And take us on the roads again

Forty years after the fact, Sergent-Marceau claimed that he on the morning of the day in question had been at Danton’s place together with Desmoulins, Fréron, Fabre, Santerre, Brune, Duplain and Momoro, discussing the lynching of two men at the Champ-de-Mars. At nine o’clock, Legendre arrives and tells the group that two men had come home to him and said: We are charged with warning you to get out of Paris, bring Danton, Camille and Fréron, let them not be seen in the city all day, it is Alexandre Lameth who engages this. Camille, Danton and Fréron follow this advice and leave, and were therefore most likely not present for the demonstration and shootings (Revue rétrospective, ou Bibliothèque historique: contenant des mémoires et documens authentiques, inédits et originaux, pour servir à l'histoire proprement dite, à la biographie, à l'histoire de la littérature et des arts (1834),p. 284-285). Desmoulins is nevertheless confirmed to have shown up at the jacobins’ evening session the very same day to talk about the split with the Feuillants and bring to attention the fact that his journal since six weeks back has been unable to reach Marseille. Sergent-Marceau too was there.

Robespierre did, according to the memoirs of his sister Charlotte, see the shootings with his own eyes. He is confirmed to have been at the jacobins’ evening session and there have intervened twice, first asking that commissioners be appointed to find out and report back what exactly is going on in Paris, and then lamenting the sad state of affairs. Both Charlotte, Fréron and Philippe Lebas Jr. write it was on this day Robespierre moved in with the Duplay family on rue Saint-Honoré 398 Charlotte claims that this happened when he was walking away from the massacre following said street. A considerable crowd then showed up, recognized him and started shouting vive Robespierre!, which caused Maurice Duplay to come out and offer Robespierre to rest up in his house. Fréron on the other hand writes that when leaving the jacobins in the evening and crossing its courtyard, which was filled with Lafayette’s soldiers who ”vomit[ed] imprecations and threats against the Jacobins” Robespierre got so scared that he had to grab onto Lecointre and La Poype in order to support himself. Not daring to go home he asked Lecointre if he knew any patriot in the vicinity of the Tuileries who could give him shelter for the night, whereupon the latter brought him to the Duplays. Philippe jr simply writes that on the day in question, a rumor had spread that ”the most influential members of the democratic party, and in particular Robespierre” were going to get arrested, causing his grandfather to offer him asylum. Charlotte claims her brother wanted to leave after an hour or two, but was made to stay for dinner and kept in the house for days.

Pétion too was at the jacobins’ evening session, where he held speech about the founding of the Feuillant club the day before, calling for calm in these ”stormy times” and for a circular to be sent to all the sister clubs.

Brissot admitted in a interrogation held October 15 1793 that his ”great occupations” had hindered him from attending the demonstration. He is confirmed to have been at the jacobin club in the evening and there have read aloud the circular to the sister societies regarding the split with the Feuillants Pétion proposed writing. At the very end the circular says the following, apropos of the day’s event on Champ-de-Mars: ”Something has just happened at Champ-de-Mars: the blood of the people has flowed. Brothers and friends, beware of false stories and slander that may be directed at you. We owe you the truth, you know that.” The circular was approved.