personal memoirs-2-第67章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



thought　it　〃too　long　and　circuitous。〃　　To　this　I　could　say　nothing；

but　I　concluded　that　that　was　not　quite　the　correct　reason；　the　truth

is　that　early　that　morning　the　young　fellow　had　been　helping　to　empty

some　of　the　many　wine　bottles　I　saw　around　Brie；　and　consequently　had

a　little　more　〃Dutch　courage〃was　a　little　more　rashthan　would

have　been　the　case　under　other　conditions。



I　rode　back　to　Brie　by　the　〃long　and　circuitous〃　route；　and　inquiring

there　for　my　companions；　found　Havelock　waiting　to　conduct　me　to　the

village　of　Villiers；　whither；　he　said；　Forsyth　had　been　called　to

make　some　explanation　about　his　passport；　which　did　not　appear　to　be

in　satisfactory　shape。　　Accordingly　we　started　for　Villiers；　and

Havelock；　being　well　mounted　on　an　English　〃hunter；〃　and　wishing　to

give　me　an　exhibition　of　the　animal's　training　and　power；　led　the　way

across　ditches　and　fences；　but　my　horse；　never　having　followed　〃the

hounds；〃　was　unsafe　to　experiment　with；　so；　after　trying　a　low　fence

or　two；　I　decided　to　leave　my　friend　alone　in　his　diversion；　and　a

few　moments　later；　seeing　both　horse　and　rider　go　down　before　a　ditch

and　high　stone　wall；　I　was　convinced　that　my　resolution　was　a

discreet　one。　　After　this　mishap；　which　luckily　resulted　in　no　harm；

I　hoped　Sir　Henry　would　give　up　the　amusement；　but　by　failure

becoming　only　the　more　determined；　in　a　second　effort　he　cleared　the

wall　handsomely　and　rode　across…country　to　the　villages。　　Following

the　road　till　it　passed　under　a　railway　bridge；　I　there　thought　I　saw

a　chance　to　gain　Villiers　by　a　short…cut；　and　changing　my　course

accordingly；　I　struck　into　a　large　vineyard　to　the　left；　and

proceeding　a　few　hundred　yards　through　the　vines；　came　suddenly　upon

a　German　picket…post。　　The　guard　immediately　leveled　their　rifles　at

me；　when；　remembering　my　Rezonville　experience　of　being　taken　for　a

French　officer　because　of　my　uniform；　I　hastily　flung　myself　from　the

saddle　in　token　of　surrender。　　The　action　being　rightly　interpreted；

the　men　held　their　fire；　and　as　my　next　thought　was　the　King's　pass　I

reached　under　my　coat…skirt　for　the　document；　but　this　motion　being

taken　as　a　grab　for　my　pistol；　the　whole　lot　of　themsome　ten　in

numberagain　aimed　at　me；　and　with　such　loud　demands　for　surrender

that　I　threw　up　my　hands　and　ran　into　their　ranks。　　The　officer　of

the　guard　then　coming　up；　examined　my　credentials；　and　seeing　that

they　were　signed　by　the　King　of　Prussia；　released　me　and　directed　the

recovery　of　my　horse；　which　was　soon　caught；　and　I　was　then　conducted

to　the　quarters　of　the　commandant；　where　I　found　Forsyth　with　his

pass　properly　vised；　entirely　ignorant　of　my　troubles；　and

contentedly　regaling　himself　on　cheese　and　beer。　　Havelock　having　got

to　the　village　ahead　of　me；　thanks　to　his　cross…country　ride；　was

there　too；　sipping　beer　with　Forsyth；　nor　was　I　slow　to　follow　their

example；　for　the　ride　of　the　day；　though　rather　barren　in　other

results；　at　any　rate　had　given　me　a　ravenous　appetite。



Late　that　evening；　the　20th；　we　resumed　our　old　quarters　at　Lagny；

and　early　next　day　I　made　a　visit　to　the　royal　headquarters　at

Ferrires；　where　I　observed　great　rejoicing　going　on；　the　occasion　for

it　being　an　important　victory　gained　near　Mendon；　a　French　corps　of

about　30；000　men　under　General　Ducrot　having　been　beaten　by　the　Fifth

Prussian　and　Second　Bavarian　corps。　　Ducrot　had　been　stubbornly

holding　ground　near　Mendon　for　two　or　three　days；　much　to　the

embarrassment　of　the　Germans　too；　since　he　kept　them　from　closing　a

gap　in　their　line　to　the　southwest　of　Paris；　but　in　the　recent　fight

he　had　been　driven　from　the　field　with　such　heavy　loss　as　to　render

impossible　his　maintaining　the　gap　longer。　　The　Crown　Prince　of

Prussia　was　thus　enabled　to　extend　his　left；　without　danger；　as　far

as　Bougival；　north　of　Versailles；　and　eventually　met　the　right　of　the

Crown　Prince　of　Saxony；　already　at　Denil；　north　of　St。　Denis。　　The

unbroken　circle　of　investment　around　Paris　being　well…nigh　assured；

news　of　its　complete　accomplishment　was　momentarily　expected；

therefore　everybody　was　jubilant　on　account　of　the　breaking　up　of

Ducrot；　but　more　particularly　because　word　had　been　received　the　same

morning　that　a　correspondence　had　begun　between　Bazaine　and　Prince

Frederick　Charles；　looking　to　the　capitulation　of　Metz；　for　the

surrender　of　that　place　would　permit　the　Second　Army　to　join　in　the

siege　of　Paris。



Learning　all　this；　and　seeing　that　the　investment　was　about

completed；　I　decided　to　take　up　my　quarters　at　Versailles；　and

started　for　that　place　on　the　22d；　halting　at　Noisy　le　Grand　to　take

luncheon　with　some　artillery　officers；　whose　acquaintance　we　had　made

the　day　of　the　surrender　at　Sedan。　　During　the　meal　I　noticed　two

American　flags　flying　on　a　couple　of　houses　near　by。　　Inquiring　the

significance　of　this；　I　was　told　that　the　flags　had　been　put　up　to

protect　the　buildingsthe　owners；　two　American　citizens；　having　in　a

bad　fright　abandoned　their　property；　and；　instead　of　remaining

outside；　gone　into　Paris；〃very　foolishly；〃　said　our　hospitable

friends；　〃for　here　they　could　have　obtained　food　in　plenty；　and　been

perfectly　secure　from　molestation。〃



We　arrived　at　Versailles　about　7　o'clock　that　evening　and　settled

ourselves　in　the　Hotel　Reservoir；　happy　to　find　there　two　or　three

American　families；　with　whom；　of　course；　we　quickly　made

acquaintance。　　This　American　circle　was　enlarged　a　few　days　later　by

the　arrival　of　General　Wm。　B。　Hazen；　of　our　army；　General　Ambrose　E。

Burnside；　and　Mr。　Paul　Forbes。　　Burnside　and　Forbes　were　hot　to　see；

from　the　French　side；　something　of　the　war；　and　being　almost　beside

themselves　to　get　into　Paris；　a　permit　was　granted　them　by　Count

Bismarck；　and　they　set　out　by　way　of　Sevres；　Forsyth　and　I

accompanying　them　as　far　as　the　Palace　of　St。　Cloud；　which　we；

proposed　to　see；　though　there　were　strict　orders　against　its　being

visited　generally。　　After　much　trouble　we　managed；　through　the　〃open

sesame〃　of　the　King's　pass；　to　gain　access　to　the　palace；　but　to　our

great　disappointment　we　found　that　all　the　pictures　had　been　cut　from

the　frames　and　carried　off　to　Paris；　except　one　portrait；　that　of

Queen　Victoria；　against　whom　the　French　were　much　incensed。　　All

other　works　of　art　had　been　removed；　tooa　most　fortunate

circumstance；　for　the　palace　being　directly　on　the　German　line；　was

raked　by　the　guns　from　the　fortress　of　Mont　Valerien；　and　in　a　few

days　burned　to　the　ground。



In　less　than　a　week　Burnside　and　Forbes　returned　from　Paris。　　They

told　us　their　experience　had　been　interesting；　but　were　very　reticent

as　to　particulars；　and　though　we　tried　hard　to　find　out　what　they　had

seen　or　done；　we　could　get　nothing　from　them　beyond　the　general

statement　that　they　had　had　a　good　time；　and　that　General　Trochu　had

been　considerate　enough　to　postpone　a　sortie；　in　order　to　let　them

return；　but　this　we　did　not　quite　swallow。　　After　a　day　or　two　they

went　into　Paris　again；　and　I　then　began　to　suspect　that　they　were

essaying　the　role　of　mediators；　and　that　Count　Bismarck　was　feeding

their　vanity　with　permits；　and　receiving　his　equivalent　by　learning

the　state　of　affairs　within　the　beleaguered　city。



》From　about　the　1st　of　October　on；　the　Germans　were　engaged　in　making

their　enveloping　lines　impenetrable；　bringing　up　their　reserves；

siege　guns；　and　the　like；　the　French　meanwhile　continuing　to　drill

and　discipline　the　National　Guard　and　relieving　the　monotony

occasionally　by　a　more　or　less　spirited；　but　invariably　abortive；

sortie。　　The　most　notable　of　these　was　that　made　by　General　Vinoy

against　the　heights　of　Clamart；　the　result　being　a　disastrous　repulse

by　the　besiegers。　　After　this；　matters　settled　down　to　an　almost

uninterrupted　quietude；　only　a　skirmish　here　and　there；　and　it　being

plain　that　the　Germans　did　not　intend　to　assault　the　capital；　but

would　accomplish　its　capture　by　starvation；　I　concluded　to　f