said, that he immediately asked for another basin of soup, at the same time remarking, that "it would have been better if the whole French army had been in it." BALLOONS IN WARFARE. Balloons are said to have been used at the battle of Liege, at the commencement of the French Revolution. Experienced engineers ascended in a balloon, and reported on the position and movements of the Austrian army. Continual notice was afforded of whatever transpired in the Austrian camp, the number of their artillery, and their motions, by notes thrown down amongst the French troops, and attacks were consequently made against the enemy's most assailable points. These machines were employed by the French at the battle of Fleurus, during the siege of Mentz, and subsequently at that of Ehrenbreitzen. The balloon, in all these instances, proved serviceable; and especially at the latter place, the height of the fortress rendering it impossible to reconnoitre the internal portions in any other manner. Paper and pencils of different colours were provided for the engineers who ascended, and the signs being previously decided on, the paper, when marked, was fastened to an arrow-like rod, loaded at one end and pointed in order to fix itself upright in the ground. To the other end was attached a small silk flag, and being dropped in the ground within reach of the French, the desired information was communicated. A paragraph lately appeared in the French papers, 66 headed, "New Method of making Reconnoissances in War." People laughed as they read on, for it was stated that M. Godard, after making an ascension in a balloon to survey the Austrian positions, had returned to the camp and reported that he had seen nothing." It is now admitted that the "new method" was a failure so far as the first experiments went; but M. Godard lately made a sudden appearance in Paris, and it is reported that he has gone back to the army with fresh apparatus, which it is expected will succeed. Such is the correspondent's account, and it appears that valuable information was thus obtained. MILTON NEARLY ADJUTANT-GENERAL. It appears, by Dr. Johnson's "Lives of the most eminent English Poets," that Milton was reported to have been designed for adjutant-general. The extract is as follows:-" Philips, evidently impatient of viewing him in this state of degradation, tells us that it was not long continued; and, to raise his character again, has a mind to invest him with military splendour. 'He is much. mistaken,' he says, 'if there was not about this time a design of making him an adjutantgeneral in Sir William Waller's army. But the new modelling of the army proved an obstruction to the design.'" FIFTY-SECOND LIGHT INFANTRY. The late General Martin Hunter states in his MS. Journal, which is quoted in the "History of the Fiftysecond Light Infantry," now in course of publication under the superintendence of a Board, consisting of the Duke of Richmond, Lieutenant-Generals Sir John Bell and Sir J.F. Love, Major-Gen. Monins, and other distinguished officers, to which Captain Moorsom is the honorary secretary, that "During the winter (1775), plays were acted at Boston twice a-week, by the officers and some ladies. A farce, called the 'Blockade of Boston,' written by General Burgoyne, was acted. The enemy knew the night it was to be performed, and made an attack on the mill at Charlestown at the very hour the farce began; they fired some shots, and surprised and carried off a sergeant's guard. We immediately turned out and manned the works, and a shot being fired by one of our advanced sentries, a firing commenced at the redoubt, which could not be stopped for some time. An orderly sergeant standing outside the playhouse door, who heard the firing, immediately running into the playhouse, got upon the stage, crying out, Turn out! turn out! they're hard at it, hammer and tongs.' The whole audience, supposing the sergeant was acting a part in the farce, loudly applauded, and there was such a noise he could not, for some time, make himself heard. When the applause was over he again cried out, "What are ye all about? If ye won't believe me, ye need only go to the door, and there ye'll hear and see both.' If the enemy intended to stop the farce, they certainly succeeded, as the officers immediately left the playhouse and joined their regiments." Lieutenant-General Burgoyne is now remembered as a dramatist by his ballad opera of "The Lord of the Manor," which is occasionally represented. He was also the author of a comedy entitled "The Heiress." |