Rough fighting at Butte-aux-Cailles and place Chateau-d'Eau

La Commune de Paris. La Semaine sanglante. Thursday, May 25, 1871. The army of Versailles has concentrated its offensive against the Butte-aux-Cailles, a district in the eastern part of Paris. Facing the 3,500 Communards commanded by Wroblewski were General Cissey's 24,000 men. After hours of bombardments towards midday the general attack begins. The Versailles come across imposing barricades and the tenacity of the best battalions of the National Guard. The soldiers of Versailles blow up the walls of the gardens of the Salpêtrière hospital to allow the passage of their troops. This movement increases the pressure on the federated rear, and Wroblewski must therefore retreat to the right bank across the Pont d'Austerlitz with a thousand men and part of his artillery. Many Federates remain in their quarters, but many of them are captured and shot.

Other bitter fighting took place at Place du Chateau-d 'Eau (later Place de la République). On this barricade dies Delescluze, the civilian delegate to the war who is essentially the Minister of War of the Commune de Paris. Rather than be captured he voluntarily exposes himself to enemy fire.

Five Dominicans from Arcueil and nine workers from the convent are shot dead because they are apparently on the run because they are accused of being spies for the Versaillees.

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