The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-18 00:00:00

THE FRENCH ARMY.

At a moment when the great Army of the North of
France, under the personal command of the Emperor,
is attracting much attention—when the war in which we
are engaged gives an absorbing interest to everything
connected with the military resources of the two coun-
tries—and when in England a variety of circumstances,
and especially the late disclosures in the 46th Regiment,
make us rather dissatisfied with the administrative sys-
tem of our own service, it may not be considered unpro-
fitable to sketch comprehensively the organization of the
nighty force to which by land the safety and honour of
our nearest neighbour and ally are intrusted. They have,
like us, 100 regiments of infantry, of which 75 belong to
the line, and 2 are light infantry. Besides there there
are 20 battalions of Chasseurs-a-Pied, three regiments of
Zouaves, three battalions of African Light Infantry, nine
companies of Fusiliers de Discipline, three companies of
Pionniers do Discipline, two regiments of the Legion
d'Etrangeres, three battalions of Algerian Tiailleurs,
three companies of Sous Officiers Veterans, and three
companies of Fusilers Veterans. Each regiment is di-
vided into two bataillons actifa and one of reserve,
or, as we should term it, a depot to keep up its
strength. Each battalion is again subdivided into
eight companies of 100 men each, including one
company of Grenadiers, distinguisable by red facings ;
one of Voltigeurs, wearing yellow; and six of the Centre,
wearing green. Two regiments and a battalion of
Chasseurs form a brigade, and two brigades a a division.
The officers to a company are three—a captain, a lieu-
tenant, and a sons-lieutenant. Those to a regiment are
a colonel, a lieutenant-colonel, three chefs de bataillon,
one major, three captaines adjutant-major, one captaine
tresorier, one captain d'habiliment, one adjutant sous-
lieutenant, one porte drapeau.sous-lieutenant, one
tenant d'etat-major, and three medical officers. From
these details it follows that each battalion is about 800
strong, or nearly equal to one of our regiments; that
each regiment is about 1,600 strong, not including the
depot; and that it has 48 officers attached to com-
panies, and 17 having. duties which comprehend
the -whole body. With slight modifications, this ar-
rangement obtains regularly throughout the entire
infantry force of France, but it may be mentioned
that the Chasseurs-h-Pied, or, as they are more
commonly called, the Chasseurs de Vincennes, have bat-
talions 1,000 streng,—an increase of numbers probably
due to the dangerous and important nature of the ser-
vice which they have to perform.
The cavalry force consists of 12 regiments of reserve,
including two of Carabineers and ten of Cuirassiers ; 20
regiments of the line, including 12 of Dragoons and eight
of Lancers ; 25 regiments of light cavalry, including 12
of Chasseurs, nine of Hussars, and four of Chasseurs
d'Afrique. There are also three regiments of Spahis
and four companies of Cavalrie de Remonte. Each
cavalry regiment contains six squadrons of 100 men
each, and should therefore at its full war complement
muster 1,200 strong, but none are at present made up
to that size. Squadrons have twice the number of offi-
cers required by companies of infantry, there being a
captain-commandant, a second captain, and a first and
second lieutenant, and two sous-officers. Each regi-
ment has besides, like the infantry, its colonel, lieute-
nant-colonel, and other officers having regimental duties
including two chefs d'escadron, a captaine instructeur,
and two veterinary officers. The Guides, the Spahis,
and the Chasseurs d'Afrique have three chefs d'escadron
and three capitaines-adjutant-major. There may be
other modifications also in the organisation of the force,
but, as a general rule, the foregoing distribution of it
is pretty closely observed.
The French army possesses an artillery divided into
three classes—the first foot consisting of five regiments;
the second monte au =Ron, including seven regiments ;
and the third horse, made up of four regiments. There
are also reserved corps, and a regiment of pontoniers.
Each regiment contains five batteries, and each battery
consists, like ours, of six guns, but, as formerly noticed,
they are of considerably heavier calibre than ours, and,
being adapted to throw shot and shell alike, the howit-
zer is dispensed with. It is stated that the Emperor
had some difficulty in introducing this innovation upon
the former practice of the service, but its value seems
now to be generally admitted, and not the least of the
advantages secured by it is that of uniformity—a
great
point in such matters, as any person who visits the
Ord-
nance department at Woolwich will readily appreciate..n our
We are reducing the varieties of calibres employed f
service, but the rude
rsetamteainins,
of artillery guns still manufacture
of washichcomtphaeremdawn
knowledge of mechanics generally, renders it perhaps_
imprudent that we
.should yet pin our faith to any fixed
standard. The Emperor's new field piece at least ob-
viates those risks of mistake in ammunition adapted for
it, which not unfrequently arise where different sizes are
used amid the hurry and confusion of warfare. The
organisation of the artillery force in France, as in Eng-
land, demands a large staff of officers, including generals
of division, generals -of brigade, colonels, lieutenant-
colonels, chefs d'escadron, captains of the first and
second rank, lieutenants of the first and second rank,
sous-lieutenants performing the duties of first-lieutenants,
and sous-lieutenants-eleves in two divisions, who per-
form the duties of lieutenants of the second rank.

The engineer corps of the French army is made up of
three regiments—the first consisting of 11 companies,
the second of 15, and the third of 12-38 in all, and
officered like companies of the line.
It
is
to do more
than
'by which the
tnconsn
effective strength of the French army is sustained,
allude unnecessary,
t o the in
system a s
kof h like
riptitohnis e
but, before passing to other topics, it may be permitted
to point out that, while England, the least military of
the European Powers, finds no difficulty in raising
soldiers by voluntary enlistment, France, where the
earliest instincts of enildren point to the army, is obliged
to exact compulsory service from her sons, that she
may be safe at home and respected abroad. What
makes the contrast more remarkable is, that in the Eng-
lish army position and command are almost exclusively
in the hands of the privileged classes, whereas in France
there is nothing to prevent a young peasant rising from
the ranks by merit to be a marshal. In the one country
it is the only profession the upper ranks of which are
effectually closed to ambition ; in the other it is the
only ono that may be said to be entirely open.
The amount of public feeling which has been
elicited 'by the recent Courts-martial on Lieutenant
Perry plainly shows that we are not indifferent
to this view of the subject; for had we been
satisfied with the manner in which our troops are
officered it is not probable that the case referred to
would have excited so much attention. It has hitherto
ben discussed upon its individual merits ; but it is in
reality only one example of the fruits of a vicious sys-
tem, to which, as the following details show, the organ-
isation of the French army presents a noble contrast.
That army is placed by the Emperor under the supreme
control of his Minister at War, who, for the time being,
is Marshal Valiant. He has to assist hioi in the dis-
charge of his arduous duties a number of consultative
committees, the members of which are selected from
the
the General Staff. These take cognisance—one t
infantry, another of the cavalry, anotheran.
so on,
including of the
artillery, another of the fortification., _
other including the health of the troops
and
de-
partments. There is also
a very
bu well arranged
in the
series of bureaux for facilitating .
se The General
various branches of the
servi
France, the Etat
St if, or as it is called is

marshals,Major of h
in-
creased tOttlhe army, i
s ix
Amtbers
the oft headed
hoof mti n times
h idsu i isnt peacetowfparesr
nds
the name of Prince Jerome Napoleon—a fact which it
is only fair to mention, since it detracts somewhat from
the claims of a system founded and apparently worked
out upon the principle of rewarding merit, irrespective
of family interest. The general officers belonging to
the Etat Major are divided into two sections, the one
" active" the othe rin " reserve." The first consists of
80 generals of division and 160 generals of brigade. To
that section belong all the officers filling the chief com-
mands of the empire. It also includes a large num-
ber of inferior officers holding, or qualified to hold,
staff appointments, and who are thereby placed on
a very favourable footing for promotion as com-
pared with others of the same rank in the army
not so qualified. Up to the rank of captain they
rise by seniority as vacancies occur in the Etat
Major, but afterwards the rapidity of their career depends
upon the merit and ability they display and the extent
to which their services are appreciated by the Emperor
and the Minister of War. Of course, under such cir-
cumstances there is great scope for favouritism, but,
supposing access to the Etat Major at the outset care-
fully barred against stupidity and incompetence, the
danger arising therefrom must be much diminished.
This result is accomplished by rendering those alone
eligible for the Etat Major who have passed through
the special military school at St. Cyr, and taken the
highest honours there.
But, great as has been the care with which the Etat
Major of the French army has been organised, that
forams only a portion of the prevision which has been
%made to secure for this splendid service the full benefit
of the best energy and talent in the country. St. Cyr
and the Polytechnic are liberally endowed with
bursaries for the sons of distinguished officers, wLo
qualify themselves by passing the severe preliminary
examinations to enter. The cost of education, however,
must place both institutions beyond the reach of many ;
hmaovset
servedm eppriootror
portion
oin:s
and in consequence the colonel of each regiment, with
the sanction of the higher authorities, has the power to
fill up one-third of the vacancies as they occur from the
ffintoc et
appointments
years.under
Minister hinwrisothifreotivvl
less
sminetedarth:end w
colonelho
anothercgs
has
one
the
the power of trar ing from one • of
regiment or arm
the service to snot 'tie vacancies giving promotion
occur. The last st wtohohihara;
- ',appointments to the French
army belongs to t a., of the Polytechnic and St.
Cyr. The clever . the former, according to the ex-
aminations which they have passed, are appointed to the
Government mines, the roads, and bridges to the En-
gineers, the Artillery, or, last of all, as officers of the
line, for which, however, the abstract nature of their
studies is not supposed particularly to adapt them. The
students of St. Cyr, on the other hand, receive a special
military education, and are perfectly drilled and trained
as soldiers during the two years they remain at the
school. The system of purchase is unknown, but where
a man, otherwise willing to retire, is unable to do so
from his circumstances, it is not unusual to buy him
out.. Besides the educational establishments already
mentioned, ',there are others which, though not car-
rying with them commissions, form important auxi-
liaries to professional excellences. Among these
may be mentioned the Eccle d'Application de
l'Artillerie [et du Genie, the Normal School for
Tirailleurs, and that for Gymnastics at Vincennes.
The Norman School for Tirailleurs is also worthy of notice
in connexion with the constant practice which the French
soldier has in firing at marks. Every year he receives
500 ball cartridges for this purpose.
Among the different establishments connected with
the organisation of the French army, that for military
equipages appears to be for us one of the most important.
There are five central establishments for the construction
and repair of military equipages at Vernon, Chateau-
roux, Algiers, Oram, and Philipeville, with a squadron of
men for each, and a large staff of veterinary officers.
The Service de Santo of the French army is adminis-
tered by a staff including more than 1,000 men, and the
military hospitals form a separate department, with a
corps of 300 principal officers and first and second class
adjutants. Clothing and camp material go together,
and are supplied under the control of 70 officers and
adjutants, while the commissariat engage the attention
of 300 officers and adjutants.
The chief seats of the artillery establishments are at
Paris, Douai, Metz, Lafere, Strasbourg, Besangon,
Lyons, Toulouse, Rennes, Bourges, and Algiers, most
of these having schools in connexion with them. The
manufacture of small arms and of gunpowder is included
in the administration of this branch of service, which
also extends its care to the formation of a fine museum
and library. _

With reference to the Engineer Corps, its Led-quar-
ters are at Arras, Metz, and Montpelier, each having
schools in connection with them. The great school for
the application of artillery and engineering has already
been noticed.

The constitution of courts-martial in France has this
peculiarity, that there mast be one member upon them
of the rank of the accused, though his senior in
stan ding.
The stupendous and undue development which
military profession has received in France to the great
injury of its more peaceful and permanent interests fur.
niches an example which England does wisely not to
imitate as a whole, but there seem many important
points in that system by which we could improve our
own, and as the French army is adopting our plan of
manoeuvring- in extended line two deep, we, on our side,
need not be ashamed to copy improvements sanctioned
by the usage of our great ally. No one who is at all
acquainted with the immense development of the mate-
rial arts in England, and especially mechanics, can view
with other feelings than those of disappointment and
humiliation the undoubted fact that we are at presort a
gazed in repelling the aggressions of the barbarous north
with weapons of war which bear no proportion in their
superiority to that which exists in the amount of intelli•
gence and civilization engaged on either side.

THEATRE ROYAL HAYMARKET.

under the management of Mr. Backatene.
THIS EVENING, SEPT. 18,

Will be performed THE IRISH AMBASSADOR. Characters
by Messrs. Hudson, Chippendale, Howe, Rogers, and Cullentord
Miss Reynolds and Mrs. Buckingham.
Followed by the SPANISH DANCERS in a NEW BALLET.
To be followed by THE IRISH LION'. Principal character by
Mr. Budson.
To conclude with the Spanish Dancers In a New Ballet.