Vicksburg weekly herald., 1870-08-27


der and he made his entry into |
Milan with her before him on the .
Of his saddle, her pretty
face all beaming with delight, and |
waving her bouquet Of roses TO the
crowds. McMahon has made a
success in this way. When the
grand army returned to Paris
after the Italian:campaign, McMa-
hon, Of all the marshals, was OBJ
served to keep the campaign uni
form. 1t might have been sim
plicity it might have been CO.
quetry; whether or no, he was
smothered with wreaths and flow |
ers His servants could not carry |
them away. McMahon gained his
renOwn IN the Crimea at the same
time as Bosquet. He saved the
day at Magenta. His Governor
ship Of Algeria was not a success.
/ saw Marshal Bazaine. He is
of medium hight, fair, a little in
clined 10 be fat-a marshal ought
to be fat; he has gay, cheerful
manners. When l saw him he
was in plain clothes and wore a
little round silk soft hat-nothing
elegant about it. His two nephews
were with him, a lieutenant, and
sub-lieutenant. His chief of staff
is Colonel Boyer, one Of the most
distinguished officers in the army.
The Marshal appeared jovial and
kept rubbing his hands together
as if with satisfaction. There
was something about him that
caused the idea of victory. Col.
Boyer is a collector Of coleoptere
(beetles). He has gathered them
in Algeria, Mexico, the Crimea, in
Asia. l knew him in Syria, and
recollect seeing him march at the
head of q column with eight or
ten fine specimens that he had
stuck on his holsters. Officers are
often collectors of specimens.
There was one man in Italy who
caught butterflies. At Solferino
this man was at his post along
with his company, and skirmish,
ing with the Austrians. All of o
sudden, a few yards ahead he saw
a superb rare sphinx sailing about
from flower to flower amid the
smoke and tumult. The officer
hesitated, then sprang forward,
foraging cap in hand, uncovered,
ahead ofhis men, swung his cap
round, brought it down on the
specimen, gave a cry OF joy-then
sprang into the air with a ball
through his heart, and fell dead,
His last words were, al have him."
All your collectors are heroic. ]
knew a poor devil that lived in a
garret up six pairs of stairs, and
died of sheer cold and starvation
one winters night, without fire or
food, Opening q box we found a
collection of precious antique
medals worth $4,000 francs.
NJ. Cousin Montauban, Count of
Palikao, was o wonderful man
among the Chinese. He is tall ;
not quite so portly as his col.
leagues. He wears a mustache
and imperial. He has n small, fine
eye; thin hair, and a well pre-.
served air. saw him on his ar.
rival at Metz walking on the ram.
parts, in gray jacket and colored
cravat. From behind he would
be taken for a young man. He is
considered daring. In China, one
time, soon after his dlsembarka.
ton, he was surrounded by a huge
crowd of Tartar soldiery. He
threw himself among them, fol
lowed by his four aids, armed only
with his riding switch, and, striking
right and left, cut his way through.
He, too, is q collector, and brought
back q magnificent assortment of
Chinese objects.
AS for the soldiers, | admit that
they have not the gay air so often
spoken of. They are not all think.
ing Of the Marshal's baton pro-
verbally carried in every mans
knapsack. However, they look
resolute and firm. Their habitual
gayety comes up again when they
are fairly in the field that the first
gun has been fired. There they
are admirable. Ihave seen u man
singing the "Marseillaise" while a
surgeon was taking his arm OFF.
He only stopped to tell the assist
ant, "Just wipe my nose, won't
you, please" The French sol.
der don't want general always
to teach him to gain battles; he
has proved this often enough. The
soldiers start forward without any
asking, and rush on the enemy
when they think the moment has
come. Oftentimes they manage u
little plan of campaign of their
own, and these plans of cam.
paign are by no means the worst.
Sometimes they offer their advice
to the general as he goes past
"Ah! mon general, forward"
"Ah! mon general, push up your
right wing-close up your CENTRE
They have a wonderful address in
picking up as they go along. The