Inquiring the significance of this, I was told that the flags had been put up to protect the buildings--the owners, two American citizens, having in a bad fright abandoned their property, and, instead of remaining outside, gone into Paris,--"very foolishly," said our hospitable friends, "for here they could have obtained food in plenty, and been perfectly secure from molestation." We arrived at Versailles about 7 o'clock that evening and settled ourselves in the Hotel Reservoir, happy to find there two or three American families, with whom, of course, we quickly made acquaintance.

This American circle was enlarged a few days later by the arrival of General Wm.

B.Hazen, of our army, General Ambrose E.
Burnside, and Mr.Paul Forbes.

Burnside and Forbes were hot to see, from the French side, something of the war, and being almost beside themselves to get into Paris, a permit was granted them by Count Bismarck, and they set out by way of Sevres, Forsyth and I accompanying them as far as the Palace of St.Cloud, which we, proposed to see, though there were strict orders against its being visited generally.

After much trouble we managed, through the "open sesame" of the King's pass, to gain access to the palace; but to our great disappointment we found that all the pictures had been cut from the frames and carried off to Paris, except one portrait, that of Queen Victoria, against whom the French were much incensed.