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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

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