Diary of the Besieged Resident in ParisLabouchere, Henry Du Pré
History
Diary of the Besieged Resident in Paris
Labouchere, Henry Du Pré
Franco-Prussian War, 1870-1871; Paris (France) -- History -- Siege, 1870-1871 -- Personal narratives
It is said this evening that the troops will be withdrawn and return to
the Bois de Vincennes. Some say that we have left 20,000 men at Villiers
and Champigny; but I take it that our loss does not exceed 6,000 men.
The general idea seems to be, that to-morrow we are to try to get out in
another direction, either by Chatillon or Malmaison. A pigeon came in
this morning from Bourbaki, with a despatch dated Nov. 30, stating that
he is advancing, and among the soldiers this despatch has already become
an official notice that he is at Meaux. All I know for certain is that
the ambulances are ordered out for eight o'clock to-morrow morning, and
that I am now going to bed, so as to be ready to start with them. I hear
that there has been fighting both yesterday and to-day near Bondy; but
not being able to be in two places at once, I cannot tell what really
occurred. To my civilian judgment it appears that as our object was to
force the line of heights on the south-east of Paris, which constitute
the Prussian lines of investment in that direction, and as we have not
done so, we can hardly be said to be in a better position than we were
last Monday. At a heavy cost of life we have purchased the knowledge
that our new artillery is better than was expected, and that Line and
Mobiles will stand under fire with tolerable steadiness until their
officers are bowled over, when they break. The National Guards were not
engaged. General Trochu and General Pisani tried to get some of their
battalions over the Marne, but found it impossible. After a long speech
from Trochu, Pisani shouted, "Vive la France!" To this they responded;
but when he added, "Vive Trochu!" they remained silent, and their
commanders declared that this involved political considerations with
regard to which they and their men "make certain reservations." They
are, however, very proud of having been within two miles of a battle
field, and Trochu congratulates them, in an order of the day, upon
giving a "moral support" to the army. This is precisely what every one
is willing to do. Moral support will not, however, get the Prussians
away from Paris.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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