Memoirs, Souvenirs, and Reflections

[This is an index of a diary, hand-written written in French, by Joseph A. Vignix, a Belgian residing in Paris during the Franco-Prussian war and the Siege and Commune of Paris, 1870-1871. It is part of the Siege and Commune collection of Northwestern University's Department of Special Collections. There are two indexes: a main index and an index of diary entries arranged in chronological order. There were no length limitations, so I chose to break out subentries when there was more than one, instead of the more common 5-7.]

Main Index Excerpts

Page numbers indicating between refer to inserts bound between those pages.
Proper names are listed according to their accepted spellings. Vignix's variations are indicated in parentheses.
The letter "t" following a page number refers to a table.


A
Abd-al-Qadir (Abd-al-Kader), 112
Aboukir (Rue d’), 38
Adam (biblical), 24
Adam, Edmond
    Alsace-Lorraine proclamation signed by, between 160–61
    election of, 129, 133
The Advertiser (journal)
    French troops’ capture reported in, 47
    Gambetta’s stature reported in, 132
Aguesseau, Henri-François d’, 23
Aigle, Henri, Comte d’
    as Constituent Assembly candidate, 115
    election of, 129
Alger, 16–18
Aligre, Étienne d’, 23
Allix, Jules, 90
Alsace
    and Sergeant Hoff, 72
    Prussian acquisition of, 144, between 160–61
    Prussians conducting elections in, 122
Amat, Henri, between 160–61
Amiens, 101
Les Amis de la France (battalion), 104
Amouroux, Charles, 184
anarchists, 6
Andrieu, Joseph, between 160–61
Angoulême, Duc d’, 120
Anréhen, 23
Antonelli, Cardinal, 40
Anvers, 40
Arago, Emmanuel
    armistice proclamation signed by, 94, 128
    call to arms signed by, 81
    election of, 129
    elections proclamations signed by, 103, 114
    as Minister of the Interior, 130
    resignation of, 135
Arago, Étienne, 129
Archambault, Doctor, 67
Arlequin Rochefort. See Rochefort, Henri
Arlon gendarmerie, 120
armaments
    distributed to National Guard, 36
    forbidden in Paris during armistice, 101
    French vs. Prussian, 42
    shortages of, 56
    used against Paris, 67
armistice
    of 22 January 1871, 86
    of 28 January 1871, 96–102, 106
    and cease-fire, 97
    conditions summarized, 128
    discussions begun, 42, 149, 157
    and Favre, 94, 96, 99–102, 108, 128
    geography of, 99–100
    and the Government of National Defense, 94, 127–28
    government proclamation of, 127–28
    of May 1871, 151
    proposed, 42
    Prussian extension of, 138, 140–41, 142
    Prussians remaining in France after, 154, 161
    text of, 99–102
armistice expiration date (first, 19 February 1871)
    effects foreseen by Vignix, 109, 112, 122
    Prussians entering Paris after, 102, 105
    stated in armistice terms, 99
    Vignix’s reflections on, 138–40
armistice expiration date (second, 25 February 1871)
    announced, 140
    Prussian intentions regarding, 141, 142
    ramifications of, unknown, 145
Army of the East
    and Paris, 92, 107
    and the Prussian Army, 107
    retreat and disarmament of, 124
Army of the Empire
    casualties in, 46
    departure for China, 23
    entry into Vera-Cruz, 27
    former troops marching against Parisians, 182
    strength of, 46
    See also Empire of Napoléon III; Napoléon III
Army of the Loire
    commanded by d’Aurelle de Paladines, 43
    in conflict with Prussians, 107
    Paris, inability to defend, 107, 148
Army of the North, 107
Army of Paris
    armistice conditions imposed on, 100
    attempts of, to break siege, 77–85, 88, 118, 127
    concessions to, in armistice, 97
    humiliation of, 117
    intact division of, 128
    morale of, 91
    National Guard joining with, 148
    occupying the left bank, 148
    urged to attempt to break the siege, 97
    weakness of, according to Vignix, 110
Army of the Republic
    and Garibaldi, 43
    immobilized in the provinces, 92
    unable to rescue Paris, 92
    weakness of, 110
    See also Republic (third, of 1870); Republican government
Army of Versailles
   attacked in Paris, 178
    brutality of, 181, 186–87
    intent to control right bank, 175
    marching against Commune, 179
    organization of, 178
    and the Paris Commune, 178, 179
    and Thiers, 171, 178
    See also National Assembly; Versailles
Arnaud, Antoine, 184
Arnaud de l’Ariège, Frédéric, 133
Asnières, 36
assemblée constituante. See Constituent Assembly
assemblée nationale. See National Assembly (Bordeaux); National Assembly (Versailles)
Assembly of Notables (Versailles), 140
Aumale, Duc d’
    as Constituent Assembly candidate, 115, 120
    election of, 129–30, 135
Aurelle de Paladines, General d’
    as army commander, 107
    as National Guard commander, 158–59, 169
    and Thiers, 158
    Vignix’s opinion of, 158–59
Austria
    Empress of, 15
    and Mexico, 27
    Poland partitioned by, 126
L’Avant-Garde (journal)
    Cremer protesting replacement in, 163
    on Maréchal Barzaine trapped in Metz, 47
    suspending publication during Prussian occupation, 149
    Trochu’s resignation demanded in, 73
L’Avenir liberal (journal), 149
L’Avenir national (journal)
    legal actions against, 9
    political affiliations of, 8
    suspending publication during Prussian occupation, 149
Azy, Benoit d’. See Benoit-d’Arzy, Denis, Comte de

B
Bacciocchi, Princess, 59
Bancel, Jean-Baptiste, 125
Baral, General, 171
barricades
    erected across Paris, 166, 170
Barthélemy-Saint-Hilaire, Jules, 140
Bartholimi family, 59
Barzaine, Marshall
    orders published, 47
    scorned in France, 43
    as traitor, 46
Bas-Rhin, between 160–61
Bastille, Place de la, 145
bastions. See forts and fortifications
Batbie, Anselme-Polycarpe, 140
Baudin, Alphonse, 7
Bayet (ex-director of Mazas prison), 90
Beaufort d’Hautpoil, General, 96
Beaujon hospital, 184
Beaumarchais, Pierre Augustin Caron de, 35
Beauregard, General, 120
Beauregard (Rue)
    residents of, in 100th battalion, 39
    Vignix’s residence in, 39, 73
Bedeau, General, 48
Belgium
    and Les Amis de la France, 104
    Arlon gendarmerie of, 120
    Leopold I, King of, 40
    valor of, 104
    Vignix’s father dies in, 28
    Vignix’s letters to his brother in, 32–34, 41
    war news requested from, 34
    See also Brussels
Bellenger, Henri, 149
Belleville
    citizens of, before tribunal, 162
    and Paris bombardment, 88
Benoit-d’Azy (Benoit-d’Arzy; Benoist-d’Azy), Denis, Comte de
    as National Assembly president, 134, 135
    as negotiating committee member, 140
    as Orléanist, 135
Berger, Franklin, 21–22
Bergeret, General, 184
Berlin
    as battle cry, 32, 52, 178
    war funding requested from, 131
Bernard, Martin
    Alsace-Lorraine proclamation signed by, between 160–61
    election of, 133
Berry, Duc de, 30
Beslay (secretary, Union républicaine centrale), 97
Bismarck, Otto von, Comte
    armistice terms dictated by, 99–102, 138
    and Assembly of Notables, 140
    circular published in Paris, 42
    defeat of, Vignix’s cynicism regarding, 45
    and French civilian casualties, 76
    and French elections, 125
    Gambetta’s silence regarding, 103
    and governance of the Republic, 93
    “Might Makes Right” maxim of, 54
    and Thiers, 146
    war funding requested by, 131

Vignix Date Index Excerpts

Dates are arranged chronologically. There are three categories:
1. Dates in italics refer to events prior to the beginning of the diary.
2. Unitalicized dates with no parenthetical information refer to dates of diary entries.
3. Unitalicized dates followed by parenthetical notes refer to events discussed in the diary’s entries.

1282 March 29 (massacres of French in Sicily), 174
1318 January 24 (Philippe le Long frees his serfs), 118
1436 April 13 (the English run out of Paris), 185
1517 February 05 (François I asks for approval of Concordat), 117
1582 May 14 (birth of Marguerite de Valois), 31
1585 July 10 (assassination of the prince d’Orange), 30
1588 May 14 (Paris uprising against Henri III), 31
1589 January 05 (death of Catherine de Medici), 63
1610 May 14 (Henri IV assassinated), 31
1610 May 27 (execution of Ravaillac), 31
1610 June 29 (obsequies of Henri IV), 31
1642 January 09 (death of Galileo), 64
1645 May 14 (death of Louis XIII), 31
1647 July 17 (rise and fall of Mazaniello), 30
1653 December 27 (Cromwell elected protector of England), 40
1704 May 13 (death of Bourdaloue), 31
1743 February 04 (rights suppressed by Louis XV), 117
1755 May 26 (execution of Mandrin), 31
1778 May 30 (death of Voltaire), 31
1789 May 05 (opening of Estates General), 183
1791 April 02 (death of Mirabeau), 181
1792 February 01 (passports required for travel within France), 117
1792 April 06 (prohibition of ecclesiastic apparel), 183
1793 (starting date of France’s internal troubles), 180
1793 January 19 (Louis XVI condemned to death), 118
1793 January 21 (execution of Louis XVI), 28, 118
1793 January 31 (Comté de Nice annexed to France), 117
1793 March 18 (law regarding execution of returning émigrés), 166
1793 July 17 (execution of Charlotte Corday), 118
1793 October 09 (Republican Army takes Toulon), 118
1793 October 31 (execution of Brissot), 118
1794 February 15 (Convention decrees the tricolor to be the national flag), 132
1794 April 05 (execution of Danton and Camille Desmoulins), 182
1794 July 28 (execution of Robespierre ), 118
1794 September 12 (closure of Jacobins Club), 118
1870 September 03 (outbreak of war), 52
1870 September 04 (apologized for), 149
1870 September 04 (election regulations concerning), 113
1870 September 04 (French defense capabilities), 56
1870 September 04 (Paris city government discussed), 73
1870 September 04 (Republic proclaimed), 165
1870 September 04 (Republican Army restored), 43
1870 September 04 (Third Republic leaders discussed), 93, 96, 102, 109, 123, 126–29, 136, 149
1870 September 04 (Vignix’s belief in Third Republic), 139
1870 September 12, 35
1870 September 13 (Vignix enrolls in National Guard), 36
1870 September 14 (article from Le National), 37
1870 September 16 (new armaments distributed to Vignix’s company), 36
1870 September 18 (siege begun), 110
1870 September 19, 68
1870 September 28, 38
1870 September 28 (Strasbourg capitulates), 136
1870 September 29-30 (French defeats), 52
1870 September 30, 41
1870 October 03, 41
1870 October 13 (Vignix’s company sent to fortifications), 36
1870 October 14, 36
1870 October 28 (Metz capitulates), 136
1870 October 31 (armistice discussions begun), 42, 149, 157
1870 October 31 (Belleville affair), 162
1870 October 31 (proclamation regarding the defense of Paris), 149, 157, 165
1870 November 10, 42
1870 November 11 (French losses as of), 156
1870 November 12, 40
1870 November 14 (military reports), 47
1870 November 15 (report on Prussian artillery), 42
1870 November 24, 45
1870 November 26, 43, 45
1870 November 26, 46
1870 November 28 (Trochu’s proclamation regarding attack; rejection of capitulation), 156
1870 November 29-30 (attempts to break siege), 50, 52
1870 November 30, 41
1870 December 01 (gas unavailable in Paris), 48, 50
1870 December 02, 49
1870 December 02 (French defeats), 50, 52
1870 December 05 (Gambetta’s dispatches from Tours), 52
1870 December 09, 51
1870 December 11 (Gambetta’s dispatches from Tours), 52
1870 December 13 (Vignix authorized to change battalions), 39
1870 December 14, 51
1870 December 14 (Gambetta’s dispatches from Tours), 52



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