CHAPTER XII.

THE FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR--AN IRISH AMBULANCE CORPS--THE FRENCH FOREIGN
LEGION.


When the Franco-Prussian War broke out, the sympathy of Ireland was
naturally, for historic reasons, on the side of France. It was not
surprising, then, that many young Irishmen who had served in America, or
in the ranks of the Papal Volunteers, or had borne a share in the Fenian
movement, were anxious to show their sympathy in a practical way, and at
the same time to gratify the national propensity for a fight

--in any good cause at all.

I happened to number among my friends some of these young Irishmen, of
whom I may mention Captain Martin Kirwan, James Lysaght Finigan, Edmond
O'Donovan, Arthur Forrester, Frank Byrne, and James O'Kelly. There was a
strong feeling in Ireland to send a considerable body of men to France,
but the law stood in the way. It was evaded by the formation of an
Ambulance Corps, and for this generous subscriptions flowed in, along
with numerous applications from volunteers. These were all medically
examined, as if for a regular army, and in this way as fine a body of
young men as ever left Ireland was picked from those who had
volunteered. The ambulance service was equipped in the most perfect
manner, and presented to the French nation. On arriving in France, there
were (as was, of course, intended) more men than were required for the
ambulance duties, and these at once volunteered for service as soldiers.
They were formed into a company under the command of Captain Kirwan, one