The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-07-19
GRAND MANEUVRES.
The Annual Sham Battle Of the
French Army.
TBy p. F. Zogbau,n.l


me, and sat up rubbing my eyes and gather
ing my struggling wits. Again, right under
my window, [ heard the music, and being now
thoroughly awakened, | sprang out of bed. /
was III a room over the stables of a tavern IN
small town in Normandy, where / had Joined
the troops the night before, with the intention
of accompanying them during the autumn
manmuvres when the French army takes the
field, each corps in territory assigned to 1T,
there to prepare the troops by practice in the
details of a campaign for the more serious
business of real warfare.
The day was just dawning IN a wet gray sky
as | dressed myself and looked from my win
dow on the court of the tavern, a long square
paved inclosure, bounded on three sides by ir-
regular two storied buildings of brick and
stone, while on the fourth side huge archway
under an ancient tower permitted a glimpse
across street to an orchard beyond. Ia the
lower stories were the tap-room, kitchen, sta
bles, ETC.; the sleeping rooms were above, open
ing on wooden galleries. wet with the dripping
OF the rain from the oyerhanging caves of the
tiled and moss-g grown roofs.
Gradually the light increased, silvering the
roof-tops and casting long reflections of the old
buildings in the now bright surface of the
pavement.
A smart sergeant clattered through the arch
way, and his authoritative voice was inlmedi-
ately heard, putting something like life into
the sleepy soldiers, and evidently reminding
the bugler that he had something else to do
than to toast his toes at the fire, for, drawing
his hands from his pockets and dropping his bit
of straw, he assumed a Wide-awake look, strobe
across the court, and disappeared through a
doorway.
The others also showed some alaerity, and
began leading out their horses and grooming
them, Kissing at their work like SO many SER
pents, and pausing occasionally to swallow a
cup of hot coffee which. with an enormous piece
of bread, was handed them by q comrade.
The door of bedroom opposite mine opened,
and an officer in shirt sleeves and slippers, and
wiping his hands on towel, leaned over the
railing of the gallery and called to his servant
for his boots.
GOOD MORNING.
The horses were standing in long lines under
the sheds, saddles and equipments were being
put on, and sabers were clanking as the soldiers
moved about. when | descended to the coffee
room, which / found already filed with officers
of the staff. They were coming and going, or
sitting at the tables drinking their coffee and
smoking their morning cigarettes. All rose as
the general, a handsome old soldier clad in the
tasteful fatigue uniform of general of divis-
ion entered the ROOM and raising his gold laced
fatigue cap in recognition of the salute and
with hearty "Bonjour, messieurs," led the
way through the door to the yard where the
horses were now in readiness the cavalry es-
cort drawn up behind, the men, shalsos strapped
under their chins great-coatS on, carbines
slung over their shoulders, sitting motionless
on their horses. The staff mounted, aud, the
general at the head moved out through the
archway and rode up the village street, which
was already filled. with troops from end TO end.
Six o'clock struck from the tower of the old
Norman church when the head of the infantry
column battalion of chasseurs-a pied the
picked light infantry of the French army,
crossed the market-pIace, their bugles sound
ing march They moved with astonishing
rapidity. with the quick, short step peculiar to
these troops, and were followed close on their
heels by column after column of troops of the
line in in heavy marching order, and III their
| ungraceful fatigue uniform. The long skirts
of their great-coats were folded back from
their legs, clad in the regulation scarlet
trousers and leather CATERS. Their KNAPP
| sacks, some with short-handled pick and shovel,
others with cooking utensils blackened by re-
cent contact with fire, others again with huge
loaves of bread fastened to them, were strapped
tightly on their backs, their canvas haversacks.
filed with the days rations, swung at their
sides, and their rifles hung loosely over their
shoulders. 1t was heavy marching order iu-
deed, the baggage of the French infantryman
weighing twenty-eight Kilograms (about sixty
eight pounds English). exclusive of their am
munition, of which each man carries ninety
| cartridges.
The rain was falling in torrents as we passed
out of the town and struck the Route de
Paris" the broad national highway running
| from the coast towns to the capital and the or
der to march at ease was passed down the col
umn. The ranks opened out little rifles were
| shifted, pipes lighted, and breaking into song
| the troops tramped gayly forward through mud
ard miro, to the admiration and establishment
Of the inmates of the occasional farm houses
| we passed. At one farm number OF young
sters had rushed out OF the houses and stood by
| the roadside, gazing with wide-opened eyes at
the unusual sight All had a slice of bread and
bowl of soup in either hand, which they
| steadily continued TO dispose of, stopping now
and then only long enough to grin at the chat
| of the soldiers. The women looked on admir-.
! ingly, and one vivacious lady wondered loudly
! why there was no music while one of the farm
hands in his quality of old soldier, explained
that en- campagne," troops dispense with
much of the fuss and feathers of the piping
! times of peace"
THE PLAN OF OPERATIONS.
| had some acquaintances among the officers
and, as we marched, they described the plan o1
| the maneuvres to me. The enemy, represented
| by body of troops about equal in number to
our own, We're supposed TO have landed on the
coast, and to be threatenining two important
commercial and manufacturing towns OF France
| Our objective point was Yyetot, on the line oi
| the railway between Havre and Roueu and we
expected to meet them near there, their head
| quarters being that day, probably, at q place
| called Bolbec, situated u few kilometers from
the town we were then marching on
We had been on the road four or five hourt
/ when suddenly we heard shot, followed i'm.
mediately by several Others directly in ouI
| front, and the column came TO halt We saw
| some movement up the road, where it disap
peared over the top of hin, commands were
! heard and the troops began to move off to the
| right and left. and form in column of battal
ions in the fields. The foremost regiment:
threw out squads of skirmishers, the men NOV
ing at run up the rising ground in our front
red and white gudon futtering among 9
| groupof horsemeu on the highest point of the as
cent, indicated the positio of the staff, and to-
ward it hurried TO ascertain what was going on
| arriving III time to see accommodating party
OF the enemys cavalry disappearing in line
of woods in the valley below, pursued by
| troop of our own. They wore white linen GOV.
ers to their shakos to dist nguish them from oul
men, and as their line vanished into the shadow
OF the trees. could see them turning to give
parting shot or two. Our troopers soon return
ed, reporting no large body of the enemy il
sight and, as the hour of noon had approached
orders were given to halt where we WERE
The skirtnishers reioned their regiments
arms We're stacked, ranks were broken anC
preparations were made for the MONDAY meal
! Wherever the least shelter from the rain could
be found the men began to build their fires tc
| make their coffee and heat their soups-harG
work at first, for the ground was damp and the