Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1871-07-07

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saying, I" shall join my regiment i'm
half an hour; tell DOmbrowski that |
want little rest. ard that it is not
from cOwardice am here" The eid-
er man looked at him for one minute
| i'm a manner | cannot describe, took
his hand, wrung it i'm great agony, and
| saying, Yes, come then,n left the
room. j heard his spurs clanking on
the floor of the hall, and before his
last footsteps died away his poor broth
err was dead. A body of men like
these Guards, if only properly conf
manded. might have done wonders
Dombrowskicame TO see me in the eve
ming, and was delighted to find that our
men fought so well. He was very
pleasant fellow, and talked with a
great deal of sense. He deplored the
want of discipline and management.
but hoped the Commune would be
finally victorious.
Thus we continued day after day un-
ill the final struggle. Then the cODfu-
sion was totally indescribahle. We
had heard of the disaster at Issy-the
men were demOralized. Not knowing
what to do. and finding myself the on
ly officer for whom the men had any
respect, / gave orders to retreat on Par
to the last barricade, and telegraphed
to DombrOwski for reinfOrcements, as
| our battalion was now reduced to lit
tie more than 40 meu. We received
| orders to retreat into Paris, which we
accordingly did, and took up our posi-
tiOns at the Porte de Passy. doomed in
| in a 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 Re public
They were splendid fellows, full of
pluck, thoroughly convinced that the
Republic was the only thing worth
| living for, and resolved to fight Cor il
| like demons. There were two regi-
| ments of them and they numbered
| about 2,OOO men. Out of all these men
| 500 only survived the battle, aud they
were taken prisoners, and they were
shot i'm the Champ de Mars. The Yer
saiIles troops were let into Paris, by
the remnants of the 64th battalion
This / know to be fact. The traitors
Immediately constituted themselves
prisoners, and were shot for their
pains in the Chausee de Ia Muette. /
had on the previous evening gone to
Paris to give orders at the attendance
for bands, lint, &C., and had slept at
my hotel in the heart of the city. /
can scarcely describe my surprise
when told by the concierge, with a
terrified look, not togo out but to hide
i'm the cellars, for the troops were in
Paris. and would be probably in our
quarter In an hour from that time.
Iquickiy took my decision. 1 knew
at once that to think of joining my
comrades was madness, az they were
entirely surrounded by the troops, and
were probably long ago shot. | there
fore sailed forth, armed with my COM
mission, as a safeguard against the
pressgang for making barricades and
forced my way with the best possible
speed TO the Hotel de Vile. Horrible
confusion still prevailed and / was not
even asked 10y the drunken sentries
what my business was. L mounted
the grand staircase to the first floor
The place was crammed. No ne
knew where the officers were. When
entered, a Deputy, whom it is pru-
dent not to name. WAS telling his hear
ers with great elOquencc that the time
had come for the last struggle of the
glorious Commune" The speech
was listened TO with great attention.
When Ire had finished, Delescluze was
sent Tor. lie told them in a very few
short sentences that the cause was ut
terly lost unless the Versailles troops
refused to march, and that the only
thing the Commune had to do was Ia
show by example that the men who
| had urged them TO fight and die were
not the last to die themselves when
| the time had come for them tn do so
For me-" he said. Il feel that my
last political struggle agHinst mon
archy and imperialism has come to an
end. / shall die myself, | know but,
gentlemen, / feel convinced, that fUT
every drop of mine and of the Com
mune's blood five men will one day
| spring forward to avenge us and to es-
tabIish in future years that which, Ow-
| ing to our backward educationF we
nave failed to establish now" He fin
ished his speech amid dead silence,
and then the officers Of the Nationals,
who had demands TO lay before the
| Commune, were admitted. When the
whole affair had been concluded they
heard me. 1 explained as briefly as
possible my object, and was received
very kindly by Delescluze. who gave
me a commission to the 96th battalion
then in the Boulevard NJ alesherbes.