dead.
The London Times Versailles correspon dent
writes.-At none OF the encounters between the
Prusslans and the French around Paris did see
more severe lighting than on Friday evening at the
CourDeyoie end OF the Bridge OF Neuilly. There
one barricade there and another on the middle OF
the bridgc 1t had been resolved to carry those bar
rcadcs on Friday with view OF opening Q way to
Paris by the Avenue de Neuilly. The division Of
General Montandon was marched to COuroevoie for
the purpose, and that General directed the move
ments. Generals Pechot and Besson were also on
the ground. l saw the action from the gacls OF
ValGrien.
AT THREE O'CLOCK THE ARTILLERY OPENED FIRE.
valerien throwing fourteen and twenty eight pound
shells from seven and fourteen pound guns against
Porte MaiIlot and the insurgent batteries on the
ramparts close to that gate. At the same moment
The Dire Of seven eight pounacrs and OF four twelve
Founders was directed on the Tete du pont at the
right bank Of the river from the Courbevoie road
and open space 10 The left and the cannon aud
inltraile Ses OF MontandOu's division eutladed the
avenue leading down To the enceinte.
THE INsURGENrs VIGOROUSLY REPLIED
with heavy guns from Porte Malot and the RAM
parts, ana win mitraileuse battery ON Tue banks
themselves Of the houses at the angles Of Buteaux
and COurDevue, and rom these, at half past three,
commenced chasse ot IRE on the insurgents.
Dreaului was The thunder OF artillery, the running
scream of mtfaiieuses, and the shri ! whizzlng Of
chassepots ior a quarter of an hour; the whole OF
the region OF CourDevoie ami Neuily was enve.opeu
III u SMOKE so thick thae one coud see
THE FIRE BLAlB
from the cannon'5 nOu, and RON exploding shells
as II u had been night. Insurgents were seen COL
lecling III the Bols BouloSne. NaieIien sneiied
them & Sat tney got under cover wroops estersl
toward the Pore Mallot. Inc Natio al Guards
there hred and 20 stopped the pursuit but the snots
from the Tort brought DOWN friends anu loes alike.
When the tel rlfc uin had somewhat abIted, and
the smoke partially cleared away saw BODY oi
troops, each furnished with n sanibag, approach
the oalricade AZ the END OF the bridge. The insur
gents had
REITERATED TO THE Sc 'oND BARRTCADE.
PUTTING the sandDags OH Inc ton o. the barrlcade
the inlautry crouched behind II, and tired yoley
after volley along the bridge while al rien AMI all
the mintary batteries Kept sweeping the avenue In
hili an hour the troots We're ON the bridge. col
umn OF them was marched over it, ana proceeded
Neulily, on the lie I. calssol, lett Nv the msur-
genus on Tie bridge, exploded ana killed General
Besson on the spot
The firing OF artillery was stl very hot; but now,
four O'Clock, the insade mad ceased near the
bridge. Tue moincnt portion OF the troops hal
passed. the bridge gentlemen from Versailles
rushed aown Dy u Side path To the C0urbevoie side
OF the river, ana Two vi them, M. Funck anu NJ
Bou dllat ranged hospital In an empty house.
an the Comte de Ramanet. Mr. ruriey and Others,
went ON the Dr.u9e aud carried OF the wounded.
Tue cuIe 0, the PARISH was also active TINS
WORK or challly. General techOt was iound to be
badly wounded. He died In the press ambulance
short time altef ne was carried III there. IL was
nearly SIX O'CLOCK Wnen
THE ARrILLgRY FIRE sIAcKENED
and the struggle came TO conclusion Tor the day.
Just tuen two rlned tweny-four Founders arrived
at Nal.rlen ana were at once pacod III position
Durtus tDe hBit no fewer than txenty-one officers
were Killed and wounded on Inc government side
The bridge aad the entrance OF the avenue were
sfREwN WITH DEAD AND WOUNDED
insurgents. At eleven at night Lhe division OF
General Urenier was marched cut moan Versailles to
take the place OF the DIVISION o. General Mon,andon
VINO had Decn wounded. By some bud manage
nient tile Insurgents were allowed 10 regain pos
session barricade the Neuly side
terday @ morning. it Was reported That
Porte MaiLot was 10 be taken. 1 was
the ground from morning { II night but no attempt
at sLorming the lnsuI gent position luade The
artillery combat Was renewed cary and continued
i DARK. and the troops succeed IN occupying the
houses III the Avenue dc Neulliy aS lar aS the
church; but the Infantry operations were COLI
fined to
| FIRING FROM WINDOWS AND BEHIND WALLS.
The batteries al Porte Malot and close to the
ramparts on the rgh OF the gate shelled CoarDevoe
and the other POSITIONS OF the troops. Va erlen
i with lorty-eight pound Shells Kept up cons, ant
fire on Pore Mailot and The redUubts, ana the field
| up TO t.e Arc de rnomthe. one shell struck the
arc ilself. On both sides hundreds OF spt ctators
were out to witness the perforDanca. Isaw a la,ge
body oil Nalonal Guards prepare TO march down
from the Arc de Triompne at about TOUR O'Clock.
They were arrested by The sheins ol the troops.
The Bombn rdmenI OF Paris-~Iaugi ter in the
Sircets-Ihe Arc de Triou,phe InjureG-
Burs.iug shells on tho Boulevards-sicken
Ing sights.
[Paris Correspondence of the London Timesl
Shells are falling all around the Arc de Trlompne,
which again requires though, unhappily, II no
longer possesses, the framework which projected
It's handsome carving during the SIEGE A large
white patch at one corner shows where the masonry
has crumbled away at o blow from q SHE'LL ana
some OF the houses in the Immaculate neignbornood
are rddled and have scarcely an unproken
pane OF glass left. 1t IL not without risk that
one can pass anywhere near the arch. A
woman was killed almost under 1t yesterday-One of
large crowd eagerly watching the engagement
between the batteries OF the Porte Maillot and
Neullly. Let your readers picture II they can the
upper portion OF the avenue entirely deserted with
not carriage to be seen IN IL, even pedestrian
except here and there, far away to The side, stray
outpost or TWO OF National Guards, hugging close
the sneer OF the wall. AS you drive up from tue
Place ue Ia Concorde, II you attempt to 90 further
than the Rue Challlot, sentry alter sentry, as II
some sudden alarm had been communicated along
the whole line, franticaly rushes olt and peremp-
torly orders you back. In my last two visits, now
ver-ye,terday anu to-day-I was accompanied
by an ambulance surgeon whose Carriage was prvi-
legged and we had little dlilic entity In passing. We
were making for the American amb lance in what
was lately the Avenue de plmp ratrlce now the
Avenue Uhrich, and tomorrow may be Avenue Blan-
qu; but, IN order 10 get as much possible out OF
the line OF fire. we turned oil to the lett Into Rue
one ol the streets through which we passed were
numerous traces Of shells. The ottoman Embassy,
which IL. II remember rightly. In the Rue de Pres
bourg, had alone received seven ana had not a
whole pane Of glass. The people, IN fact, who
have resolved TO remain In The houses
about there-and many houses are s IN
habited-aIe In greater danger than were
most of the Inhabitants OF the quarter bombarded
by the Prusslans. The French fire is concentrated
over smaller space. As we got up to the American
ambulance saw one OF its members. Mr.. Huco,
WHO had been sitting In frodt oil the tents, run for
ward and pick up. q fragment or iron which had
fallen few feet nom nun. The shell had probably
burst IN The Avenue lie In Grande Armte, but tho
al tance to which these fragments are carried somo
OF them as big as mans hand, Is almost Incredible
The battery on the Pont NeuilIy which the
Versaiais carried on Friday afternoon. was
keeping up q hot contest with the Porte Maillut
and great many OF the shells naturally dropped
beyond INTO the Avenue de Ia Granie Armee. The
ming was so good, however-the gunners having
had plenty OF time 70 verify their aim-tnat the
shells rarely fell very iar beyond the gate and the
few that passed on nearly as far as the Arc de TIL
omphe were, ! have no doubt. dc.ibe- |