5th NY Infantry ( Zouaves )

frontrank2

Captain
Forum Host
Joined
Oct 10, 2012
Location
Mt. Jackson, Va
5thnystereo.gif

Union Zouaves from Company E of the 5th Regiment New York Volunteer Infantry standing at attention in camp at Fort Monroe, Virginia, 1861. By George Stacy. (Animated stereoview )
 
I have always been interested in the Zouaves, were these the famous fire Zouaves?
The Fire Zouaves were Elmer Ellsworth's 11th New York Volunteers. The 5th New York were the 'Duryee Zouaves' named for Abram Duryee who recruited and organized the regiment.
 
As it is with all organizations, military and otherwise, there were many devoted soldiers in the Texas Brigade. One such soldier was Sidney V. Patrick, Co. E, 5th Texas. Remembered by comrades as a good and true man and a dependable soldier, even in the tumult and chaos of battle he was observed to not be excitable and seldom showed any emotion. During the pursuit of the 5th New York, that regiment had to ford Young's Branch, their baggy Zouave pants becoming water-logged in the process. Hot on their trail, the 5th Texans were shouting, cursing and shooting at them. One of the Zouaves, for some unknown reason, seemed to be receiving more than his share of attention, getting several bullet holes in his baggy pants as a result. Unharmed, as he scampered up a hill each step yielded a jet of water from the various bullet holes ventilating his trousers. One of Patrick's comrades said that it was, indeed, a funny sight but that most of the men were too scared to see the humor at the time. Not so with the usually stolid Patrick. " [H]e was laughing fit to kill himself.... In the hottest part of the work .... he was evidently thinking of that zouave and his waterworks, for he was grinning and apparently enjoying the memory of it. After ... we had halted for a breathing spell, the first words he said were: `Say, did you see that Yankee?""'

Quoted from Hood's Texas Brigade in the Civil War by Edward B. Williams, location 1841-50, Kindle Edition.
 
I've just noticed something, they are holding their muskets on the left shoulder. That must be from Scott's Manual of Arms ( not Hardee's or Casey's ) :confused:
 
Back
Top