New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-08-23
How the Carlist War is Carried On.

How the CRrlist War is Carried On.
The war in Spain is daily growing in in
terest, as the force Of the Carlists augments;
and as those 'rOyal' troops carry ON war
In a peculiar way, it may not he uninterest
ing to the readers of the World to be given
some idea of it. Let us, then. take their
Navarro and Biscay. This army is said to
now muster about $4,000 men, and is under
the orders of General Dorregary, an old
soldier, who served a term in the regular
army, and, it is said, rose from the ranks.
The nucleus OF this army consisted of hands
Of fifty to 200 men, brave and hardy young
fellows. the "bone and sinew" of the noun.
tain villages, under the command of chiefs.
In time these partidas became so numerous
that 1t was found necessary to organize
them into battalions, which were placed un'
der the command of the most prominent
and Jealous leaders, many of whom were
gentlemen OF Navarro and Biscay.
By and by French and German adven-
turers came to Don Carlos to tender their
services, and some of these men were placed
on the general staff, others were commits
stoned to form an engineer corps, and again
others put in charge of the few guns at that
time possessed by the ,Carlists. The mass
then became an organized body. and boldly
descended from the hills to meet the more
regular enemy. Subsistence has always
been very irregular. Ratjons of bread and
meat are issued by tho commissary when it
is possible to collect a store of -four and
grain, and the army if at a halt; but on the
march tie army lives on the country, like a
monster locust, deveurlng as it goes along.
Parties are sent oct from each command to
procure provisions. and they simply take
all they want, giving the farmers in return
a requisition, which they may present to
the government tor payment when Don
Carlos shall have come to the throne. The
chances of payment. it may be imagined,
are very problematical, but many OF the
people in the north have faith in his ulti-
mate success.
In this free and easy way abundance of
food is generally procured, consisting of
rye flour, goats meat, mutton, beans, gar.
lie, wine, agauardiente, oil and fruit. Oil
enters largely into the composition of Car
list dishes. On the return of each fOraging
party the provisions are served out to their
respective battalions, and then all set
about cooking. Bivouac fires are lit. and
around these the men. semi-banditti in ap-
pearance, eat and make merry. At early
dawn they are aroused from their sleep. not
by the sound of the ~reveille, but by a rough
shake, and fall in for the days duty or
march. Roll-coll is sometimes dispensed
with.
At first the arms of the Carlists were
muzzle-loading riles, but these nave been
gradually replaced by. breech-loaders of
English manufacture. Some of the newest
battalions Or partidas still carry muzzle-
leaders, however. The officers nave sabres
and American revolvers. Ammunition is
served out with a sparing hand, and the
men are cautioned not to waste it, either
by wanton shooting or firing at long
ranges. The appointments are serviceable,
but are not kept in good order. AS to the
artillery, it now consists of fourteen runs
only, which have been formed into three
batteries-one of six guns n two OF four
.each-under the direction of a French Off
Ger, with the rank of chief OF artillery.
The guns are partly ritfed and partly
smooth-bore. the carriages and c~aissons not
in good order, and the attelage very in
ferior. Ammunition is not abundant. The
small body of cavalry (lancers) attached to
headquarters, which serves to furnish
orderlies, patrols, etc., is, as its designation
implies, armed with the lance, to which is
added the carbine. This little body is
drilled to act as dismounted rihemen on
broken ground. Both in arms and ammu-
milton the infantry are the best provided of
the entire force.
The Carlists are organized after the Span
ISL system. General Dorregary. who served
III UuC u1dL al NY A0o O1SoAIDCu tuO
battalions into brigades of four, respect
lively under the orders OF their senior field
officers, who are assisted in their duties by
two young officers not above the RAM of
captain, n acting as assistant adjutent-
general and the other as aid-de-camp. In
some cases three or four of these brigades
are placed under the orders of a General
for detached duty, but it does NOT appear
that the army is organized into divisions.
~ ar11u ~ ho%ktn n Harn~nI &c viaoal -
command of each wing, and another in
command of the reserve, with seconds in
command. If the Carlist army were re-
gularly organized it would now be in three
or fou divisions of three brigades each
The want of officers of rank no doubt pre-
cludes this better organization. The artil-
lery is not attached to any body, but is as
signed as may be seen fit by the general-in
chief.
The discipline is very lax, as must be the
case with all troops maintained in so ir
regular a way. About headquarters there
is a show of strictness; sentries stand erect
and hold their rifles at the support" and a
few of the battalions obey orders readily;
but the mass OF the army is too independ-
eut, and apt to look up to their immediate
chief for orders. However, there is no diff
ficulty about obedience to an order to at
tack the enemy, which is obeyed with
alacrity. Until a government can be estab-
lished by Don Carlos, and pay and rations
be issued at regular periods to the army,
there will be no discipline of any conse-
quence. Success, with plenty to eat and
drink, could alone hold the mass together.
An army must have a little money to
meet incidental expenses, and SO there is
an army chest at Carlist headquarters. The
chest is never full, but it always contains a
little money, which is replaced by a forced
loan whenever it runs low. By means of
this fund the staff of the General-in-c chief
are enabled to maintain a respectable ap-
pearance, and the aids-de-camp wear bril-
liant uniforms. Don Carlos, too, is accom-
panied by a court bursar, whose duty it is
to defray the royal expenses, for the Prince
maintain q style becoming his preten-
sions; and all things consumed by his reti-
nue. are paid for unless they be vOlunta-
rily offered to Gel Rey" by the inhabitants.
This show of fairness exOnerates him from
blame for any seizures of supplies and casts
the Onus upon his subOrdinates, who have
to seize what they want but eau not buy.
At Tolosa, a neat little town which stands
the road to Bay0nne, Don CARDS has
fixed his headquarters. The point is secure
from an enemy's attack and the line of re-
treat to France is open. Here a little court
has been established and Sci Rey" lives at
his ease. Reports Of all operations and
Of the enemy are sent hither
and discussed after dinner, the courtiers
indulging in sanguine expectations of com
ing success, all intended fol Don Carlos
ear. who does not always share the views
and seems to have a good deal Of sound
sense. but also undying ambition.
The mode Of fighting adopted bv the Car
lists may be described as dense diminishing
A billy position is selected, and the
posted along it in two lines, the