St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-05-03
A French Legion Of Social
Outeasts and Degraded
Nobility.
Apistoerats in Disgrace and
the Lowest Of Criminals
Volunteer for It.
Slight Offenses Bring Death
or Caprieious and Ter
- pibIe Punishment.
How Col. De Negrier Won a
Generalship by Disobey-
ing Orders.

The victories achieved by Gen. Dodds
in Dahomey have served to attract more
public attention to the daring bravery OF
the two or three regiments known by
the name of the Foreign legion, which
constitute the nucleus of the force.
1t is to this legion that is invariably
assigned the most dangerous of service
in warfare, and it is they. too, who, as
rule, head the forlorp hope.
Whenever there are hardships to be
borne to which the French authorities
do not care to expose the regular line
regiments. the Foreign legion is invarl-
ably designated for the purpose.
Unlike the other French regiments it
is composed entirely of men who have
voluntarily enlisted, says Paris CORE
spondent of the New York Tribune.
Some of them are French, while at least
80 per cent of the entire corps IS COM
posed of foreigners.
There is scarcely man in the entire
brigade who has not behind him some
history of a more or less romantic and
frequently dramatic character.
Thus | have found i'll one and the
same company ROumanlan prince VINO
was under suspicion OF having MUIR
dered his brother; an Italian lieutenant
colonel of cavalry, bearing an lllustrlous
name, who had been dismissed from
King Humbert's army in disgrace III
consequence of being found cheating at
cards; Russian nihilist, VINO escaped
from Siberia; an eX-canon of the Cathe-
dral of Notre Dame, at Paris, who had
been suspended from his ecclesiastical
functions in consequence of an otfense
committed against public morality; an
English eX-captain Of the Rifle brigade,
and German count who had not only
served as lieutenant in the First regi-
ment of guards at Berlin, but who had
also held position Oh the military staff
of the late emperor of Germany.
All these men were serving as simple
privates in the ranks and were subject
ed TO the iron discipline for which this
corps is celebrated.
In no other European army are the
punishments so severe as i'll the F0reign
Legion of France.
Composed as it is almost entirely OF
social outlaws, men who have broken
with their past and who have I'D many
cases a criminal record behind them
men, in one word, who seek oblivion,
and who are mostly serving under
DStudODJ lllS-ll 10 JlOU aolOIIoIii- IiiN0
the utmost severity is needed to render
them subservient to orders.
The slightest offense or act of aggres-
sion against a superior officer is pun
ished with death, and during the Ton
Quin war there were as many as eleven
members of one regiment eOurt-IIlar-
tailed and shot i'll one day. The minor
otfenSes are punishable by the so-called
''silo," which consists of burying the
prisoner in the sand for hours. leaving
only his head exposed to the rays OF the
sun by day, and to the stingS of the in
sects by night; and the "crapaudine."
in which the man is bound hand and
foot aid left for hours nay, sometimes
daysLon the sand lying helpless, some
what in the position of trussed fowl.
Many of the most famous OF names CT
France have figured at the head OF these
regiments.
Among those who have held the rank
of colonel Of the foreign legion lind,
for instance, the names OF Marshal Ba-
zaine, Gen. de Negrier, Gen. Dupin,
who so distinguished himself by his
cruelty during the guerrilla warfare III
Mexico, and last, but not least, the brill
liant Col. de Malaret.
The last had in his younger days been
GERS of the Tuileries and a particular
favorite of the Empress Eugene.
However, having contracted some
horrible malady which had practically
eaten away almost one entire side of his
face, he asked for and obtained the
command of a foreign legion, anxious
to serve his country and yet to with
draw sufficiently from the world to be
no longer exposed to the looks of hOr-
ror. disgust and pity which the appear
ance OF his face excited, not only among
strangers, but even among former
friends.
well remember the dramatic picture
drawn by one of his fellow officers OF
his appearance at the morning parade
of his regiment.
He would arrive on the ground with
the hood of his military mantle drawn
over his head, even in the hottest
weather, i'll such manner as to shrOud
and almost enUlrely conceal his face.
Indeed, one could see little else but
his brilliant, steel-gray eyes piercing
through the gloom. He reminded one
of those terror-inspirlng members OF the
inquiSition of the middle ages, and, like
them, his lips rarely opened save to
order some more or less severe punish
ment.
Very different was Gen. de Negrier,
who was beloved rather than feared by
these strange troops, of whom it has
been said with some justice that they
were a strange mixture between the
chivalrous and high-minded gentlemen
Of birth, breeding and honor and the
most criminal blackguards.
Gen. de Negrier won his present rank
for having on one memorable occasion
disobeyed orders-an otfense which,