Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-07-23
dQlurtester Daily Spy.
THE FRENCH ARMY.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS


That 'they do these things better in France"
is an old proverb which does not always hold
good. But in the matter of providing for ar.
mics we are SO fortunate as to have very little
experience, and France, which has been vast
garrison and arsenal for many years, has ben
Gifted more by her experience than any other
nation IN the whole world, not excepting Eng
land, where improvements are but slowly in.
troduced. Let US see, then, how the French
soldier is fed.
ARMY PROVISIONS.
1t is not enough that the soldier along with
being intelligent and educated, should also be
skilled in athletic exercises and Injured to IA
tigue. Another and equally important por-
ton of his instruction still remains to be com
peted-he must be taught how to live; for
unless the physical force be sustained all other
qualifications, mental or personal, become val.
ueless. 1t is, therefore, above all things ne
cessary to habituate .him TO provide for his own
wants-to accustom him to select, purchase,
and prepare his own food, so that he may be
capable of choosing the most profitable por.
tons of the meat of estimating its fair mar
ketable value in quarters during peace, and
then of rendering it wholesome and palatable
by good cookery, when on active service in
the field. 70 this end, and no doubt also
with view of preventing fraud or misappro.
priation, there are no contracts for the supply
of provisions to the French army in time of
peace, or while remaining in garrison within
its own territory. Flour Tor the ammunition
bread is purchased by the attendance Mil.
tdire," which, in time Of war, takes charge of
all supplies, and the bread is made by the ba-
kers OF the regiment, ovens being constructed
for that purpose in every place of considera.
tiou. A corporal and two soldiers of each
company go daily around the different shops
to purchase bread, meat, and vegetables for
the soup. Ths men select and bargain for
those articles, the corporal never interfering
in the transaction the bargain concluded, he
pays the price agreed upon, and takes the
vendors receipt i'll presence of the soldiers.
The whole of what is termed the soldiers
pay is appropriated, in the first instance, to
his support and unless living be cheap in.
deed he has nothing for his amusement or in.
diligence except what he can economist from
the sous or two sous day OF the flank COM
panies. AS the maximum sum to be expend,
ed never varies Except in Paris and Lyons)
it follows as matter of course that the uuan
tity of meat and vegetables used is increased
or diminished according to the supply in the
market and the prices which rule there In
some districts, and at certain seasons, the ne
cessares Of life are cheaper or dearer
than al others, and meet to those variations
in price, the quantities purchased must vary
according to the means OF the soldier. Hall a
pound of white bread is always provided for
the soup, besides the pound and half of am
munitlon bread given gratuitOusly, so that by
this means each man has thirty ounces of
good bread avordupois for his daily consump.
ton. The minimum of meat is two hundred
and fifty gramms (nine avoirdupois ounces)
When the pay is inadequate to procure this,
an augmentation is granted by the govern.
ment. The maximum allowance is one
pound, which is divided into two portions, the
soup being made twice day The men of
each company take their turn in the kitchen
One as cook, another as "homme de corvee,"
or scullery-boy, the scullery boy of one day
becoming cook the next, and so on in rotation
thus all are in turn habituated to the due prep.
aration Of the meat and vegetables for tie
soup, and to the proper method of dressing
them. On one day in each week generally
Thursday there is made dish, or harico of
mutton, which partially breaks the monotony
of the ordinary diet.
EVERY SOLDIER HIS OWN COOK
The ability to prepare his own food is a
qualification very essential to the soldier and
il is in this very qualification that our troops
when on service are found to be particularly
deficient. Yet, instead Of being instructed in
the art of cookery at the camp of Aldershot,
as they should be, we see the newspapers oc.
casioDally filled with the description and re.
cooking machines, capable of preparing food
for whole divisions Of an army. Those ma
chimes, no doubt, have their merits They
may be very economical in quarters and
would be very convenient for review at
Hounslow Heath or Hyde Park but their
utility on active service and in face of an enc
my is very predetermined indeed, while their
employment at home deprives the soldier, in
time OF peace, Of the only opportunity afford
o1 hin, of n -
cookery. 1t is easy to conceive what grave
Inconvenience might arise if the machines
on which troops depended for their dinners
broke down, or were captured by the enemy
or If, in tie hurry of an advance or retreat,
they were LETT too far distant for the hungry
soldiers to reach them--or if, in fine, the corps
to which they were attached happened to be
acting i'll country too difficult for their access
1t is obvious that, with the best arrangements,
and under the most favorable circumstances,
the soldier engaged in war must frequently be
exposed to the necessity Of relying on his own
resources; and the only certain way TO obvi-
ate the evils which, in such cases, are sure to
arise from his inexperience, is to teach him
how to act independently OF all auxiliary APP
plances.
A ZoUAvE's OPINION.
They tell story Of q Zouave having been
asked his opinion of the English soldiers after
them down in an engagement ready prepared
and well fed, and no men can fight better but
let them get into misery or distress, and no
men know less how to get themselves out of
it. Par example, our battalion was encamped
beside an English regiment, which had mag
nifcent buck goat the cavalry horses of their
army had no forage, and the beast getting no
food, sickened and died. AT this time the sol.
dlers he belonged to were without rations to eat
or fire to warm themselves with; and what
do you think they dip? why they collected
some boards, made coffin, and buried the
buck, My comrade and myself, shocked at
such waste OF good things, took the poor
animal up that same night parole dhonneur,
we had three good fires from his coffin. deli
cious messes from his flesh for seven days, and
for the rest OF the campaign we slept upon his
skin, which kept us from damp, and saved us
from sickness. Now what can you think of
the English soldier after such piece of folly
as that l have my cat, carry him on my
sack, and he comes under fire with me- as YOU
may perceive, from his having lost fore foot.
love and nourish him, and he in return will
should there be a necessity, provide me with
two days good living"
PUNISHMENT.
Corporal punishment is never had recourse
to in the French service, everything calculated
to degrade the soldier in his own eyes or in
the estimation of others, and thus mar his fu-
ture prospects, being carefully avoided. He
isfby the annals OF the army taught to regard
himself as one who may be destined hereafter
to I'LL the highest grade in his profession; and
from the moment he joins his sense of honor
is sedulously fostered, he is taught to consider
himself as the equal of any man, and to resent
insult should it be offered, by recourse to arms
The 1uel is fnrhid1ap or,o,,,r