more particularly the attention of the officer in command. At all events, by whomsoever commanded, the original picture, or a copy of it, was a prominent object, at the time of the General's death among the paintings which adorned his spacious and elegant mansion, at Belle Grove, on an elevation opposite Newark. This building stands on the site of a country residence which, prior to the Revolution, belonged to his grand-aunt, whose husband built and dwelt in No. 1 Broadway, a very fine building for its date and the young city of New York, and originally owned the adjoining No. 3, in which KEARNY was born.

This painting is on too small a scale to do full justice to the occasion, but it affords some idea of its splendor, attributable in a great measure to the variety, grace, and elegance of the numerous uniforms of the Turkish, Polish, American, and French officers belonging to the different arms and services, which filled the room-uniforms, of whose richness and contrast, our people, accustomed to the universal sameness of our present blue, tame and simple, can have no idea whatever. At that time the Turkish and Polish military costumes were still, if not the most serviceable, the most striking in Europe. They were susceptible of any amount of decoration, almost as much so as the Hungarian, with its plumes, embroidery, jewels, lace, buttons, jacket and dolman. All that is most attractive in the dress of the Chasseurs d'Afrique-to which KEARNY was afterwards attached-was borrowed from the Polish; everything which looked well and yet was serviceable, just as the Zouaves, was modeled on the Turkish military costume. All that was rejected was those details which were in reality unmilitary and unfitted for active service. All that was good and good-looking was retained. And, yet, KEARNY told the writer that his own uniform, that of the American Light Dragoons of thirty years ago, was as effective and imposing as any in the room. Doubtless he made it

so, although it was very jaunty in itself. The coatee, blue, doublebreasted, was not a frock, but cut in a much more graceful fashion; the collar, cuff and turn-backs, bordered with lace and ornamented and trimmed with gold, pantaloons, blue-gray mixture, known as light army-blue, with two stripes of orange cloth up each outward seam; the cap, such as the French term "shako," with drooping, white horse-hair pompon, or rather plume, silver and gold ornaments, and gold foraging cords and tassels. The latter could be detached and worn over the coat and around the neck, producing the effect of an

aiguilette. The sash was silk net, of a deep orange color, which, if made in France, as the writer has seen them made, shone in the glancing lights like a waving zone of gold. Thus KEARNY described it, and thus our officers did not make a bad show among the dazzling dresses whirling in the waltz, or polka, or promenading about.

When KEARNY resigned, in 1851, the same striking and elegant uniform was still worn by our Dragoons; and the writer will never forget his expression and manner, when he came back in 1861, and saw some of his own regiment again, in Washington, after the lapse of ten years. "I left them," said he, "a set of elegant gentlemen, and now I come back and find them a set of dirty blackguards." The Dragoons at the National Capital certainly did not present an attractive appearance in May, 1861: especially in the horrid felt hat of an "Italian bandit," -as some one styled itwhich JEFFERSON DAVIS, while Secretary of War, had clapped on their heads.

That this ball must have been something extraordinary, there can be no doubt, from the glowing accounts given of it by those who were present, and KEARNY's lavish expenditure, doubtless, did make a strong impression on a people so susceptible to display as the French, particularly at that period, when extravagance had not attained the vast proportions it has reached under LOUIS NAPOLEON. That it must have cost a very large sum, is certain, from the horrorstricken expression of KEARNY's agent, when called upon to remit the necessary moneys. He threw up his hands, as if the young representative of American munificence had lost his senses,

DOCUMENTS.

The following letters, received from the U. S. War Department, Washington, D. C., arrived too late for incorporation, and are therefore printed and added entire. The author hereby acknowledges the assistance of Brevet Major-General E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant and Acting Adjutant-General U. S. A.

SAUMUR, October 12, 1839.

MONSIEUR LIEUTENANT-COMMANDER MICHAUD:

SIR:-Let me take the liberty of consulting with you, (as you are the officer to whose charge the General has entrusted us), on the course that I had best pursue whilst at Saumur, to answer the end that government has in view in sending me abroad. And to do so let me first explain the organization and the origin of our regiment.

At the close of our late war with Great Britain, in 1815, our cavalry regiments were disbanded. In 1833, after one of our Indian wars had proved the necessity of having cavalry on the frontiers, ours, the First Regiment of Light Dragoons, was raised. It was organized, not by squadrons, but by companies, each company having a captain and a first lieutenant and a second lieutenant. It was officered principally by officers taken from the infantry. Everything was new to them. The cavalry regulations for the manoeuvres were taken from the French, almost literally translated. But as for police and the internal administration of the regiment, and everthing else of that kind, there was no other precedent than as far as the experience our officers had had whilst in the infantry-some had been in for many years; the present Colonel for more than twenty years, having served during the war.

Through the zeal of our officers, and from our being kept constantly actively employed in sending detachments through the Indian country, our system and discipline has been rendered nearly complete. But as in cavalry, which, like the French, has been kept progressing in perfection ever since the great wars of Europe, everything useless has been rejected, and everything requisite is practiced in the best manner. It is for the purpose of making a statement of the differences that exist between our own and the French cavalry, that I have been sent abroad.

My object is to remain at Saumur for six months, for the purpose of acquiring the French language, becoming instructed in the use of the sword, and of arms pertaining to cavalry; to follow a course of riding, but rather the "pratique” than the theory, and more especially for gaining ideas generally, to assist me in the more thoroughly visiting and making observations on the regiments themselves. Secondly, to visit some of the best dragoon and light cavalry regiments; proposing also, should it be advisable and meet with the approval of our Secretary of War, to visit the regiments in active service in Africa.

The result of these observations is intended to make known to our government, and more particularly to the Colonel of our regiment, the differences that exist in the organization, in the manœuvres, in the police, in the administration, and in

all the internal regulations of the French cavalry and our own. Also, to inform myself of the course pursued with the soldier from his joining as a recruit till admitted to the squadron.

Your advice as to the consideration of the above points will be esteemed a great favor and kindness by

P. KEARNY,

Your obedient servant,

Second Lieutenant First Dragoons.

Lieutenant-Commander MICHAUD,

Instructor of the School of Cavalry.

SAUMUR, October 16th, 1839.

HONORABLE J. R. POINSETT:

SIR:-We arrived here last Monday a week, and reported to general BRACK, the commandant of the school, on the following day.

I have not written to you before, from my not having had anything satisfactory to communicate. I am now happy to say that, at least as far as I am concerned, I will be enabled to accomplish at Saumur the objects proposed. As I understood from you in our first interview at Washington, it was your intention, in sending Lieutenants EUSTIS and TURNER, that they should remain one year, and accomplish in that one year, as far as they were able, the studies pursued by the students in the course of two years-the usual term at Saumur.

For myself, I had the highly gratifying honor to have been selected originally with the same intent, but finding myself situated in a manner that rendered my stay in the army uncertain, I considered myself in honor bound to explain to you the circumstances. I had the satisfaction to find that my motives were understood, and the honor of being sent abroad on a leave of absence, having military subjects for its purpose.

I have repeatedly regretted that your being obliged to leave Saratoga so immediately after your arrival (which I had not been aware was your intention) prevented my seeing you to converse with you in a more particular manner as to the precise disposition of my time whilst abroad.

At Washington, you spoke of my entering Saumur under the sanction of our government, and remaining there with the others for a few months, and then, by traveling, to make myself acquainted with the interior economy, and all that was connected with the French cavalry, by observing, as an eye-witness, what was actually practiced in the best regiments-communicating the same to you unofficially, by letters, or by a private report on my return-though, as I understood it, rather by accumulating facts, by which yourself and our Colonel would be enabled to institute comparisons between the utility of the practices of our own and the French regiments.

I think that in our conversation you did not fix a precise time for my stay at Saumur, but rather left it to myself to remain a few months. Had I had a second interview with you on this subject, I would have requested you to name the precise time. But as that did not occur, and to fix on a precise time in advance was necessary for regulating my studies here, I determined it at six months, that being about the time you would have recommended, and decidedly the period

best adapted for the objects for which I have come abroad. For six months could not be more serviceably spent than in mastering the French language, availing myself of the riding-school, and becoming instructed in the sword exercise, and in the use of arms proper to cavalry, and more particularly the gaining ideas to enable me to study most advantageously the regiments that I shall afterwards visit.

The eléves of St. Cyr, and all foreign officers (there are at present here two of the cidevant Polish and Turkish services), are put under the immediate directions of one of the Instructors. We have been placed under the charge of Lieutenant-Commander MICHAUD, an officer who stands high in his profession, and who, even in this short time, has evinced a degree of polite attention that merits our sincere thanks.

Finding that our situation generally, and more particularly my own, was not fully understood, I wrote, as to a friend, to this Mr. MICHAUD, explaining, in a few lines, the nature of my mission. This was translated into the French by our Professor of that language, an Englishman, but one who had been recommended to us as being thoroughly master of the French from a fifteen years' residence. A copy of the same accompanies this communication. It was handed to General BRACK; he approved of it, and under his authority Mr. MICHAUD told me that he understood and entered fully into my views, and would, through his instructions, enable me to attain the objects I proposed. Let me take the liberty of assuring you that there could not be rendered a greater favor, both individually and as from the Institution, than this permitting me to pursue an unusual course at a school where, as at West Point, there are none but regular classes. The course is two years, and each year and part of a year has its particular branches of study; and on my part, let me assure you that, if assiduity and zeal for my profession will avail anything, an opportunity like this shall be improved to the uttermost.

In my letter to Mr. MICHAUD, you will perceive an allusion to my visiting some of the French regiments serving in Africa. Should you have no positivo objections, I think that this and the particular regiments that I visit had better be left to the advices that I may gain in conversation with General BRACK-an officer who distinguished himself whilst in the Imperial Cavalry, and also with other officers here.

In the course of a few days, Messrs. EUSTIS, TURNER or myself will give you a more concise account of the school; as a cursory remark, I inform you that there are two classes of officers among the students here. The class to which we shall be attached, though their course does not commence till January, is that composed of the eléves of St. Cyr-St. Cyr being a preparatory school for the Infantry and Cavalry officers. Those who are intended for the Cavalry, after finishing their course here, are sent to Saumur to learn Cavalry duties. The other class of students are called the "Officers from the Regiments," that is, they are officers who, before coming here, have already served for some years with their regiments.

Besides the department of Instruction are three other military branches connected with the Institution: one is the School for Non-Commissioned Officers-the best and most capable of the privates being selected and sent here to be prepared as non-commissioned officers for their regiments. The second branch is for the instruction of their cavalry bands-boys-the sons of Gendarmes and old sol