Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-07-08
From the N. Y. Courier and Enquirer
The Russian Army Service

SeVere-lt Is nlercllSSs, iHilthldn-ln ne Ieest ina
tention, the slightest fault, IS visited with th
most cruel corporal ehastisement- sar
Should the unhappy eulprit who was senie6ce
to receive thousand lashes, die under the inflit
fion after having received the first five hundred
the remainder of the sentence is executed on hi
dead body-Tbe writer has seen an officer delhi
erately pluck out by the roots, one of the whis
sers from the face Of soldier The man did no
! stir. Constantine. the brother of the late Empe
ror, as deliberately, on parade, pierced with hi
sword the foot of Colonel, and thus fastened i
| to the earth The officer did not stir till tn
Prince had withdrawn his sword. He then fel
and was removed. This feat was performed By
that execrable tyraut to prove to foyeign Officer
the degree of perfection which discipline had OBJ
tanned in the Russian army.--On another occasion
the Colonel of regiment ordered four soldiers tC
stand forth Having ordered them to kneel down
| he beckoned to party stationed at a distance tc
! approach Ho announced to the soldiers that they
were about to be shot, and asked them to state any
reasons why they should not undergo the sentence
eve are not aware of having doue anything to
deserve this punishment" was the reply, ':but our
commanding officer knows best" The party fired
one man fell dead fright alone had killed him, as
the guns had been loaded with only blank cartrid-
ges. "Well, what do you say to this y asked the
Colonel, addressing the English officer, for whose
instruction this instance of military discipline was
exhibited They deserved to be shot, was the an-
swer, for their cowardice-they ought to have
bayouetted you before they knelt down. 5''s7s
When the order is issued from the highest quar-
to their subordinates. These notify TO the noble
landowners that quota is expected, and fix the
number Of men each has to supply. The lord gen
orally picks out the worst the weakest, least useful
portion of bis unmarried serfs for the army, keep
ing in bis service the strongest, healthiest, best
conducted and most useful--a matter easily man
aged with the inspecting Commissary b. means Of
a bribe. .. -.E,r f---.-s
Prior to their enlistment, very often these poor
fellows must be married A notice to that effect
IS sent to the priest, who appoints an early day
for the ceremony. The young men and an equal
number of young women are placed in two Oppo-
site rows, and as the priest passes through the
ayenne just formed, be unite5 tbs two persons
who happen 10 face each other. Proceeding to
echurcb, the marriage ceremonies are performed.
Sometimes it happens that young men and VIC
men, between whom m1tnal attachment exists,
are thus separated; but an indulgent lord general
ly consuts the incinations OF the parties. On the
other hand, such marriages furnish a cruel and
oppressive steward with frequent opportunities
Of gratifying pique or revenge.
After the wedding the recruits are permitted to
remain with their wives for some time, varying
from few days to even few weeks, after which
they join their regiments, leaving their wives be-
hind; years may pass without couple obtaining
intelligence from each other. Sometimes the wife
contrives to discover her husbands whereabouts,
and if she can obtain permission from the lord or
his representative and passport from the author
tiles, she goes in search of him. accompanied by her
children.
In Poland the system Of recruiting is very SC
we're. Every son in family, bat one, must serve
and even the last Is very often seized. Boys are
registered when they attain the age of thirteen
years Unexpectedly in the middle Of tie night
they are taken from their homes and conveyed to
q place OF safety, generally The barracks, where
they are placed with their faces against the walls
and measured; should any look round for mo-
ment he receives slap in the face. After having
gone through The process of measuring and MD
icai examination military clothing is distributed
among them; they are kept close prisoners in the
barracks till they are called out to march. Having
been conducted to the market place or some large
square, they are torn from the arms of their dis
tracted mothers and weeping sisters, and marched
of to the depot There they are distributed to
various stations TO be incorporated into regiments
of infantry cavalry or the navy, according to their
sizes. They are taught the rudments of a Rus
sian education, and many are taught trades. AT
ter having acquired thorough knowledge Of mil
itary exercises and soldiers duties, after a few
years service they sometimes obtain a furiough,
in virtue Of which they erjoy the privilege of ex-
ercising some handicraft for their own beueft,
though they must of course be ready TO join their
at moments notice. For such per-
NIT or pas" they must pay to the government
five silver roubles annually.
They drilled into trades as they are into
the military exercises, by blows. BY blows are
taught the notes to those who selected for mil
itarv bands, and the manner in which these rude
peasants execute the most difficult musical COM
position after a few months training tand hard
practice) is really astonishing.
The manner in which the soldiers drafted for
the artillery are trained to that arm, is not lit
tie original. When they hear cannon fred for
the first time, they tremble with fear. 10 conquer
this weakness in those who most exhibit it, they
are tied astride upon a gun, which is then fred
off This experiment once or twice pcated, never
fails of the desired effect.
The length of service is twenty-five years, to
reckon from the eighteenth year of the soldiers
noe so that he is entitled to his discharge after
having attained the age of forty three. He has
always some money to receive in the shape of ar
Fears of pay, so that if he be a careful man he
nav commence life, for which it is not too late at
that age. But unfortunately the Russian, {wheth-
er soldier or civilian, whether freeman Eor slave)
is too much addicted to drinking to DO any good.
Old soldiers are always provided for by the State,
in the way of inferior emplOyments such as mes
scngers, servants house guardians, and the like
On the railway between Moscow and PetersburgF,
some thousands are employed to keep the road
clear, act az guards, policemen &c. Private fam
lies pyefer them as servants, as they are civil,
obedent, kind sincerely attached to their masters,
and far more honest than Russians generally are.