Vicksburg weekly herald., 1870-08-27


Catching a SphinT-1he Life Of
he French Soldier.
Paris Correspondence Independence Beige.
Marshal Canrobert is generally
popular as q soldier, but as q com
mander his appointment has not
given unmixed satisfaction to the
Parisians. They think he is not
quite equal to the position. Mar
shal Canrobert is a little man, fat,
short, rather loud in his style, and
with an air of a well-to-do trader.
He amuses himself with literature,
and composes little "boquets to
Chloris." He has quite q passion
for quoting latin. He sometimes
writes his orders in latin, calling
his soldiers legionaries and his SER
jeants-major centurions. The
Marshal carries a Horace or q Vir-
gil in his pocket, and it is said that
at Solferino he was found reading
Livy,
Canrobert is an excellent briga-
dier-general. AS second in COM
mand he was always remarkable
for extreme energy and audacity.
But q great responsibility oppress.
es him when he is charged with the
sole control of a great army corps;
he hesitates, and seems unable to
come to any decision. Scipio be.
comes Fabius. All the while he
was in command at Sebastopol he
risked no grand strokes, specially
sparing ofhis soldiers blood. This
is no reproach to him, but in drag.
ging out a war as many men may
be lost as in a decisive engagement.
Marshal Canrobert commanded on
the I'd December the division that
occupied the Place dc Ia Made
leine. He received orders from
the ministers and from the nation
al assembly. Which was he to
obey3 He spent all night think.
ing it over. At last he went to see
a friend who lived in the Rue
Trouchet, and then made up his
mind. He placed his division
along the boulevards. After Sol
ferino he came near fighting a duel
with Marshal Mel. Mel said Can
robert had not supported him, and
had let the Austrians get out of
Mantua. Canrobert said Mel had
advanced without orders. Canro-
bert doesn't think small things of
himself. One of his aides.de
camp called his attention one day
to his uniform all torn, and re-
marked that it was not wearable.
II shall keep it all the same, it is
matter of history" was the reply.
He is extremely brave; when he
was captain he was always at the
head Of his men and the first under
fire. But physical courage is a
quality common to soldiers of all
countries.
General de Failly's best claim to
celebrity is his famous mot dc bq-
taille, "The chassepot has done
wonders" This was after Men
tana. Baraguey d'Hilliers' corps
at Solferino was composed of two
divisions, LAmiraults and Fail.
. ly's. Those two divisions carried
the hill and the redoubts that com.
manded the well known tower.
There was a frightful confusion.
The French dashed in with the
: bayonet, were repulsed; went at it
: again, and were again hurled back,
but at the third charge made good
their position. The divisions
were mixed up, and regiments
fought pell-mell. Failly got his
share that time. But at the mo.
mOnt Of the hottest struggle an
officer of immense stature loomed
up on the Austrian side, waving
an immense flag. The flag mad
been embroidered by the. empress
herself. "Hoch /! hoch" he shout.
ed. "Hourrah! hourrah !" replied
the Frenchman. "Who the devil
is this croquemitdine" exclaimed
De Failly. A chasSeur a pied
> loaded his carbine, levelled, and
fred. Down went croquemitaine,
and in five minutes the position
was carried.
, General Frossard, who com.
f mands another corps, is best
I known as the Prince Imperial's
tutor; but he is'said to be q STRAIT.
egist of the first order. He is O
man in years, cool, calm, and ap.
e pears better calculated for the de.
tense than the attack. He has moi
. been in command for a long time
General Frossard used to explain
the wars of the empire to his au
gust pupil. He set up little leader
soldiers in position on the map Of
7. Europe, and the prince would
s knock them over with bread pei
Y lets shot out of his little wooder
: cannon. The general used to ex
d plain Waterloo, but the prince
e would get angry. "No, no!
,. won't have itw And then hC
Il would range his batteries, anC
c would sweep down English anC
! Prussian, Blucher and Wellington
t spite of all his teachers remon
Q strances.