The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-09-18

The New York Herald contains the fol-
lowing upon subject already referred TO
in our columns:
The building of the large and novel
military transports Of France, already
spoken of in the Herald was commenced
about the middle Of the year 1860, by
order Of the Emperor Napoleon, al Bor-
dcaux and Brest. Four of them were
laid on the stocks at first, and as the
work progressed the vessels attracted no
extraordinary attention. being regarded
only as stauch ana roomy merchantmen,
When two or three of them were COM
! pleted, il was found that the ships were
left completely without fittings, or fur
niiurc, or extra bulkheads, or divisions,
or any thing calculated to diminish their
space, and also that il was ordered that
they should remain in that condition
Each vessel il should be said, had three
decks--an upper one under the bulwarks,
/ q middle deck aud a lower deck. or floor
] Wav running across the deck Tho two
lower decks were divided into stalls, or
| compartments, like an emigrant ship if
! its sleeping berths were taken out.
After some time il was rumored about
| that these ships were intended as militia
ry transports, calculated and designed
for The conveyance Of large bodies of
troops, with their arms and equipments,
on a short voyage, during which they
would not require either TO cook rations
or lay down for sleep. The Invasion
! of England was soon the word, and the
idea became popular in France
Napoleon was not committed TO this
in any form. The ships were ordered
for Government purposes, and the Gov
eminent had not informed any one what
these purposes were.
In the early part of 1861, Capt Elliott,
Of the Royal Navy, made visit TO the
dockyards of France, II was a semi off
cial mission from England, but the
French authorities showed him every at
tention, and offered him great facilities
of examining everything, with the cXccp-
ton Of the process of preparing the iron
and forging it into plates for the iron
clad vessels. Captain Elliott saw the
wooden ships referred to, and likely
made q note Of them; for, after returning
to England, Lord Palmerston commenced
Allt tlAAtH5ANN IlAdlld VI Nbdal AhIAAUtAAihN
which have engaged the attention of his
Cabinet and the country ever since at
such great cost.
Al that time Napoleon knew that his
iron-clad navy was a success, and he
Immediately directed the construction OF
twenty moro Of the wooden transports.
They were laid out at Bourdeax, Toulon,
Brest, and other ports of less note They
are now completed, and make the trans
port fleet twenty four in number
They are each Of about five thousand
tons burden, and il has been said in
France that they are TO be used thus Or
the middle and lower decks win be plac-
ed regiments of infantry, filed close by
companies, in regular order, on the up
per deck will be placed the accoutre-
ments, knapsaclSs, tents, tent poles, and
other material for march and camp re.
quircd by the men. Frcnchmon of good
judgment think that by regimental anC
division arrangement, each ship coulC
carry from ten TO twelve thousand meI
on short voyage easily-in fact, be
floating camp-thc men, at the call Of thp
, trumpet, marching from below TO the tor
deck, and equipping themselves will
, llnapsacks, tents, and camp furniture, in
very short time. 1t presumed that tn
soldiers would carry their side arms AM
/, muskets when standing underneath.
Twenty four vessels so filed, each car
: rying ten thousand men, would sweep
force of two hundred and forty thousan
] French soldiers over the channel bu
say that only one half Of them set on
the Emperor would have one hundre
, and twenty thousand men.