Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1871-07-14
Miscellanu.
Horrors of Paris.

physician one OF the Dattallons OF IN
Paris National Guards, aud served dur
ing the rise and fall of the Commune
gives in the London Daily News inter
esling details of the scenes prior to tn
overthrow of the Paris revolutionists
His position gave him peculiar faclilie
for observing and narrating dramatic
incidents which otherwise would hav,
remained long untold. He says:
saw many proofs OF the logged adj
herence of these people to the cause they
had espoused, A fellow of about forty
years of age was brought to me with q
bullet through his lungs. He had moi
above hal an hour to live, and, having
been bandaged in somewhat careless
manner by the barber, he was put into a
corner of the room on the dirty floor.
proceeded with my work, when | sudden
ly heard loud cry behind me. Itcame
from the wounded man, who was trying
to raise himself on his hands and knees.
| ran to ask him what he wanted, and,
after some struggles, he said, 'Ci izen,
am soldier of the Universal Republic,
and have fought in As, and am row dy-
ing in II. Tell my friends that died
crying out 'Vive la Commune A few
more struggles and he was dead.
A young fellow, Pole ON Dombris-
ki's staff, received bullet in the abdo
men, and was brought in breathing his
last. He was, however attended to, and
his brother sent for. When he arrived
"a tall, handsome fellow-I took him
to see his younger brother, who received
him, saying, Il shall join my regiment
in half an hour; tell Dombroski | want
little rest, and that it is not from cow
ardice | am here" The elder man look
ed at him for one minute in manner |
cannot describe, took his hand, wrung
it IN great agony, and saying, Eyes,
come then" left the room. | heard his
spurs clanking on the floor of the hall,
and, before his last footsteps died away,
his brother was dead. A body of men
like these Guards, if only properly com
manded, might have done wonders
Dombrowski came to see me ia the even
ing, and was delighted to find that our
men fought so well. He was very
pleasant fellow, and talked with great
deal of sense. He deplored the want OF
discipline and management, but hoped
that the Commune would be finally vic
t~rious.
Thus we continued day after day until
the final struggle. Then the confusion
was totally indescribable We had heard
of the disaster OF Issy-the men were de-
moraized. Not knowing what to do,
and finding myself the only officer for
whom the men had any respect, | gave
orders to retreat ON Paris to the last bar
ricade, and telegraphed to Dombrowski
for reinforcements, as our battalion was
now reduced to little more than seven
hundred and twenty men. We received
orders to retreat into Paris, which we
did, and took up our positions at the
Porte de Passy, doomed 10 few days to
be the gate by which the Versailles troops
were to enter. There / saw for the first
time the troops called Volunteers Of the
Republic. They were splendid fellows,
full of pluck, thoroughly convinced that
the Republic was the only thing worth
living for, and resolved to fight for it
like demons. There we're two regiments
Of them, and they numbered about 1000
men. Out of these, five hundred only
survived the battle, and they were taken
prisoners and were shot in the Camp de
Mars.
The Versailles troops were let into
Paris by the remnants of the Sixty-four-
ty battalion. This l know to be fact
The traitors Immediately constituted
themselves prisoners, and were shot for
their pains IN the Chaussee de la Muette.
l had on the previous evening gone to
Paris to give orders at the Intendence
for bands, lint, ETC., and had slept al
my hotel in the heart of the city | can
scarcely describe my surprise when told
by the concierge, with terrified look,
not to 60 out, but TO hide in the cellars
--for the troops were in Paris, and
would be probably in our quarter in an
hour from that time.
L quickly took my decision. / knew
at once that to think of joining my COM
rades was madness, as they were entire
ly surrounded by troops. and we're prob
ably long ago shot. Therefore sailed
forth, armed with my commission, as a
safeguard against the press-gang for
making barricades, and forced my way
with the best possible speed to the Hotel
de Vile. Horrible confusion still pre-
vailed, and | was not even asked by the
drunken sentries what my business was.
mounted the grand staircase to the first