Accordingly, at seven o'clock in the morning, the fire on the part of the French suddenly ceased; and General Revest was deputed to pass over to Zieten's Corps, which of all the Allied troops was the nearest to the capital, for the purpose of offering a Capitulation, and requesting an immediate Armistice. Blücher, however, required from Marshal Davoust, the Commander in Chief of the French Army, a negotiator possessing greater powers, before he would finally agree to a Suspension of Hostilities; and indicated the Palace of St Cloud as the place where the negotiations should be carried on, to which point he then removed his Head Quarters.
During the contest at Issy, the Detachments on the left of the First Prussian Corps, under Captain Krensky, were engaged rather sharply with the Enemy between St Cloud and Neuilly; which ended in the French being driven back upon the Bridge at the latter place, towards which point also a body of British troops was advancing. Thus Zieten's Corps, the same that had opened the Campaign with the actions along the Sambre, had the honour of closing it with those at Issy and Neuilly on the Seine.
Officers, furnished with full powers by their respective Chiefs, soon met at St Cloud; whither the Duke of Wellington had already repaired in person to join Prince Blücher; and the result of their deliberations was the following:—
Military Convention.
This day, the 3rd of July 1815, the Commissioners named by the Commanders in Chief of the respective Armies; that is to say, the Baron Bignon, holding the Portfolio of Foreign Affairs; the Count Guilleminot, Chief of the General Staff of the French Army; the Count de Bondy, Prefect of the Department of the Seine; being furnished with the full powers of his Excellency the Marshal Prince of Eckmühl, Commander in Chief of the French Army, on one side: and Major General Baron Müffling, furnished with the full powers of his Highness the Field Marshal Prince Blücher, Commander in Chief of the Prussian Army; and Colonel Hervey, furnished with the full powers of his Excellency the Duke of Wellington, Commander in Chief of the English Army, on the other side, have agreed to the following Articles.
Article I. There shall be a Suspension of Arms between the Allied Armies commanded by his Highness the Prince Blücher and his Grace the Duke of Wellington, and the French Army under the walls of Paris.
Article II. The French Army shall put itself in march tomorrow, to take up a position beyond the Loire. Paris shall be completely evacuated in three days; and the movement behind the Loire shall be effected within eight days.
Article III. The French Army shall take with it all its matériel, Field Artillery, Military Chest, horses, and property of Regiments, without exception. All persons belonging to the Depôts shall also be removed, as well as those belonging to the different Branches of Administration which appertain to the Army.
Article IV. The Sick and Wounded, and the Medical Officers whom it may be necessary to leave with them, are placed under the special protection of the Commanders in Chief of the English and Prussian Armies.
Article V. The Military, and those holding employments to whom the foregoing Article relates, shall be at liberty, immediately after their recovery, to rejoin the Corps to which they belong.
Article VI. The wives and children of all individuals belonging to the French Army shall be at liberty to remain in Paris. The wives shall be allowed to quit Paris for the purpose of rejoining the Army, and to carry with them their property and that of their husbands.
Article VII. The Officers of the Line employed with the Fédérés, or with the Tirailleurs of the National Guard, may either join the Army, or return to their homes or the places of their birth.
Article VIII. Tomorrow, the 4th of July, at mid day, St Denis, St Ouen, Clichy, and Neuilly shall be given up. The day after tomorrow, the 5th, at the same hour, Montmartre shall be given up. The third day, the 6th, all the Barriers shall be given up.
Article IX. The duty of the City of Paris shall continue to be done by the National Guard, and by the Corps of the Municipal Gensd'armerie.
Article X. The Commanders in Chief of the English and Prussian Armies engage to respect, and to make those under their command respect, the actual authorities, so long as they shall exist.
Article XI. Public property, with the exception of that which relates to War, whether it belongs to the Government, or depends upon the Municipal Authority, shall be respected; and the Allied Powers will not interfere in any manner with its administration and management.
Article XII. Private persons and property shall be equally respected. The inhabitants, and in general all individuals who shall be in the capital, shall continue to enjoy their rights and liberties, without being disturbed or called to account, either as to the situations which they hold, or may have held, or as to their conduct or political opinions.
Article XIII. The foreign troops shall not interpose any obstacles to the provisioning of the capital; and will protect, on the contrary, the arrival and the free circulation of the articles which are destined for it.
Article XIV. The present Convention shall be observed, and shall serve to regulate the mutual relations until the conclusion of Peace. In case of rupture, it must be denounced in the usual forms at least ten days beforehand.
Article XV. If any difficulties arise in the execution of any one of the Articles of the present Convention, the interpretation of it shall be made in favour of the French Army and of the City of Paris.
Article XVI. The present Convention is declared common to all the Allied Armies, provided it be ratified by the Powers on which these Armies are dependant.
Article XVII. The Ratifications shall be exchanged tomorrow, the 4th of July, at six o'clock in the morning, at the Bridge of Neuilly.
Article XVIII. Commissioners shall be named by the respective parties in order to watch over the execution of the present Convention.
Done and signed at St Cloud, in triplicate, by the Commissioners above named, the day and year before mentioned.
The Baron Bignon.
The Count Guilleminot.
The Count de Bondy.
The Baron de Müffling.
F.B. Hervey, Colonel.Approved and ratified the present Suspension of Arms, at Paris, the 3rd of July 1815.
The Marshal Prince of Eckmühl.
Afterwards approved by Prince Blücher and the Duke of Wellington; and the Ratifications exchanged on the 4th of July.
The terms of the Convention were literally fulfilled.
On the 4th, the French Army, commanded by Marshal Davoust, quitted Paris; and proceeded on its march to the Loire: and the Anglo-Allied troops occupied St Denis, St Ouen, Clichy, and Neuilly. On the 5th, the latter took possession of Montmartre. On the 6th, they occupied the Barriers of Paris, upon the right of the Seine; and the Prussians those upon the left bank. On the 7th, the two Allied Armies entered Paris: the Chamber of Peers, having received from the Provisional Government a notification of the course of events, terminated its sittings; the Chamber of Deputies protested, but in vain. Their President (Lanjuinais) quitted his Chair; and on the following day, the doors were closed, and the approaches guarded by foreign troops.
On the 8th, the French King, Louis XVIII., made his public entry into his capital, amidst the acclamations of the people, and again occupied the palace of his ancestors.