Elder Zouaves

[major bill]

This is an image form the Michael McAfee collection. This unit was a Zouave company formed in Lansing Michigan at the start of the war and may have worn this uniform for a month or so. There was also a Lansing company with this name in the 1890s. Does anyone see anything that could connect it to the Civil War or the 1890s? Perhaps there is something about the weapon that could help, but I am not good at how to ID weapons. Is the weapon more Civil War or more Spanish American War era? To me the back ground seems Civil War era, but I am not an expert on that. Perhaps someone recognizes the back drop.

 

[Grayrock Volunteer]

Personally I think this is a CW era image. I'll have to look at the picture on my desktop, but it appears to be some kind of pre M1842 musket, maybe even European, judging by the apparent lack of a locking ring.
Also, Zouave uniforms lost most of their popularity by the 1870s.

 

[major bill]

That is along with my feelings. The Two Michigan Militia Companies in Lansing had Model 1855 for the infantry company muskets and musketoons for the artillery company. Any new company forming would have had to find any weapons not in the hands of the Uniformed Militia. At the start of the war the Michigan Militia quickly ran out of arms and no modern arms were avail able after the first two regiments had formed.. Although the capital of the State, Lansing did not have a railroad and it was a day trip to any rail head and obtaining arms would have been difficult. It is my opinion that the Elder Zouaves would have had to work at it to get any weapons and this could well be a shared long arm or photographer prop.