142 Jeanette N eedham, 
ever place you may be, thrill at this important news, follow so 
fine an example and merit by your actions to be counted among 
these guards, truly French.” 
By June 26 it was very clear that the French Guards were 
in full sympathy with the supporters of the national assembly 
and the indications are that other troops as well were showing 
signs of impending defection. Although Besenval asserts that 
the discipline among the Swiss Guards was perfect until July 12,%7 
a correspondent from Paris reported on June 26, that the Swiss 
had formally declared to their colonel, M. d’Affry that they 
would not march.®® He added that the regiment of Royal 
Cravate [cavalry], which had been in Paris since the last of 
April, had also explained itself. The action of a considerable 
portion of the body guards in Versailles has already been noted. 
This same writer reported from Paris, June 26, that it was as- 
serted that only the company of Villeroy remained faithful among 
the body guards. Bailli de Virieu included in his report of June 
29, however, a statement touching this very company. He said 
it was accused of having failed in military subordination in favor 
of the people on June 27.°° The next day Boullé wrote home 
from Versailles that not only the French Guards there, but the 
Swiss and the hussars, in fact, almost all the troops had shown a 
similar inclination to insubordination.”° Even the loyalty of 
the more remote troops seems to have been a matter of doubt. 
On June 29, Jefferson wrote to John Jay, that ‘‘similar accounts 
came in from the troops in other parts of the kingdom, as well 
those which had not heard of the séance royale, as those which 
had, and gave good reason to apprehend that the soldiery in 
general would side with their fathers and brothers, rather than 
with their officers.’’ Of the effect of the knowledge of this 
general defection of the troops, he added: ‘The operation of 
this medicine at Versailles was as sudden as it was powerful.’”” 
87 Besenval, II, 343; Jefferson, II, 487-488. The latter states that dis- 
affection had not appeared among the Swiss prior to the union of the orders. 
88 Correspondance d'un député . . . avec la Marquise de Crequy, Documents 
inédits, Revue de la rév., II, 36. 
69 Bailli de Virieu, 106. 
70 Boullé, Documents inédits, Revue de la rév., XIV, 27. 
1 Jefferson, JI, 487-488. 
256 
