Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1878-08-15

ously into peril, and quietly kept on his
wty. AS soon as he had crossed the
ditch he was Joined by M Ducatel. They
visited together bastions 65 and sc. the
military road, the neighboring posts and
the houses along the river Every thing
was deserted. 1t seemed as though a
pestilence had passed through the place.
When Captain Treve and Sergeant Con-
tant returned to the trench an engineer,
Captain GARNER, was already having
bridge thrown across the ditch over
which the men might cross.
Such is the fact in all its simplicity.
1t was OF wonderful importance for the
deliverance of Paris, but it could not
have occurred if General Douay, precipi-
tating his attacks, pushing on his ap-
proach with extreme energy, had not
brought his trenches to the very walls of
the place-that is, in full sight and with
in reach f the voice OF M. Ducatel. M.
Ducatel gave the signal; Captain Treye
saw it and the French army profited by
the favorable occurance, thanks to the
troops of the Fourth Corps, which Gen.
eral Douay had united at this point after
combats and marches vigorously man
aged. At about 1900 yards from the
gate of St. Cloud. at the headquarters of
the engineers, Captain Berson was sta
toned, having a telegraph wire cores
ponding with the headquarters of the
Fourth Corps, stationed at Villenuve
l'Etang. Captain Berson and Captain
Treve Immediately sent dispatches to
General Douay; the latter was not long
ko halt ne IA
wires which ne held In his hands, in less
than ten minutes he gave all necessary
| instructions to the batteries of Montre-
fout and of Breteuil. He babe them
both stop firing, and ordering the
Gaudil Brigade, bivoucking near ST..
! Cloud, to cross the Seine and hurry
to the Point du-Jour Gate He sent
Lieutenant Colonel Mallat, of the Thirty
seventh, commander of the trenches, an
order to put all the men of whom he
could dispose in motion to enter and stay
in the city. He then ordered the Fourth
Corps to march upon the Point-du-J our
and the St. Cloud gates.
This done, he sent word to Marsha.
| MacMahon that he had forced the walls
and was going to maneuver in Paris it.
self An entrance was not to have been
attempted before Tuesday, May 23d.
General Douay then started himself, and
his horse, as you may suppose, was in a
foam when he reached st. Cloud. His
order had been punctually executed.
The Captain of Engineers, GARNER, had
been the first to pass the gate with two
companies of the Thirty-seventh, squad
of sappers and some artillery men, carry
ing Or dragging field mortars; Com
mander Louis, of the artillery, had
brought up cannon; Lieutenant Colonel
Mallat, with the soldiers of the Thirty
seventh and Ninety-first. massed them
selves so as to repulse any offensive re-
turn of the Federals. During few mo-
mems there was little confusion; but
the GaudiI Brigade debouched by the
Avenue of St. Cloud, General Douay had
arrived, every thing was going well, and
it was safe to cry "The city is taken p
If at this moment division, or even a
brigade preceded by regiment of cav
airy, had resolutely entered Paris ''by the
quays and boulevards, which were totally
clear of barbados, with one bound and
without one shot being fired the Com
mune would have peen strangled." This
opinion is not mine only, but that of NJ
Lissagaray, the most serious apologist Of
the Commune. 1t is perfectly correct
A rapid movement, had it been stratget-
ically possible, carried out On the evening
of May 21st, would have. enabled the
French army to encamp that very nigh
in the Hotel de Vile and TO have thrown
forward its advance guard as far as the
Place de la Bastile There is not CHIEF
of the Commune who does not know it
though not one of them has admitted this
fact. However, the gods did not will il
so to be-and Paris was burned!