The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1870-08-11
THE SPECIAL CORPS OF THE FRENCH
ARMY.

.-..., hAAMxs
Besides the Zouavas, of which de.
scription has lately been given, the
French army contains the following
special corps:
THE zEpHYRs,
They resemble the Zouavcs in their
uniforms, arms and equipment, and
their organization and drill are almost
the same; but while the Zouaves are a
proud corps ard believe iu military
honor, such is by no means the
case with the Zephyrs. They are SIM
ply corps Of culprits and jail-birds.
If soldier of the French army commits
vulgar and dishonoring crime, that is,
If he robs, steals, cheats, or proves to be
a coward, he is condemned to serve on
the galleys; but if he only commits
what might be- termed genteel
crime, that is, if he commits man.
slaughter, or outrages woman, or is
insubordinate, then he is condemned
to serve In the corps of the Zephyrs.
They are permanently stationed in
Africa, and the discipline among these
rather dangerous and desperate charac-
ters is terribly severe. Every officer
has the right to kill a Zephyr on the
spot should he show the least sign of
iosubordiuation, and to this circum-
stance they owe their name, which they
have adopted themselves, to express
thereby OF how little value their lives
are, which at any time might die out
like zephyr. Their official aprella-
ton is Corps Of Punishment, and they
now number several thousand men.
They paint themselves with blue ink
all over their bodies in the most fantas-
tlcal manner, and even the hardest
punishment could not put stop to this
singular amusement, to which they
seem to have taken because they are
not permitted to have cats, and get no
pay. When Gen. Pelissier was Offer
ed the command in the Crimea he &C.
oepted it only under the condition that
the Zephyrs would be allowed to &C.
company him there, and that if they
should behave we'll, they were to be
pardoned and permitted to return to
ltheit regiments. They were sent there
and their success was complete.
In tho battle near Tractis, the Rus
SLAMS had formed square which the
Sandman cavalry had vaiply attacked,
when Gen. Bosquet, who then CON.
manded them, advanced the Zephyrs.
Some English officers requested him
not to sacrifice his men uselessly, but
Gen. Bosquet made them a speech
which commenced. "You sons of help
and closed with forward to the at
tack" With the war cry, N;ve Ia
Mort, instead of V;re yEmpereur, they
swept into and over the Russian bay-
onets like whirlwind, and soon their
yatag hans had made such terrible
havoc in the Russian lines that the
most desperate exertions of the Russian
officers were unable to avert defeat.
e ~' THE cHAssEURs d D'AFR1QUR.
These are cavalry corps consisting
OF four regiments. They carry long
rife, two revolvers, and sword, and
are all mounted on select horses of the
best Barbary blood. Their continuous
Fservice in Africa amongst and against
the Bedouins has made them superb
ors, and they perform all the feats on
horseback in which the sons of the dcs-
ert excel, aud will ride at full gallop,
turn in the saddle, and fire to the rear
With precision. They also distinguish
ed themselves during the Crimean war.
General Allonvlly, who commanded a
corps of 1900 Chasseurs d'Afrique, at.
tackled with them $4,000 Russian dra.
goons, the favorite cavalry corps Of the
Emperor Nicholas, on the plains Of
Simferopol, and defeated them 60 com.
pletely that their commander, General
Corff, committed suicide from shame.
THE TuRoos AND sPAn1s.
| These are native African or Algerian
corps, and consist exclusively Of volun.
teers. The Turcos are light infantry,
and come more particularly from the
mountain regions Of Algeria.
The Spahis are cavalry corps, and
are recruited amongst the Bedouius
Both the Turcos and Sp,his are No
hammedans, but their officers re most.
ly Frenchmen. But they are not at all
prohibited, on religious ground, from
Advancing to the highest military posi-.
tions, and one of them, Gen. Jussuff
now occupies high position in the
French army. There are three regi.
ments Of Tureos, or about 10, 500 men
and three regiments of Spahis, o, about
$500 men.
l. THE 1oHHI0N LIGIoN.
There is at present but one regiment
in existence containing representative.
of al natlonalities. The words of com
maud are given in French. Tie off
GERS are half French, half from othc,
European nationalities. In their con:
tracts with the French Government, il
is distinctly understood that they are
not obliged to serve outside of Algeria
and particularly not against their ,es
peotive native countries. But they
fought, nevertheless, in the Crimea, il