mptly proceeded to exact from each household a
musket, a coat, a complete kit, or a sum of money, according to their
humour, so that before evening those who had arrived naked and penniless
were provided with complete uniforms and had money in their pockets.
These exactions were levied under the name of a contribution, but before
the day was ended naked and undisguised pillage began.

Someone asserted that during the assault on the barracks a certain
individual had fired out of a certain house on the assailants. The
indignant people now rushed to the house indicated, and soon left nothing
of it in existence but its walls. A little later it was clearly proved
that the individual accused was quite innocent of the crime laid to his
charge.

The house of a rich merchant lay in the path of the advancing army. A cry
arose that the owner was a Bonapartist, and nothing more was needed. The
house was broken into and pillaged, and the furniture thrown out of the
windows.

Two days later it turned out that not only was the merchant no
Bonapartist, but that his son had been one of those who had accompanied
the Duc d'Angouleme to Cette when he left the country. The pillagers
excused themselves by saying they had been misled by a resemblance
between two names, and this excuse, as far as appears, was accepted as
valid by the authorities.

It was not long before the populace of Nimes began to think they might as
well follow the example set them by their brothers from Beaucaire. In
twenty-four hours free companies were formed, headed by Trestaillons,
Trupheny, Graffan, and Morinet. These bands arrogated to themselves the
title of National Guard, and then what took place at Marseilles in the
excitement of the moment was repeated at Nimes with deliberation and
method, inspired by hate and the desire of vengeance. A revolt broke out
which followed the ordinary course: first pillage, then fire, then
murder, laid waste the city.

M. V______'s house, which stood in the middle of the town, was sacked and
then burnt to the ground, without a hand being raised to prevent the
crime.

M. T______'s house, on the road to Montpellier, was sacked and wrecked
and a bonfire made of the furniture, round which the crowd danced; as if
it had been an occasion of public rejoicing. Then cries were raised for
the proprietor, that he might be killed, and as he could not be found the
baffled fury of the mob vented itself on the dead. A child three m