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Home > The Bastille > The fall > Letter

Jean Baptiste Humbert was a local inhabitant. He was a watchmaker from a middle-class quarter of Paris. He writes:

To the Bastille

”I was stopped by a local inhabitant, who told me, that some people were shooting near the city hall Hotel de Ville. I therefore hurried down to the place to get some ammo. Then I continued to the Bastille, meanwhile I charged my weapon. On the way, I met a group, who were also going to the Bastille, and I joined them. We met 4 soldiers, armed with riffles, and we asked them to join us. They answered, that they needed ammo. We gave them ammo enough for 2 shots. Then, armoured, they happily joined us. When we came to Hotel de Regie, we saw, that 2 boxes with ammo was destroyed, and I took some cartridges, which I could give to other who didn’t have any”.

Jean Baptiste Humbert