Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-05-27
AN INTERNATIONAL REGIMENT
A Heterogeneous Command In the
French Army.

"A Heterogeneous Command in the
French Army.
The following interesting sketch of the
French regiment OF foreigners (Fremden-
legion) at the garrison town of Bel Abbes
is taken from German contemporary:
The regiment consists of men of all ma
tiOns from the Swede and the Russian to
the dark African, the proportion in winch
the different European nations are repre-
scented being as follows: About One-tiftn
are from Alsace and Lorraine, two-tifths
are German and Dutchmen, one-ffth Bel
gians aud Swiss, and the rest are from
other countries. 1t is but natural that
every possible element and character
should be found among these men, and
the different types of human beings are
perhaps nowhere in the whole world
brought so closely together as they are in
this place, where the lowest criminal aud
the man of highest education and culture
llVeside by side. The foreigners room at
the barracks is an interesting place. tits
q large compartment, extremely clean
and tidy, and containing twenty-eight
beds, over each Of which hangs the SOL
dIer's leather belt, his second pair Of boots,
his knapsack, etc, while his clothes lie
carefully folded on shelf higher up. The
guns all well cleaned and CREASED, stand
on gun racks on either side of the en-
trance. The soldiers are nearly all in the
room, as the weather has been wet. There
is a group OF four young Germans gam
bling at one of the tables. Next to them
twome are playing chess, the board be-
ing represented by a piece Of paper. and
the figures by little pieces of carved wood
The players, however, do not seem very
interested in their game. One Of them is a
handsome man, with light brown beard,
VINO leans his head on his left arm. while
his blue eyes have far away look. He
is a Russian officer and of one of the best
st. Petersburg families, who has been
OBLIGED TO FLY
the country on account of political in
trigues, and who, disowned by his family,
has found a refuge in the foreigners regi-
ment. his companion, a Swiss of noble
parentage, has been a student. but has
exchanged the lecture room for his present
abode after gambling away his fortune.
Further away there is another group of
Swiss volunteers, evidently all belonging
TO the honest working classes. except one,
whose restless eyes are ceaselessly flying
about, and who has enlisted after doing
away with q considerable sum Of MS em-
Dlover's money. In another corner of the
room a number of soldiers are sitting
close together, listening to a gray-headed
man who has been in service for more
than twenty-five years, and VINO is deco
rated with a whole row Of medals. While
be is chewing his tobacco. he tells for the
hundredth time OF his campaigns in Next
co, i'm the Crimea, in Italy, and in the war
OF 1901. The lads are listening with
deep interest TO the words OF the veteran,
whose adventures become the more stirr-
ing and terrible the longer he tells OF them.
Next to this group a short, stout fellow,
with red hair and red, swollen face, is
living on the bed, his pipe in his mouth,
idlv staring about. He is a Belgian who
deserted from the army at tine age Of 81,
has been in India for six years, and after
that Joined the foreigners regiment.
Since then be has had
TEN YEARS or HARD LABOR
for INSTRUMENTATION, and has now only
lust returned to serve his remaining time.
A picture OF a very different kind may be
seen at the other end Of the room, where a
boy OF some II years is sitting on the bed.
lie hides his far, girlish face in his hands,
and tear after tear trickles through his
fingers. What is he thinking of Six
months ago he lett bis parents and Joined
the regiment under an assumed name. He
has broken his fathers heart, and now his
mother is dying. Not far from HIM, on
two beds, two soldiers are engaged in
loud and eager discussion. Tue one IL
tall and thin. with fine head and spec
tacled eyes, evidently a scholar, the other
short and lively, with piercing black eyes,
whose gestures and phraseOlogy stamp
him as a lawyer. On what rock these two
have been wrecked nobody knows. On "a
lonely bench an Eoglishman Is philosophi-
cally eating the rest OF bis ration OF bread,
disdaining-a true son OF AlbiOn-eYen TO
look at bis comrades.
TO complete this picture OF whole
world in one room in "A soldiers barracks
two Spauiards are singing In melan-
cholly voice OF the beauty of Andalusia
and its fair women in their own melodious
tongue. Il might be imagined that diff
cultes would arise among the members OF
so many nations, but il is very rarely tnat
ouarreis occur among the men, between
whom constant fellowship in times OF
war and peace, frequent deprivations and
dangers, have created friendship which
helps them through many or the hardships
OF their lot.