The New York herald., 1870-08-11
FRANCE.

At MacMnhon's observation-disclosures
Towards the North-The Point Of First Adj
vance into Germany First Plan of CAM
pnign-Cnmp Observation-Disclosures Zouaved
and TErcos-Whnt they Are and How
they Live and Fisht-Infantry OF the Line
as Compared with the Prusslans-The First
British Bohemian Canards.
STRAsBoURG, HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY OFT =
TIE RHINE, July 26-Evening.
Since despatching my letter this morning anotherl
division OF this army corps composed Of about
&, 100 men, has moved toward the north, and, as +
wrote you before, it seems more and more certain
that the French will cross into German territoryI
somewhere to the east OF Bitche. Or take q line
drawn from Strasbourg to Metz as the bass
Of right-angled triangle and draw the
other two sides Of the triangle 80 that they
will form right angle towards London, somewhere
about Deux Points, anu you will not be far on the
exact spot where MacMahon will strike his first
blow. great deal, OF course, Is conjecture on
my part, for even the generals commanding the four
divisions are not Informed exactly as to when or
where or how. But what say, Is the opinion OF the
most intelligent among the staff corps Of the fOrce
qualified to certain degree with what see going
on and what hear from the most authentic sources,
DISCIPLINE
In the French army the reins Of disciplnd
have evidently been tghtencd during the last
few days. There was for some time no small
amount OF drunkenness among the men, al,
though excuses may justly be made for an
immense army drawn together at given spot like
Strasbourg, and vast number Of the men being in
the town merely for night or two, en- route
to rejoin their own regiments, more on
less distant. The troops, whose officers were with
them, and who were therefore under more command,f
were seldom seen the worse for drink. But the
Zouaves and other corps that had arrived from Al
geria as well as all the men belonging to the pro-
vince CT Alsace, In which Strasbourg Is situated,
went In for liquor to the very utmost limits OF heir
means But with all that there has been very little
serious crime committed, ana have not heard OF q
single case Of robbery violence taking place even
among the hardest of the drunkards. But for some
days the general discipline Of the army was very
slack indeed, 80 much that for the first week on
so that l was here 1t impossible either TO walk
out or even to look out Of the window without beg
Of half as many minutes. All this, however, has
greatly changed for the better. The men are now;
so to speak, ''strapped up" and ready to move at
minutes notice. and to-day have not noticed q
single soldier the worse for drink in the town.
In giving an account of the Various corps whcr
composed the French army 1t Is only natural to takd
first up an arm OF the service Of which similar type
is not found in any other army: mean the Zouaves
1t Is true that the name OF these extraordinary
soldiers has been borrowed by other countries but
the original save only in dress The French Zouaves
consist OF three regiments OF four battaions each
three battalons OF each corps always taking the
field IN war time and one remaining at the depot
These corps are enlisted for the special condtiou
Of serving In Algeria only, excepting fourth regi9
. three regiments are now all In Marshal Mac
thousand strong or six thousand altogether. Thd
men, their discipline and their behavior are as DIFF.
their dress. They are invariably recruited from
among the greatest daredevils of other reglmentsy
In the field their post is invariably where there ID
most danger and they expect to the hardest work
In the way OF fighting, just as the arttlleryman exI
pects to work his guns or the cavalry soldier feed
his horse Their officers hardly look after them aa
Oil when of duty, and they left very much to do
as they like In the field they really do not tO
know what the word danger means, or to imagine
that they ought by any chance ever to fear death.
They 90 everything for themselves. and tacitly are
admitted by other regiments OF the French army to.
be superior 10 them. II wine is In their way they
Will get drunk, but they would scorn to touch the
value OF a shilling conlded to their care. man Of
with them; for the honor OF the corps they would
bully mn him out OF lt. But they are one
You might entrust the the pooffcst~and iUs none
Of them ever have shing-among with
thousands insn san @ in untold god and you would never
came near your Kitchen garden or your orchard or.
your fowl house. they would strip It OF every vegeta-
bic or apple or chicken, and would not deem them,
selves to be robbers.
For the past few days that the Zouaves were here
In Strasbourg am quite sure that thousand men q
day must have been drunk about the streets. Many
OF them had not been out OF Algeria for six eight
years, and Of course had TO celebrate their return
with gallons of wine beer Their camp Is, or rather
was, Tor the first days after their arrival the most
wonderful thing TO see. They, have like the rest OF
the French troops, small, gypsyike tents, eacApN
which hold three men, aud each man carries, packed
upon the top OF his knapsack, One-third Of one OF
these tents The Zonaves always seem more kept
together by kind OF voluntary association among
themselves than by anything in the shape OF mili-
tary discipline. Their officers never 60 near them
except on parade, and tue men would resent to the
utmost any interference with their own private
arrangements. aZouave Is on duty, or ID clean
and sober, he Is one OF the most "wOrkmanllke''
soldiers you can anywhere. or him II has been
proved over and again in Algiers that, as the
Duke Of wellington said OF his army in the Penin-
sula, "he can go anywhere and do anything" In
Europe he would, unless in time OF war; be utterly
useless for his social ruianlsm would make his
corps collectively nuisance tnat no town would
put up with. But IN war; and particularly In CAM
paign-I speak advlsedly for have him fight In
| Iraly and In Algcra--he Is simply Invaluable
There Is no such soldier to be found In any army
| Where other men sarve the Zouave is well fed ana
| In good health. Where others would fear to 60, nc
| would take as matter Of course having 10 nens'
don't say That he Is, take him as WnoIe, y hJ te
spectacle citizen, very far from It, and II nv
no Algeria In which TO keep these six or seven .iou
sand lncarnate devils during peace tinls sue wVua @
| be obliged to disband them. But as thGy INV nie
and according to the way in whlcn fIanoe iuse. n
them. they are in times OF war IKE Ae pleseuS ""