By Ernest Alfred Vizetelly Le Petit Homme Rouge Author of "The Court of the Tuileries 1852-70" etc. With A Frontispiece London, 1914   O husbandmen of hill and dale,     O dressers of the vines,   O sea-tossed fighters of the gale,     O hewers of the mines,   O wealthy ones who need not strive,     O sons of learning, art,   O craftsmen of the city's hive,     O traders of the man,   Hark to the cannon's thunder-call     Appealing to the brave!   Your France is wounded, and may fall     Beneath

While this volume is largely of an autobiographical character, it will be found to contain also a variety of general information concerning the Franco-German War of 1870-71, more particularly with respect to the second part of that great struggle—the so-called "People's War" which followed the crash of Sedan and the downfall of the Second French Empire. If I have incorporated this historical matter in my book, it is because I have repeatedly noticed in these later years that, whilst English peop

The Vizetelly Family—My Mother and her Kinsfolk—The Illustrated Times and its Staff—My Unpleasant Disposition—Thackeray and my First Half-Crown—School days at Eastbourne—Queen Alexandra—Garibaldi—A few old Plays and Songs—Nadar and the "Giant" Balloon—My Arrival in France— My Tutor Brossard—Berezowski's Attempt on Alexander II—My Apprenticeship to Journalism—My first Article—I see some French Celebrities—Visits to the Tuileries—At Compiègne—A few Words with Napoleon III—A "Revolutionary" Beard.

Napoleon's Plans for a War with Prussia—The Garde Mobile and the French Army generally—Its Armament—The "White Blouses" and the Paris Riots—The Emperor and the Elections of 1869—The Troppmann and Pierre Bonaparte Affairs—Captain the Hon. Dennis Bingham—The Ollivier Ministry—French Campaigning Plans—Frossard and Bazaine—The Negotiations with Archduke Albert and Count Vimeroati—The War forced on by Bismarck—I shout "A Berlin!"—The Imperial Guard and General Bourbaki—My Dream of seeing a War—My unc

First French Defeats—A Great Victory rumoured—The Marseillaise, Capoul and Marie Sass—Edward Vizetelly brings News of Forbach to Paris—Emile Ollivier again—His Fall from Power—Cousin Montauban, Comte de Palikao— English War Correspondents in Paris—Gambetta calls me "a Little Spy"— More French Defeats—Palikao and the Defence of Paris—Feats of a Siege— Wounded returning from the Front—Wild Reports of French Victories—The Quarries of Jaumont—The Anglo-American Ambulance—The News of Sedan— Sala's Un

The Government of National Defence—The Army of Paris—The Return of Victor Hugo—The German advance on Paris—The National Guard reviewed—Hospitable Preparations for the Germans—They draw nearer still—Departure of Lord Lyons—Our Last Day of Liberty—On the Fortifications—The Bois de Boulogne and our Live Stock—Mass before the Statue of Strasbourg—Devout Breton Mobiles—Evening on the Boulevards and in the Clubs—Trochu and Ducrot—The Fight and Panic of Chatillon—The Siege begins. As I shall have occas

The Surrender of Versailles—Captain Johnson, Queen's Messenger—No more Paris Fashions!—Prussians versus Germans—Bismarck's Hard Terms for Peace—Attempts to pass through the German Lines—Chartreuse Verte as an Explosive!—Tommy Webb's Party and the Germans—Couriers and Early Balloons—Our Arrangements with Nadar—Gambetta's Departure and Balloon Journey—The Amusing Verses of Albert Millaud—Siege Jokes and Satire—The Spy and Signal Craze—Amazons to the Rescue! It was at one o'clock on the afternoon o

Reconnaissances and Sorties—Casimir-Perier at Bagneux—Some of the Paris Clubs—Demonstrations at the Hôtel-de-Ville—The Cannon Craze—The Fall of Metz foreshadowed—Le Bourget taken by the French—The Government's Policy of Concealment—The Germans recapture Le Bourget—Thiers, the Armistice, and Bazaine's Capitulation—The Rising of October 31—The Peril and the Rescue of the Government—Armistice and Peace Conditions—The Great Question of Rations—Personal Experiences respecting Food—My father, in faili

I leave Paris with my Father—Jules Favre, Wodehouse, and Washburne— Through Charenton to Créteil—At the Outposts—First Glimpses of the Germans—A Subscription to shoot the King of Prussia—The Road to Brie-Comte-Robert—Billets for the Night—Chats with German Soldiers—The Difficulty with the Poorer Refugees—Mr. Wodehouse and my Father—On the Way to Corbeil—A Franco-German Flirtation—Affairs at Corbeil—On the Road in the Rain—Longjumeau—A Snow-storm—The Peasant of Champlan— Arrival at Versailles. Si

War-correspondents at Versailles—Dr. Russell—Lord Adare—David Dunglas Home and his Extraordinary Career—His Séances at Versallies—An Amusing Interview with Colonel Beauchamp Walker—Parliament's Grant for British Refugees—Generals Duff and Hazen, U.S.A.—American Help—Glimpses of King William and Bismarck—Our Safe-Conducts—From Versailles to Saint Germain-en-Laye—Trouble at Mantes—The German Devil of Destructiveness— From the German to the French Lines—A Train at Last—Through Normandy and Maine—Sa

First Efforts of the National Defence Delegates—La Motte-Rouge and his Dyed Hair—The German Advance South of Paris—Moltke and King William— Bourges, the German Objective—Characteristics of Beauce, Perche, and Sologne—French Evacuation of Orleans—Gambetta arrives at Tours—His Coadjutor, Charles Louis de Saulces de Freycinet—Total Forces of the National Defence on Gambetta's Arrival—D'Aurelle de Paladines supersedes La Motte-Rouge—The Affair of Châteaudun—Cambriels—Garibaldi—Jessie White Mario—Edw

The German Advance Westward—Gambetta at Le Mans—The "Army of Brittany" and Count de Kératry—The Camp of Conlie—The Breton Marching Division— Kératry resigns—The Champigny Sortie from Paris—The dilatory D'Aurelle— The pitiable 20th Army Corps—Battles of Beaune-la-Rolande and Loigny— Loss of Orleans—D'Aurelle superseded by Chanzy—Chanzy's Slow Retreat— The 21st Corps summoned to the Front—I march with the Breton Division— Marchenoir and Fréteval—Our Retreat—Our Rearguard Action at Droué— Behaviour

The War in various Regions of France—General Faidherbe—Battle of Pont-Noyelles—Unreliability of French Official News—Engagement of Nuits—Le Bourget Sortie—Battles of Bapaume and Villersexel—Chanzy's Plan of Operations—The Affair of Saint Calais—Wretched State of some of Chanzy's Soldiers—Le Mans and its Historical Associations—The Surrounding Country—Chanzy's Career—Positions of his Forces—Advance of Prince Frederick Charles—The first Fighting before Le Mans and its Result. Whilst Chanzy was ret

The real Battle of Le Mans begins (January 10)—Jouffroy and Pâris are driven back—Gougeard's Fight at Champagné—The Breton Mobilisés from Conlie—Chanzy's Determination—His Orders for January 11—He inspects the Lines—Pâris driven from the Plateau of Auvours—Gougeard's gallant re-capture of the Plateau—My Return to Le Mans—The Panic at La Tuilerie—Retreat inevitable—Withdrawal of the French—Entry of the Germans—Street Fighting—German Exactions—My Escape from Le Mans—The French Retreat—Rear-Guard E

Battues for Deserters—End of the Operations against Chanzy—Faidherbe's Battles—Bourbaki's alleged Victories and Retreat—The Position in Paris— The terrible Death Rate—State of the Paris Army—The Sanguinary Buzenval Sortie—Towards Capitulation—The German Conditions—The Armistice Provisions—Bourbaki's Disaster—Could the War have been prolonged?—The Resources of France—The general Weariness—I return to Paris—The Elections for a National Assembly—The Negotiations—The State of Paris— The Preliminarie