Year: 1870

hho uiarsh"i A .S.s mo nehrt Vi the


A correspondent OF the Manchester Guardian


Bidding good-by to my friends of the Imperial
Guard who had been my captors, again mounted,
quarters OF the greatest officer in the French army


1t was new sight to see the internal economy of
a commander-inchief's bureau in time of battle. We
were in large hall forming sort OF pavilion In the
sadly ruined garden. At long common deal table
were seated the Marshal and about twenty OF the
superior officers OF his stan. Dispatches were
written by dozens and signed by the secretary after
the Marshal had read them over and the work
seemed to go ON with the regularity of a counting
house. Messenger after messenger, mounted and
on foot, came at very frequent intervals. Their
reply was Immediately dictated and sent back. In
the corner was an electric telegraph perpetually
ticking its tale from the most distant quarters and
for about half an hour was in the


NkRRMosT HEART OF TIE FRENCH ARMY,


watching its pulsatons if l could not see the move
ments OF its limbs Presently the Marshal rose and
invited me to seat myself beside him, asked me
few questions and then declared the whole thing TO
me but apologised for them by saving that t6ey
were so surrounded by Prussian spies, and had so
many in the town and camp, that their own move
ments were known 10 the enemy almost better than
amongst themselves Nevertheless, he refused TO
give me safe conduct, for which had been hoping
all this time, and declared that no civilian could be
admitted within the lines. One thing he did he gave
me ldtseT-pds for that day, and Wended my way
back again through the huge camp was forbidden
TO enter and hearing letter OF reproOf to my CAP
tors; the which, however, did not trouble TO pre-
sent myself, but sent by gendarme, wending my
IL
distance


LARGE CAMP is VERY PICTURESQUE,


but it is most decidedly distance tn 1t lends enchant
Ment TO the scenes and the smell has bouquet
about 1t unrvalled even by your own "slumsh in
Manchester. Sanitary arrangements seem to be
utterly ignored, and the only good thing about 1t is
that there is no Overcrowding. Were IL otherwise,
the most deadly part OF war would be the en-
campment OF the soldiers. The tents are pitched at
about five yards apart where the ground allows of
it, each about three feet high at the apex and open
at one OF both ends. On the ground Is shaken down
a armful9 when iL be DrOcurQd 10
knapsack forms pillow and two men squeeze them
selves in as best they may What the condition OF that
tent ON a wet night may be can be Imagined. The
saturated clothes OF the men just OF their march,
the tent cover rendered imperVi0us TO ventilation
by the wet the drainage from the tents above soak
ing down into the lower ones must make the atmos-
phere deadly poison; and i believe an enormous
proportion OF sick We're sent home to Paris Just
before reached Metz and there are a great
number in hospital here ready again. The great
safeguard OF a French encampment is its extreme
mobility, and Immediately a place becomes too foul
TO live on-and IL very soon does that-it is moved TO
another location. OF course this can only be done
when plenty Of available ground Is obtainabe, which