North Africa

During the 1830s the French army in North Africa began to create special units wearing a distinctive uniform inspired by the native dress. These units, which they called Zouaves, captured the public imagination and by 1860 they were being imitated around the world.

In the U.S. many local militia companies adopted Zouave uniforms and drilling tactics. Although there were well-known companies of Zouaves in Louisiana and elsewhere in the South, most Zouaves were northern.

The colorful Zouave uniform included a short jacket, baggy trousers, a sash around the waist, and a fez or turban. It may be difficult for us today to imagine why such an outfit was supposed to strike fear in the hearts of the enemy, but that was a popular belief in the 19th century.

The 5th New York Volunteer Infantry (“Duryee’s Zouaves”) was considered one of the most elite regiments in the Federal army and it epitomized the Zouave style. The regiment fought fiercely and won acclaim at the Battle of Gaines Mill in 1862 before being virtually annihilated two months later at the Second Battle of Manassas.

The Zouave uniform was impractical, and it fell out of fashion in the years following the American Civil War. And as the National Guard system replaced local militias, uniforms became standardized so that local militias didn’t have the option of adopting distinctive uniforms. Zouaves have become things of history.

The image is Don Troiani’s painting “Red Devils,” depicting the 5th New York Zouaves at the Battle of Gaines Mill.