The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1870-09-09
HOW THE FRENCH SOLDIER MARCHES.

A. correspondent of the New York Tyt-
GHne speaking of French soldiery says
l described in my last how a division of
the French army marched out Of Stras-
burg; the same morning q regiment of
Zouaves, belonging to the Algerian army,
arrived at that place: II second regiment of
ZouaVes and one Of Turcos were expected
as left. wished to see how the division
that had left in the morning would look
after its march; so | took the train for
Haguenau, which lies twenty miles north
of Strasburg. The division had been
reused at midnight enter into details
because | believe the present Il good in
stance of how marches are made in France
Ito brew its coffee the French have mes
SEES of six, one of whose members fetches
water, while another lights the fires, &c :;
but although they were thus early astir,
they did not, following their own account,
commence the march until two, and could
not really have got under way until four
from the hour they passed my hotel.
They marched until nine and one half
when they halted for one and one-half
hours again partook ofcoilee and resumed
their march, was in all thirty-six kilomc-
tiers, or about twenty-thrce miles. They
said they had done this by two o'clock,
but at any rate their rearguard and strag-
glers were seen by me coming in at three
and one half, and the camp was at that time
nearly pitched. The stragglers were tired,
foot sore, and often CALLED. In many cases
little boys ran by their side carrying their
Chasspots. was not surprised at seeing
dozens of tatigued men /; the day had been
extraordinarily hot, the weight carried by
each man was at the lowest estimation of
twenty-five kilogrammes, or fifty pounds,
and the distance, twenty three miles, had
been effected in ten or eleven hours. | saw
enough to show me that, as we read,
Frenchmen can and will make long march
es under excessive weights, but | also saw
that this is not done with that fabulous
ease of which we have heard so much.
The horses of the artillery looked fresh and
strong twenty-three miles pull over good
roads was nothing to them.
The division had reared their tents in a
sedgy meadow, by the banks of a sluggish
stream. 1t was a convenient camping
ground, but although the drought had
done much TO dry what must be in winter
a snipe- walk, tho ground was not such as
Sanitary Commission would look on with
approving eyes. Many of the men were
bathing, more were contented with wash
ing their feet, examining and altering the
position of the strips of linen which sew
eral of them had substituted for stockings.
Others were sousing their clothes in the
brook, while the cuisine was being attended
to by at least one of each mess. Every
thing from the selection Of the general po-
sition of the camp to the pitching of each
individual tent was conducted with that
apparent regularity, that real attention to
sound system, which. characterizes the
French army.
The population mixed freely with the
soldiers, bringing them little presents of
beer, wine, eggs, etc. They watched the
soldiers cooking, the women repeatedly
suggesting Improvements, or taking the
management fthepot. Boiling and stew
ing seemed to be the only recognized sys-
TENS of preparing the rations. They look
ed at the fuel (wood) for each mess being
carefully weighed out by the subordinates
of the attendance, or they coaXed the men
to take to pieces the Chassepot for their
inspection, and listened to the prodigious
yarns which each marksman spun of his
prowess at 1900 yards, the longest range
for which the weapon is sighted. The red
trousers Of the men, most of whom had
dolfed their coats the blue blouses of the
civilians, the country costumes OF the Alsa-
tian paysannes, all mixed and jumbled to-