THE COLTON PAPERS. 229 



which crosses the river, from the Greve to the Quay de la Cite. 

 Here about twenty young men, including a few of the National 

 Guard, sheltered by the parapet wall, kept up an incessant fire. At 

 length a small body of Swiss were ordered to cross the bridge, to 

 put this little band hors de combat. On their approach these citizens, 

 who in all probability never saw blood shed until this dreadful day, 

 with the intrepidity of ancient veterans, left their protecting parapet, 

 and placed themselves at the head of the bridge, where they re- 

 ceived their adversaries with so well-directed a fire, that three of 

 their number were killed, and several wounded, and after a hasty 

 discharge the remainder retreated to their former position. We 

 must not here omit to mention an extraordinary act of gallantry per- 

 formed by one of these soldiers of a day, who, amid a shower of 

 bullets from the retiring enemy, ran upon the bridge, and taking the 

 arms and cartouche-boxes of the three fallen Swiss, returned unhurt 

 to his companions, exclaiming, " Amis ! Void des armes et de balles." 

 We should here observe that there was a lamentable deficiency'of 

 both arms and ammunition on the side of the people, a fact almost 

 incredible, when the unparalleled results of their exertions are con- 

 sidered. 



The conflict now raged in the Place de Greve with increased 

 violence. A cannon, pointed against a house at the corner of the 

 quay (a wine-shop), would .have razed it to the ground, the shore 

 having been nearly shot away, had not a vigorous charge of the po- 

 pulace forced the royal troops to consult their safety by preparations 

 for retreat. This they effected along the quay, firing by files and by 

 platoons, succeeding each other with astonishing rapidity. They 

 were speedily reinforced by fresh troops of the Royal Guard and of 

 the Swiss, together with a hundred cuirassiers, and four pieces of 

 artillery, each of them escorted by twelve cannoniers on horseback. 

 With this terrible addition they again advanced on the Hotel de 

 Ville, and a frightful firing recommenced on all sides. They suc- 

 ceeded in driving the citizens into the Rues de _'la Vannerie and du 

 Mouton, and again entered into possession of the Hotel de Ville. 

 But they did not keep it long, for they were again attacked with a 

 courage truly sublime and almost irresistible. Their artillery, now 

 ranged before the Prefecture of the Seine and the Hotel de Ville, 

 threatened death to thousands. The repeated charges of the cuiras- 

 siers were murderous, but the citizens did not give way. Immove- 

 able in their position, they expected, and received death, with cries 

 of Vive la Liberte ! Vive la Charte ! Their heroic and generous ef- 

 forts proved fatal to many. The heaps of dead bodies showed a 

 sensible diminution of the combatants; still the contest might be said 

 to rage with desperate fury, the successive capturing and recapturing 

 of the Hotel de Ville awakened the sanguinary reminiscences of 

 Hougomont. But, while every moment added to the confidence of 

 the people, consternation began to be more and more visible even 

 in the firmest battalions of France. It was in vain that discipline 

 closed her serried files, or opened her chevaux de frise of bayonets, 

 only to give scope and efficiency to discharges of grape-shot still 

 more murderous. The Place de la Greve, the Pont de la Greve 



M. M. No. 9. 2 G 



