The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-17 00:00:00

THE FRENCH ARMY.

The French army, as at present organised, is composed
in the following manner :—For -the first or direct part,
of a general staff, a staff-corps, and a private staff for
the artillery and engineers ; for the second or adminis-
tering part, of a corps of superintendence, a medical
corps, a corps called that of the administrative services,
comprising three sections, and of a corps of troops of
administration ; for the third or fighting part, of infantry,
cavalry, artillery, and engineers. Not comprised in
these great divisions, we place the special troops
charged with the police of the interior in time of
peace, and with the police of the armies in time of
war, or the gendarmerie, and the military establish-
ments necessary for the renewal of the personal and
of the material. These great divisions being stated,
let us analyse their various elements separately, com-
mencing by the third and most important one, that of
the effective force of the army. The French infantry is
composed of 100 regiments of three battalions each, 20
battalions of foot chasseurs, 3 regiments of native sharp-
shooters, 3 of African light infantry, and, lastly, some
companies of veterans and of discipline. The 100 regi-
ments of the line can easily give immediately two bat-
talions of 1,000 men each, and have also the officers of a
third battalion, into which can be placed 100,000 or
120,000 men of the classes which have not yet termi-
nated the time of service due by them to their country.
The nine battalions of Zouaves, the six of the foreign
legion, the six of the sharpshooters and of the light In-
fantry, are on a war footing and can furnish from 20,000
to 25,000 men ready at once to enter on a camprign. Of
the twenty battalions of the foot chasseurs, ten are or-
ganised, and ten are in course of organisation, or rather
as the 10 already organised are being doubled to form the
20 lately decreed, it may be said that all are in the course
of organization. The elements being ready at hand,
that organization may be effected promptly, and in a
few months. The infantry is assured to reckon amongst
its ranks, 20 fine battalions of chasseurs, of 1,200 men
each, able to give war battalions of 1,000 men. It is
thus clear that the force of the French infantry, ready
to enter on a campaign, whilst leaving good staffs of
regiments at their depots in France, may be estimated
at 240 war battalions, or 240,000 men. The cavalry is
tem:nosed of 12 reserve regiments, 20 of cavalry of the
line,- 26 of light cavalry, all with five squadrons, and
eight regiments of light cavalry (four of African chas-
seurs, three of Spahis, and one of Guides), with six
squadrons. The mounted troops give consequently
300 squadrons. Each of the 52 regiments, with five
squadrons, may
rens of 130 horses each, and the eight regiments of
immediately furnish four war squad-
six squadrons
700 horses each. Thus the force of
the cavalry ready to enter on a campaign may be
estimated at from 32,000 to 35,000 sabres ; and
there remain to keep up the regiments, the fifth squad-
rons of good cadres, and of young horses. In addition,
our establishments for suppying horses and the breeders
throughout the country have a sufficiently great number
of horses, the improvement of which has been most
marked of late years, thanks to the enlightened en-
couragement given by the Government to that branch
of industry. The, artillery is composed of fourteen regi-
ments of sixteen batteries, and, in addition, one regi-
ment of pentonniers of twelve companies, thirteen com-
panies of military workmen,' four sqnadrons of flying
artillery, and five companies of veteran artillerymen. It
is known that each reserve, or campaign battery, is com-
posed of 6 pieces of 8 or 12, two of which are howitzers.
Each battery has an effective force of from 200 to 220
men and 160 horses. Each regiment can furnish in men
and material ten batteries on a war footing. The force,
therefore, of the artillery ready for battle is 360 guns, and
from 28,000 to 30,000 men, including the flying train.
The engineers form three regiments with two bat-
talions each, or 6,000 men. The first great division of
the army, that which we have called the directing part,
is composed of seven marshals of France, eighty gene-
rals of division, 160 generals of brigade, and 560 officers
of the staff, from the rank of colonel to that of lieute-
nant. The total force of the army at present able to
enter at once on a campaign is consequently nearly
300,000 men and 60,000 horses. Our nation has besides
all the elements to present in line, in a very short time,
an army composed of six corps d'armee, with four divi-
sions of infantry a division of cavalry, eight batteries,
and a light brigade being attached to each corps d'armee.
There are in the staffs, in the corps of superintendence,
in the officers of administration, in the troops of admi-
nistration, and in the 20,000 men of whom the corps of
gendarmery is composed, a sufficient force to supply li
every want and every service of such an army,—The
Pays.

ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS.—The following gen-
tlemen having undergone the necessary examinations for
the diploma, were admitted members of the college at
the meeting of the court of examiners on the 13th inst.:
—Messrs. David Watkin Roberts, Anglesea ; Christo-
pher Nugent Spinks, Warrington, Lancashire ; William
Augustus Joberns, Hon. East India Company's service,
Calcutta ; David Pollock, Coleraine, county London-
derry ; Richard Henry Heurtley Sankey, Farnham,
Surrey ; James Henry Brooks, Henley-on-Thames ;
Richard Nowell Halliwell, Dewsbury, Yorkshire ; Fre-
derick William Sayer, Newport, Isle of Wight ; and
William Hughes Clarke, Pontardulais, Llanelly, Car-
marthen. At the last meeting of the council, Mr. John
Lizars Lizars, of Canada, (formerly of Edinburgh), was
appointed, after a severe competition, a student in
human and comparative anatomy to this college, in the
vacancy occasioned by the retirement of Mr. Sylvester,
who, having had an assistant surgency in the Hon.
East India Company's Service, conferred on him by ,
Mr. Plowden, proceeds to the scene of his future
abours,