Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1859-08-20


ment till the Bnn submission Of the last
tribes, July l5, 1851, dissolved the army Of
Kabyla and made them, perforcc peace
lnl GIL the 26th Of April of this year
brought them to win fresh laures on the
new field
Vague reports, assertions without proof
have been not unfreqnehtly made, to the
effect that the Zouaves are in character
crnel dissolute, and excessively given to
hard drinking. That they are absolutely
free from the 6rst charge, I shall not at.
tempt to deny; that they are more so than
other men In like circumstances there is no
proof; there is even good reasons to state
the contrary, If we may judge.by instances,
of which, for want of space, one shall snf
iiice here. The Zouaves were in the van
of the army, on their march toward the
Tell; 10 their charge was a large body of
prisoners, wounded and helpless, women,
old men, and children, whom they were
conducting to the Tell, to restore them to
their homes. The weather was intensely
hot, even for Africa; the nearest well was
eleven leagues distant, and the suiferings OF
the poor people must have been dreadful
indeed. Then it was, says an eyewitness,
that the Zouages behaved like Sisters of
Charity, rather than rough-bearded soldiers;
they divided their last morsel with these
unfortunates, gave them drink from their
own scanty stores, and, putting their can
teens TO the mouth of the dying, revived
them with the precious draugbt. At night
they ate nothing, giving their food to the
helpless prisoners, whose lives they thus
saved ct the risk of their own" If in war
they initiate the action of the tiger" we
have every reason to believe that in peace
they are, to say the least, not less humane
than others
The author Of Recolections of an Off
Ger sums up the character of the Zcuaves
in few words, which clear them from the
other two charges, those of dissolnteness
and drunkenness. He says,-''Beside the
condition of success resulting from the first
organization, it must be said, that, some
what later, the happy idea came to be a.
dopied, Of giving to the Zouaves, destined
to fight in the light-armed troops, the cos
tune of ChasseUrs a pied The recruit
ment added also not little to the reputa-
tion which the Zouaves sorapidly acquired;
the soldiers are all drawn, not from con.
scripts, but from applicants for the service.
Many are Parisians, or, at all events in
habitants Of the other great French cities.
most have already serYed,-are therefore
Injured to the work accustomed to priva-
tions, which they undergo gaily,-to fati.
CUES, at which they joke,-to dangers in
battle, which they treat as mere play
They are proud of their uniform, which |
does not resemble that Of any other corps. I
proud Of that name Zouave. of mvsterious
origin-proud Of the splendid actions with
which each succeeding day enrches the his
tory of their troops-happy in the liberty
they experience, both in garrison and on
expedition. 1t is said that the Zonaues
love wine; it is true; but they are rarely
seen intoxicated: they seek the pleasures Of
conVivlality, not the imbrutement of drunk
enness. Those regiments count in their
ranks officers who, enauied by lazy life.
have taken up the musket and chechia-un |
der officers, who, having already served
brave, even rash, seek to win their epar.
let's anew in this hard service, and gain
either glorious position or a glorious
death-old officers of the Garde mobile
broad shouldered marines who have served
their time on shipboard, accustomed to
cannon and the thunderngs of the tempest
young men of family, desirious to replace
with the red ribbon Of the Legion of Hon.
or, bought and colored with their blood.
the dishonor of life gaped YEARLY away
on the pavement of Paris.
Composed of such elements one can
scarcely imagine the body of Zouaves other
than brilliant in the field of battle. The
officers are generally chosen from the regi-
ments of the line; men remarkable for
strength, courage, and prudence; full of en-
ergy, pushing the love of their coIors to its
last limit, always ready to confront death,
and TO run up to meet danger, they seek
glory rather than promotion. To train up
their soldiers, to give them an example. in
their own persons, of all the military vir-
tues, such are their only cares. Our an
eestors said NobIesse Obige; these choose
the same motto. Their nobility is not that
of old family titles, but the uniform in
which they are clothed, the title of officer
OF Zouaves. Esprit de corps that religion
of the soldier, is carried by the Zouaves to
IT'S highest pitch; the common soldiers
would not consent to change their turban
for the epaulettes of an ensign in the other
service; and many an ensign and not a few
~~P~NfDS "e'N piStOiiOO " dWdib JUBlT dQ-
vaneement in the Zouaves rather than i'm
mediately obtain it by entering other regi-
ments. There exists, moreover, betweepi
the soldiers and officers, military frater-
nifty, which, far from destroying discipline
tends rather to draw more closely its bonds.
The officer sees in his men rather compau-
ions in danger and in glory than interiors;
be willingly attends to their complaints
tries TO spare them all unnecessary priya.
tions. Where they are exposed to dificul.
ties, be does not hesitate to employ all the
means 10 bis power to aid them.
In return, the soldier PROCESSES for bis officer
an affection, devotion, a sort Of ilial respect
Discipline, he knows, must be severe. and be
does not grumble at its penalties. IN battle,
he does not abandon bis chief; he watches over
him, will die for his safety will not let him fall
into the hands Of the enemy if wounded. At
the biTousc be makes the officers fire, though
his own should die for want Of fuel; cares for bis
horse arranges his furniture; if any delicacy 10
the way Of food can be procured, he brings Il TO
the chief Convinced Of the desire oftheir mas
ter that the soldiers shall be we'll fed. the Zou-
ases often insist that part oftheir pay be ex-
pended for procuring the provisions Of the tribe.
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