mayors of, 80, 120, 128, 132–33, 141, 160
newspapers of, 25, 41, 65, 72, 73, 78, 80, 82, 85, 89–90, 96, 99, 106, 108, 118, 121, 123, 125, 130, 132, 141, 144, 145, 146, 148, 241n
omnibuses in, 30, 87, 91, 110, 116, 152, 205
police in, 60, 89, 172–73, 182
political clubs in, 95, 114–15, 118, 121, 127, 155
political situation in, 73–77, 95, 114–15, 118, 121, 127, 147n–48n, 155
population of, xv–xvi, xix–xx, 31–33, 34, 46, 72, 76, 78, 84, 85, 89, 99, 107, 109–10, 127, 135, 140–41, 146–47, 150–53
poverty in, 24, 95, 128
prices in, 86, 113, 116, 117, 126, 134, 145
prisons of, x, 43, 67, 74, 100–101, 141, 175, 182–85, 196, 201–2, 205–6
Prussian occupation of, xix–xx, 2, 109–10, 147, 150, 151–53
Siege of, see Siege of Paris (1870–1871)
trees cut down in, 77, 116, 118–119, 127, 132, 142
working class in, 22, 24, 95, 128, 150–51, 155
Paris Commune, 1871, The (Edwards), 189n
Paris Exposition (1867), 24
“parlementaires,” 119–20
Péreire, 21
Père Lachaise cemetery, x, 205–6
Philadelphia Telegraph, 216
Picard, Ernest, 35
Place de la Bastille, 158, 200
Place de la Concorde, 91, 115, 140, 153, 176, 180, 194, 195–96, 199
Place Vendôme, x, 31, 32, 75, 163, 186, 188, 189–90, 195, 196, 199
Pope, Alexander, 103n
Porte Maillot, 153, 174, 175, 176
Porte St. Cloud, 193–94, 202
Prefecture of Police, 60, 89, 172–73, 182
Prévost-Paradol, Lucien-Anatole, 33
Prussia, 24–26, 29–32, 49–50, 89–92, 98–99, 106
Pyat, Félix, 141
Read, John, 72
Recollections of a Minister to France (Washburne), xvii–xviii, 3–4, 19n, 34, 36n, 218
Reynolds, William, 60, 62n
Richard III (Shakespeare), 55n, 180n
Rigault, Raoul, 172–73, 182, 188n, 190, 201, 206
Riggs, Joseph Karrick, 159–60
Rothschild, Alphonse and Gustave de, 84, 116, 143
Rothschild, James de, 84n
Rue de Chaillot, 119, 175
Rue de Londres, 75, 113n
Rue de Rivoli, 41n, 61, 140, 176, 199, 200
Ryan, Larry, 154
Saarbrücken, Battle of, 30
St. Louis Globe-Democrat, 217
Salpêtrière hospital, 123–24
Sand, George, 24
Schmit, Antoine, 63, 93, 103, 120, 126, 142, 147, 161, 170, 178, 196
Scott, Winfield, 14
Scribner’s Magazine, 218
Second Empire, 23–25, 31n, 36n, 43, 44n, 52, 108, 139
Sedan, Battle of, 2, 41, 49
Seine River, 95, 163
Shakespeare, William, xv, 4, 55n, 105n, 141n, 180n
Shelley, Percy Bysshe, 4, 138n
Sherman, John, 217
Siege of Paris (1870–71), 51–145
arrests in, 67, 77, 89, 100–101
assembly convened in, 147–48
barricades in, 51, 64–65, 95
bombardment during, xvi, 54, 57, 59, 61, 64–65, 67, 72, 81, 84, 96, 97, 119, 121, 122, 123–45
bread supplies in, 86, 97, 106, 133, 134, 137, 139, 141–42, 144
cavalry presence in, 140–41, 145
commencement of, 32–50, 51, 58, 66, 144, 214n
death toll in, 1, 57, 84, 95, 104, 107, 108, 123, 127, 129, 132, 134, 135, 136–37, 141–42
elections held during, 76, 147n–48n, 165, 166
food supplies in, xv–xvi, 1, 51–52, 57, 58, 59, 64, 67, 69, 77, 80, 84–85, 86, 87, 99, 101, 106, 107, 108, 110, 112, 115, 116, 120–21, 123, 126, 135, 137, 139, 141, 142, 144, 146–49, 241n
fuel shortages in, xv, 1, 51, 77, 95, 116, 118–19, 121, 123, 126, 127, 128, 132, 134, 142, 144
German refugees in, x, xiv–xv, 27, 37–41, 48, 56, 67–68, 82, 86, 88, 89, 93, 100–101, 108–9, 118, 121, 123, 124, 126, 134, 142, 143n, 151, 184, 208
lifting of, 76, 84, 95, 100, 104, 144–45, 146, 147–48, 149, 154, 155
morale in, 31–33, 34, 59–60, 68n, 69–70, 72, 78, 84, 85, 88, 89–92, 95, 97, 98, 102, 104, 107, 109–10, 123–24, 127–28, 140–41, 146–47, 150–53
provisional government of, 42–48
Prussian blockade during, 49–50, 56, 60, 62, 63–64, 67–69, 71, 72, 78, 79, 83, 84, 89–92, 96, 97, 98–99, 100, 101, 109–10, 136–40, 143
radical movement in, 35–37, 42–43, 44n, 45, 47, 62, 71, 73–77, 95, 114–15, 118, 129, 140n, 141, 147n–48n, 150–51, 155
rations in, 67, 69, 106, 137, 139
reign of terror in, 2–3, 26, 155, 156–65, 172–73, 185, 193, 194, 208–9
riots in, 1, 24, 57, 72, 84–85, 95, 118–19, 141–42, 146–47
spies in, 40, 48, 89
starvation in, xv–xvi, 1, 59, 65, 77, 84–85, 99, 101, 106, 110, 115, 120–21, 123, 126, 135, 141, 144, 146–47
surrender in, xvi, xix–xx, 2, 95, 107, 124, 129, 130, 133, 142, 143, 144–45, 150
troops in, 54, 56, 58, 65, 73–74, 75, 89, 90, 91, 96, 98, 140–142, 145, 146
U.S. citizens allowed to leave in, 53, 60, 61, 62, 67–68, 70, 71, 78, 83, 110
U.S. community in, xiv, xv, 37, 39, 48–49, 52–53, 54, 56, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 64, 67–68, 70, 71, 78, 79, 82, 83, 93, 104, 105, 110, 117, 129, 149–50
U.S. property in, 48–49, 82, 93, 149, 150
Washburne’s views on, xiii, xiv–xvi, xix, 1, 2, 26, 51–145, 214n
women and children in, 67, 108–109, 121, 132, 136
wood supplies of, 77, 95, 118–19, 121, 126, 127, 132, 134, 142
wounded in, 96, 104, 108, 113, 127, 129, 132, 134, 135, 136–37, 138, 149
Simon, Jules, 36
Spicheren, Battle of, 30
Spotsylvania, Battle of, 17
Stanley, Henry Morton, 211
State Department, U.S., 19–20, 28, 29, 39, 61, 82, 124, 219, 232n–33n, 236n
Statue of Liberty, 211–12
Swager, Charles, 129, 149–50
Swinburne, John, 52–53, 55, 68, 96, 129, 154
Taylor, Zachary, 14
Thiers, Adolphe, 73, 80, 148n, 150, 156–57, 160, 161, 166, 169, 179, 186, 188, 189n, 195
Third Republic, 43–48, 63, 73–77
Tiffany & Co., 211
Times (London), 42, 209
Trochu, Louis Jules, 50, 61–62, 63, 64, 68n, 69, 70, 75, 99, 115, 121, 138–39, 140, 145, 146, 177
Turner Hall, 214, 221
Unity Church, 219
Versailles, 63, 64, 136, 149, 160–63, 166, 169, 170–71, 175, 177, 178, 179, 180–81, 185, 187, 193–206
Vicksburg, Battle of, 15, 29
Vieille Église, 198–99, 203, 209–10
Vincennes prison, 74, 116
Vinoy, Joseph, 139, 145
Virgil, 108n
Washburn, Cadwallader, 8, 12–13, 59, 212
Washburn, Israel, 5–6, 85, 212
Washburn, Israel, Jr., 12–13, 28–29, 35, 58–59, 71
Washburn, Martha Benjamin, 6, 220
Washburn, William, 12–13, 45
Washburne, Adele Gratiot, xiv, 9, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21–23, 25–26, 28, 37–41, 56, 64, 65–66, 71, 77, 80, 81, 96, 103, 104–5, 111, 125, 149, 150, 161–62, 203, 218–19, 221, 233n
Washburne, Elihu Benjamin:
as abolitionist, xiv, 13–14
appointment of, 4–5, 20–21, 51–52, 232n–33n
articles published by, 218
banking account of, 132, 143n
in Berlin, 29
biographies of, 8, 9, 232n–33n
birth of, 5
Bismarck’s communications with, 63, 6
7–69, 79, 82, 83, 100–101, 102, 103–4, 109, 112–13, 125, 130–31, 133, 139–40, 143, 184, 208
in Boston, 7, 8
in Brussels, 149, 150, 153
Burnside’s meeting with, 61–64
cabinet appointments and, 14, 16, 19, 232n–33n
cables of, 37, 43
at Carlsbad, 20n, 25–26, 27, 77, 210, 233n
carriage of, 93, 163, 166
character of, 4–5, 213, 217, 249n
in Chicago, 218–19
Chicago Fire donations administered by, 210–11
childhood of, xiv, 4, 5–7
in Civil War, xiv, 6, 13–17, 27, 32, 33–34, 72
as congressman, xiv, 9–19
correspondence of, xviii, 3–4, 45, 47–48, 55, 58–59, 64–65, 71, 72, 90, 119, 121, 129–30, 147, 190, 198–99; see also Fish, Hamilton; Washburne, Adele Gratiot
death of, 219
depressions of, xvii, 59–60, 64, 71, 80, 81, 96, 104–5, 116, 122
diary of, xvii–xxi, 1, 3, 4, 30, 155, 218, 220
dispatches of, xv, xvi, 3, 42, 46, 63, 74, 82, 86–87, 99–101, 102, 103–4, 111, 112–13, 118, 119, 121, 129–30, 131, 144, 186, 190, 191, 196, 204–5
duty as important to, xiii, xiv, 3, 77, 81–82, 96, 99–100, 154–55, 186, 190, 203, 205, 212–13
education of, xiv, 7–8
European trips of, 19n–20n, 211
family of, xiv, xix, 4, 9, 21, 22–23, 40, 47–48, 55, 56, 64, 65, 71, 81, 96, 99, 103, 125, 149, 153, 155, 158, 160, 161–62, 165, 170, 174–75, 176, 178, 179, 180, 184, 186, 194, 198–99, 203, 209–10, see also individual members
as farm laborer, xiv, 6–7
finances of, 5, 8, 82, 113, 116, 117, 126, 128, 132, 134, 143n
financial aid given by, 37, 40, 88, 93, 101, 124, 134, 143n
foreign embassies represented by, 64, 82
French government as viewed by, 43–48, 63, 73–77, 78, 83, 87, 89, 99, 104–5, 107, 108, 110, 112, 121, 128, 129, 130, 147–48
French studied by, 22
funeral of, 219–20
in Galena, Ill., 4, 8–12, 14–15, 18–19, 212, 214, 215, 217–18, 220–21
Grant’s relationship with, xiv, 3, 13, 14–15, 17, 18–20, 29, 46, 47, 155, 190, 212, 215–17, 232n–33n, 249n
Gratiot Washburne as assistant to, 38–39, 53–56, 58, 61–62, 64–65, 68, 70, 75n, 77, 81, 96, 100, 103, 111, 113, 114, 117, 121–22, 125, 137, 147, 149, 158, 160, 175, 180, 194, 218
grave site of, 221
health of, xvi, 1, 19–20, 25–26, 56, 64, 65, 68–69, 71, 72, 77, 106, 108, 131, 153–54, 178, 186, 210, 217, 218–19, 233n
at imperial court, 5, 23–24
as lawyer, xiv, 4, 7–9, 215
letters of credence of, 22
Lincoln’s relationship with, xiv, 13–17, 18, 19
Livermore, Maine as hometown of, 5–7, 212
marriage of, xiv, 9, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21–23, 25–26, 28, 37–41, 56, 64, 65–66, 71, 77, 80, 81, 96, 103, 104–5, 111, 125, 149, 150, 161–62, 203, 218–19, 221, 233n
memoir of, xvii–xviii, 3–4, 19n, 34, 36n, 218
Napoléon III as viewed by, 22, 23–25, 26, 29, 34, 41–44
papers of, xix–xxi, 4
Paris as viewed by, 4–5, 24, 25, 47, 64–65, 77, 83, 89–92, 107, 118–19, 127, 138–42, 147–53
physical appearance of, 5, 213, 217
as politician, 4, 9–19, 20, 215–17, 232n–33n, 249n
in presidential campaign (1880), 215–17, 249n
press coverage of, 5, 13, 14, 90, 208–9, 213, 215, 217
private secretaries of, 26, 155, 182n, 190
as Protestant, xvii, 79
reputation of, xiii, 12, 14, 19, 90, 105, 154–55, 190, 208–9, 212–17, 249n
resignation of, 212–13
as Secretary of State, 19–20, 29, 232n–33n
servants of, 177, 191–92, 194, 219
social life of, 20, 55, 62, 63, 80, 81, 84, 87–88, 113, 117–18, 131
speeches by, 11, 18, 214, 221
U.S. donations administered by, 149, 159n
as U.S. Minister to France, xiii–xxi, 1–5, 20–21, 43–48, 51–52, 61–65, 67, 73, 77, 81–83, 99–101, 105, 110, 111, 112–113, 125, 129–31, 133, 134, 139–40, 149–51, 153–55, 159–63, 167–68, 169, 171, 172, 173–78, 181–85, 186, 190, 191, 203–13, 214, 215, 220, 232n–33n, 236n, 241n
in Versailles, 162–64, 166, 167, 169, 171, 178, 179, 202
in Washington, D.C., xiv, xvi, 9–20, 32, 72
as Whig, 9–10
Washburne, Elihu Benjamin, Jr., 21
Washburne, Elihu Benjamin, III, 21
Washburne, Gratiot “Grack,” xiv, 9, 20, 21, 38–39, 53–56, 58, 61–62, 64–65, 68, 70, 75n, 77, 81, 96, 100, 103, 111, 113, 114, 117, 121–22, 125, 137, 147, 149, 158, 160, 175, 180, 194, 218, 221
Washburne, Hempstead, 21, 22, 218, 219
Washburne, Marie Lisa, 21, 22, 219
Washburne, Susan Adele, 21, 174–175, 198–99
Washburne, William Pitt, 21, 47–48, 49, 64, 90, 165
Weissenburg, Battle of, 30, 31
Welles, Gideon, 19
Wilderness, Battle of the, 17
Wilhelm I, Emperor of Germany, 29, 79, 151
Winnebago Indians, 9
Wolfe, Charles, 111n
Zola, Émile, 29–30
ENDNOTES
Prologue
1 Washburne would later write in his Recollections (II, 245) that his serious health problems dated back to his days in Galena, Illinois, where his “system had become thoroughly impregnated with malaria, bringing me to fever and ague, and bilious and congestive fevers, and to such an extent that I was finally disabled in 1866, obliged to leave my seat in Congress in early 1867, and to spend seven months in Europe in search of health.” No doubt the strain and demands of public life aggravated these medical problems both before and during his service as Minister to France. Although skeptical about the opinions of his doctors (once writing that the “whole medical profession is humbug”), Washburne always found some relief for his ills at the Carlsbad resort in Bohemia. “I . . . never failed to receive much benefit from the waters,” he later wrote.
2 Wickham Hoffman, a veteran of the American Civil War, was appointed Assistant Secretary to the U.S. Legation in Paris in 1866 under American Minister General John Adams Dix. When Washburne replaced Dix in 1869, he asked Hoffman to stay on and eventually promoted him to be First Secretary of the Legation. Washburne described Hoffman as a “good and competent man.”
Chapter 1
1 A republican politician who supported the Emperor and helped him maintain power through the creation of a “Liberal Empire” in 1869. He served in the Cabinet as Minister of Justice. On July 15, 1870, as France and Prussia headed toward conflict, Ollivier supported the war, crying out in the French legislative assembly, “Avec un coeur léger.” [With a light heart.]
2 Prévost-Paradol (the correct spelling) was the Minister of France to the United States in 1870. As the prospects of war became clear, he warned his fellow Frenchmen, “You will not go to Germany, you will be crushed in France. Believe me, I know the Prussians.” Nearly a month later, he would commit suicide in Washington. (Horne, The Fall of Paris: The Siege and the Commune, 1870–71, 39–40.)
3 A republican member of the French Assembly, he was a longtime opponent of Napoléon III and resisted going to war with Prussia.
4 A popular orator and politician during the French Revolution of 1789–1792. Considered a political moderate, Mirabeau favored a constitutional monarchy.
5 A republican member of the French Assembly. Like Favre, also voted against going to war.
6 A Deputy of the French Assembly and powerful conservative journalist during the Second Empire. A vocal opponent of Ollivier’s Liberal Empire, he pushed for war with Prussia.
7 A member of the Assembly from Paris.
8 French Minister of Foreign Affairs at the outbreak of the war.
9 According to Washburne, he was one of
the young “advanced Republicans.” (Recollections of a Minister to France, Vol. I, 77.)
10 Washburne described him as “an old time republican . . . nearly seventy years of age, and had for a long time been a prominent man in France, a republican always, but considered somewhat conservative.” (Recollections of a Minister to France, Vol. I, 77.)
11 To aid in the assistance of the German citizens trying to flee Paris, the Prussian government put $37,500 (over $600,000 in current U.S. dollars) at the disposal of Washburne and the American Legation. (Hoffman, Camp, Court, and Siege, 148.)
12 Galignani’s Messenger was a Paris daily newspaper published in English by Giovanni Antonio Galignani (1757–1821). At the time of its closing in 1904, it was the oldest newspaper printed in English on the European continent. Galignani also founded the first English bookshop on the continent in Paris in 1801. In 1856 the bookshop was moved to the Rue de Rivoli, where it remains open today.
13 One correspondent for the London Times reported on September 2, 1870: “‘You are living in a fool’s paradise,’ an intelligent friend, of Prussian proclivities, writes to me from England, ‘The Prussians are marching on Paris, and will be upon you before you know of their coming.’ ”
14 American Minister in London, 1869–1870.
15 Bazaine was a Marshal of France. Known for his outstanding bravery, he was a member of the French army for four decades, serving under Louis-Philippe and Napoléon III. After the surrender of Metz, he was sentenced to death, but the sentence was commuted to twenty years in exile. He eventually escaped and made his way to Madrid, Spain, where he died at age seventy-seven in 1888.
16 La Roquette prison—nicknamed “the Rocket”—was opened in 1830. It was the Paris prison in which condemned convicts were held until their execution.
17 Alistair Horne in The Fall of Paris: The Siege and the Commune, 1870–71 writes this of the National Guard: “The Paris National Guard was a kind of militia which, under the Second Empire, had originally been formed chiefly from the ‘reliable’ bourgeoisie, but in the emergency of August [1870] the Government had been pressed to expand it on more democratic lines, and it was already thoroughly permeated with Republican sympathizers.” (55)
18 A prominent French statesman and member of the French Assembly. He was one of the first members of the new Government of National Defense and served as Minister of the Interior.
19 A French military leader who served as President of the Government of National Defense in 1870–1871.