American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-05-13
The Mexican Army.


President Centennial Commission.
The Mexican Army.
A correspondent of the Cincinnati
Enquirer writes from Mexico: In thil
season of pronunciamentos it is Difficult
to say just how much Of an army Mex
leo has. Its organization is six divisions
each composed of four regiments O.
infantry, one of cavalry, and six four
gun batteries of artillery, in all 5000
men-on paper-but the organizations
are seldom full. These are the regular
troops of the line, and the Government
was in the act of making considerable
reductions when the rebellion broke
out. The rank and file are all of Indi
an or mixed blood, and not generally
intelligent. They are often very young,
and all of small stature, three of oul
men being equal in weight to four Mex
lean soldiers. They are fairly uniform
ed, it being mixture in pattern be-
tween the French and our own. The
home troops have shoes, but the army
away from the capital wear sandals.
The troops are very well armed with
the Remington musket and carbine,
which they handle effectively, and their
equipments are simple and fairly service
able. For carrying the metallic cart
ridges, they wear the thimble or Hazen
belt, just as our troops do, but which
our Government declines to adopt. The
cavalry are well mounted on the small,
hardy horse of the country, and the
horses are usually in good condition.
The men ride well. but the equipments,
like our own, are too heavy. The artil-
lery, of four guns to battery, is halt
and half of underground columbiads
and six-pound very light guns, called
mountain howitzers, but in fact they
are light, slender rifed guns for pack
ing on mules in mountain regions. The
guns are all brass and all rifled.
They have no commissary depart
ment. Supplies are furnished by con-
tract to regiments upon the orders of
the Secretary of War, who, being a gen.
eral of the army, is COMMANDMENT
Chief. When the army moves a great
number of women are sent with it, who
go ahead, forage for the day, and have
the meals all prepared for the troops
on their arrival in camp. These wom-
en- are new feature in armies, and are
said to be great matter of economy to
the Government, as little or nothing is
paid for food, and the men, being re-
lieved from all bother of cooking, march
much faster, and foot-troops are ex-
pected to march as fast as cavalry: The
women, in their simple dress of striped
cotton, and broad-brimmed palm-leaf
hats, do not add specially to the mar
tial appearance of a column of troops
Although the higher officers of the
Mexican army, many of whom l met,
were cultivated gentlemen, and bear
the reputation of good officers, it can
not be said that the army is well officer
ed generally, although they are of a
much better class of people than are
found in the ranks, and are mostly
pretty well educated.
The troops in the Mexican service re-
ceive as pay S15 month, which covers
all cost for clothing and rations. There
are great many officers on sort of
inactive list. They receive no pay and
do no duty, nor are they entitled to
promotion, but are liable to be called
into active service at the wish of the
Government, and are then entitled to
all the consideration of active officers.
This explains the great number of Off
GERS of high rank in the Mexican army.
1t is like our volunteers of the war, only
that the Mexican Government keeps
their names on the army lists, and at
its pleasure may call them into service.
For this the officer is recognized as a
member of the army, and is entitled to
certain considerations.
The Mexican Government has pro
cured from the United States full ma
chinery for the manufacture of the
Remington arms, and is frabricating its
own small arms, the machinery being
put up in the citadel, sort of military
enclosure, with shops, barracks for
cavalry and artillery, and stables for
horses, in the suburbs of the city.
THERE is not much danger of his
Holiness the Pope coming to want in
his old age. Last year the "Peter's
pence" and jubilee indulgences netted
him 100000. The Emperor Ferdi-
nand of Austria left him S3,000,000; as
heir of the Duke of Modena he can cal
culate on an income of $4,000 Il year;
Lord Ripon gave him $4,000 outright;
Il Belgian convert $40, 700; and n pious
old lady, recently deceased, 100000.