Camp, (]oast, and Siege : a Narrative of Personal Adventure
and Observation during Two Wars. 1861-1865 ; 1870-1871. By Wickham
Hoffman. (Sampson Low and Co.)—Mr. Hoffman served in the United States Army at New Orleans, and tolls us what he saw there and elsewhere. The most noticeable thing about these chapters, though they aro always readable, is the writer's dofonoo of General Butler. Not that Mr. Hoffman is a thorough-going apologist. On the con- trary, while believing Butler to have been personally incerrupt, he allows that he permitted groat corruption in those about him. But• greater men than ho have done the same. He was, however, vigorous and able ; he kept the city orderly ; whet was more difficult, ho kept It healthy. Mr. Hoffman has indeed special reason for being grate- fu]. One of General Williams's staff had died in hospital. "Butler 'conceived the idea, erroneous, I am sure, that ho had been neglected ;by the surgeons. When I was brought down, he sent them word that if another of Williams's staff died there, they would hoar from him. I did not die." Tho s000nd part of the volume is even more interesting than the first. The writer was attached to the embassy of the United 'States at Paris, and remained in that city during the siege. Of General Troohu he has but a poor opinion. The plan,' he thinks, was an expected interference of St. Genevieve to 'Have her city at the last moment. That the city might have been saved by other means, he does not doubt. But the sorties were ill-managed, and no small proportion of the combatants would not fight. The regular army he criticises smartly. "Noon-day breakfasts ruined the French Army." He went to "See a General ; found him and his staff smoking and drinking absinthe, and breakfasted with him ; he found that the breakfast lasted from twelve to three. "And this was at an outpost, in presence of the enemy." General Sheridan "believed that the Germans were bravo soldiers, but he could not say so positively, for so far as his observation went, they had never met with any serious resistance." Mr. Hoffman records some striking facts about hospitals. The American" tent ambu- lance" was most fiuooeseful. "Of the amputated, only one in five died, while at the great French ambulance of the Grand Hotel four in five died." This seems very strong for tents against houses. The tents 'could easily be kept at 55°, while tho outside air was at 20°. To turn to another subject, the writer is convinced that the Archbishop of Paris would have been 'saved, if he had been an Ultramontane. As it was, no real effort was made. We cannot pretend to guarantee this or other state- , manta of tho book, but we can certify to its being very good reading.
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