3-039-179 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

The Civil War in France: Communists routed at the bridge of the Asnières, 1871. 'The right wing of the whole Communist army lay beyond the Seine...The proper bridge of Asnières was destroyed, as our readers will remember, during the Prussian siege; but the railway bridge still remains, and there was a bridge of boats also. The Communists, on the 17th April, not only occupied Asnières, but had intrenchments and barricades as far as Colombes...it was especially important to get possession of Asnières, to obtain a second position for crossing the Seine...Some Versailles mitrailleuses, placed on the right of the Communist intrenchments, forced their defenders to abandon them...shot was rained upon the fugitives. The rout was complete; and when the Communists in flight were stopped by the Seine, their bridge of boats became insufficient to carry them across. They threw themselves upon it pell-mell, some falling into the river...This capture of Asnières was effected so quickly that the attack was not known in Paris till it was already too late to send reinforcements...The number of killed, wounded, and prisoners was large'. From "Illustrated London News", 1871.