The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1859-07-05
CHARLOTTE, N. c., TUESDAY, JULY 5, 1859
SOME OF THE SOLDIERS.
Tile Zouoces and Trcos- Perfect Dare De

Tie Zouuces and Turcos-Ierfect Dare Devils.
The newspapers, correspondents from Italy, and
Paris story telers give all sorts ot reports and
anecdotes about, the Zouvaves, the Turcos, aud
other new species of troops in Italy, fighting
against the Austrians. The Zouavcs at Paestro,
they tell us, got their bagged trowser legs so wet,
and therefore heavy, in crossing some lowlands,
that when ordered to the charge, they cast off
their trowsers and ran to the Austrians, bayonet
in hand bare-legged. The Emperor summoned a
certain number of them, and told them he would
order them back to Africa and France, if anything
of the like occurred again, whereupOn, it is sad
they cried like children, and promised good be-
haviour.
The Turcos are a new race Of men on the
European field of battle, at least, not there seen
or known since the days of Hannibal, who led
their ancestors into Italy. They Mohamme-
dams under French officers, and boicers, natives
of Africa about Algiers, black, or woody headed.
We have the first account from them on the field
of battle, in the correspondence of the Constitu-
tioRnel, from Navarro.
June 4th McMahon's division is made up Of
these troops, and others from Africa. The cores
pondent had then just heard of this division at
Magenta, where they attacked the Austrians
protected by their cannon. "Like tigers" says
the writer, they precipitated themselves upon the
Austrans crying "vlctory J" even before they had
DISCHARGED their guns The attack is said to have
exhibited one of the strangest and most terrible
spectaces of war! The Turcos threw themselves
upon the enemy like the savages OF Cooper, with
out mercy or quarter. Soon horrible melee Oc-
Cured. The voices of the cannon even was drown
ed by the savage cries of the Turcos-cries, not
the chaunts of victory nor plants of the dying
and wounded-all the language of Mahomet can
muster Of imprecatons broke forth from them in
isolated erours, where one Turcos would often be
seen struggling against three four Austrlans.
When the Austrians ran, and the strife was over,
the spectacle not less strange. The fanatic
conquerors rolled upon the earth, and under the
inspiration of some African war song tEey danced
the most fanatic species Of dance, amid bursts of
laughter and frightful cries, that startled even
their companions in arms. Some of them had
forced their prisoners to sit beside them and upon
these poor prisoners at first they glared, as the
lion gares upon it prey and then, with species Of
fascination, as if they pitied the poor creatures
now without means of defence. In other parts OF
the field they lay down upon the ground, exhaust
ed and fatigued, and recovered their strength in
sleep. The French writer, however, denies that
they act like beasts of prey or are carnivorous but
nevertheless he says, they are savage Their lines
at Magenta were 'immense."
Another correspondent says:
The Tyrolese sharpshooters in the Austrian
army wear on their Eonncts a tuft of plumes which
resemble very much that of the Piedmontese
sharpshooters At the battle of Palestro a regi-
ment of these Tyrolese hidden in the wheat,
and the Zouav, s, deceived by the plumes, and ap-
preaching with confidence received at thirty steps
most murderous discharge of balls along the line
The surprise lasted but moment. Thessmoke Of
the discharge was not yet iissipated when the
Tyroleans received the human avalanche preceded
by it's thousand steel points, and were thus pre-
cptated into the canal, where many hundreds
were drowned and bayonctted. Not single Tyro-
lean would have escaped, perhaps, if the Zouavcs
had had their linen instead of their wooden panta-
looms, for they could not swim with these.