Zouaves

The word Zouave refers to a type of UNIFORM borrowed from French military FASHION by CiViL War soldiers in both the North and South. The distinctive features of this style of uniform are baggy pants, frequently accompanied by a sleeveless vest, a collarless jacket, and a fez hat.

Some American Zouave units took their quest for authenticity to extremes. These soldiers might wear turbans instead of fezzes or even shave their heads in imitation of the original Zouave soldiers. Zouave uniforms frequently came in high-visibility red, which apparently gave these 19th-century warriors little cause for concern. Whatever the style, all Civil War Zouaves went into the war clad in a similarly gaudy manner.

Zouave uniforms originated in Algeria, and Algerian men serving in the French Foreign legion introduced the uniform to Europe. These original Zouaves had a well-publicized reputation for military prowess, particularly for their ability to reload their rifles from the prone position. As Europeans adopted the uniforms, military units also took the name of “Zouave.” Zouave fame spread worldwide in the wake of the Crimean War, where they performed valiantly. By this time, native-born Frenchman composed nearly all the Zouave units.

George Brinton McClellan served as the official U. S. observer of the Crimean War, and in this capacity he filed a report to the U. S. Congress. McClellan lavished praise on the Zouaves, claiming that they represented “the beau-ideal of a soldier.” Although McClellan’s report had some influence upon the Zouave craze in the United States, his influence was secondary to that of Elmer Ephraim Ellsworth.

In 1859 Ellsworth introduced the Zouave fashion to Chicago. Ellsworth was a charismatic militia leader, and he took a unit of the Chicago militia and transformed them into the “Zouave Cadets of Chicago.” People paid to watch militia units drill, and Ellsworth’s men became a crowd favorite throughout the Midwest and the East. In addition to the flashy uniform, Ellsworth’s men appealed to the public with the gymnastic feats they incorporated into their drill routine.

When the Civil War began, Ellsworth became the colonel of the 11th New York Infantry, and he introduced the Zouave uniform to the New York soldiers under his command. Many of these soldiers had been members of the New York City Fire Department, so the 11th New York Infantry came to be called “Ellsworth’s Fire Zouaves.”

Ellsworth became one of the first casualties of the Civil War when an incensed innkeeper shot him for removing a Confederate flag from the roof of the Marshall House Tavern in Alexandria, Virginia, on May 24, 1861. Ellsworth’s early martyrdom influenced many other Union units to adopt the Zouave uniform. By the end of 1861, New York City alone had four complete Zouave regiments. One of these regiments, the Ninth New York, commonly known as Hawkin’s Zouaves, suffered 63 percent casualties at the Battle of Antietam. It is said that for a battle cry the Ninth chanted, “zoo! zoo! zoo!”

The South had very few Zouave soldiers except in Louisiana. During the course of the war, the Louisianians found it difficult to replace their distinctive uniforms. The Union blockade of the South made it nearly impossible to reacquire such fashions from abroad. However, the famed Louisiana Tigers, who composed the 10th Louisiana infantry, maintained a ragged version of their uniform throughout the war.

Chatam Roberdau Wheat, a soldier of fortune who had fought with Garibaldi for the unification of Italy, created the 10th Louisiana, recruited from the roughest neighborhoods of New Orleans. Although the majority of the Louisiana Tigers were of Irish descent, the unit boasted soldiers of 15 different nationalities. The 10th Louisiana served throughout the war in Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, and it is sometimes referred to today as “Lee’s Foreign Legion.”

A wounded Zouave being offered a drink by a companion after the Battle of Chancellorsville (National Archives)

Pennsylvania was the Northern state that boasted the most Zouave units. One Pennsylvania unit served as the personal bodyguard of Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks. This unit, which called itself the Zouaves d’Afrique, was chased from the field at FIRST BULL RUN by the 10th Louisiana Infantry. Later, at the Battle of Gettysburg, the Zouaves d’Afrique played an essential role in turning back the Confederate assault on Cemetery Hill.

Northern Zouave units maintained their popularity with civilians throughout the war. Oftentimes, in the early years of the conflict, when patriotic sentiments still ran high, Zouaves participated in “musical entertainments.” These entertainments involved brass band concerts interspersed with drill maneuvers, courtesy of the Zouaves. Such concerts sometimes went on for two to three hours at a time. Even today, Zouave units are very popular among “living history” buffs who engage in Civil War reenactments. The gaudy Zouave uniform still appeals today, largely because it harks back to a moment outside of living memory: a time when leaders tried to make war into a chivalric spectacle.

Further reading: Michael J. McAfee, Zouaves: The Firs-t and the Bravest (Gettysburg, Pa.: Thomas Publications, 1991); William Wray, Birney's Zouaves Civil War: Life of the 23rd Pennsylvania Volunteers (New York: Bloch, 2000).

—Chad Vanderford