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September, 16, 1854.] T.HE LEADER. 867
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THE FRENCH ARMY. A -writer, of obvious m...
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THE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH AND HIS STUP. ...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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September, 16, 1854.] T.He Leader. 867
September , 16 , 1854 . ] T . HE LEADER . 867
The French Army. A -Writer, Of Obvious M...
THE FRENCH ARMY . A -writer , of obvious military knowledge , graphically , yet informingly , describes the sham fight near Boulogne on the 8 th . We give the sketch entire . The sham fight , which toak place upon the line of road between Boulogne and Calais , must have satisfied the Prince Consort and all the distinguished officers who were present on . the occasion as visitors , that the French army is well entitled by its efficiency to the military reputation which it enjoys . Of the two corps tfarviee in the field , one was led on by the Emperor in person , and he displayed his own generalship and the discipline of his . troops in presence of , and as an act of courtesy to , some of the most distinguished personages in that country ¦ which was the steady enemy for so many years not only of France but of the name or Napoleon . Moreover , the scene selected for this friendly show of power lay all within sight of the famous column which has furnished so many hot discussions to the strange medley of visitors brought by the sea air and the importunity of creditors to Boulogne . Eleven or twelve miles north-east from'this favourite watering-place tliere lies upon the road to Calais the small town of -Marquise , and beyond that , along the line of the highway for about four miles , a fine tract of open country , undulating in surface , but admirably adapted for the manoeuvring of" troops . The greater portion of the land is under cultivation , but as the French system of agriculture does not here at least encourage hedges and ditches ,, no obstructions are offered to military operations thereby / ' Fancy yourself , therefore , overlooking an open districtj intersected by the Calais road , with a few hamlets , farmhouses , and / windmills nestled on either side * the hollows filled occasionally with patches of wppdj and the eye carried by the humniocky nature p f the ground over a succession of little valleys to . low heights in the distances Over this expanse the liarvest has hot yet terminated ^ i and t he scene ; thpugli . not ; strikingly beautiful , is agreeable from its unpretending character . Immediately to the north of Marquise the two coi' psd ' armee face each other , that commanded b y General de Sclirainrn bsing supposed , to threaten Boulogne from the direction of Qalais , while that of the Enipei-brhas takeUup a poaition to resist any further advance . Both had bivouacked oh the spot , haying marched thither on Thursday from the camps of Equihen on the 6 ne hand , and of Hqnvault on the other . As each campholds atout 10 , 000 men , there were somewhere near 20 , 000 / infantry on the field . The cavalry to the number of from 2000 to 3000 came from St . Omer and MoHtreuil , and there were six or eight batteries of artillery . The whole * force out was under 25 , 000 men . Schramm ' s right rested on the village of . Bernes , and his left on the farinof Blacourt . The Emperor ' s right on the village of Hydriquent , and his left on the hamlet of L-edquent . Between tlie troops lay a sihall ravine with a brook running thi'ough it , aiid , thus sepaTated , they Awaited at an early hour yesterday morning the signal to begin the fight . As early as six a ' cloclc the Emperor left hig hotel with Prince Albert and an immense and brilliant corteffe . His Majesty and the Prince travelled in tlie same carriage—and were repeatedly cheered on their route . They arrived at Marquise shortly after seven o ' clock , arid having mounted on horseback and proceeded to the ground the manoeuvres immediately : commenced . What they -were to be no one knew beforehand , for even in such matters , the Emperor shows his characteristic reserve . The fight opened with the artillery on both Bides , which was kept up heavily for some time . Then the bugles and drums of . the Emperor ' s Infantry sounded an advance , which was finely executed , each battalion being brouglit forward 5 n . dense columns , forming quickly , and throwing out its light company to skirmish , while the guns still supported the movement . After an interval , the long lines of Schramm ' s corps , drawn up upon the opposite height , broke into columns , and slowly fell back towards Calais , the Emperor , directing his attack continuously from his right , and pressing forward with his cavalry , succeeded in turning his opponent ' s left . General do Scliramm thereupon changed his front , so as to fsiee this flank movement , still , however , retreating . It would bo impossible to give any precise topogrnplncal description of the operations that "would bo at a . 11 comprehensible , but the general idea of a force driven back along a straight line of road , like that to Calais , and through a district of country such as has' been described , Retiring first ou ono side and then on the other , and making a stand , now in a wood , again in some small hamlet or farmyard , or other building or natural point of defence , should not bo very difficult to master . 'Jfbo manoeuvres extended over a distance of three or four miles , and of course embraced an infinite number oi' details into which jt is impossible ) to enter , ' It may , howover , be statod , that in tho progress of th , cm a complete illustration was given , not only of those difficult flunking movomonts by which the fate of battles is so frequently decided , but also of the mode oi handling French artillery , infantry , and cavalry in advance orretrput ,, The ortillery arm of the scivico is evidently a favourite ono with the JUinporoi-, and ho used it on Friday with unsparing effect . The 12-poundor givns which ho has taken such pains to introduce give the Held batteries of th < French army a torriblo power , which It did not iiuLto sIion that it know well how to use . Whorovoi a favourable position offered itself , there the guns wcro pushed forward witl rapid energy and the Urine was nihnh'iibly suntuinod . Greni taofc -was also shown in tuq aoloobion ot sheltered yut com inandiug spota whenco to direct a cannonade , and in tin attack or defence of two liotly contested positions , one i wood and the other- a windmill , this wns partioulsirly con wpicuouB . The guna , though considerably honvitir than ou own , are drawn by the sumo munbor of hornu » , n resul wlncli ia probably duo to tlicir being mounted on curriiiges will larger wheels . Thiacxposas them more to tho enemy ' s uhot tui ; . P - « ps lmS othor ^ "dvnntncoii , lb . p t tho rnngo of tli ivnnic r . Uo now rondura increased woiulit of motnl a matter c very groat importance . In tho Fvonoli urtillory Horvlco , as i oiu-h , no utompt HooniB hitherto to havo boon mndo to intrc iliwo Uw wo of a prlnj-B , « t lonat for tlio wnirRona . Tlu-i Ht'iMUH no Hutiblactory rwson why an Improvement , of tl : Wild Bhould not bo aduptwl , ami It niipwu-a to ho ouito i iimcu wanted In their nriuv IU ) in oJrn , for , thouU tl ; grouml m front of Murquiao ia not ho rough uud broken uu
was at Chobham , the gunners appeared io be quite as much jolted in » their seats . The guns were all fired on Friday by percussion , and , though the loading was performed with ; reafe rapidity , there was not that excessive haste which , in our service , with the Horse Artillery especially , sometimes leads to accidents . Another point about this arm of the French service which struck me was the admirable and steady way in which the- horses did their work . They went at an excellent pace when requisite , were not in too high condition for the field , and appeared to be strong and hardy animals , with the requisite amount of roughness about them to stand fatigue and exposure well . With the artillery the infantry fairly divided the honours and labours of the operations on Friday . A large proportion of the army Encamped ia this neighbourhood consists , of young conscripts-who have hardly yet completed their training ; but the manner in which the various manoeuvres were performed by the troops engaged was beyond praise , What we most of all admired was the rapidity with which everything was done . There was much more running at full speed tq take up position than would have been attempted in our service , and , though an English spectator would miss the extraordinary precision with which movements are effected by the troops of his own country , on the other hand ¦ the very absence of this might fairly be regarded as arising from the military instincts of the French soldier , enabling him in some degree to dispense with the more pedantic formalities of his profession .. It was a fine sight lo see the dense masses of columns in which the Empefpr threw ; forward . hK ^ ttotionsj ; and ;; t ^ e : imp ^ tuosity ;\ ii : itht : which they made their advance , now ^ deploying rapidly into line and throwing out skirmishers , now = barely visi ble , behind the shelter of some friendly height , against which the enemy ' s guns thundered . The fusillade of musketry was hotly and well sustained by both sides at all the more . warmly-disputed positions . Sometimes volleys were exchanged at close quarters ; ' sometimes a stead y rattle of file-firing was kept up ; and , again , the din . « f mimic battle . dwindled do ^ yn to an occasional ; -dropping / shot . Over an extended line ; . it would -be'impossible '' - to give a . clear conception ; of . the . different manoeuvres performed during a long : advance , but * taken altogether , they must have left Tipon the minds of those who witnessed them a , sense of being brought nearer to - ' 'the / realities of actual serviced . than is usually the case on stich occasions . The French infantry soldier is so martial looking a fire-eater , and so entirely at home in soldiering , that all ideas of the parade-ground vanish when he takes the field . He does not ask you to imagine a . powerful enemy in fifty sappers , and a General . of Division in the officer conirnanaing theia . Except in the whistling of Minie bullets , ; the ploughing up of the ground with cannon shot , and the killed and ¦ wounded , every detail is carried' out . He bivouAcks on thei ground the night beforOi He fights at an hour when a feather-bed soldier would be asleep . , He executes manoeuvres with an aisence of rigorous formality which implies , not carelessness , but the easy consciousness or perfect self-possession , and even to the ambulances and the supplies of the vivdnaiere , all tliat he requires attends him on the field * S 6 j , at least , it was on Friday , when the Emperor drove Schi-amm ' s corps back again towards Calais . At one pointj and of course only by a portion ' of the line , were squares forihcd to receive tho- attack of cavalry , so that the movement of which we in our reviewsare fondest , and which we consider adds most to the effect of . such displays , was hardly shown at all during the day . There was another circumstance which , perhaps , it may be interesting to notice . Hitherto the French army has formed its lino three deep , like all other continental services , the first two Tanks to flro and the last to load ; whereas with us the practice has always been to form line two deep , each line loading and firing for itself . On Thursday it was observed that the battalions under the Emperor ' s command—and probably it was tlie same with General Schramm ' s corps also —were drawn up two deep . Technical and insignificant as it may appear , this change is really one- of great importance , in military tactics . Tho system of raanoouvring m dense columns and deep lines , besides exposing an army to heavy loss of life under fire , accustoms the men to expect to be closely backed up in tho hour of peril , and prevents the general from extending his front so as to liavo the full benefit of his superior numbers . Tho reputation of tlie British infantry , wherever it has fought , is largely due to an appreciation , of these strategical considerations ; that of the l ' ronch , on the contrary has beon achieved in disregard , of it , and upon entirely different grounds . But from tlio alteration noticed on Friday they appear to ho no longer insensible to the advantages of our system , and prepar cd already , in . sorao respects , to adopt it . In their attnohinont to movements executed in close column they still persevere , and it formed one of tho most -prominent characteristics ot tho manner in which his corps was handled by the Emperor . The immensebodies of troops kept by tlie great military Powers of tho Continent probably rendor it necessary to manoeuvre- ia solid masses , for there are limits within which a field of battle must bo confined , and within thoso limits tho saying of tho -first Napoleon is istiU nccopted— " that -victory is on the side , of tlio stvongost battalions . A careful and cundid observation , however , of tho infantry evolutions on Friday suggests strong doubts whether , with any number of men to . spare , that iroquont re-sort to tho use of dense columns in face- of an enemy ia not at tended > vitli great danger . Advancing triuinpluintly it may unawoc vory well , but in retreat heavy Ions of life luada quickly to confuwion . that again to panic , and total rout follows . Tho French army , as it showed itself on Friday , is a splendid , force , worthy in its efleotivo .-liess of tho great nation wlioso sword and shield His . Tho infantry crucially appeared to great tulvantage : and _ , take it altogether , probably llioro ia no bo » dy of Boldiflra in , tho > f world ao well ormuiidca iut tho Ohuasoura do Viuconwea . It n may , however , bo permitted to En ^ lUlimon who witnessed i- thu shiun lluht to retain uuubutud contidunce in tho preciac ¦ u hcIiodI of dlHulplino ia which their own . soldiors aro trained j lo fur without hiieli ii Bytttonv it would apponr cxtroimily dHllih vult lo vxuuutu thuau dulicuto inovmnoatH in tho l'uco of ni ie oiioiny upon which Lho iittv of buttloa ao frequently turns , it 'A'lrero wore two rcgluwnta of JUuncorn ami two of
Dragoons on the ground yesterday . The Lancers * were with Schramm ' s corps , and the Dragoons with the Emperor . One or two charges were made in the course of the manoeuvres , but as a general rule this arm of the service was nob much used , though the face of the country was very favourable . Perhaps it is beginning to be felt in France that with Minie ' rifles Saving an effective range of 800 yards , and with the certainty that great improvements must shortly be introduced into the whole system of our field artillery , tlie occasions are likely to be more rare than formerly on which Cavalry can be brought forward with advantage . For show purposes they will probably be used a 3 long as men view with an admiration akin to Othello ' s * ' the big wars thafc make ambition virtue . " There are regiments in the French army better horsed than some , at least , of those which wexa engaged yesterday , but , speaking generally , it was wonderful to . notice how they were supplied in this respect . The horses are not so large nor powerful as ours , bnt they seem hardy and active , and their strength is not unfairly taxed by mounting them with gigantic troopers such as Prince Albert's orderlies , fine animals themselves to look at and to be made the most of , but not intended to be carried by any quadruped except , perhaps , an elephant or dromedary . Having tried to convey some idea of the ground where the sham right took place , of the manner in which it was conducted , and of the extent to wliich the different arms of the service took part ui it , it is necessary now to speak of those who were present , either as chief actora on tbe scene , or as visitors . And first of the Emperor . ; He was , as . usual , in the undress ^ uniform of a General of Division , wore theGrand Gross of the Legion of - Honour , was superbly mounted oa a dark chesnut hpree , and looked his share ^ in the proceedings of the ; day to perfection . His seatda . horseback'has b ^ en . often -praised , but '¦ was never more adyantagwiusly set ofi ^ asj preceding by a fevf yards everyone else , b * went from pwai tppointi directing the movements . of iis troop ^ The > Ibng habit of command seldom gives to any man a inanner so precisej . determm & d | . and-yet reserved and self-possessed ; as the Etnperor / exhibated on this reiniuiaU ^ ever be ni ^^ -talenf ' s-las a ^ general , be acts tie part of piiewifli marvellous propriety ^ a nd without a sign ' -Either of dulidence , fluster , or affectation . The Prince probaMy considerations of ^ ood taste , seldom came ; prominently 'forward : during the day ; from the restiof the staff ; Hepvudai short visit to General ^^ Schramm ' s corjpsj and was thus enabled ¦ to y ^ atch the movements from that point of view whieh , oa such occasions , is always the best . His Royal Highness trort over the undress uniform of a Field-marshal the broad red r iband with the Grand Cross of , the Legion of "Honour . A numerous and . magnificent cortege followed the Einperd * andi his Royal guest as they ^ passed from ' -point t ? point along tha
The sham fight , terminaled oil the fine open slope of a heightsome four miles distant frono ^ the point at ^ \ vrueh . Hi had commenced . Schramm ' s corps holding the ridge made a laststand against their opponents , who , steadily debouching' ; from the woods fcelow , at length drove tbem from , their position . The cool agreeable character of the weather added greatly to the enjoyment with which the ¦ wholespectacle was witnessed . At half-past 11 o ' clock it was all over ^ and * while the Emperor conducted his illustrious guest to fcreakfast , prepared under tents m the hollow , the troops , with that alacrity which distinguishes French soldiers , lighted ! small fires of brushwood ,, had the vivandieres supplies ; brought into requisition , and effectually refreshed thenaselvo * after the . labours of the morning . This was certainly on « of the most instructiTe parts of the day ' proceedings , nor was it less so , on the return homo , to see the quick way in which , they ! came back to their respective position ' s before Marquise - and . preparqd to bivouack for tlie night . It is very diracult for Englishmen , who have derived their ideas of military evolutions from field-days in the Parks , with a few thousand men at the most , to appreciate such a spectacle as tliat of yesterday without , being present ; but the characteristics of it-arise mainly from two causes , —first , from the open nature of tho country hero , which renders the movements of large masses of troops comparatively easy ; secondly , from tho scale upon which armies , not only in France , but all over the continent , ara maintained . There aro vory few districts in England where even 22 , 000 men could be manoeuvred with the same freedom » s yesterday . On our downs and wolds it might perhaps be done , but oven there tho destruction of property that would ensue renders it impossible to attempt anything of the kind ; and at Ohobham it will be remembered 8 , 000 soldiers could hardly go a mile frorn their camp without squeezing their way through all kinds ofnatural obstructions . Hero on the contrary , the two ; c < m >« d ' avmde out yesterday were positively swallowed up in tho extent , of the terrain over which they oporuted . Thoy neve * appeared to fill any part of it , and their numbers distributed over ao widio an area told less strongly upon the oye than would have been tho case within the narrowor limits . Oa tho other hand , l ) owover . tho mimio viow of warfare pro-Bented rose in truthful effectiveness , and the spectator was left to tho undisturbed enjoyment of the admirable aanyfroid with which tho French army manoeuvres .
The Emperor Of The French And His Stup. ...
THE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH AND HIS STUP . Tub Times gives a graphic account of tho Emperor aa ho appears in that department of his stato vliicU is presided over by liis Master of tlio Hors-e . It acorns that «• ho ia so well got up himself whou on horeoback , and is followed by so aplendid a rotmucv that it is almost worth while to cross tho Uuuniel to Boulogne to se « him pass through tlio town . I here 1 cannot bo a more ndmirnblo arrunpxinuMit tmu \ X \ At '< dlaplaycd in tho turn-out , with tho oumdors K-avtmg 1 tlio way , thun thy Kmporor alono , grrtvcLv , yot S »« i-1 fully acknowledging thu salutations of the huroblert 1 passor-by ; tlicu the ollkvrs of his lioiwchoul m closo i order bchiiul tlivm u ftiimll party oi \\ w k \\\ u \<^ aitd . lust of all lho ' Cont- » . iiM \ k < u luagniucoiU Xctwx-- > mtlo » to tho cavalcade"
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 16, 1854, page 3, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_16091854/page/3/
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