Mr. Washburne to Mr. Fish
Sir: It was but a short time after I closed my dispatch No. 346, bearing date the 9th instant, before the bombardment took such proportions as to leave no doubt as to its true character. Bombs, in increasing numbers, continued to fall in the interior of the city, not only upon private buildings, but upon hospitals, schools, churches, ambulances, prisons, &c., and men, women, and children, in considerable numbers, were killed and wounded. Not only has one of our own countrymen been grievously wounded, but the property of Americans has been destroyed, and a further destruction is imminent. In view of the gravity of the situation the diplomatic corps (and the consuls acting in the absence of their respective legations) was convened to consider what was proper for them to do, looking to the protection of the lives and property of their countrymen now in Paris. After several meetings it was agreed to address a communication to Count de Bismarck on the subject, a translation of which I have the honor to inclose you herewith.
[Page 281]To-day is the twelfth day since the bombardment of the city and the forts of the south commenced, and as it is generally supposed with all the power of the besieging forces. The Official Journal of yesterday has an official report of the results of the bombardment of the city from the 5th to the 13th instant. This report shows one hundred and eighty-nine victims, fifty-one killed and one hundred and thirty-eight wounded. Of the fifty-one killed there were eighteen children, twelve women, and twenty-one men. Of the one hundred and thirty-eight wounded there were twenty-one children, forty-five women, and seventy-two men. The public edifices that have been struck are the Val de Grâce, the Sorbonne, the Bibliothèque Sainte Geneviève, the churches of Sainte Etienne du Mont, Sainte Geneviève, Sainte Sulpice, and Vaugirard; the prison de la Santé, the barrack of Vieux Colombier, the hospital de la Pitié, the prison St. Pélagie, l’Ecole Polytechnique, l’Ecole Pratique de Médecine, the convent of the Sacré Cœur, the hospital of Salpêtrière, the normal school, the Institution for the Blind, the hospital of the Infant Jesus, Maternité, and de Loureine, and the ambulances of St. Perine and of the Dames Augustines. The number of private buildings struck is about three hundred and fifty, but many of them but little damaged. No building of any great value has yet been burned. No bombs have yet fallen on the right bank of the Seine. When the length of time is considered that the bombardment has been going on, and the enormous quantity of material that has been expended, the small number of killed and wounded and the small amount of actual damage is surprising. The bombardment so far has not had the effect of hastening the surrender of the city. On the other hand it has apparently made the people more firm and determined. In the presence of a common danger the feeling of hostility to the government, which was so openly manifested some two weeks ago, has been greatly modified. So much in regard to the bombardment of the city. It is hard to tell what the real state of facts is in regard to the damage done to the forts. The forts of the east have been bombarded for twenty, and the forts of the south for twelve, days, and one thing is certain that no fort has been either taken or silenced. How long any or all of these forts can hold out I have no means of judging. With the possession of one of these forts the besiegers would have a much larger part of the city immediately under their guns, and a bombardment from such a point can only be contemplated with horror. And with the spirit now manifested by the people of Paris I do not believe the city would then yield. In the event of the city not yielding to bombardment or assault, the question always is, how long before it will have to yield to famine? I am reluctant to speak further on that subject, as my predictions have so often failed of verification. I saw yesterday the gentleman who has charge of rationing the people of the arondissement in which I live, and he assured me they had enough provisions for two months yet. While the amount of flour was running short, he said they had a great quantity of grain, and the only trouble was in making it into flour fast enough to supply the demand for bread. I met last night a gentleman in a high official position, and whose duty it has been to gather all the information possible in regard to the amount of food in the city, and he says there is enough to last easily till the-first of March. The bread will be of a poor quality, but there will be enough of it, Of rice there is a very large quantity, and an unlimited supply of wine, coffee, sugar, &c. Another man, claiming to be equally well informed, will positively assure you that there are not more than provisions enough to last more than two weeks longer at the [Page 282] outside. You will see, therefore, how widely the opinions of people differ on this most vital question.
We are again having cold weather, and the suffering of the people has been intensified. The number of deaths is steadily increasing, and last week it amounted to thirty-nine hundred and eighty.
My dispatch-bag which left London on the 30th ultimo, only reached me on Tuesday night the 10th instant. It brought me home-papers to the 17th, and London papers to the 30th ultimo. The bag which undoubtedly left London on the 6th instant has not yet arrived.
I have, &c.,