Mr. Hale to Mr. Seward
Sir : The Egyptian battalion of negroes, for service in Mexico, returned to Alexandria on the 27th of May, in a French transport from Toulon, after an absence of nearly four and a half years. During their passage through Paris recently the battalion was reviewed by the Emperor of the French, and on its arrival here it was reviewed by his Highness the Pacha.
An official report has been published of the history of the battalion, stating its strength on its starting and on its return. I enclose two printed copies of this report. The principal facts are the following :
The battalion embarked at Alexandria on the 8th day of January, 1863, when its total strength was 447, namely :
| Commander of the battalion | 1 |
| Captain | 1 |
| Lieutenant | 1 |
| Rank and file | 443 |
| Interpreter | 1 |
| Total | 447 |
This corresponds very nearly with the number reported by Mr. Thayer, in his despatch to you at the time.
The losses are thus reported :
| Officers | Rank and file | |
| Killed in battle | 20 | |
| Died from wounds | 28 | |
| Died from disease | 1 | 63 |
| Missed in battle | 2 | |
| Deserted | 12 | |
| Total | 1 | 125 |
Total losses, 126.
[Page 85]It will be observed that almost precisely one-half of the mortality was caused by disease. The ratio of mortality in four years’ service appears to have been almost 28 in 100 ; equal to 7 in 100 per annum. One of the papers enclosed makes a comparison of this death-rate with that suffered by the French army in the Crimea, which the writer thinks, under the circumstances, it does not exceed.
The present strength of the battalion is made up as follows :
| Officers | Rank and file | |
| Returned now to Alexandria | 10 | 301 |
| Lieutenant returned in 1866 | 1 | |
| Interpreter returned in 1863 | 1 | |
| Condemned to the galleys for murder | 7 | |
| In hospital in Paris | 1 | |
| Total | 12 | 309 |
Total 321, which, with the losses, 126, completes the number at starting, 447, as above.
The pay of the commander of the battalion was about $200 a month; of the captain, one-half this sum, and of the lieutenants about $90. The private soldiers received 55French centimes per day. To this pay, from the French government, the town of Vera Cruz added 32.5 centimes per diem to the private soldiers, and furnished lodgings for the officers. Including this augmentation, the pay of the private soldiers was a trifle more than $5a month. They received the same rations as the French soldiers, with the substitution of sugar and coffee in lieu of the allowance of wine and brandy, and they received no meat except of animals killed by themselves in the manner prescribed by the Moslem law.
During the stay of the battalion in Mexico it was chiefly charged with garrison duty at Vera Cruz, but it made frequent expeditions, and took part in 14 combats, which are described in the report.
On the arrival of the battalion in Mexico it was organized into four companies, each with a captain and two lieutenants, who were selected by promotion from the ranks. As many as 72 decorations, or special recompenses, were awarded in the battalion, besides which all the officers and soldiers have the French medal, commemorative of the Mexican campaign.
I have reason to believe that, notwithstanding the dislike with which this distant service was originally regarded, the private soldiers, as well as the officers, have returned well pleased with their military experiences, proud of their record, and gratified with the attentions which have been paid them. They have a great admiration of the French, and of French military administration; nearly all have learned to speak French, and have adopted the habits of soldiers of the French army. Should these men be scattered over Egypt, the influence of the French in the country will be largely augmented.
I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.