Confederate Zouuaves

[zoozoo22]

I know some have wondered about Wheat's Tiger Rifles and brown jackets. There is proof that some did. If anyone is interested we can discuss it.

 

[JOHN42768]

Welcome, enjoy. Hope someone will know

 

[Mississippian1861]

I have always wondered the fascination many have for this one particular company. But anyway, IIRC the brown jackets were simply poorly dyed blue jackets that faded over the course of service. I think a few were still in service as late as Antietam.

 

[7th Texas Mounted Rifles]

I have always wondered the fascination many have for this one particular company.

For the exact same reasons the French Foreign Legion has a reputation.

 

[rvbgrif]

I have always wondered the fascination many have for this one particular company

Shock troops always gather interest because they take on the difficult, deadly, but crucial parts of battles, either leading offensives from the front, or rushing into gaps created by enemy offensives.

Tigers are interesting because they are different, colorful, and have a ferocious name.

Now, if I were a soldier, I would not want to be a part of any of these shock troops . Tigers, Stonewall, Hoods Texans, Iron Brigade, 1st Minnesota, etc. Doesn't matter. No thanks.

But when you are reading about the battles, they are the ones driving the battle.

 

[east_beast]

There were some Georgia units that wore Zouave uniforms. I specifically recall it being mentioned at Oak Grove kicking off the 7 Days Battles. It caused confusion for the Union who at first refused to fire on these soldiers thinking they were their own.

 

[delta rifles]

Here is an excerpt from Gary Schreckengost's The First Louisiana Special Battalion: Wheat's Tigers in the Civil War. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company Press, 2008. (pg 41):

"The Tiger Rifles received their uniforms from A. Keene Richards, a wealthy New Orleans businessman. Because he was 'so impressed by their drill and appearance' at Camp Davis, Richards elected to outfit White's company in the Zouave fashion: dark blue or light brown wool Zouave jackets (the 1st platoon was apparently outfitted in blue and the 2nd platoon in brown) with red cotton trim, distinctive red flannel fezzes with red tassels, red flannel band-collar shirts with five white porcelain buttons, and outlandish 'Wedgewood blue and cream' one-and-one-half inch vertically striped cottonade pantaloons that would become their signature. They were also provided with blue and white horizontally striped stockings and white canvas leggings."

Schreckengost does note in his endnotes that:
"My statement that 'the first platoon was apparently outfitted in blue jackets and the second in brown' is not derived from a single source per se, but is a conclusion that I have reached after piecing together all of the known sources. It is quite possible that blue wool had simply run out in the city by the time the Tiger Rifles were having their uniforms made, thus the brown. Although some have suggested that the blue jackets simply faded after the battle of Manassas, I know of no period blue wool dye that degenerated that quickly or that radically to the tan-brown that is in Fremeaux's drawing. (p. 193)

Terry L Jones noted in Louisiana History: The Journal of the Louisiana Historical Association, Vol. 27, No. 2 (Spring, 1986), pp. 147-165
that:
"The First Battalion of Louisiana Zouaves was one command that
claimed a large number of foreign members. This unit was l
George Auguste Gaston Coppens, a graduate of the French M
School, who organized the battalion with the personal permission of
Jefferson Davis. Coppens looked towards the famed French Algerian
Zouaves as an example for his unit. In early 1861 a group of actors
claiming to be veterans of the Crimean War toured the country as an
Algerian Zouave drill team. The Zouaves' colorful uniforms conisted
of a red fez, a dark blue, loose-fitting jacket trimmed and embroidered
with gold cord, a dark blue vest with yellow trim, blue cummerbund,
red baggy pantaloons, black leather leggings and white gaitors. This
Zouave drill team toured several cities in Louisiana and thrilled
everyone with their close-order drill, bright uniforms, and French drill
commands. By March 1861 the Zouaves were so popular in Louisiana
that Coppens hoped to pattern his command after them.
Coppens quickly organized several companies, with most of the
members being foreigners or Louisianians of French extraction. It was
claimed that Coppens received permission from the mayor of New
Orleans to set up recruiting stations within city jails to give criminals a
choice between prison or military service. This is probabably an
exaggeration, but the battalion's subsequent record of lawlessneness
credence to the claim.3
Another Zouave command was the Tiger Rifles of the First Special
Battalion of Louisiana Volunteers. This company's motley uniform
consisted of a scarlet skull cap with a long tassel, red shirt, brown jacket,
baggy blue trousers with white stripes and white leggings. On each
man's hat band were painted such slogans as "Lincoln's Life or a Tiger's
Death," "Tiger in Search of a Black Republican," and "Tiger in Search
of Abe."4 Recruited heavily among the foreigners of the back alleys,
levees, and jails of New Orleans, the Tiger Rifles became notorious for
their brawling and thievery" (p 148).

Here are two primary sources quoted on on this website ( https://thewarinamericanhistory.wordpress.com/2018/12/23/1st-special-battalion-louisiana-infantry-wheats-tigers-1862-62-plate/ )
regarding the Zouave uniforms evident in some companies of the 1st Special Battalion:
General Bradley Johnson, in his memoirs written from wartime notes, says of the execution of two Tigers in the fall of 1861:

'The courage wheeled slowly around the exterior of the open space; the condemned got out, their coffins were taken from the wagon and placed by the stakes and they sat on them. Each was attended by a priest, in clerical vestments, whose consolations were eagerly received. They were clad in the picturesque uniform of their company, the scarlet fez or skull cap, light brown jacket, open to the front, showing the red shirt, large turkish trousers, full and fastening just below the knee, of white and blue stripes, white gaiters and shoes'.

A member of the 79th New York militia described a Tiger captured at first Manassas, who 'entertained us by his quaint remarks'.

'His uniform attracted our attention: a zouave cap of red, and jacket of blue with baggy trousers made of blue and white striped material, and white leggings, gave him a richer rakish appearance; he announced himself as a member of the Louisiana Tiger battalion, major Wheat commanding'.


There was also an archeological survey detailing the burials of Dennis Corcoran and Michael O'Brien-- two members of Wheat's Special Battalion who were executed very early in the war--which noted that the surviving pieces of their uniforms were blue. I believe the consensus of the article was that the poor dyes used in the production of the uniform faded to brown rather quickly and that the pieces of uniform that were protected from the elements by pieces of trim were still blue, but I read that article very long ago and cannot seem to find it online.

Here is the title of the article: "Unearthing the Tigers' Graves," Northern Virginia Heritage, June 1980

I think it is also important to note that not all of the 1st Louisiana Special Battalion wore Zouave uniforms (only the Company B-The Tiger Rifles--according to Arthur W Bergeron in Guide to Louisiana Confederate Military Units 1861-1865) and that the ones who did wore them for a relatively short period of time during the war. Also to add to the confusion, Louisiana's 1st Zouave Battalion (Coppens' Zouaves) commanded by George A.G. Coppens fought with the Army of Northern Virginia until just after the battle of Fredericksburg and then were assigned to Southeast Virginia and North Carolina. Coppens' Zouaves were outfitted initially in far more traditional zouave garb. I hope this helps you.