Virginia statesman. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1828-1829, 1828-09-03

timing. The lowest pay IA the ermy IS a
/ shilling. nearly D sous per day, out OF
which after certain deductions made for
meat. clothes, and similar objects, there
remains two pence half penny, at least five
sous. atthe soldiers disposal. This pay,
which is moderate IN England, considering
/ the excessive high prices Of necessaries, IS
\ sand 10 be, on the continent, more than dou-
bic the pay of the German or French sol
der. No such things as arrears of pay or
ILLEGAL drawbacks are known. The En-
/ ghsh soldier eats a great deal, particularly
meat, and he drinks considerably more than
Inc eats. At home, beer is his habiual bev-
Ierage; when abroad, wine is distributed to
him, when the country supplies it. When
heis IN the field, he cannot do without fer
mented liquors, and rum comes very sea-
I sonably to revive his spirits in the hour Of
danger.
IL is impossible not to be struck by the
contrast presented by armies in their dur
nal economy, and their daily course of life.
Behold the French battalion arrive at their
bvouac, after a long and fatiguing march;
| as soon as the drums have ceased to beat,
the knapsacks are placed in circle be-
he1 the files ofthe arms, and mark Outthe
ground where the party Is to pass the night.
. Coats are DOTTED. Covered with nothing
but their c0p0tCS, the soldiers run about for
the provision; the camp kettle Is soon put
I on and boiling; trees are brought from the
woods and roughly shaped into posts and
beams; while the huts are erecting the air
|resounds in a thousand places at once, with
the blows of the axe and the shouts of the
workmen. Youmight fancylt was the CT
ty Idomeneus built by enchantment under
the visible influence of Minerva. While
waiungt till the meat Is boiled, our young.
soldiers, impatient of idleness are repair
ing their gaiter straps, examining their car
touch boxes, cleaning and polishing their
muskets. When the soup is ready II Is.
eaten IF thereis no wine, the converse
ton Is calm without being gloomy; and
they are not long in endeayoring to recover,
/ by q sound sleep, the strength necessary to
encounter the ensuing days fatigue. IT,
on the contrary, wine has been procured by
| the scouts who have been sent In search
Of water, and brought into the camp in bar
rels or skins, the night watch is prolonged,
the mirtb inspiring liquor goes round. and
I the old soldiers relate to the conscrpts, ran
ged round the fire, the battles in which the
| regiment has acquired so much glory.
They viii remble with delight ID express
ling the transports ofioy which seized them
when the emperor, whom they thought at
great distance, suddenly appeared in front
l their grenadiers, mounted on his horse
| and followed by his horse Mamelukes.
"Oh what a defeat we should have given
1.-The Russian and Prussian if the regiment
on our right had fought like ours-if the
lcavalry had been at hand when the enemy
began to give way! ifthe general of reserve
had equaled in bravery and talent, the one
who commanded the van guard! Not one
of those beggars-not a man would have
I escaped" Sometimes the morning drum
has beat, and day began to dawn before the
story tellers have finished. Meanwhile
they have frequently moistened their nara
tive as may easily be seen by the counter
Iauces of the auditory. But the intoxica-
ton of the Frenchis gay, sparkling, and
/ daring; tits the foretaste to them Of the bat
/ de and the victory.
Turn your eyes to the other camp; look
lat those weary Englishmen, lstless and al
most motonless, they are waiting like the
| SDahis of the Turkish armies, for their
slaves to pitch their tents, and prepare their
food. And yet they have only made an
exactly short march, and had arrived be-
fore two in the afternoon, on the ground
where they are to pass the night. The
bread and meat are drought to them, the
/ sergeant distributes to them their camp ser
vice and their secret tasks; he tells them
where they viii find the water, the straw,
/ and what trees are to be cut down. When
materials are brought be shcws them where
I each piece of wood Is to be laid; he scolds
I the awkard, and Furnishes the idle The
lash is not well adapted to awaken intelI-
| gence, as IS seen by the slowness with
which the shapeless nuts are prepared.
Where, then, is the industrious and enter
I pusing spirit ofthat nation, whichhas taken
the start of all others IN the projections Of
| the mechanical artsl The soldiers have
no notion fdoing any thing but what they
|are ordered; every thing which IS out of the
usual routine, is to to them a source of per
plexity and disapprObatOn. Once letloOse
from diciplne, they give themselves up to
excess, at which even the Cossacks would
be astonlshed. They get drunk whenever
/ they can, and their drunkenness Is cold a