San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-08-17

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 q
captain in the navy, NJ. Treve, perceived
him.
NJ. Trove was an active little man,
quick and naturally inirepid. What
was he doing near the st. Denis Cater
He was an amateur" led on by an idea
which had tormented him for several
days. He also, being stationed outside
the ramparts, had noticed, like Ducatei
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 10th OF
May on Captain Treve had been exam.
lining the walls in the neighborhood OF
the Point de Jour, and wondering II q
surprise would not be possible. His
mind was made up on this subject, and
he had mentioned it 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 fortitica-
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 60, Captain, it is
decoy; they will fire upon you" M.
Treve did not hesitate; he 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 talk to each
other across the ditch which borders the
Notifications. "Paris is yours" cried
M. Ducatel; "every thing is deserted;
bring in the troops!" Captain Treve,
who has seaman's legs-as he has a
right to have--ventured upon beam of
the drawbridge which had fallen across
the ditch. As he cautiously advanced
he felt the beam tremble beneath him,
and turning saw Sergeant Jules Cou-
tant, of the Third Battalion of the Nine
ty-frst with his finger upon the trigger
Of his gun ready to defend or avenge
him. Captain Treve did not feel that
he had a right to send back this devoted
man who was marching so courageous
ly into peril, and quietly kept on his
way. As soon as he had crossed the
ditch he was joined by M. Ducatel.
They visited together bastions 81 and
66, the military road, the neighboring
posts and the houses along the river.
Every thing was deserted. 1t seemed
as though pestilence had passed
through the place. When Captain
Treve and Sergeant Coutant 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 factin all its simplicity. 1t
was of wonderful Importance for the
deliverance of Paris, but it could not
have occurred if General Douay, pre-
his attacks, pushing on his
approach with extreme energy, had not
brought his trenches to the very walls
of the place-that is, in full sight and
within reach of the voice of M. Ducatel.
M. Ducatel gave the signal, Captain
Treve saw it and the French army prof
tied by the favorable occurrence, thanks
to the troops of the Fourth Corps, which
General Douay had united at this point
after combats and marches vigorously
At about 1900 yards from
the gate of st. Cloud, at the headquar-
tiers of the engineers, Capt. Berson was
having telegraph wire cor
with the headquarters of the
Fourth Corps, stationed at Villeneuve
l'Etang. Captain Berson and Captain
Treve Immediately sent dispatches to
General Douay; the latter was not long
in acting. With the help of the tele-
graph wires which he held in his hands,
in less than ten minutes he gave all the
necessary instruction to the batteries
Of Montretout and of Bretueil. He
babe them both stop firing,
and ordered the Gaudil Brigade, bivou-
acing near st. Cloud, to cross the Seine
and hurry to the Point-du-Jour Gate.
He sent Lieutenant. Colonel Mellat, of
The Thirty-seventh, commander of the
trenches. an order to mt all the men of
whom he could dispose in motion to en-
Ter and stay in the city. He then or
1ered the Fourth Corps to march upon
he Point-du-Jour and the st. Cloud
gates. This done, he sent word to
Marshal MacMahon that he had forced
he walls and was going to maneuver
N Paris itself. An entrance was not to
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