The Sun.
London, England, 1857-09-22 00:00:00

THE .FRENCTI FOREIGN LEGION.

In considering the formation of a Foreign Legion
it may be interesting to t peruse the following
sketch of the French Foreign Legion, held so
highly in esteem by that nation
"In 1815, immediately after the restoration,
iiumb.lrs of Italians who had served under Napo-
leon found their way to France in order to enrol
themselves into the French army. They were
formed into a corps, the organisation of which was
entrusted to an officer named Holienlohe, from
whom the corps took the name under which it
served in the occupation of the Morea.
"After the revolution of July 1830, this corps,
which had become reduced in numbers, was by
Louis Philippe incorporated in the French army
as the 21st Regiment of Light Infantry (now the
9oth Regimgnt of the Line).
"In 1831 it was thought) desirable to raise
another foreign corps for the purpose of being sent
do Algeria. It was composed of many battalions of
various nations, among other there was a Belgian
and likewise German and Italian battalions. This
formation, however, was not found successful,
and therefore from time to time as reinforcements
of recruits arrived from France the various nations
were gradually intermixed. Yet this was not
thoroughly affected until 1839. It the engage-
ment of the Pont de la Machta, one of the battalions
was cut to pieces by the enemy, owing, it is said,
to a bad esprit which existed in one of the bat-
tilions;

" In 1835 these troops were given over to Queen
Christina of Spain, to fight against Don Carlos.
They served under Generals Bernelli and Conrad,
and after the death of the latter they were com-
manded by Colonel Ferrari, a Neapolitan, who had
served many years in the gipoleonian army. Dur-
ing this civil war in the Peninsula, they performed
many gallant deeds, and it is very worthy of re-
mark, that during a period of 18 months, during
Which they received neither pay nor rations, not
the slightest perception of discontent prevailed.
"In the year 1838 these foreign battalions, after
having Buffered extremely, were reduced iu all to
about 400 or 500 men ; these were ordered to cross
the Pyrenees to Pau and Perpignan, where they
thou became the nuclei for the formation of two
regiments of three battalions each. On this new
formation it was deemed advisable to entirely
amalgamate the men of the different nations about
to compose the force. Two-thirds at least of the
offiaera were to be Frenchmen, a certain portion of
the non-commissioned officers were,-on the- com-
mencement of the organiwion, likewise to be
Frenchmen. The corps was again destined to
servo in Algeria, where previously it had rendered
suca great services, and in 1839 it proceeded there.
It distinguished itself during the second expedition
to Constantine at the storming of which place it
behaved admirably. It was on this occasion that
St. Arnaud was promoted to the rank of Captain,
and was decorated, and remarked that he owed
bot!i to the bravery of these foreign soldiers. This
force took apart in nearly every engagement in the
Algerian campaign. In 1849, at the storming of
Znateha, its flank companies under the command
t'f Meyer, a Swiss, singularly distinguished them-
e lvee in leading the forl-.rn•hopo.
_i_"110.1 1.852 the Ist regiment was praised, a
16,87 ' ,L,,,r2irder for it 4 very admirable conduc s at
Kiss, under General Montauban.
u
e- Algeria, where all public works and roads
"4 made br the t-cops,
the Eugineers' officers
aleveye solicit working parties from the Foreign
leg on, On account of their winingue33 and dispo-
vsit,en.
marshal Pelissier, when commanding in Al-
teria, placed more dependence in the Foreign Le-
,gio teaniin any other troops under his command.
:In IRA -the corps was sent to the Chines.
The
gi made by it at the Alma, and its Vely heroic
be'aavionr at the taking Of the Memel.) n, together,
"with it 4 remarkable patience and endurance during
'the e.:tire winter of 1854, caused its fame to be
`etene more eAtblished than before. On the 10th
of M by, 1856, Napoleon 111. offered naturalisation
to all serving in it. Those who accepted were
tra.asferred to the regiments they selected in the
rue, tiler ferce, while the remainder formed a.nu_cle_u_al
tier its present formation, which took place 11114;5.1'.51
and proceeded once more to occupy Algeria.
fore is about 6,300, and it is composed in rutin
•ninn.)-ers of the following nations, intermipd an
divided into battalions :
Cermans
Swiss
2,500 ,
Itelians
Spaniards
Dutch............................
Belgians ..........................

To' al 6,300
" Et is now s-rvinL; under Marshal Landon, and