In the article “Zouaves. New and unusual military units of France”was told about the military formations that appeared in the French army after the conquest of Algeria. The unusual, exotic-looking form, and then the military exploits of the Zouaves, who earned a reputation for themselves as brave and thugs, contributed to the appearance of such units outside France. The uniform, drill and combat training were adopted. And now we will talk about other Zouaves (not French) and see if the experience of copying them abroad was successful.
Zouaves of the USA
The Americans also tried to adopt the French experience. The initiator of the creation of the Zouavian units was a certain Elmer Ellsworth, a patent office clerk from Illinois, who had nothing to do with the army and service in it, but loved to read books and magazines on military topics at his leisure. From them he learned about the French Zouaves. It would seem that there is a huge distance from interest and desire to the real implementation of what was conceived in life, and Ellsworth does not and cannot have any chances of becoming the founding father of the corps of American Zouaves. But the young man had an ace up his sleeve - a close acquaintance with Abraham Lincoln, who was not yet president, but had already gained great fame in the country both as a politician and as a lawyer (one of the most authoritative in Illinois). Already becoming president (in 1860), Lincoln called Ellsworth "the greatest little man": he meant the height of his friend, 5 feet 6 inches (168 cm). By the way, during the Senate elections in 1858 (which he lost), opponents called Lincoln "the big sucker" (and his undersized rival - "the little giant)."
The second factor of success was the turbulent time of the Civil War in the United States, when luck sometimes smiled even at such amateurs and adventurers. And the few cadre military men could even hope for fantastic career growth. For example, Major Irwin McDowell, who had never commanded any military unit after the outbreak of the Civil War, was immediately promoted to brigadier general and appointed commander of the Army of Northeast Virginia. This army under his command lost the first major battle of the war - at the Bull Run.
But back to Ellsworth.
In 1857 (at the age of 20) he became a drill instructor at Gray Rockford, the militia section of the city of Rockford, Illinois. In 1859, the father of Carrie Spafford, betrothed to him, demanded that his daughter's fiancé stop fooling around and find a more suitable job. Ellsworth moved to Springfield, where he joined the Lincoln Law Firm.
In 1859, with the help of Lincoln, 22-year-old Ellsworth was promoted to colonel in the National Guard in Chicago. The title was loud (in the USA they were always loved), but this “fake” colonel had only 50 subordinates. But there was an opportunity to dress them up in uniforms a la zouave and train them according to the methods read in a French magazine: as they say, whatever the child is amused with, if only he does not cry. Ellsworth's consultant was a former French military doctor Charles de Villiers, who served in one of the Zouave regiments during the Crimean War.
It is difficult to say how it would have ended if it had not been for the far-reaching incident of Fort Sumter.
Fort Sumter was built after the so-called Second War of Independence (Anglo-American War of 1812-1815) to protect the port city of Charleston, South Carolina. After winning the presidential election in November 1860, A. Lincoln, seven southern states announced their withdrawal from the United States (and in February 1861, the constitutional congress in Montgomery proclaimed the creation of a new state - the Confederate States of America, whose capital was the city of Richmond). Fort Sumter ended up in territory controlled by the Confederates, but on December 26, federal troops took control of it. On April 26, 1861, the southerners began an operation to capture the fort. The warriors on both sides were still the same: despite the 36-hour artillery "duel", neither the Confederates nor the federals managed to kill anyone.
Nevertheless, the nerves of Major Robert Anderson, who was in the fort, could not stand it, and on April 13 he surrendered the fort. This is how the American Civil War began.
The new President Lincoln announced to the nation that the country needed 75 thousand volunteers, and an enthusiastic Ellsworth went to New York, where he created the first (already real, at least in numbers) regiment of American Zouaves, which, in fact, was officially called the 11th New York Infantry. Since it consisted mainly of New York City fire brigade personnel, most of whom were also red-haired Irish, the compound received the informal name "First New York Fire Zouaves". Another, also unofficial name of this regiment - "Ellsworth's Zouaves".
This regiment was included in the American army on May 7, 1861, after which it was transferred to Washington.
Colonel Ellsworth's career was bright, but short, because, as it turned out, real war is too different from "role-playing games."
On May 23, 1861, a referendum was held in Virginia on the separation of this state from the United States, and already on the 24th, the New York Zouaves received an order to seize the border city of Alexandria. Ellsworth did not even have time to take part in a single battle: the young man was killed by a certain James Jackson, from the roof of his hotel he tore off the Confederate flag.
In this 1861 engraving, we see Jackson shooting Ellsworth, and the Zouave Francis Brownell, in turn, kills Jackson (for which he was awarded the Order of Honor):
And this is how this scene is depicted on a mail envelope:
Francis Brownell. Photo at the Library of Congress:
Thus, 24-year-old Elmer Ellsworth went down in history as the first Union army officer to die in the Civil War. Some of his Zouaves embroidered their fez with the words "Avenge Ellsworth's death!"
In 2017, the Marshall House building was acquired by the multinational company Marriott International, which rebuilt it, opening the Monaco Hotel in it:
The flag, captured in this hotel, was initially kept by Lincoln: according to the testimony of contemporaries, his son often played with it. After the assassination of the president, Brownell took the flag, whose widow sold two pieces of the banner in 1894 for $ 10 and $ 15. The remaining canvas is also divided into two parts, the first of which is kept in the Military Museum of New York, the second - in the National Museum of American History.
Fate may have even been merciful to Ellsworth: he did not have to see the shame of his "Zouaves" in the battle of the Bull Run, which took place on July 21, 1861.
Colonel Heinzelman of the northerners reported about the participation of the "fiery Zouaves" in this battle:
"At the first volley, they got upset in the ranks, and most of them rushed to run back, from time to time shooting over the heads of their comrades in front."
During their escape, the recruits of the deceased Ellsworth stumbled upon two companies of the 1st Virginia Cavalry, led by its commander, Lieutenant Colonel Jab (James) Stewart (who, incidentally, was also very young - only 28 years old).
Stewart knew that the Southerners' army also had a Zouave battalion ("Louisiana Tigers", which are discussed later), and therefore decided to cheer up the panicked "comrades-in-arms" - confidently turned to them:
"Don't run, guys, we're already here!"
The guys stopped and cheered up, but in vain: Stewart had already seen their flag and gave the cavalry the signal to attack.
Lieutenant of the Virginia Regiment William Blackford recalled:
"Horses at full gallop ran into their lines and scattered them like straw."
Colonel Heinzelmann, already quoted, states dryly:
"The regiment of" Zouaves "as a regiment was no longer shown on the battlefield."
It is estimated that in 20 minutes spent on the battlefield, the "fire zouaves" lost 177 people: 2 officers and 34 privates were killed, 73 people were wounded, 68 were captured or were missing. They suffered the most damage from the attack of Stewart's cavalry.
On June 2, 1862, this unit was disbanded.
However, then more than 70 volunteer Zouave regiments were created in the army of the northerners, but the reason for their formation was already quite prosaic: the fact is that, lacking military uniforms, the US government purchased military uniforms in France. And this had to happen - the cheapest kits turned out to be Zouavian. Well, since the recruits were given the uniform of Zouaves, why shouldn't they call themselves Zouaves?
These new Zouaves fought no worse than other combat units of the northerners.
The Confederates also formed 25 companies of the Zouaves, and here was a completely different story. The romantically inclined young southerners were very impressed by the play "The Bloody Drama of the Crimean War," which was being performed by a popular theater troupe touring their states at that time. And they followed in the footsteps of the unfortunate Ellsworth and his "fiery zouaves."
The most famous in this war was the 1st Louisiana Special Battalion, whose military personnel were called "Louisiana Tigers" (sometimes "Tiger rifles" - tiger rifles).
This battalion, commanded by Chithem Robordeau Whit, consisted of 5 companies and was formed according to the principle of the French Foreign Legion: soldiers were recruited from foreigners and criminals of all kinds. So they were Zouaves only because they wore the appropriate uniform, and it would be more correct to call them legionnaires. Again, there were many Irish immigrants among the Louisiana Tigers.
The Louisiana Tigers fought well: in the Shenandoah Valley, in the battles of Fort Royal, Winchester and Port Republic. But they also "rested" well: they ravaged saloons, smashed brothels. As a rule, they did not pass by the fact that, in their opinion, "lies badly". One of the soldiers of the Confederate army later recalled:
“They were all Irish and all dressed in Zouave uniforms, and were known as Louisiana tigers, and they were indeed tigers in human form. I was really afraid of them."
During one of these "outrages" in the town of Montgomery, several "tigers" were even shot.
This battalion suffered heavy losses during the North Virginia and Maryland military campaigns, and was practically destroyed during the Battle of Antiitem. But the name remained - it was transferred to the Louisiana Brigade of General Harry Hayes.
One battalion of Zouaves, after the end of the Civil War, became part of the National Guard, performing mainly ceremonial functions. But in 1880, the uniform of the National Guardsmen was unified, along with it, the name disappeared from history.
Polish "zouaves of death"
On January 10 (22), 1863, another anti-Russian uprising began in Poland. On January 11, the Provisional National Government was formed; Ludvek Meroslovsky, who arrived from Paris on the 19th, became the "dictator of the rebellion". Around this time, a French officer named François Roshanbrune appeared here - the owner of a fencing school in Krakow, which belonged to Austria-Hungary. In the city of Ojcov, he formed a detachment, which he gave the loud name "Zouavs of Death" (in fact, the Poles pronounce the word "Zuav" as "Zhuav") - because he forced the recruits to take an oath never to retreat or surrender. There were quite a few students from the Jagiellonian University in this detachment.
By the way, on the basis of the march of these "zhuavs", the revolutionary song "Varshavyanka of 1905" ("Hostile whirlwinds blowing over us") was later written. There is also "Varshavyanka of 1831". And then this "Varshavyanka" was also transformed into the song of the Spanish anarchists "A las Barricadas!" ("To the barricades"):
Negras tormentas agitan los aires, nubes oscuras nos impiden ver;
aunque nos espere el dolor y la muerte
contra el enemigo nos llama el deber.
……………………………………
¡A las barricadas, a las barricadas
por el triunfo de la confederación!
¡A las barricadas, a las barricadas
por el triunfo de la confederación!
Try to translate it yourself (in an online translator), if you wish.
In Poland, it is often said that the only phrase de Rochebrune could utter in the language of his subordinates was "psiakrew ktra godzina ?!": something like "damn it, what time is it ?!" Supposedly it was she who became his battle cry.
From the French and American Zouaves, which were "in fashion" with bright saturated colors, the Polish ones differed in the black color of the form and a white cross drawn on the chest.
The first battle of Rochebrune's fighters against the Russian troops ended as expected: on February 17, near Mekhov, 150 Zouaves of Death went to the cemetery (a real cemetery) where the Russian positions were located. Fewer than 20 of them returned. Lieutenant Wojciech Komarowski, who led this attack, was also killed.
Rochebrune was not sorry for the Polish youths, and therefore, having reached Krakow, he announced the creation of a whole regiment of suicides. But only a battalion was recruited - about 400 people. On March 17, the new "zouaves of death" successfully fought with the Russian dragoons, but the very next day they were surrounded, from which they left, having suffered heavy losses. Frustrated, Rochebrune left for France, and the last "Juavas" of his battalion were killed in early May 1863. Rochebrune also died later: as part of the French army during the Franco-Prussian war. In general, everyone died, as promised.
Brazilian Zouaves
In distant Brazil in 1864, their own Zouaves also appeared - the so-called battalion of Zouaves-Baiyan (from the name of the province). During the hostilities against Paraguay, it was formed from captured fugitive slaves, who were offered a simple and sad alternative: to die on the gallows immediately or in battle, but a little later. Like Comrade Sukhov from The White Sun of the Desert, they preferred to “suffer a little”. They say that among them there were many "masters" of the now popular, but forbidden in those days, capoeira (this word was invented by the Portuguese colonialists, the slaves themselves called their art "Congo", "Angola", "Manjinga" or "Sau Bento", at the beginning of the 20th century - wadiasau).
Among the achievements of the Brazilian Zouaves is the capture of the Paraguayan fort of Curuzu.
Papal Zouaves
For 10 years, the papal region and the pontiff Pius IX were guarded by a regiment of Zouaves, which the French general Louis de Lamorisier formed from the faithful Catholics of different countries (at first as a Tyraller, that is, a rifle regiment).
On November 3, 1867, near the village of Mentana, this regiment, along with other detachments of the papal region, in alliance with the French military units, fought against the volunteers of Giuseppe Garibaldi, who were forced to withdraw with heavy losses.
It is curious that in 1860 Garibaldi himself had a battalion of volunteers, which was called the "Calabrian Zouaves."
In 1868 there were 4,592 people in the regiment of the papal zouaves. Among them there were 1,910 immigrants from Holland, 1301 - from France, 686 Belgians, 157 Italians from the papal region proper and 32 immigrants from other regions, 135 Canadians, 101 Irishmen, 87 Prussians and 22 Germans from other regions of Germany, 50 Englishmen, 32 Spaniards, 19 Swiss, 14 Americans, 12 Poles, 10 Scots, 7 Austrians, 6 Portuguese, 3 Maltese, 2 subjects of the Russian Empire, one person each from India, Mexico, Peru, some South Sea islands and even one African and one Circassian … That is, again, this regiment, although it was called Zuavsky, was a typical legionnaire.
The military uniform of the papal soldiers copied the French, differing only in color: gray uniforms with red trim. At first, caps were used as a headdress, but they were soon replaced by the traditional fez for the Zouaves.
In 1870, when Rome was occupied by the troops of Victor Emmanuel II (the first king of a unified Italy), this regiment of Zouaves moved to France, and after the unsuccessful Franco-Prussian war it was disbanded.
Other Zouaves
During the Third Carlist War (1872-1876, in some sources it is called the Second), a company of Zouaves was also created in Spain, which was used as the guard of honor of the pretender to the throne of Don Carlos the Younger.
Between 1880 and 1908 two regiments of Zouaves were created in the Ottoman Empire: they were included in the Sultan's Guard. They did not count any military exploits, after the coup staged by the Young Turks in 1908, these regiments were disbanded.
In 1856, the British West Indies regiment also received the Zouave uniform. Currently, this uniform is worn by musicians of the military band of Barbados and Jamaica.
But in France, it is no longer possible to see military personnel in the form of zouaves: earlier cadets of the commando military school dressed like that, but they also changed their uniforms in 2006.
