The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-06-01
THE LAST RIDE.
A Ride Around the Notifications in the
Teeth of the Enemy.
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THE CHATEAU De LA MUETTE.
--o-o~~o~~~~oo~~o~o~
Preparations for a Grand Sor-
tie Against the Besiegers.
DOMBR0WSKI DOWNHEARTED
A Herald Correspondent Wo Nnded
and Disabled.
MUTlNY AMONG TEE SOLDIERS.
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Terror In Paris and the Evidences
of Dissolution.
A Herald Correspondent Wo Unded
and Disabled.
MUTINY AMONG TEE SOLDIERS
Terror In Paris and the Evidences
Of Dissolution.
The EXPLOSION In TIE CHAMP DE MARS.

PARIS. May 10. 1871.
"wnl you come with mes" said General DOM
browsKL 1t was a leading question. From our
position in the Cnaussee de la Muette. near the
chateau, we could see far down the road running
along inside the ramparts, which was at that very
moment being
PLoUGHED UP WITH SHELLS.
Here and there along the whole distance the earth
could be seen dying up, with the black smoke
which always marks the explosion of shell. and
the pieces could be heard whizzng IN every drec.
tion 1t would be dangerous ride but General
DombrOwskt looked as though he would say you are
afraid, and so answered "Arec pSafsir" We started
down the road at an easy trot and the same scene
OF destruction and ruin presented itself to eyes
that one sees at Neuilly and the
AVENUE DE LA GRANDE ARXEE
at "Issy' and wherever the biting touch OF this
most horrible civil has been felt. Five days ago.
when passed down this road, the houses were all
Inhabited. the gardens were being planted with
flowers, and children were playing In the shade Of
the trees and one could never have thought that
such work Of destruction could have been wrought
In so short time. Since then shells have been fall
ing almost continually. In the quiet, shady road
not house but is riddled nor garden wall that is
not battered down, nor roof intact. Three-fourths
Of the trees have been broken OF,
THEIR spLINTFRED FRAGMENTS
lying in the road which has been made almost I'M
passable by the broken branches and other debris
Some have fallen ana are lying in the deep cut Of
the circular railway which passes here between the
street and the ramparts. And the railway itself
down deep behind the walls has received hun dreds
OF shells and 1t is still going on. Shells were con-
tinually flying about us, some exploding on the
ramparts in the streets throwing up che earth
l>afc md ocotnr
heads and falling into the village Of Passy. 1 was
astonished that we were not struck by one Of the
many fragments that
WENT WHEELING BY Us,
but General Domorowski seemed to take 1t as a
matter OF course and could do nothing less Ar.
irving at the Caserne, which is about half way be-
tween the Chateau de la Muette and the Point du
Jour- we crossed the little bridge over the railway
and mounted the ramparts. l descended from my
horse and contented myself by looking through the
loophole between the sand bags that were placed
the top But General Dombrowskl rode along with
an eyeglass, his head and shoulders exposed above
the walls as mark for the enemy. There were q
few men here acting as
sHARPsHooTERs,
watching the enemy closely, who were at a distance
OF about three hundred yards, busiy at work throw
ing up the earth like gophers. Very few OF them
could be seem as they were completely hidden In
self, and then there would be dozen shots
changed in rapid succession But both parties kept
too wen out OF danger to Kill or be Killed by this
.'But General, I said, 'rf you do not drive them
out OF those trenches they Will be in to the walls In
less than three days.
~ know it, he replied.
'.What do you intend 10 do ?" asked.
81 am going TO attempt
soRrIR
this evening.
.Do you hope to succeed sr
"No.n
'WnyY'
"Because my men will not 60 out" said he. az
intended to turn them from the Neullly side by
working III the earth as they are doing. But the
men refuse to work outside the Notifications unless
ssYou have only one thing left to do then,n re-
marked, THAT is, mount two hundred guns on the
Notifications and pour IN storm OF iron nail that
will render the whole Bots de Boulogne untenabe.n
al have found that also impossible he replied.
ton upon the ramparts but only eighty artillery.
men, and half of them are drunk all the time"
"You consider then
THE DEFENCE OF PARIS
~ do" he SAID III the provinces do not rise to
help us. That is our only hope, and it Is feeble
ope.'
"why then, do you continue to head the insurrec-
ton ~
because cannot honorably retire. nor can do
Ii with safety even" continued he, ''as l Will eX.
PLAIN to you when ,hsn we have better opportunity for
We continued our promenade along the ramparts
nearly to the Point du Jour- the General remarking
closely the POSITIONS OF the enemy and exposing
himself In most reckless manner We afterwards
returned py the same road to the Chateau de la
Muette, where the General intended
CONCERTING MEASURES
for the sortie which was to take place in the
The chateau is q large. fine building. five stories
high, just in the edge OF the Bots dc Bouogne, from
the upper windows OF which Mont valerlen may be
seen. IL is surm0unted with an observatory fur
nished with a large telescope, by the means Of
which every operation OF the enemy IS followed min
utely 1t Is surprising to me that the building has
not been shcled, as IL Ia within easy range of the
guns OF Vaerien, and 1t must be known tnat DOM
account for it BY surprising that they consider the
building too fine one to be destroyed At break
fast (Which, by the way was very poor one)
told me that overtures had been made TO him ana
great Inducements had been offered to him by the
the gates on that side OF the city. They had offered
MIN five hundred thousand francs. And when he
informed the Committee OF Public Safety OF the
offer they ordered MIN to accept IL. This he did
after considerable barterng and quarrelling about
the price and the time when the money was To be
paid. Their object was TO induce the enemy to
march In a large number OF troops near the walls
somewhere, under the impression that the gates
were 10 be betrayed INTO their hands, and then
when least expecting II. TO pour in murderous fire
upon them, throw them into confusion, charge them
with
and thus gain victory by which they should re.
cover the prestige lost at issy and Vanvres The
plan was on the point OF succeeding, when some OF
the members OF the Committee OF Public
Safety were replaced by others-it was be.
Versailles negotat0rs became suspicious, and II
thought better TO operate the arrest OF all those
engaged in II before they should take the alarm,
which was accordingly d0ae This. General Dom.
browski explained, was one reason why he could
not well resign. The Commune, knowing he had
been IN communication with the Versailles govern.
ment, would immediately suspect him In case he
offered his resignation. HIS position was there
fore
VERY DELICATE
one. He had come and offered his sword 10 the
Commune upon pure Revolutionary principles, out
OF love OF human liberty, and he could not aDan
don the cause under circumstances that might leave
q stain upon his honor, although that cause might
| be hopeless one He would therefore fight on till
| the last, ana depend upon his sword and his IN
genuity to escape amid the confusion and disorder
OF the nnal 'smash-up."
He had already sent his wife ana children TO Eng.
land 70 put them out OF harms way, OF which fact
| he had Informed the
| VERSAILLES NEGoTIATORs
when they offered ta,sser passer and safe conduct