The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-07-11
A Chapter from the History of the
Paris Commune.

IL Was u uGJl6 diU6T D U clOck MHeu Ouc
Council adjourned. At that very mo-
ment the first soldiers of the French
Army were on the point of entering
Paris, thanks to well known incident,
the principal details of which are not
unworthy of being related. M. Ducat-
el, formerly pentonnier, and then Al
years of age, a veteran soldier and
man of energy, brave and not without
love of adventure, was then living near
the gate of Auteuil, in house which the
bombs from Montretout had often WIS.,
tied. Without being initiated into the
negotiations which George Yeysset was
carrying on with Dombrowski, he had
noticed great incoherence in the atti-
tude of the Federals guarding the ram
parts. The posts were sometimes
abandoned during whole day, then
they were remained by an insufficient
force which often went away without
being relieved. M. Ducatel went to
Versailles, bearing passport, allow
ing him to take the St. Denis steam
cars, saw several persons, gave useful
information and even furnished a plan
of the Sixteenth District.
He made several journeys with the de-
sign of fastening the deliverance of
Paris, and when the 2lst of May ar
rived he had already got into relations
with General Felix DOuay, Commander
in-chief of the Fourth Corps of the
French army On the morning of the
2lst M. Ducatel perceived that the whole
zone of Notifications from Auteuil to
the Point-de-Jour was deserted; there
was no one on the military road, or up
on the bastions, or at the posts or in
the tayerns, The Federals had dis
appearedf He went out, made the
ground carefully, and discovered a de-
sertion too general not to be systematic.
In the course of this long and minute
inspection he met but three or four in
surgents who had taken refuge in
cellar, through the grating of which he
EXCHANGED. some words of abuse and
even several pistol shots with them.
OF all the gates, that of St. Cloud,
battered by the artillery, seemed to him
the most practicable for a possible
escalade. From ahouse-top he saw that
the advanced guard Of the French Army,
sheltered behind the gabions of trench,
was not further than sixty yards off.
Perhaps he might succeed in making
himself understood by signs and in
.dueing our soldiers to enter the desert
ed city. Among the ruins of a shelter
ed house he found long lath, to which
he-fastened white foulard, which he
wore as scarf. With this he climbed
upon the crumbling bastion and waved
his improvised flag. The fire of Montre-
tout was terrible, at this moment. M.
Ducatel disappeared several times
amidst the clouds of dust raised by the
shells which fell, bursting around him.
He cried, "Come the road is clear"
His voice, lost in the noise of the fire
and also in the distance, did not reach
the soldiers. M. Ducatel ran a great
risk of being killed by those whom he
was so Valiantly trying to assist when a
captain in the navy, M. Treve, perceived
him. Ees
M. Treve was an active little man,
quick and naturally intrepid. What
was he doing near the St. Denis Gate?n
He was an amateur" led on by an idea
which had tormented him for several
days. He also, being stationed outside
the ranparts, had noticed, like Ducatel
within them, that the instruction had
become very silent, There were no
more salvos of artillery, no more of the
noisy firing which was so dear to the
hearts of Federals From the 18th of
May on Captain Treve had been exam
lining the walls in the neighborhood of
the Point de Jour, and wondering if a
surprise would not be possible. His
mind was made up on this subject and
he had mentiohed 1t to Colonel Pique-
NAL, the chief of General Verge's staff;
so it came to pass that he was there,
wandering along the line of fortifca-
tons, looking perhaps for place where
the scaling of the walls would be least
difficult, when he saw Ducatel waving
his white silk scarf which had suddenly
become flag of truce. He started to,
run toward Ducatel, but the soldiers pre-.
vented him. Don't go, Captain, it is
a decoy; they will fire upon you" M.
Treve did not hesitate; ne thought. the,
signal was made in good faith, doubtless
because he desired it so -passionately
Several men wished to accompany him,
but he forbade them and started at full
speed towards the drawbridge. There.
was great excitement among the soldiers
who prepared themselves TO fire in case
the white flag concealed an
ambuscade. Soon these two
men, Ducatel and Treve, so
simply heroic, were able to tabs to each
other across the ditch which borders the
Notifications. ssParis is yours cried
NJ. Ducatel; SO every thing is deserted;
bring in the troops!" Captain Treve,
who has seamsn's lsgs-as he has a
right to hsve-ventdfed upon Beam of