Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-07

Levantines, ofmad blood Roumanians,
Seryians, and others. Physically, the
men were of all sorts and sizes; but
the average was very much above the
French regiments OF the line, and bet
ter set of men could not be found for
the hardest kind Of campaigning.
The majority Of the recruits had
served in the armies Of their own cOun-
tries, yet it took months Of incessant
drill, owing to their want of knowledge
Of the language, TO familiarize them
with the French system. We were up
at $3.50 every morning, had a canteen
OF black coffee. FURNISHED and cleaned
our rifles and accOutrements, paradet
at q. and were marched outside the
town and drilled till about 9, when we
returned to barracks for breakfast.
From then till 9 in the afternoon every
man was confined to barracks on ac-
count Of the torIid heat, when the re-
cruitS were again marched out for drili
and kept at ii till about 4:3o, when
they returned to dinner. From that
till tattoo taey were free to do as they
pleased.
In six weeks | was passed TO the
battalion" and was marched ont with
my company every second day before
breakfast for regimental exercise. The
training was Of the hardest kind. We
marched and countermarched, wheeled,
turned. and charged over miles Of broken
ground, formed square, were massed in
divisions Of two companies, etc., during
the first half Of the morning, and after
a short rest were put through company
drill, bavonet exercise, and skirmish-
ing. This continued for several
weeks, at the end Of which we were
given rest. During these oXer-
cises we were not in heavy marching
order, carrying only the knapsack,
made Of Unframed cows hide with the
hair on. with the ordinary kit inside.
After this, for some weeks, each COM
pany was taken out separately two or
three times a week for target-practice.
The rifle was me Mimic and was marked
lS4j. 1t was, Of course, a muzzle-
loader. and. unlike the Enfield, the use
Of which had learned from revolution
airy drill-masters in Ireland, the ham
mer was adjusted to stand at
full-cock and at quarter-cock. in
The latter case it covered the
cap without pressing on it. In load
ing We put the cap on first and rammed
in the cartridge after. ] never heard
of any accident from this dangerous
method in any other case but my own,
but in that one the captain of my COM
panv was very near losing his life.
lie moved in front Of me just as |
rather carcleSsly raised my rifle for
ramming home the hammer slipped
down, and the bullet whizzcd within a
few inches Of his head. was terribly
frightened, but as no one noticed the
accident ! took care to say nothing
about it, and it was never known.
The rife practice over, We were prac-
ticed in long marching with the full kit
in our knapsacks and blanket and
ovcrcoat strapped over it, but without
the shelter-tents and cooking utensil
carried in a campaign. This made us
good marchers and kept US in good
condition. During all this time VIC
were doing guard duty Of the most va
ricd kind-at the barracks, the town
gates, over military prisoners working
/ out in the brushwood miles away from
/ the town, and at an Arab fair, lasting
several days, held in a space en-
closed by ditch outside the
town walls. The latter was most in.
tcresting experience. 1t was perfect
( Babel. There were swarthy Arabs ii
/ their long, white burnouses, tall, ath
/ letic, white-skinned Berbers whom the
( French called MOors, with white tur.
bans. white linen tunics, knee-breecheS
/ of the same kind, bare Sims, yellow
slippers and no stockings; Frenchmen
Spaniards, Italians, Maltese, Turks
negroes, and mostpicture,quely dressed
Algerian Jews with much finer ply
sique than that Of their Algerian
brethren-all talking loudly in dozen
different languages. All the product!
/ ofthe country and Of the countries south
| Of the Sahara and the manufactured
goods Of France were to be founC
/ there, and the bargaining and squad
bling between Israelites and the sons
of Ishmael was a sight to be remem
bored forever. SentinelS were PLACED
at intervals Of few yards around the
inclosure to prevent the entrance Of any
one except through the gate, where {
toll was collected. but the utmost yigi
lance could not prevent Arab horse
men from jumping the ditch and dash
ing into the crowd where it was i'm
. POSSIBLE to recognize one Arab from
another. On returning from one O
/ these fairs, the sergeant Of the guard
a disgraced Prussian lieutenant, com
mitted suicide by shooting himself with
his rifle.
After four months Of this kind o
work the regiment was sent in detached
companies to various parts Of the pro
vince Of Oran. My company and an
other were sent to a place called Sidi
Moussah. about halfway between Mas
cara, Add cl Kader's old capital, anC
saba, the nearest important town t
the desert border, to construct a road
Others were sent to the same work Il
other places, and others again werC
allowed 10 work with farmers fol-
wages. We had six days of weary
march under broiling sun, over dusty
roads, and weighted down with loaC
of from sixty to eighty pounds a man
This company was divided int
| squads, each squad cooking for itSel
and taking care of its own provision,
and cooking utensils, which were car
RED by each man in turn. In addition
to this | had a number Of books, 81
that when first strapped on the KNAPP
sack | was unable to stand up straight
/ Many men-mainly those who beer
drinking-fcll out before the first day
march was over, but. although | wa
nearly exhausted, | trudged alonl
" keeping the best side out, - and wa.
near the head Of the column when w
balted for the day. | continued thi
throughout, and on the third day wa