Vignix Memoirs, Souvenirs, and Reflections

[This is an index of the hand-written diary written in French by a 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 entries arranged in chronological order.]

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

See also Empire of Napoléon III; Napoléon III

casualties in, 46

departure for China, 23

entry into Vera-Cruz, 27

former troops marching against Parisians, 182

strength of, 46

Army of the Loire

commanded by d’Aurelle de Paladines, 43

conflict with Prussians, constant, 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

See also Republic (third, of 1870); Republican government

and Garibaldi, 43

immobilized in the provinces, 92

unable to rescue Paris, 92

weakness of, 110

Army of Versailles

See also National Assembly (Versailles); Versailles

attacked in Paris, 178

brutality of, 181, 186–87

intent to control right bank, 175

marching against Commune, 179

organization, 178

and the Paris Commune, 178, 179

and Thiers, 171, 178

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

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

See also Brussels

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

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

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 July17 (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 September13 (Vignix enrolls in National Guard), 36

1870 September14 (article from Le National), 37

1870 September16 (new armaments distributed to Vignix’s company), 36

1870 September18 (siege begun), 110

1870 September19, 68

1870 September28, 38

1870 September28 (Strasbourg capitulates), 136

1870 September29-30 (French defeats), 52

1870 September30, 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 November26, 46

1870 November28 (Trochu’s proclamation regarding attack; rejection of capitulation), 156

1870 November29-30 (attempts to break siege), 50, 52

1870 November30, 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

1870 December 15 (Paris meat supplies exhausted), 127