Massacres of the South (1551-1815): Celebrated CrimesDumas, Alexandre
History
Massacres of the South (1551-1815): Celebrated Crimes
Dumas, Alexandre
Crime
On the 19th, Catinat, accompanied by twelve Camisards, rode into the
town, and was met at the barrier by the commandant and eighty
townspeople. As soon as the little band came in sight the commandant
reiterated his orders that nothing should be said or done in the town,
on pain of corporal punishment, that could offend the Camisards.
At one o’clock P. M. Baron d’Aygaliers arrived, followed in his turn by
the chief of the commissariat, Vincel, by Captain Cappon, two other
officers named Viala and Despuech, and six dragoons. These were the
hostages Cavalier had given.
At six o’clock there was heard a great noise; and shouts of “Cavalier!
Cavalier!” resounded on all sides. The young Cevenol was in sight, and
the whole population hastened to meet him. He rode at the head of his
cavalry, the infantry following, and the whole number—about six hundred
men—sang psalms in a loud voice.
When they reached the church, Cavalier drew up before it with all his
men in review order, and for some time the singing went on. When it
stopped, a long prayer was offered up, which was most edifying to all
the bystanders; and this being over, Cavalier went to the quarters
assigned him, which were in the best house in Calvisson. Arrived there,
he sent out for a dozen loaves that he might judge how his men were
going to be fed; not finding them white enough, he complained to M.
Vincel, whom he sent for, and who promised that in future the bread
should be of a better quality. Having received this assurance, Cavalier
gave orders that the loaves in hand should be distributed for that day,
but probably fearing poison, he first made M. de Vincel and his clerks
taste them in his presence. These duties accomplished, he visited in
person all the gates of the town, placed guards and posted sentinels at
all the entrances and along all the avenues, the most advanced being
three-quarters of a league from the town. Besides this, he placed guards
in the streets, and a sentinel at each door of the house he occupied; in
addition, thirty guards always slept outside the door of his bedroom,
and these accompanied him as an escort when he went out; not that he was
afraid, for he was not of a mistrustful character, but that he thought
it politic to give people an exalted idea of his importance. As to his
soldiers, they were billeted on the inhabitants, and received each as
daily rations a pound of meat, a quart of wine, and two and a half
pounds of bread.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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