Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-09-27
TIE FREHCH SOLDIER AT 40uE.
'HE CAMP AT e HALONS

diS''s ffff tfP -.
TIE FRENCH SOLDIER Ar H0NE.
THE CAMP AT G HALONS.
CHANGES IN THE ARMY.
In the French army there is Ii CONSTANT i'm.
provel'cnt gong OH. ard every experience is
turned into account. No doubt there is red
tape enough in the French as n any other
army, but still somehow VI other the progress
takes place. IL was the cas-. under the Or
~ieanistS, and hHs been the Case much more
under the present Emperor, who takes great
personal in.crt 81 in the subject and has besides
the pos CT ui HE Fiat" Thus, after appear.
ing with the first irul'-clad ships at Kirburn,
attention was turned 10 the guns, aud when
most Pee pic had scarcely gone beyond an OK
pertinent IN ih= matter, the French appeared
in tic Italian var with their whole field ar
tilltry lnelanorlliused into ritled guns, which
both in mobility. Iatgr ard accuracy proved
superior 10 anything until then known, and
have since served as 4 model 10 almost all the
alm'eS 81! HE c0nlincu'.
Since the war in Italy all almost entire
change las oecn made in equipment and drill
The Ioalvc brooches, the leather lr:c,u.s,
reaching d little above the white Inca cai.er,
have been UNIVERSAL adopted ia: The infantry
soldier. .ibuu! the convenience Of thus there
cai be 30 upre question than about the Stuart.
ness OF 1t. II docs away with braces, which
are nv snail Inconvenience tn the heavily
laden %suiIltr; it enables The s~ui,iir. 10 j.. down
and sleep without being obliged IL 80 through
all ktuGS 81 prOcrss,s, "r get up next morning
more tired than ever. The light logging is q
support to the leg and to the gaiter.
The old tunic has likeeise charged. hot in
an opposite dire ciion It, has taken the shape
of the short tunlc Of The Gbasseurs a Pied Dc
la Gards. This change was necessary on Sc.
count of the first it is decidedly SHUTTER
rather less convenient but as lun;cs are put
aside III campaigning, and The great.cOat is
adopted, this does not matter,
Another more important change is the uni.
versal adoption If the rife. Sights are abol
i>hed, with ID" exception of the rifles af the
CtiaSselirs. WIN keep ;hcir cid weapon as it
was. The explanation is, that only troops
detitr will Use sights with discrimination, and
one can scarcely rely on 35h. 600 men
So; bcsides which it is maintained that
the great mass Of soldiers will learn better to
use their weapons by practice, like sportsmen
at different distances. without going through
the double process Of first judging the distances,
and then adj usting tic sights, which, above all,
under the lire Of the enemy requires consider
sanafroM.
With the abandonment Of the smooth bore
md tine adoption Of the rid. catno II consequent
in field exercise. \ commission was
ter q labor Of more than a year, its project was
sanctioned in February last. 1t changes the
very formation, which was hitherto the basis
OF all evolutions. Ii was three deep, and has
two deep now. Which uf The two is
the better was long controrertcd, the ~a'l7ersa-
Of thu furrucr arguing the necessity D. me
raul; as an element Of Snlidity, while the
ii the second insisted upon the Use
Of the third rank for firing, lis expo
sure to the fire Of the enemy, and the benefit
which might be derived from its being used
for the prolongalion Of the line. The English
aid Swiss armies wcle the Only ONES VINO
thc latter view, and lately the Sardin
ians.
Had the rnch army remained unchanged
in its composition It uGIli huv. hcch probably
loug before the formation two deep would have
been adopted. But n great modification has
been taking place gradually in this respect; up
to 1913 it was very rare to lind soldiers re-cn-
listing after having served their time; now
great numbers do II, so that the proportion OF
old soldiers is growing al u great rate. The
reason is the advantages offered nov which did
not exist before. FIRST, the price Of rempla
cant has been raised TO Q ,0n0E The term Of
emitting the soldier to u pension has
been lowered to twenty-five year. The pen
sion itself hos been almost doubled consider
ing, besides, that for every years campaigning
counts for two years service, and that almost
every steady soldier arrives after Il long Sci
vice to the rank Of non commissioned 0%i1itrr,
or, ut least gets the ,ne,iaille, which gives n
Of 1907; the soldier has a chance after
less than twenty years Of service to retire with
q competence Of 600 to 700 francs Il year.
Besides this there is the Imperial Guard, which
Likewise offers Il chanc, al ha!tering the SCI
dicr'S position.
No wonder that the proportion Il old sol
diers is daily incrca sing. and, if it continues,
il will change altogether tic French army. 1t
is scarcely necessary ~ shy whal help thi'i<
in the lighter :orIua.inn Which has now been
introduced
The f,rmulinn nos introduced in the liIrr Of
b,t,lc is almost identical with that in the E"g
l!sh aud Swiss aIu;i,> lie leading idea rilg
To supply the Third raI.k by the "SercrhLGw'
tuTltiel ~ DlllCCfS u'lu W S'u'i'5' "'' -
geti.cr With The distribution Of the rest Of the
nnn.comrniasicncd officers on the tiinks of The
svriiuIi Keeps The whole together.
CHANGES IN DRILL.
Slow step is altogether done away With, the
pas ordihdire being fixed at e to the minuIc,
double qaick to no in 4 minute, besides which
the pax gy,nhaStique Of the Chasscurs has been
introduced in the line, wisely meeting 4 want
which showed Itself every moment. Formerly
to get quicker lnlu place the soldier took t"
Irregular running NOW his running has be,r
regulated.
Indeed, the cilitf Improvement ~ the lie"
evolutions is the adaptation 81 many things
were already in use with the Chtssenis'
a Pied. According 10 the old regulations, light
infantry exercise and skirInishIng was proper
" The duty Of the light infantry Regiments, ann
later, whr., these were done away with, ol the
flank companies. The Others, although now
and then put through Tie movements, were
scarcely regularly instructed hence III most
cases the soldier had TO du It uS best he could.
Now almost the identical movements in square
by the Chesseurs a Ped have heen introduced
as part of the education of each individual sol
dier; nay, it forms II prominent part Of II:
The formation by iuurs is tue basis ii It Tor
all movements. The group has The name OF
compagnens Parmes, DESTINED, As they are, To
act together. Minute regulations are lSlh
down, foginstance, for resisting cavalry attacks
in groups, but everywhere these are Expressly
laid down rs rules for general guld"f'c'.
The old complicated f'rmat'"n ii squ"irS
likewise, an ofshoot Of the de" "i lncIeaS.d
solidity, has been entiraly changed, and lbs
simple square adopted, with II reserve III Tue
centre to strengthen where'an oc'us'on pre-
sents itself.