The comments of various journals on these elections, produced the following decree from the Commune:
The Commune, which cannot possibly tolerate in besieged
Paris journals which openly preach up civil war, give
military information to the enemy, and propagate calumny
against the defenders of the Republic, has decided that the
Soir, the Cloche, the Opinion Nationale, and the Bien
Public are hereby suppressed."
One of the most important engagements of the siege
took place on the 17th between the regulars and the advanced
posts at Asnières. During the morning the troops
from Versailles attacked the federal outposts on the railway,
guarded by the 77th battalion, which at once retreated,
abandoning the barricades and trenches. Four
other battalions on the farther bank of the Seine, seeing
their comrades fall back, and being attacked by mitrailleuses,
fled to the bridge of boats; a detachment of cavalry
made a dash, cutting off a large number and making them
prisoners. The insurgents then endeavored to bring their
locomotive batteries into action, but a shot from a battery
established at the Château de Bécon seriously damaged
one of those engines, and drove it off the rails; the line
in consequence became blocked, and the other locomotives
had to return to Paris. The insurgents on the right
bank, fearing that the troops might cross the pontoon
bridge, severed it in the middle; but at that moment
many insurgents still remained on the opposite side.
Some of these men threw themselves into the river to
endeavor to cross the gap in the chain of boats by swimming;
others tried to climb up the slope of the railway
bridge, on which they were exposed to the fire of the
troops; whilst many were carried away by the stream and
drowned.
