Chaumont, and not only retook their own guns, but also those which the
artillery had brought up to support the manoeuvre of the infantry of the
line. At the same time, the 120th shamefully allowed themselves to be
disarmed by the people, and the insurgents became masters of the
barracks of the Prince Eugene.

At about four o'clock in the afternoon, two columns of National Guards,
each composed of three battalions, made their way towards the Hotel de
Ville, where they were joined by a dozen other battalions from the left
bank of the river; at the same hour, the insurgent guards of Belleville
took and occupied the Imprimerie Nationale, the Napoleon Barracks, the
staff-quarters of the Place Vendome, and the railway stations; the
arrest of General Chanzy completed the work of the day, which had been
put to profitable account by the insurgents.--"_Guerre de Comunneux de
Paris._"

III. (Page 77.)

THE PRUSSIANS AND THE COMMUNE.

The enemies of yesterday, the Prussians, did not disdain to enter into
communication with the Central Committee on the 22nd of March. This was
an additional reason for the new masters of Paris to regard their
position as established, and the _Official Journal_ took care to make
known to the public the following despatch received from Prussian
head-quarters:--

"To the actual Commandant of Paris, the Commander-in-Chief of the third
corps d'armee.

"Head-quarters, Compiegne,

"21st March, 1871.

"The undersigned Commander-in-Chief takes the liberty of informing you
that the German troops that occupy the forts on the north and east of
Paris, as well as the neighbourhood of the right bank of the Seine, have
received orders to maintain a pacific and friendly attitude, so long as
the events of which the interior of Paris is the theatre, do not assume
towards the German forces a hostile character, or such as to endanger
them, but keep within the terms settled by the treaty of peace.

"But should these events assume a hostile character, the city of Paris
will be treated as an enemy.

"For the Commandant of the third corps of the Imperial armies,

"(Signed) Chief of the Staff, VON SCHLOSHEIM,

"Major-General."

Paschal Grousset, the delegate of the Central Committee for Foreign
Affairs, who had succeeded Monsieur Jules Favre, but who instead of
minister was called delegate, which was much more democratic, replied as
follows:--

"Paris, 22nd March, 1871.

"To the Commandant-in-Chie