"Confederate Zouave Units?" Topic

How many Zouave units where in the CSA army? I am looking for an excuse to field the new Perry models in my Rebel army and I dont want to use the Louisiana Tigers as I already have them in my Louisiana Brigade. So where there any more Rebel Zouave units?

The 1st battalion Louisiana Zouaves (Coppens Zouaves)

Salem Zouaves

Often Zouave units (Albany Zouave Cadets, Charleston Zouave Cadets- who wore a "chassuer" uniform) were no more than a company strong and soon lost thier identity submerged in larger units.

And if you leave th eflag removalable they can double as union.

M

Zouaves weren't as popular in the South as the North. Elmer Ellsworth, who formed 'Elsworth's Zouaves', was a Northern hero for tearing down the Confederate flag in Alexandria, Va. (and being shot for it).

Werent most zouaves fielded only at company strength? What was the largest assembly of uniformed zouaves on one place?

Flashman14,

Where did you get those ideas? There were entire regiments of them. At one point there was a brigade of just Zouave regiments. In the South it was a different story though. The Zouaves uniforms were always expensive to replace and in the South there wasn't enough money floating around to replace worm out Zouave uniforms. They would usually not see more than a few months of active service (in the Zouave uniforms) but in the North some regiments were able to secure money to replace uniforms but not always.

At the battle of Oak Grove at the start of the Seven Days battle there was supposedly a Rebel Zouave unit. Quotes from "To the Gates of Richmond: The Penninsula Campaign" by Stephen W. Sears; Chapter 8 pg 186 (my copy) "… One of these charges, by a Georgia regiment, momentarily confused the Yankees into thinking they were being attacked by their own men. The Georgians were wearing gaudy red Zouave uniforms, …. , and it was thought that only the Army of the Potomac had and zouaves in its ranks…." the footnote is as follows Hooker, Grover, Sickles reports, OR, 11:2, pp. 108, 120-21, 134; Thomas B. Leaver to mother, June 24, 1862, Leaver Papers, NH Historical Society; Heintzelman diary, June 25, LC; Francis W. Palfrey in Military Historical Society of Mass., Penisular Campaign, p. 149; Alexander Hays to John B. McFadden, June 26, G.A. Hays, Under the Red Patch, pp. 234-35.

So I use nice red zouaves when I game that battle.

Fred

As noted, many fewer than in the North but there were a few

Lousiana Tigers

Coppens Zouaves (1st Louisiana)

coppenszouaves.com

Charleston Zouave Cadets and Maryland Guard Zouaves

link

A few others here

link

Werent most zouaves fielded only at company strength?

"Werent most zouaves fielded only at company strength?"

No. Company strength on paper is 100 men. Those Zouave regiments were 1000 men at the start. It was common to enlist an entire regiment of them. There were a few less than a regiment but that is the exception. Didn't you read the above comments?

Don

Elmer Ellsworth, who formed 'Elsworth's Zouaves', was a Northern hero for tearing down the Confederate flag in Alexandria, Va. (and being shot for it).

Ellesworth even got a town named after him. It happens to be the 'Cheese Curd' Capital of Wisconsin.

link

Ellsworth even had my great great grandfather named after him. Born in 1861. Elmer Ellsworth Lacey. And they continued to use the name Elmer, my grandfather's name.

The red-trousered troops seen at Oak Grove were most likely from the 1st Louisiana. This regiment was also part of Wright's Brigade and incorporated the early-war Orleans Light Guards (417 strong in February 1861). The OLG is described in Todd's American Military Equipage as wearing zouave uniforms.

Another Confederate zouave unit that is relatively unknown is Dupeire's Zouave Battalion. It is listed as being present at Corinth and Vicksburg.

link

At one point there was a brigade of just Zouave regiments

Excellent News! That will explain the Zouave Brigades in every Union F&F army I ever saw(including my own)! Which brigade was it, avidgamer?

Pat

He might be talking about Weed's Brigade of Ayre's Division of Syke's Corps of the Army of the Potomac at Gettysburg (3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 5th Corps). It was composed of the 140th and 146th New York and the 91st and 155th Pennsylvania, all four of which were Zouave regiments.

All wore red fezzes: the 140th had yellow trim with a dark blue tassel, the 146th had a red tassel, and 155th had a dark blue tassel. All except the 146th wore standard dark blue jackets – the 146th wore sky blue (likewise on the vests). The 140th had red trim, while the other three had yellow. All wore sky blue pants except the 155th, which wore dark blue with red trim. The 140th had a dark blue sash with red trim, the 146th a red sash, and the 155th a red sash with yellow trim.

Cheers,

Christopher

spiffing, thanks CATenWolde!

Pat

Wheat's Tigers(1st Louisiana Special Btn.),one of the best known.

Pat,

Yup, CATenWolde beat me to it.

"That will explain the Zouave Brigades in every Union F&F army I ever saw(including my own)"

Which brings up another point in CW games amongst many gamers: why is it that almost (not me) all gamers must have the strangest and least common regiments in the entire CW in every battle?! Okay most gamers are not satisfied to paint common 'uniforms' or are used to playing different older periods (like Nappy etc) which have numerous different colors and styles. Still, this isn't the CW so a Zouave regiment on any battlefield during the CW was rare, very rare if you consider the total amount of 'normal' regiments in any army. I don't get the logic.

Well at Gaines Mill I know the 5th and 10th NY where in a brigade and the Wheat;s Tigers where also present,
The 10th New York alone served in the following battles
Battle of Tranter's Creek
Seven Days Battles
Battle of Gaines' Mill
Battle of Malvern Hill
Second Battle of Bull Run
Battle of Antietam
Battle of Shepherdstown
Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Chancellorsville
Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Auburn II
Battle of Bristoe Station
Battle of Mine Run
Battle of Morton's Ford
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
Battle of North Anna
Battle of Cold Harbor
Second Battle of Petersburg
Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road
First Battle of Deep Bottom
Second Battle of Ream's Station
Battle of Boydton Plank Road
Battle of Hatcher's Run
Appomattox Campaign
Battle of White Oak Road
Battle of Petersburg III
Battle of High Bridge
Battle of Appomattox Courthouse
The 114th Pennsylvania was charged by Barksdale's Brigade at Gettysburg.
So it seems to me that in the East most of the major battles had Zouave units present on the field so its not such a flight of fancy!

Field Marshall – Units, yes – but in F&F units are Brigades, not Regiments – so units should have a couple of Zouave bases, rather than the whole formation – apart from the now Blessed Weed's Brigade!

There are zouave units in MY union army 'cos I got sick of painting blue -and I reckon that's the case with most of my friends – and significantly fewer Zouaves in Confederate armies because you get the chance to paint a variety of colours and types.

Pat

What is F&F?

Fire and Fury
fireandfury.com

Of course it is:-) Thanks.

Sorry Pat I thought you were talking overall…..yes in F&F its a bit silly but i am playing on the regimental level so Zouave units are good to have to add colour!
I am currently building Taylor's Louisiana Brigade and so am adding one of the regiments as Wheat's Battalion.
I also have done Warren's Brigade at Gaines' Mill which is only two regiments but both Zouaves. Just a splash of colour in my armies!

The more you research acw the more differant styles of uniform that from state to state can throw up a whole host of new information. For a conflict that lasted only 4 years the is so much chiose. So IMO if you have good reseach why should you not paint a unit? There were units of french, Italians.I think there was a unit of germans did they not have a black uniform? A scots unit in trews.

Great discussion lots of info. This is what makes TMP so good!!

Thanks to all for posting