Four attacks were directed upon the Louvre: the first by the
Palais-Royal; the second from the rue des Poulies, the rue des
Prêtres-Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois and the quai de l'École; the third
by the Pont des Arts, and the fourth by the Pont Royal. The first was
led by Lothon, whom, as it will be remembered, we left at the top of
rue Guénégaud. He had been hit in the head by a bullet and had fallen
unconscious in the place du Palais-Royal. The second was conducted by
Godefroy Cavaignac, Joubert, Thomas, Bastide, Degousée, Grouvelle and
the brothers Lebon, etc. It was they who took the Louvre, as will be
seen presently. The third was that which had taken place by the Pont
des Arts--the result is known. The fourth, that of the rue du Bac, did
not cross the bridge in reality, until the Tuileries was taken.
We have given an account of the second attack which captured the
Louvre. This success was due, in the first case, to the admirable
courage shown by the assailants and, afterwards, it must be confessed,
by chance, to a false manœuvre: we will call it so in consideration
of the feelings of those who decline to recognise the intervention of
Providence in human affairs.
One anecdote will be sufficient to give an idea of the courage of the
assailants. A child of twelve had climbed, like a chimney-sweep, up one
of the wooden shafts which are erected against the Colonnade to put
rubbish in, and he had planted a tricolour flag on the Louvre in the
face of the Swiss. Fifty shots had been fired at him and he had been
lucky enough to escape without a single one disturbing him! Just at
this moment, as enthusiastic shouts greeted the successful issue of the
child's mad feat, the Duc de Raguse, who had concentrated his forces
round the Carrousel for a last struggle, learnt that the soldiers
stationed on the place Vendôme had begun to enter into communication
with the people.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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