The Portland daily press., 1870-10-27
Terms $500 per annmns, in adrance.
Modern Amazous.

AS an offset to the stories that used to be
lo'u OF those terrible fellows, the Zouaves, the
Iurcos anu their ferocious cats and dogs, the
french nave now story quite as strange and
dldhcult OF belief of their German antagonists.
Of course it must relate to the uhlans. those
Mysterious riders of almost supernatural PROV
ess, always in the saddle, alert,vsiant, self DOS
sessed, and always appearing suddenly in the
most unexpected quarters, half dozen of
them taking possession of popuous town
win easy nouchalence, levying a tribute Of
nohey ana tobacco, and vanishing without
ieaV'ng trace of their presence except in the
depleted municipal treasury. These milan.
lnohopoilze almost all the romance of the war.
10 readers OF dispatches and letters from the
seat OF war, who study the illustrated papers.
the uhlan is light cavalrymau well mount.
ed, carrying long lance, and with queer
head covering not unlike an English uniyersi. /.
ty cap; he generally has pipe or cigar in
his mouth, and looks intelligent. cool, resolute
and good humored. He is understood more
ever, to be as full of "ways that are dark and
tricks that are vain, as any "beathen Chnee."
FMS is the uhlan as he has hitherto appear
ed. But if we may believe writer in the
New Orleans Picdyune, there is corps of
these famous troops which has made 10 fig
ure IN published military reports nor in any
descriptions of military operatons-a corps
whose very existence has been hitherto kept
secret, but which has been extremely useful
in its way. This writer, who seems to have
had considerable experience as an adventurer
IN various countries, and who, as he saws
served as volunteer with the uhans
10 The war between Austria and Prussia, de-
ciareS that the uhlans, numbering twenty FIVE
thousand, have attached to their organization
acorps OF five thousand women, chiefly rela-
tives OF the male troopers, regularly enlisted
and trained TO act as spies. As soon as war
Is declared the amazons are despatched with
the utmost secrecy and speed into the enemy's
country, not of course in large organized bod
les, but slngly or in small parties, to seek SER
vice IN the towns and cities of the enemy
some md employment in houses so situated
that from them signals may be readily seen
by their confederates in the field; others OBJ
tain situations in families of government Of
hcias, where they display extraordinary sa-
gacity in getting hold OF va liable Secrets
Others again employ themselves in the sale Of
articles which soldiers are likely TO buy and
by this means get admission to fortified places.
AS they are selected for intelligence, shrewd-
ness and proficiency in languages and are Of
ten skil'ul draughtswomen they can OCCASION
ally furnish plans of Notifications or other i'm
portaDt details.
When the uhlans approach place these
female confederates are on the watch for them
and telegraph to Them such Information as is
lseful, by means OF peculiar rockets oil a small
size, with which they are furnished. The uh-
lahs give intelligence to the army of which
they are the advance guard, and so the Prus-
sian generals are constantly as we'll informed
as II they had the opportunity OF inspecting
every place against which they operate. The
New Orleans writer is satisfied that there arc
not less than two hundred of these female
uhlans in Paris at present. 1t is hardly lair
IN him to betray in this manner the secrets of
bis former friends, but he would perhaps de-
fepd himself, ON the grouud that no one will
believe him.