Year: 1870

escort winding s way the sides OF the hills which the
road follows there. The composition Of the es-
cort was-first, n regiment OF Chasseurs dAfrique
by fOurs, keeping, yOn may be sure, shaIp
lookout; next came peloton OF Cent Gardes,
next the Emperor and his staf, another
peoton Of Cent Gardes three Imperial carriages where
they had come up) then four Cent Gardes and after
Them closing the column, the regiment Of the Dragons
de Impeatrce They had to pass the side Of wooded
hills, the slopes Of which form gorges which are very
beautiful and am told it very striking sight in


ITSELF well by the interest derived from the sua-
ton Of the Emperor to that cavalry column inter
sper sed with carriages winding mp the side o the hill


Another episode Of this retreat which would make
striking picture when having reached the side Of


hill, where there is kind OF tumblcdown cottage OF
auberge called Point dujour halt made, and the
tired iadcd and detected old Emperor a GIFTED and
glad to rest at the door Of the poor place sitting


rckey coarse straw botomed chair his staff standing
about him. and his little boy at his side. What must
have been his feengsi


II was Immediately after the passage Of the Imperial
party that the battle called now believe MARSHA Tour,
began Indeed they passed by French battery which
was in position and the colonel told one OF the officers
that the escort had been very much in hs way, for he
ought to have opened fire time before, but could
not the escort being between his guns and the enemy
He added that another ten minutes and he would have
had 10 open fire. and sacrifice the remaining part Of the
train which was In front Of him. However as the last
man cleared the line Of fire of the battery the cannon
began TO thunder and the battleiOf MarslaTour took
place. .l ..


The Emperor has to-day dismissed three OF bis aids
de-camp They are sent TO command divisions but 1t Is
considered as dismissal. The Cent Gardes are very
much disqueted by papers suggesting that they
ought to be distributed into cavalry regiments De
leye it is only a rumor without foundation They are
paid out OF the EmperOr's cdisse.


have been talking with poor infantry officer who
belonged 10 MacMabOns corps. say poor for he was
true specimen Of a French infantry officer man who
after being pupil Of ST. Cyr had Joined an infantry reg
men as subeutenant with the intention Of following
the profession Of arms all his life till the time came Tor
taking his pension Such have generally little or
nothing besides their pay of about 6fr day In tle OF
peace they just To live on it, looking Forward
to their captancy 10 fall due when their position Is


little amelorated. Generally the sons OF retired officers,
OF of government employees and having been soldiers
from their youth up they have no other ambition than


military preferments and OF course the OF honor
which they are almost sure get a few years before
their pension. They have seen even the outskirts
OF society, they know no other pleasure, Dut that
which they can find at the cafe of the garrison
towns in which,they quarered Some OF this class
of officers have been out Of uniform In their me-
They walk through life smoking their pipes and praying
hourly for good appear the political horizon,





hope to become COonels before they die The dream of
such men for the last so years for guee drce


dIemaqne such a war offering some chance OF beinga
long one When war does come and they are ordered
OFF to IT, they given grauty OF 500 francs or more
according to their rank help them in the first start
they receive beside trihe day more as field pay IL
was one Of these professional soldiers was speaking 10
last evening Lieutenant. He nearly in tatters.
Hscohes were dngy with the dust Ofa the marches ana
countcrmarches of this campaign The holes OF TWO SholS
and some bayonet rents had been carefully mendedi MS
unshaven face OF an ndescrbabe deep DlOWhy Ieu
and am sure he had than Fl. in his pocket 10
90 on with for five days. A fellow st. Cyran of his
whose military lot brilliant if not perhaps so
glorious Cent Gardes officer remarked, with enthus-
asm. how chic" (ine) MacMahon's conduct had been
during the battle in which his corps danee was nearly
annhated. The infantry agreed 70 the magnificent
personal courage displayed by MacMahon, who, during
the battle was much exposed the merest private,
but as to admiring him general in that circunl-
stance he said he could not Was it (he exclaimed),
the place Of "A Marshal Of France 10 expose his
life i'm a battle. the success OF which depended
upon his directingit 10 the end and moreover was
good geuelshp he asked TO have let himself he forced
into fight with which he had not the slightest
chance of cOntending With successfully He called our
attention his shabby and uniform, and told US he
had in that battle all his kit well the 500 fr he
had received begin the campaign with After the battle
they had been marching for 4s hours without any food
whatever The villages deserted and they had To


live upon the rare crss OF bread they could find Thirty
officers Of his regiment killed. All the other reg
ments suffered in the proportions nearly. The ih
Curasseers entirely destroyed and this good
war he thought. 1t not the part Of good general
to have accepted fight against 10000 with $1,000


He complained also that that afternoon his visit to
different corps the camp the Emperor had been to the
regiments who had not yet fought like the Marines, and
had not been those regiments which encamped
mastering but a quarter of their original number He
was told however, that to that the Emperor went
where he was led, and almost without knowing where.
But 10 return to my tattered officer of fortune 1t is not
this class of men whom pity when they fall, or
wounded and i'm the battle nor il the officers of
any kind or rank pity or am sad for They have de-
sired a war with Germany since can remember,
and now they have got it, and hope they viii make the
best of it, and that they like il but those pity all


those poor soldiers who have chosen their career who
have nothing gain in the fight and yet who there
cheerfuy and with much resignation. poor young
fellows being drilled for their very lives here all day long
They OF the class OF 1862 fortnight ago they
with their fathers mothers, and sisters, with no idea Of
having to jOn and they dressed, armed drilled
to certain EXTENT, and the day after tomorrow or
next week twOthirds of them may be stretched dead
these very plains still, be wrthng under
terrible wound, Taving maniacs, like some other
wounded have 1 regiments passing in differ
directions to take up positions in the neighbOrhood
They sIng the example being given purpose by the
cOrpOras and older soldiers. Troops arriving here
continually There are here now about 100000 men,


THE DICTATOR OF PARIS