[1] In 1883 he enlisted as a volunteer soldat (private soldier) in the 4th Regiment of Infanterie de Marine based at Toulon.

In April 1886 he attended l’Ecole militaire de Saint-Maixent - the French military academy for training officers promoted from the ranks.

After serving in the 1st Regiment of Infanterie de Marine for six months, Marchand transferred to the tirailleurs sénégalais (West African colonial infantry with French officers).

Marchand rebuilt the fort, but the expected support from other French columns and from Abyssinia did not arrive.On 18 September, a detachment led by Sir Herbert Kitchener, commander of the Anglo-Egyptian army that had just defeated the forces of the Mahdi at the Battle of Omdurman, arrived at Fashoda.

It led to a period of intense diplomatic discussions between Paris and London, at the end of which the French Government ordered their forces to leave.