George Manington - A Soldier of the Legion; An Englishmans Adventures Under the French Flag in Algeria and Tonquin

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A SOLDIER OF THE LEGION

carrier

NATIVE WOMAN CARRIER.
Frontispiece.

A SOLDIER
OF THE LEGION

AN ENGLISHMAN'S ADVENTURES UNDER
THE FRENCH FLAG IN ALGERIA
AND TONQUIN

BY GEORGE MANINGTON

Edited by
WILLIAM B. SLATER and ARTHUR J. SARL

WITH MAP AND ILLUSTRATIONS

LONDON
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET
1907

TO THE MEMORY
OF MY COMRADES WHO FELL IN THE FORESTS OF
YEN-TH AND THE JUNGLES OF KAI-KINH,
THIS WORK IS DEDICATED

PREFACE

Sitting at the terrace of a well-known caf, on the main boulevard of the French capital, some time ago, I happened to glance down the columns of a Parisian newspaper, and was struck by a realistic account of the recent combat at El-Moungar.

After describing this action,a long, arduous, but successful defence of a convoy of arms and ammunition by a handful of men from the Foreign Legion against the repeated attacks of more than a thousand fanatical Moorish horsemen,the journalist expressed his admiration for the courage and disinterested devotion of which this corps has so often given proof.

The final phrase of his article can well serve as an excuse for, and introduction to, the present volume:Si quelque philosophe ouvrait un jour une chaire pour enseigner l'herosme et le dvouement, son cours pourrait se tenir tout entier dans la lecture des citations obtenues par la Lgion trangre.

G.M.
HONG-KONG.

---

EDITORS' NOTE

The restless spirit of adventure which prompted the author, Mr George Manington, to enlist in the French Foreign Legion, at a later date called him post haste from London, and thus caused us, his friends, to promise to see the manuscript of "A Soldier of the Legion" through the press.

Though well under forty years of age, he had been a student in France and Germany, a prospective doctor in Paris, a soldier in Algeria and Tonquin, a man of commerce in Indo-China, an interpreter, traveller, and journalist in South China, besides a participator in more fleeting occupations in many lands, including Japan and the Philippines.

It was in the restful periods between these various enterprises that this book was written. Malaria and kindred ailments, contracted during his military service in Tonquin, hampered him from time to time, and while he was recuperating in England from an attack, "A Soldier of the Legion" made most progress. Presently a journalistic offer came from Hong-Kong, and the prospect it afforded of more adventurous missions in the remoter regions of the Far East proved irresistible. He accepted by cable, called upon us to deal with the manuscript, and within a few days was mailing further sections of the book from ports "somewhere east of Suez."

We have dealt as lightly as possible with the manuscript, for it is permeated with the brave and cheery spirit of the author, and, beyond giving an eye to the connection of the narrative as the various sections came to hand, our duties have been light.

An educated gentleman, Mr Manington has given an insight into the unusual experiences of an Englishman in the French Foreign Legion, such as no ordinary "mercenary" could have done. Most of the narrative deals with Tonquin, and the fighting there against the rebels in their forest fastnesses. Incidentally, in giving an account of his friendship for the native sergeant, Doy-Tho, the author has been able to impart to the pages of the book an Oriental atmosphere that we think will prove attractive to the reader.

Acknowledgment is due to his friend, M. Czard, who is fully acquainted with the ground covered, both as a public servant of France and as an accomplished artist, for the illustrations which appear in this volume; also to General Frey and Messrs Hachette, the author and publishers of a military work on Tonquin, for permission to reproduce the map and plans of forts, in relation to the events spoken of in the description of the author's service under the Tricolor. The map was prepared by the officers of the topographical section of the French army in Tonquin, and gives a detailed outline of the country in which most of the experiences described by "A Soldier of the Legion" took place.

W.B.S.
A.J.S.
London , June 1907.

CONTENTS

PAGE
The Ministre de la GuerreThe recruiting officeWould-be warriorsThe CommandantA repulseEnlistedSomething about the LegionMarseillesThe Abd-el-KaderOranSidi-bel-Abbes In campSnow in AfricaAnother BritonInstruction of recruitsAn AmericanThe 3rd BattalionBarrack-room pranksRoute-marching
-42
General inspectionThe band of the LegionThe caporalsapeurOff to the manuvresA near thingConvalescenceArzew Amateur theatricalsBel-Abbes againVolunteers for TonquinOran againA good send-offThe troop-ship Bien-Hoa, life on boardThe PadreSaigonAlong Bay
-68
Some information concerning TonquinHaphongPhulang-ThuongThe 2nd BattalionThe Yen-Th RebellionGeneral Godin's columnA surprise at Cao-ThuongColonel Frey's columnNha-NamThe building of a fortReconnaissanceNight attacksNative troops
-134
The difficulties of obtaining military intelligenceNative spiesAmbuscadesLife at Nha-NamDoy-ThoDe LipthayA tropical stormThe capture of Linh-NghiMonsieur de LanessanFrench colonial administration
-197
An executionA rebel chieftainA bid for libertyDe-Nam's mistakeLinh-Nghi speaksA new road to Tha-NguyenIn the enemy's countryA sharp encounterCho-TrangThe fever-fiendIn the hospitalQuang-Yen
-247
La Sur AgnesExeatNha-Nam againPicking up the threadsBo-HaPreparations for the campaignWith General Voyron's columnAn error in the art of warA big butcher's billCollapse of the rebellionStamping out the embers
-301
The last struggles of a rebellionDeparture of Captain PlessierOur new commanderMan-huntingA friend in needA false alarmAn unexpected rise in lifeOn the Brigade Staff
-338
General VoyronOrganisation of the BrigadePiracy on the Lang-son railwayPolitics and pacificationTopography and a tiger huntAmong the Staff recordsColonel GallieniGeneral PernotHanoGeneral CoronnatDeath of a friendAdieu to the army
-377

LIST OF MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS

Frontispiece
To face page 72
" 80
" 86
From a sketch by a French Staff Officer	" 100
" 104
" 110
" 136
" 152
" 184
" 258
" 282
Published by permission of General Frey and Messrs Hachette & Co. of Paris	End of Book

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A SOLDIER OF THE LEGION

CHAPTER I

The Ministre de la GuerreThe recruiting officeWould-be warriorsThe CommandantA repulseEnlistedSomething about the LegionMarseillesThe Abd-el-KaderOranSidi-bel-AbbesIn campSnow in AfricaAnother BritonInstruction of recruitsAn AmericanThe 3rd BattalionBarrack-room pranksRoute-marching.

Most Englishmen, whose knowledge of the gay city of Paris is in the slightest degree superior to that of the ordinary summer tripper, are acquainted with the fine red stone building on the Boulevard St Germain, which is known as the

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