portion of that phlegm and
moroseness so very unlike the general gaiety of French nature; and
when assailed by such adversaries, were perfectly incapable of reply or
retaliation.

They all belonged to the army of the 'Sambre et Meuse,' which, although
at the beginning of the campaign highly distinguished for its successes,
had been latterly eclipsed by the extraordinary victories on the Upper
Rhine and in Western Germany; and it was curious to hear with what
intelligence and interest the greater questions of strategy were
discussed by those who carried their packs as common soldiers in the
ranks. Movements and manoeuvres were criticised, attacked, defended,
ridiculed, and condemned, with a degree of acuteness and knowledge that
showed the enormous progress the nation had made in military science,
and with what ease the Republic could recruit her officers from the
ranks of her soldiers.

At noon the column halted in the wood of Belleville; and while the men
were resting, an express arrived announcing that a fresh body of troops
would soon arrive, and ordering the others to delay their march till
they came up. The orderly who brought the tidings could only say that
he believed some hurried news had come from Germany, for before he left
Paris the rappel was beating in different quarters, and the rumour
ran that reinforcements were to set out for Strasbourg with the utmost
despatch.

'And what troops are coming to join us?' said an old artillery sergeant,
in evident disbelief of the tidings.

'Two batteries of artillery and the voltigeurs of the 4th, I know for
certain are coming,' said the orderly, 'and they spoke of a battalion of
grenadiers.'

'What! do these Germans need another lesson?' said the cannonier. 'I
thought Fleurus had taught them what our troops were made of.'

'How you talk of Fleurus!' interrupted a young hussar of the south. 'I
have just come from the army of Italy, and, _ma foi!_ we should never
have mentioned such a battle as Fleurus in a despatch. Campaigning
amongst dikes and hedges--fighting with a river on one flank and a
fortress on t'other--parade manoeuvres--where, at the first check, the
enemy retreats, and leaves you free, for the whole afternoon, to write
off your successes to the Directory. Had you seen our fellows scaling
the Alps, with avalanches of snow descending at every fire of the great
guns--forcing pass after pass against an enemy, posted on every cliff
and crag above us--cu