Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1859-08-20


ination of Turkey. Soon after, they expelled
the Koulouglis, or half-breed Turks, and en-
slavcd the Moors. Admitting some of the lat
ter to service in tGe militia, they never allowed
them to hope for advancement in the State, or
what was the same thing, the army Only
Turks, or in some instances, renegade Chris
tians, could lead the soldiers, whom thus no
feeling of local patriotism Modified in their
course of savage cruelty, grinding the face Of
the poor natives till spirit and hope were lost
and resistance ceased to be a settled idea in
their minds.
Now, when the French navy came up to the
port of Algiers, June II, $780, the unity be-
tween the soldiers and their master, Hussein
Pasha, was tottering on the verge of dissolu-
ton, plot against his life had Just been dis
covered, he had punished the ringleadcrs with
death, and many who had been concerned in
the conspiracy felt that there was no safety for
them with him. Beaten constantly in every
skirmish or battle, they conceived high re-
spect for the military genius of the invaders,
and ere the close of the summer campaign, Of
fered their services to General Clausel This
offer he promptly declined, and they thereupon
withdrew, carrying their swords to the aid of
other powers less scrupuous.
The news however, that the terrible Odjack
had offered themselves to serve under the
French, spread lively terror through the Arab
tribes, who, believing themselves about to suf-
fer an aggravation of their already intolerable
oppression, experienced a sensation of relief
and an elevation of spirit no less marked on
hearing that the newly formed government had
rejected their services. Perceiving the fear in
which these Algerine Pretorians were held by
the tribes, Marshal Clausel conceived the plan
of re placing them by a corps of light infantry,
consisting OF two battalions, to perform the SER
vice of household troops, and to receive some
name as significant as that held by their prede-
cessors under the old regime. Consequently,
after some consideration, the newly constituted
body was called by the name of Zouares, from
the Arabic word Zouaoua.
The Zouaoua are n tribe, or rather confed-
Grafton of the tribes of the Kabyles, who in
habit the gorges of the Jurjura mountains. the
boundary of Algeria on the east, separating it
from the Province Of Constantine They are a
brave, fierce, laborious pcople. whose submis
sion to the Turks was never moro than nomi.
nal; vet they were well known in tbn citv of
Alriers. whittier they came freouontlv IN OK.
change the products of their industry for the
luxuries of comparative civilization. As they
had the reputation of bcinp the hest soldiers in
the Kepency. and had orcasionallv lont tbo;r
services to the Alcerine princess. their name
was riven 10 the new military forcc while IN
give II the character Of the French corns
the number of native soldiers received into he
ranks was limited. and all its officers from tho
highest To the lowest Grade. wore reouired IN Inc
native-born Frenchmen. The service in his
corps was altogether voluntary. none be;ng an.
pointed to the Zouayes who did not seek the
place but there were found enough voung and
daring spirits who embraced viii cr,b,1s;as,,
this life, so harassing. so full of priyation. of
rude labor, of constant peril. The first bat
TALON was commanded by Major Maumet the
second by Cant. Duyiyier. (since General who
died in Paris. in 1918. of wounds received in
the African service. Icvaillant (since General
of Diyisionl Verge (now General of Rr;godnI \
and Molliere who died Colonel, and of wounds
received at the siege of Rome. were officers in
these battalons.
In six weeks. the Zouayes took the field nm
der Marshal Ckluscl. marching against Medcab
an important station in the heart of Western
Algeria, where they triumphcd. Lett alone tor
two months on frontier post living in face of
n savage foe, watching, leaving the gun only to
take up the spade, cut off from all communica-
tions, reduced to the last extremity for food.
they thus at once had experience in the rude,
terrible school which makes the best soldiers
They distinguished themselves thenceforward
by their vaor. sutierings and privations Much
of their success was due to the training they
received from Captain Lamoriciere, who was
appointed chief of Zouaves, when united in a
single battalion by an ordinance of the King
dated March T. 1898. No dlers were permit
ted in the camp. They were their own artisans
and farmers. The greatest care was taken
to teach them their profession. To fence with
the mounted bayonet to wrestle, to leap, to
climb, to run for miles, to swim, to make and
to destroy temporary bridges, to throw up
earth walls, to carry great weights, to do, in
short, what Indians learn to do, and much that
they do not learn-these served as reaxations
to the unweared Zouaves To vary the monot-
ony Of such life, the most hazardous incursions
were undertaken With these means their
physical strength and soldierly prowess gradu-
ally increased. Their costume and equipments
were brought near perfection; they wore the
Turkish dress slightly modifed-but fitted to
the climate and their active duties. Their dis
cipline and life formed a school for officers as
well as men. Many of the best generals now
in the French army began their career with the
Zouaves
After two years, Marshal Clausel returned to