The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1859-07-19
THE TURcos OF THE FRENCH ARMY.

:. A letter dated Novara, June 4, to the London
Telegraph thus describes some of the troops EN-.
ployed in the French army:
The Turcos are q collection Of Arabs, negroes,
Spaniards and French The same costume the
same flag and the same spirit belong to them all
Their faces are fierce looking; their features
strongly marked; their manners are rough and
reckless; their language is jargon OF all the
known and unknown tongues, and finds expression
in sharp, short, emphatic words, admirably adapted
to military service. Their audacity is astounding
ak the more so because 1t is natural to them, IS
not in any way put on, and is the daily habit OF
their lives Their recklessness has in it something
of the Terrible for they more for their own
lives than for the lives of others. They have an
ardent love of adventure, of danger, of battle aud
ofdifculty that is almost insurmountable Fighting
is to them pastime human life plaything;
they sport with deadly weapons as child with Its
TOYS If instinct, instead of reason, were not the
motive power of their acts they might be aptly
denominated the most ferocious, blood-thrsty cut
throat rutians heavens fair sunlight ever shone
upon. -- ..
Such are the Turcos. I leave you, therefore, to
imagine what their charges must be against an
enemy, when I add to the above details that they
are nimble as squirrels cunning as monkeys, and
savage as tgers.-Grapeshot eXcites their Jury 10
| the utmost A fusillade irritates them; charge
of cavalry is the sole thing they do not like. They
fly against the enemy like an arrow from its bow;
they fall upon him as the knife Of the gulllotlne
falls upon the condemned neck. The bayonet Is
the weapon they use; though their teeth are often
enlisted into martial service, for some of the
wretches love to suck the blood Of their foes. |
speak by the card. in making this disgusting
announcement. With my own ears heard, at
Vercelli, one of the barbarians declare that he
liked to taste Austrian blood
No troops march like the Turcos. They run,
| ~ tLn,-c hta
wild beasts; they drag themselves along on their
bellies; they dart forward like snakes; and wherever
they tread they leave the footsteps eli death in
their track.
In costume they resemble the Zouaves. They
have large brooches of Holland, little Arab jacket
of blue color, and red Turban. They have thus
the aspect of something undiscovered between
| Turks and devils.
When the fellows of this kidney fall upon troops
like the Austrians, resistance, however brave, is
utterly useless. Everything yields to them,
everything disappears, everything except stains OF
blood and lifeless bodies. Their officers in yain
cry out "Make prisoners" Tney want no bother;
can't be incumbered with luggage.
Tn one word, the Turcos is the concentrated
essence of the Zouave. a
A letter from Novara of the 3rd OF June, In the
Paris Constitutional, says:
| Yesterday visited the camp of the Turcos.
Their manners are most strange. though they
have tents, they sleep outside them discipline not
absolutely requiring that they should deprive
themselves of air. When the hour OF dinner
arrives, an OK is slaughtered and all the meat is
distributed while still warm; but many Kabyle
does not wait until his portion is cooked, but eats
it raw "You have great confidence in these
soldiers said to an officer. 81 only fear cavalry
on their account" he answered. "They rush up
to the mouth Of cannon-they bear down entire
ranks of infantry--but soldier on horseback
insnres them with q certain fear.