The Sun.
London, England, 1857-09-08 00:00:00

THE CAMP OF CHALONS.

The Camp of Chalons is established in a vast
plain, about 12 miles to the north of the town.
The land ttiero is of little product or value, and
1.0,000 hectares (ablut 25,000 acres) have been
purchased by Governmen°. This extensive tract
will admit of the convenient establ.shment of a very
large body of troops, and includes, m.)roover, a
spacious manoeuvring ground. The Emperor is
greatly pleased with the locality, and takes
a strong interest in his Guard. The Moni-
teur de rArtnee and various correspondence
from the camp give details of its arrangements.
The Emperor's head-quarters are established on an
eminence commanding the camp, and facing the
north-west. Three wooden chale's have been
erected there—the centre one contains the Em-
peror's private apartments, the two others dining
and drawing rooms. Two double huts have
been fitted up for guests. Other huts, in
the rear of these huts, comprise a printing
establishment, telegraph office, kitchen, stables for
200 horses, storehouses for forage, lodgings for ser-
vants, &c. All the buildings are raised one metre
above the earth, are of elegant appearance, and very
comfortable. Between the two lines which they
form are the tents of aides-de-camp and orderly
officers, and of the soldiera attached to their par-
ticular service. Groups of fir trees give a shady
and agreeable aspect to the collections of build-
ings, which are arranged in a quadrilateral form,
250 metres wide'and 150 deep. The head-quarters
of General Regnault de St. Jean d'Angely, who
officiates as Major-General, are about half-a-mile to
the right of those of the Emperor. The camp which
fronts the Imperial head-quarters is an irregular
po'ygon, with protruding and receding angles ;
on three sides it is bounded by small rivers. On the
right of the camp, and in the vicinity of water for
the horses, the Artillery and General Morris's
three brigades of Cavalry have established
themselves. In rear of the Artillery of the Guard
are some Artillery and Engineers of the Line, the
waggon train, the slaughter-houses, &c. Each tent
contains 10 infantry men or 8 cavalry soldiers. The.
generals, with their aides-de-camp and staff, encamp
in rear of the troops under their command. In
front of the lines of soldiers' tents are rows of huts
for kitchens, and in front of these are mess huts for
officers, who take their meals together, on the Eng-
lish system. In rear of the centre of each division
is a hospital hut, making up 100 beds. Finally, a
railroad, nearly 16 miles long, and which will have
been constructed in less than two months and a
half, will shortly connect the camp with the Great
Eastern line.
The usual train of camp followers, sutlers, and
dealers in drink are, of course, already gathered
together in the vicinity of this great military ren-
dezvous. The French soldier, true to his habit of
finding a nickname for everything, has already
conferred on the principal assemblage of these itine-
rant shops the unflattering epithet of Coquinville.
The old Crimean amusement of amateur theatricals
is revived at the Chalons camp. The night before
last the Ist Regt. of Grenadiers of the Guard were
to open their Theatre du Prince Imperial. The in-
fant Prince is on the strength of that regiment, to
which all the actors and actresses belong. The
piece announced was the celebrated 'Saltim-
banques," immortalised by Odry. The prices of
admission are adapted to military purses, and the
private soldier enters on payment of one sou.
Shooting at targets will be another pastime of the
camp. The Emperor will give prizes, and, it is said,
will distribute them with his own hand. The ma-
noeuvres of the troops have as yet been confined to
divisions and brigades. The weather this month
has been hitherto rather wet, and on Friday a de-
luge, which descended just as the troops were going
out to exercise, compelled them to return to their
tents.