The Somerset herald and farmers' and mechanics' register. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 183?-1852, 1847-09-07

if they were all drawn up by pulleys.--
The costume of the Tartar soldier is a
blue irock, trimmed with silver, and a
kind of scul cap, bound with fur; in his
hands he carries spear, the end of which
he rests upon the head, between the ears
of his horse. Then came the chevalier
lancers, splendid looking men, dressed in
white cashmere; with heavy and highly
polished brass breast plates and brass he'll
NETS, surmounted by the imperial eagles,
all mounted upon most elegant horses.
Regiment after regiment passed by,
each regiment with different coloredborses
and the horses in each regiment so wrll
matched in siz e. form, color, and indeed
every respect, that to distinguish them
each had braided in his name his number
upon small plate. The lancers are all
picked men, and are the flower Of the
Russian army, the officers being of noble
birth; and were it not for the different col
ored pennants they carried upon their
lances. and the color of their horses, no
one regiment could be distinguished from
another, so nearly alike are they. After
the lancers came the Imperial Hussars,
in their costume of red, with high fur
caps, and mounted every one upon white
steeds. This regiment, it is said, is the
fayorlte regiment of the Empress. Then
came the Imperial Carbineers mounted
on black horses, and dressed like the Ian
GERS, except that their helmets and breast
plates were of steel, highly polished
Following these came the Cossacks-their
black steeds carrying their head high in
the air. The dress of the Cossacks is
similar 10 that of the Tartars, which |
have above described, except in their caps
which are high and Of fur; their weapon
is steel sharp pointed lance.
The rear of this immense body of cav
airy, amounting to over 10000, was
brought up by regiments Of mounted ar
tillery, six horses three abreas9 to each
gun, and Of sappers and miners; and then
came the baggage wagons and the ponton
train. But the greatest sight was the
marching of the horses attached to the
different regiments. They seemed like
machines. You think il "strange" no
doubt, aud yet It's no less "strange than
true, that every horse in marching kept
perfect time with his feet with the music
never saw soldiers on foot do it better
indeed not so well-for when a quick
lively tune was played by the music, every
horse commenced trot and kept up the
same uniformity Of step as before when
on walk. And then to see those horses
wheel by companies and in double order
coming round with the precision of
compass describing a circle, il exceeded
any thing ever imagined.
After the whole army for the Imperial
Guard is organized as an entire and dis
tinct army had passed in review before
the emperor, the infantry left the field, and
the cavalry remained in full possession
of it, and went through with some evo-
lutions. First the Caucasians came at
full run down the field, and then the other
regiments in succession. After this, the
whole body stationed themselves at some
distance opposite the Emperor, in close
order, and at given signal half of this
body, over $4,000 horscmen, started on
run, and suddenly halted few feet in
advance of the Emperor, preserving as
they halted, the same compactness and |
the same perfect front which they had
before starting. A few more evolutions,
which | have not time to write about |
now, finished the review of the day-a |
day which has done much to impress on |
me the remark of Napoleon. that with an
army OF Russian soldiers, he would con-
quer the whole world. He spoke of the
soldiers, not of the officers, of whom he |
had not a high opinion. The Russian !
soldier is a mere machine, and not |
thought bevond his church and the En- |
peror-and for both he believes 1t his du- I
ty to live aud die. Most of the army is
composed of serfs or slaves; and the pay /
Of the soldier is only about three dollars I
per annum. He Is fed upon coarse
bread and kind Of soup, and upon some
great fete day he is given meat as luxu- |
ry. The pay of the Russian officers is
also very small A lieutenant gets but |
500 rubles per annum, which is little |
more than SlOO; a captain 700 rubles, /
and Colonel only 1000 rubles. You |
ask how they live! The officers gener-
ally have a competency beyond their pay;
some few there are who have not. and |
their condition is worse than the soldiers |
for the latter is provided with uniform |
and is fed at the expense Of the Emperor.
finish this letter by daylight, and yet
il is after 10 o'clock, P. NJ. The sun !
does not set here, at present, until Or NJ.
Yours, &c.